Should the FA Cup semi finals be played at Wembley?

[Deleted member 2719]

Perhaps this Poll should be sent to the FA.

 

[Citrus in Sheffield]

If it's about capacity, Old Trafford and the Millenium Stadium would be OK for most games. However, as said, it's BLATANTLY all about the FA getting revenue to pay for Wembley.

 

[goldstone]

Definitely not. Wembley is special and should be reserved for the final.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Why not Barnsley-Cardiff at Villa Park and Portsmouth-West Brom the Emerates Stadium ?

 

[pasty]

Why not Barnsley-Cardiff at Villa Park and Portsmouth-West Brom the Emerates Stadium ?

Because that is just waaaaaay too sensible.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Absolutely not. Wem-ber-ley should only be for finals. What's next? Having just a 1 legged play-off semi final, also held at Wembley to make the F.A. a bit more cash?

 

[Storer68]

I know these things are decided a while back, but considering neither Arsenal or Man Ultd are in the last 4 the games could have been played there. Or perhaps at the Millenium Stadium. As somebody pointed out in the pub last night, its all about Wembley creating as much revenue as possible to compensate for the over-spend on the building the place

is the right answer - the FA need to be able to guarantee as many games at Wembley as they can as part of the settlement to the banks who lent WNSL £433 million to build Wembley. Although the banks have the final say in any financial arrangements, the FA have been told there will be no objections.

WNSL and Multiplex came to an initial deal in December which offered Multiplex an extra £25 million and a share of FA Cup revenue to have the stadium ready for the 2006 Cup final. But this agreement fell apart when the banks imposed conditions which Multiplex could not accept.

The banks are very keen for Wembley to start earning revenue. WNSL were due to repay £40 million last month but had to renegotiate the payment. The FA were worried that had Wembley not been ready for next year's Cup final, further negotiations on revised payments with banks might not have been successful. It was this financial pressure that forced the FA to come to a settlement with Multiplex.

The settlement pushes construction costs to £528 million while the total cost of the new Wembley, including land and other expenses, hits £827 million — well over budget.

 

[surrey jim]

98% say not,

 

[Easy 10]

Of COURSE the FA Cup Semi Finals shouldn't be held at Wembley. It detracts from the whole competition, dilutes the experience, and makes the FA Cup Final much less of a special occasion. Half the EXCITEMENT of getting to the Cup Final was the prospect of going to one of the most famous stadiums in the world.

Now the supporters of the two finalists will go there twice in the space of a month. Woo. Hoo.
BRILLIANT as ever, the FA. Is there ANYTHING they can't totally f*** up for everyone ?

 

[Spunk Bubble]

Plenty of decent grounds to have the semi finals. Leave Wembley until the last game FFS !!!.

 

[Easy 10]

With the novelty value of the stadium gone (having been done in the semis), and the unglamerous lineups for the Final, with swathes of the ground given over to Corporates who will certainly be absent, this will probably be the poorest attended FA Cup Final in living memory.

The embarrassment for Barwick and his goons will be crippling. Always a silver lining eh.