[Football] FA Cup 5th round draw [Wolves away]

[jrbha]

First to admit i called this wrong. The released blocks JL2 to JL7 total just over 2000 seats and at the moment there are just under 1000 left. The club have held some for players comps, sponsors etc so actual sales to fans is less than 900 even though we are already at the stage where ALL season ticket holders and 1901 could buy.
I am quite surprised and, i have to say, somewhat disappointed with those figures especially considering all the recent posts stating how great our fans are, which i do agree with, but seem not to be borne out in this situation. Personally i am sure it is much more to do with the mid week timing than it is to do with the pricing.

Are you actually surprised that we aren't taking many to a midweek game given the following:

It's not a new ground for a lot of the regular away following

It's live on a free to air platform

It will require taking at least a half day of annual leave for most people

It's very difficult to get to back from by train given the kick off time

We have a European away fixture 2 weeks after which will also require annual leave being taken and a significant financial commitment

It's at full price when 5th round cup games are often slightly cheaper

Wolves isn't exactly the best away day

Surely you are not 'surprised and somewhat disappointed' given all of that...surely?

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

I'm very much on the fence for this one.

I'll admit the pricing may mean I don't go, and that's not because I can't afford it, but because the pricing is just horribly wrong, and it almost needs people voting with their feet to get the message across.

Disagree with your last sentence Bozza - the biggest disincentive for people travelling a distance is that it is a midweek evening game Shirley - BHA can not change that and I think it would look a bit stupid if we were encouraging our own fans not to attend because the ticket was maybe £10 higher than it might have been.
I’ll be there anyway

 

[Bozza]

Disagree with your last sentence Bozza - the biggest disincentive for people travelling a distance is that it is a midweek evening game Shirley - BHA can not change that and I think it would look a bit stupid if we were encouraging our own fans not to attend because the ticket was maybe £10 higher than it might have been.
I’ll be there anyway

Sorry, I'm not saying the disincentive for Albion fans is the £30 ticket price. @jrbha has outlined, above, the reasons that will mean many folk don't travel.

But the ticket price does grate - it's not representative of the "attractiveness" of this fixture.

All that said, I've spent the last 10 minutes researching trains and hotels.

 

[kevo]

The last train out is 22.45 and I'm booked on it. The game proper will end at 21.45. ET would run from 21.50 to 22.25. And it’s a 15 minute walk to the station. So, I would miss penalties. And so would anyone else heading south.

That's a really good point. If the ties at this important stage in the competition are to be decided on the night (surely it should be the 3rd and 4th rounds where replays are avoided?!), the least they could do is make the kick off 7.30. Imagine going all the way there and then missing the penalty shoot out to get the train (yes, that will be me, then).

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

Are you actually surprised that we aren't taking many to a midweek game given the following:

It's not a new ground for a lot of the regular away following

It's live on a free to air platform

It will require taking at least a half day of annual leave for most people

It's very difficult to get to back from by train given the kick off time

We have a European away fixture 2 weeks after which will also require annual leave being taken and a significant financial commitment

It's at full price when 5th round cup games are often slightly cheaper

Wolves isn't exactly the best away day

Surely you are not 'surprised and somewhat disappointed' given all of that...surely?

Thank you sincerely for your detailed reply which has certainly caused me to reflect, these are my thoughts

At this stage there are not many "new grounds" to be had so i would not consider this to be very high on peoples agenda. Unless it was Maidstone of course when we would have had about 12,000 wanting with only 200 available !

Surely our hard core of fans would not purposely choose to watch an important match on tv rather than be at the game live. Though i do appreciate it will always give a better understanding of a match with the replays and close up views of the action.

The next two i will take together because they are both symptomatic of, what i believe is the thing i totally underestimated, the midweek effect. You have hit the nail on the head here regarding travel and time off work. I quite often go by train but for this game will have to go by car and share driving. Also being retired for a few years now i forget so soon the problems of taking time off when in full time employment, for this i can only apologise.

The European thing is a bit of a red herring i feel as surely those who cannot go to Wolverhampton would not then be in a position to drop everything and jaunt off to who knows where.

Bozza has already brought up about the price situation and i totally agree it is wrong especially as the seats behind the goal (which surprise surprise are their fans) will be cheaper. I will make a point of not buying anything in the ground but cannot feel inclined to let it stop me supporting the team.

Less said about the city centre the better but one advantage of going by car is to choose somewhere just short of the final destination to rest up and eat/drink before completing your journey.

So in conclusion i now agree that though i was "surprised and somewhat disappointed" that was down to my failure to properly consider all the facts.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Thank you sincerely for your detailed reply which has certainly caused me to reflect, these are my thoughts

At this stage there are not many "new grounds" to be had so i would not consider this to be very high on peoples agenda. Unless it was Maidstone of course when we would have had about 12,000 wanting with only 200 available !

Surely our hard core of fans would not purposely choose to watch an important match on tv rather than be at the game live. Though i do appreciate it will always give a better understanding of a match with the replays and close up views of the action.

The next two i will take together because they are both symptomatic of, what i believe is the thing i totally underestimated, the midweek effect. You have hit the nail on the head here regarding travel and time off work. I quite often go by train but for this game will have to go by car and share driving. Also being retired for a few years now i forget so soon the problems of taking time off when in full time employment, for this i can only apologise.

The European thing is a bit of a red herring i feel as surely those who cannot go to Wolverhampton would not then be in a position to drop everything and jaunt off to who knows where.

Bozza has already brought up about the price situation and i totally agree it is wrong especially as the seats behind the goal (which surprise surprise are their fans) will be cheaper. I will make a point of not buying anything in the ground but cannot feel inclined to let it stop me supporting the team.

Less said about the city centre the better but one advantage of going by car is to choose somewhere just short of the final destination to rest up and eat/drink before completing your journey.

So in conclusion i now agree that though i was "surprised and somewhat disappointed" that was down to my failure to properly consider all the facts.

It's a game of football on a Wednesday night

It's not too deep.

 

[Giraffe]

Still think we will sell out. J6 just sold out. J5 will follow shortly. We are on a roll. Sell it out!

 

[Jim in the West]

Still think we will sell out. J6 just sold out. J5 will follow shortly. We are on a roll. Sell it out!

J5 now sold out. 580 left, I think....not sure how many first allocated, by we MAY sell out our initial allocation....

 

[Giraffe]

J5 now sold out. 580 left, I think....not sure how many first allocated, by we MAY sell out our initial allocation....

I'd say about 2,000 first allocation?

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

It's a game of football on a Wednesday night

It's not too deep.

Are you actually surprised that we aren't taking many to a midweek game given the following:

It's not a new ground for a lot of the regular away following

It's live on a free to air platform

It will require taking at least a half day of annual leave for most people

It's very difficult to get to back from by train given the kick off time

We have a European away fixture 2 weeks after which will also require annual leave being taken and a significant financial commitment

It's at full price when 5th round cup games are often slightly cheaper

Wolves isn't exactly the best away day

Surely you are not 'surprised and somewhat disappointed' given all of that...surely?

Disagree with your last sentence Bozza - the biggest disincentive for people travelling a distance is that it is a midweek evening game Shirley - BHA can not change that and I think it would look a bit stupid if we were encouraging our own fans not to attend because the ticket was maybe £10 higher than it might have been.
I’ll be there anyway

Regardless of all of this - Wednesday night, live on TV, etc etc - would we not sell out if it was a league game? Seems to me the reason for low sales is that its the FA Cup. Which is a shame

 

[Giraffe]

I think one thing playing into this that I didn't realise is that points from this game won't help Euro points for the next round as tickets will probably go on sale before this game.

Will help the Quarters and beyond though

 

[London Irish]

That's a really good point. If the ties at this important stage in the competition are to be decided on the night (surely it should be the 3rd and 4th rounds where replays are avoided?!), the least they could do is make the kick off 7.30. Imagine going all the way there and then missing the penalty shoot out to get the train (yes, that will be me, then).

Doing the park run and Brighton half-marathon so I can pump this in 8 minutes

 

[kevo]

Doing the park run and Brighton half-marathon so I can pump this in 8 minutes

I'll be trailing in your wake! I do have a friend who lives in Wolverhampton if the worst comes to the worst... He's a Wolves fan tho, so it might depend on how the penalties went!