Is really everyone THAT fed up with England?!!

[Giraffe]

A couple of my mates genuine replies when I asked them about going after seeing your tickets;

"Can't go. Waste of money anyway. Would have been fun booing though"
"Ahahaha. No thanks. Did you not see the World Cup?"
"Not sure I can justify the cash for them at the moment!"
"Wouldn't go even if you paid me mate" (obviously an over reaction, but you get the idea)

I got stoney silence from a lot of people!! but the above is a fair sample of the response from some.

Ultimately I have to confess even if I wasn't going on holiday I might think twice about whether to go or not.

However if I hadn't been to Wembley before this is a good chance to get cheap tickets for an England game so a bit surprised I can't shift them at all.

So now reducing to £15 per ticket!!!!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It won't be an empty Wembley. No way. Would be surprised if it was less than 50,000. The fans at an England game matter to the FA but they don't matter to the premiership. And it is the premiership clubs that need to change as they hold all of the power. Empty stadiums for the first game of the new season would definitely make a difference but it just isn't going to happen as premiership fans don't give a shit about England. England's fan base is predominantly made up of fans from outside the premiership.

I agree it won't be empty, I just think it should be. As I said earlier, the FA and the premiership have two completely different agendas, their aims are never going to lie side-by-side without something radical changing.

 

[Arthur]

Name nine better than Wembley in England then.

Emirates
St James Park
Craven Cottage
Brittainia Stadium
Molenuex (sp)
Villa Park
Anfield
Goodison
Princes Park (Dartford)

 

[Bwian]

England? Don't give a damn what they do any more.

The Albion have always been more important to me and after the shambles that was England's World Cup 'effort' that is even more so now.

 

[Rookie]

Not only the England team that is the problem, but the transport links to Wembley. I know a lot of people that won't go mid week because of the chaos of getting back to Brighton, either have to leave early or risk getting stuck in that crowd for the tube and missing the last train

 

[Brovion]

It won't be an empty Wembley. No way. Would be surprised if it was less than 50,000. ....

I think you're probably right, and strangely that's part of the problem. In about 1984 I went, on the spur of the moment, (I was working in North London that day) to see England play East Germany. This was another pointless fixture and there were about 20,000 of us rattling around Wembley - it only cost a few quid to get in as well. There wasn't anything like the post-world cup negativity for England there is today, but this of course was in the era (as we've discussed before) when a sub-20,000 crowd for a top club was unremarkable.

All the while 'negative' England can get 50,000 for a friendly and all the while the top Premier clubs can sell out their 45,000+ stadiums one can make a case that there is nothing wrong with football - or the ticket prices. Yeah, England are under-achieving, but hasn't that always been the case? (Don't subscribe to that view myself of course but it can be made)

 

[The Large One]

Emirates
St James Park
Craven Cottage
Brittainia Stadium
Molenuex (sp)
Villa Park
Anfield
Goodison
Princes Park (Dartford)

Serious question - what's wrong with Wembley?

I've not been.

 

[Rusthall Seagull]

Serious question - what's wrong with Wembley?

I've not been.

it is soulless

 

[theonesmith]

One thing I don't get is what is this commitment you want from Premier League clubs?

80% of academy players are English! There's a huge pool out there! But only 42% of players in the Premier League are English. Is that just clubs being unfair on players? Or the true facts that English players are not good enough?

IMHO, a main thing that let's us down is our adaptability as English people. European/South American players play all over the world, giving them more chances to develop. Unfortunately, most English kids can only speak English- and usually poorly at that. Leaving them stuck in one country usually ending up in the Championship/League One.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Serious question - what's wrong with Wembley?

I've not been.

I've been, and I think it's a terrific stadium. The sniping just seems to be a fashionable inverted snobbery imo. Infinitely easier to get in and out of compared to the old version, great sightlines everywhere, roomy concourses. Still a rip off for beer, food etc, but then again Wembley would not be alone in that.

 

[Rusthall Seagull]

I've been, and I think it's a terrific stadium. The sniping just seems to be a fashionable inverted snobbery imo. Infinitely easier to get in and out of compared to the old version, great sightlines everywhere, roomy concourses. Still a rip off for beer, food etc, but then again Wembley would not be alone in that.

'fashionable inverted snobbery', please explain....just so I have an idea as to why I think it's not great.

 

[sten_super]

I've been, and I think it's a terrific stadium. The sniping just seems to be a fashionable inverted snobbery imo. Infinitely easier to get in and out of compared to the old version, great sightlines everywhere, roomy concourses. Still a rip off for beer, food etc, but then again Wembley would not be alone in that.

The problem in my experience is the fans, not the stadium. Far too many people going because it's fashionable with only a passing interest in the football, very little constructive atmosphere (I can't remember hearing a legitimate chant at an England game there) and a lot of booing (either for when the away fans have the gall to try to create an atmosphere or whenever Ashley Cole gets the ball).

I've been to see NFL and rugby union there and the atmosphere was much much better.

 

[Rookie]

I've been, and I think it's a terrific stadium. The sniping just seems to be a fashionable inverted snobbery imo. Infinitely easier to get in and out of compared to the old version, great sightlines everywhere, roomy concourses. Still a rip off for beer, food etc, but then again Wembley would not be alone in that.

Bar the transport Wembley is superb. Shame they didn't sort the transport correctly but having said that its like that throughout London for a mid week game

 

[Acker79]

Serious question - what's wrong with Wembley?

I've not been.

I've not been either, but I imagine it is as much to do with it being new as anything. The old wembley was where we went to see Brighton v Notts County, it was where we had the FA Cup final. And thyat's just the brighton fan's experience. Think of all those years that Man U, Liverpool, Tottenham etc have been there for FA cup vistories. And on a national level the old wembley saw some great historic moments, from the more recent run at euro 96 to the more distant 66 world cup win. It was home to the England National team, it was home to the FA cup.

This new wembley is just a stadium.

It's like moving into a new house - sometimes it just feels right, other times it takes a while for it to feel like 'home'.

 

[Giraffe]

I've been to Wembley lots now and once you are in your seat I would say it is the best ground I have been to. The transport is way better than it used to be but still not ideal. The concourses and outside Wembley are a disgrace. Fairly confident Falmer will be better than that from that perspective. But for me Wembley still has that wow factor when you walk inside and when full generates a great atmosphere. I agree with the point about the other supporters though. There is a hard core of proper fans, but a lot of "tourist" fans, hence the mass exodus with ten minutes to go. Astonishing behaviour.

 

[HG201]

I have been to wembley plenty of times, and i love it! The sheer size of the place really is breathtaking! When England fans get going it really does make an incredible atmosphere too. I dont get the whole thing about suddenly not supporting your country because we failed in yet another tournament, yes its annoying, but if that was your club doing that would you suddenly stop supporting them? When the albion got relegated did you stop supporting us?

 

[Gritt23]

I think they've shot themselves in the foot with the evening kick-off. I've always quite fancied taking my lad to this game, but he's 8, so even with it being school holidays, I'm looking at not getting him home until about midnight, and that makes it very difficult.

Add to that, having to get out of work early to get home, pick him up, and take him along, it suddenly becomes a real effort. If it's the wasters who showed up in the summer, with "the season is about to start" ringing in their ears from their club manager, then I'll probably be putting more effort into getting there and back than they will for the 45-60 mins that their club manager has allowed them to take the field for.

Still tempted, but I do think I'll end up wishing I hadn't.

Giraffe, stick me down as a maybe, if you're getting no interest.

 

[Gritt23]

Oh, what the hell, it's EN-GER-LAND ffs.

Yeah, I'll have 'em. PM sent.

 

[Giraffe]

I think they've shot themselves in the foot with the evening kick-off. I've always quite fancied taking my lad to this game, but he's 8, so even with it being school holidays, I'm looking at not getting him home until about midnight, and that makes it very difficult.

Add to that, having to get out of work early to get home, pick him up, and take him along, it suddenly becomes a real effort. If it's the wasters who showed up in the summer, with "the season is about to start" ringing in their ears from their club manager, then I'll probably be putting more effort into getting there and back than they will for the 45-60 mins that their club manager has allowed them to take the field for.

Still tempted, but I do think I'll end up wishing I hadn't.

Giraffe, stick me down as a maybe, if you're getting no interest.

I completely agree with you on the kid front. Daft timing. Had it been last Saturday/Sunday it could have been a great chance to take the kids along. That said it still is in the summer holidays which is a rare occurence.

The tickets are lower tier on the same side of the dug out so not bad for keeping kids amused. Have had a tickle now from someone but no firm confirmation yet, so let me know if you're interested. As I'm on holiday from tomorrow I either need to sell them now or rip them up!!

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I guess "high level of football" is true in a conceptual sense, but Wembley probably isn't even in the top ten stadiums.

Congratulations, you've won The Most Ridiculous Post in NSC History Award.