[Albion] Didn't feel right.

[Official Old Man]

Timer always stops on 45 and 90 but usually we have the clock time so can work out when whistle should blow. Pain, I had to keep checking my watch.

EPL have changed the rules and the clock continues after 45 and 90 minutes to show minutes played.

 

[JBizzle]

Loved the vibes, thought the AEK fans wee impressing, liked the changed colour scheme, hated the screens.

I'd liked to have known which of the players were on a booking, for exemple. Minor complaints though. The biggest complaint for me was the bl**dy result

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

All our normal adverts gone. Pre-match build up gone. GOSBTS played before teams came out and not faded. Big screen different (teams?). Whilst I cant say exactly what it was, it was lots of small differences that made the Euro game different to our normal games. I didn't get the tingle I expected when the teams came out.
Even every mention of American Express (with the exeption of the new signs cleverly installed under the roofs) were removed.
The whole evening just seemed wrong.

You should 'of' been at the Japan v South Africa egg-chasing game then. That was like a parallel universe. As well as the normal advertising being stripped away and replaced, the stadium got renamed, Dick's Bar became the Press Office, the programmes cost a tenner, and I swear I was about the only person in the entire sell-out crowd wearing the stripes

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Loved the vibes, thought the AEK fans wee impressing, liked the changed colour scheme, hated the screens.

I'd liked to have known which of the players were on a booking, for exemple. Minor complaints though. The biggest complaint for me was the bl**dy result

Well it would be, if they'd had a lock-in at the K&Q all afternoon

 

[Miximate]

At least the stewards got nice new bright high vis tabards!

 

[trueblue]

Timer always stops on 45 and 90 but usually we have the clock time so can work out when whistle should blow. Pain, I had to keep checking my watch.

It doesn’t any more. In the Premier League, they are now allowed to show the stoppage time ticking away.

 

[trueblue]

So that the adverts on the screens around the pitch stand out better for TV. Advertising is more important than the game and fans. I think that was the problem, as fans we were second to all the comercialism.
Incidently, what happened to the 200 away F&F seats in the Upper East for which our STH where moved. I was next to this block and it was all Albion

Nice theory but it makes more sense that those rows were covered to prevent pitch invasions. Either that or because bigger hoardings block the sight lines from the front rows, which is what I’d heard as the reason at other grounds in the past.

 

[fly high]

EPL have changed the rules and the clock continues after 45 and 90 minutes to show minutes played.

Hadn't noticed that, will watch out on Sunday. Thanks for info.

 

[Swimboy64]

All our normal adverts gone. Pre-match build up gone. GOSBTS played before teams came out and not faded. Big screen different (teams?). Whilst I cant say exactly what it was, it was lots of small differences that made the Euro game different to our normal games. I didn't get the tingle I expected when the teams came out.
Even every mention of American Express (with the exeption of the new signs cleverly installed under the roofs) were removed.
The whole evening just seemed wrong.

Absolutely agree with everything you say didn’t enjoy last night at all

 

[Hamilton]

It's supposed to be different.

It's supposed to be the biggest game in our history.

Yep, but that was never going to be the biggest game in our history.

Top 10 biggest games in our history. That deserves a thread in its own right.

 

[Giraffe]

It's Europe isn't it, so we MUST obey. All those changes are clearly laid down to us if we want to be in the club. I didn't like it either, but the choices are 1) don't enter the competition or 2) suck it up

It definitely won't have been the clubs decision to do any of this and I think given the mein fuhrer rules they did a pretty good job. Also very pleased to see no fanzone by the way albeit the playing of Sweet Caroline made a comeback. I hope no fanzone continues into Sunday but fear it will be back!

 

[nwgull]

So that the adverts on the screens around the pitch stand out better for TV. Advertising is more important than the game and fans. I think that was the problem, as fans we were second to all the comercialism.
Incidently, what happened to the 200 away F&F seats in the Upper East for which our STH where moved. I was next to this block and it was all Albion

They were in the South-West shelf. Made a decent racket considering it was supposed to be their WAGS etc.

Timer always stops on 45 and 90 but usually we have the clock time so can work out when whistle should blow. Pain, I had to keep checking my watch.

It's a simple, but tremendous, improvement for fans in the ground. Used to be the case that whenever we had a slender lead going into stoppages (anything less than 3 up if you're an irrational pessimist like me), loads of people would get their phones out and start the stopwatch!

 

[A1X]

I was annoyed at no line-ups, as I didn't have a clue who any of the AEK players were so it would have been good to see some names to put to them

 

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Annoying no teams list was up so couldn't refer to those booked with a yellow.

Presume it's to do with the fact there is no room on the electronic board to enter the names of both teams players in both languages? They couldn't just put them up in just English as its a European competition

 

[CheeseRolls]

Yes but.....One massive overriding bonus.

There was no Hey Jude!!!!!!!

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

So that the adverts on the screens around the pitch stand out better for TV. Advertising is more important than the game and fans. I think that was the problem, as fans we were second to all the comercialism.
Incidently, what happened to the 200 away F&F seats in the Upper East for which our STH where moved. I was next to this block and it was all Albion

I sit in the upper west close to the away end and noticed the contingent of away support on the sw corner shelf to my right, assume that was them. I did notice that the seats in the upper east became available on the ticketing site and supposed that the away f & f had moved. Also wondered at the time if the club contacted STH who had been moved out and asked them if they wanted to swap back. Perhaps if one of them reads this forum they could let us know.

 

[Cordwainer]

Nice theory but it makes more sense that those rows were covered to prevent pitch invasions. Either that or because bigger hoardings block the sight lines from the front rows, which is what I’d heard as the reason at other grounds in the past.

Would advertising issues be the reason that the ballboys/girls were from what I could tell, sat behind the pitchside advert screens?? That’s not the case in prem games is it?

 

[Weststander]

I sat in WSL for the first time, giving me a great view of AEK playing a cute game against our team with little defensive structure/competence.

In the NS I sit down, but jump up every time we attack with any meaning. Last night I got a push and bollocking, no friendly request, from two miserable 70 year old sitting behind me, for standing up when we had attacked. That was an eye opener about WSL. I couldn't help myself, it was instinctive.

Before that for 80 minutes I'd listened to their moaning about Van Hecke, turns out they can't stand him, lots of "I told you he was crap".

A bit of a weird evening. In the NS we don't sit near moaners.

 

[trueblue]

Would advertising issues be the reason that the ballboys/girls were from what I could tell, sat behind the pitchside advert screens?? That’s not the case in prem games is it?

Not 100% sure but it's pretty standard for people to be told not to block out advertising on televised games. You'd be pretty peed off if you were the sponsor after all.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I liked the different BALL.

Until it turned out our players can't kick this one straight.

Agree.

Great to see a take on the 1974 World Cup ball.
Not sure about not kicking it straight, but they couldn’t see it to defend properly.