[Football] Semi Final Neutral Stadiums

[wolfie]

I wish they'd built the national stadium near Coventry. It would have been about a quarter the cost, attracted business to a poorer part of the country, and been far more appropriate in terms of geography: a bit more central with a slight leaning to the heavily populated south east.

That would be good. SISU would probably try to buy it off the FA on the cheap and install poor old Coventry City there !

 

[DumLum]

Playing semi-finals at Wembley is one of the worst decisions the greedy basstads at the FA ever made. The whole tradition of the FA Cup needs to be revised. Playing at neutral stadiums is fantastic.
And an FA Cup win should be rewarded with the 4th European Cup spot. Still can't call it by the stupid Champions League bollox. MFIS!

And Wembley is just not Wembley anymore. Just another soulless shyt stadium after they tore down the twin towers which was another incredibly stupid decision.

I agree FA cup winners should have the 4th Champions League place but the big 6 would throw their toys out the pram over that.

But the new Wembley is different class to the old one! I could not see a big lump of the pitch during the 1991 playoff final.

 

[NooBHA]

Really!!! HIghbury was brilliant, wouldn't have been the same had it been at the Goldstone or Hillsborough. And everyone knows watching on TV is nowhere near the same as being there.

I just hear all the media bang on about the ''magic of the FA Cup'' where the smaller clubs level the playing field by playing at home against the ''big boys'' - I just feel, why should that all stop at the semi final stage ?

 

[beorhthelm]

I personally don’t see any need for a national stadium. That England on tour thing they did when Wembley was being rebuilt was hugely popular and also beneficial in many ways. Whoever came up with this idea needs a pat on the back

And today there’s plenty of very large stadia around the U.K. for the very big games.

added to this, we had a "national stadium" built at Stratford, but they just wouldn't allow it to be used for football. that work out well.

 

[papajaff]

Are the FA really greedy?

Maybe not but have you seen the prices for the Semi Final?

 

[papajaff]

I agree FA cup winners should have the 4th Champions League place but the big 6 would throw their toys out the pram over that.

But the new Wembley is different class to the old one! I could not see a big lump of the pitch during the 1991 playoff final.

Maybe just me then that gets a flutter of the heart when I see the old stadium.

 

[Weststander]

I agree FA cup winners should have the 4th Champions League place but the big 6 would throw their toys out the pram over that.

The top 6 take this trophy very seriously now, especially once the pot is in sight. Wigan’s 2013 win (also Swansea’s LC win) is becoming a distant memory. The top 6 always win the FAC and LC, silverware is everything to them.

 

[Weststander]

Was 28k each last year.

Semi final clubs got 33,000 last year.

28,000 was at the final.

 

[Nottseagull]

Playing semi-finals at Wembley is one of the worst decisions the greedy basstads at the FA ever made. The whole tradition of the FA Cup needs to be revised.

Bit of a contradiction in terms there! I think you mean 'revived', in which case I totally agree with you.

So in this case, Albion v City - Millennium Stadium,
Watford v Wolves - Emirates.

To maximise number of fans being able to attend however you would need to go with Wolves v Watford Millennium Stadium and Albion v City Old Trafford. However that's a non - starter because a Saturday kick-off would be grossly unfair to us regarding public transport, and a Sunday afternoon kick off would be hard on City as they have to play on the Tuesday.

 

[DumLum]

The top 6 take this trophy very seriously now, especially once the pot is in sight. Wigan’s 2013 win (also Swansea’s LC win) is becoming a distant memory. The top 6 always win the FAC and LC, silverware is everything to them.

I know that but they are the ones who won't allow the 4th champions league spot to go to the FA Cup winners.
Top 3 is a bigger risk than finishing 4th as they may get a FA cup draw against another top 6 side.
They would start talking about their European Super League again.

 

[Nottseagull]

On second thoughts, the Millennium Stadium would be near-perfect for both. It's the biggest stadium outside of Wembley and in each tie, would be much more equidistant for both sets of fans.

 

[tigertim68]

Old Trafford would suit Watford and Wolves? It's well north of both of them. Villa Park, almost certainly (which would also have the advantage of fans approaching from opposite directions, not the same one).
Tricky one though - Villa Park would probably be the most geographically neutral for us and City too; guess the Emirates would do as second best - although if the semis can be played on successive days at Wembley, so they could at Villa Park.

Villa park not big enough any more , the match against city would of been played at the Emirates

 

[papajaff]

Bit of a contradiction in terms there! I think you mean 'revived', in which case I totally agree with you.

My apologies, I did mean revived. Can we be friends again?

 

[Nottseagull]

Millennium Stadium would have been viable on the Saturday morning as there are three trains via London that arrive by 11:45 am.

My apologies, I did mean revived. Can we be friends again?

What an oddball thing to post!
Why would anybody fall out over a typo??

 

[durrington gull]

It should still be this way. Wembley for the final only. Greedy FA.

Spot on!!

 

[Bry Nylon]

Why would anybody fall out over a typo??

Count Basie once did.

 

[papajaff]

What an oddball thing to post!
Why would anybody fall out over a typo??

Christ, it was a joke.

 

[Nottseagull]

Christ, it was a joke.

But there's an issue behind it isn't there, which I'm struggling to comprehend.

 

[papajaff]

But there's an issue behind it isn't there, which I'm struggling to comprehend.

Go away

 

[Durlston]

Man City v Brighton = Emirates.
Watford v Wolves = Villa Park.

For the expense of Wembley I'm giving it a miss. Although it's not just that in early April. I haven't been to enough matches this season to justify it.