drew
Drew
Agree about neutral venues but if it were, we wouldn't be getting 32k seats unless the match was at Old Trafford!!
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[Football] Semi Final Neutral Stadiums
- Thread starter Chicken Run
- Start date
Agree about neutral venues but if it were, we wouldn't be getting 32k seats unless the match was at Old Trafford!!
Possibly not but nor would there be 20,000 hangers on. I already know one fella that has a club Wembley place and he'll be there with his cronies, getting pissed up and watching a re run of a Chelsea match on the tele
el punal
Well-known member
“Traditionally”, the semifinal venues would have been Villa Park and Hillsborough. If that were still the case, and done on a reasonable neutral geography, we would play City at Villa Park and Watford v Wolves would be at Hillsborough. The kick off for both would have been at 3.00 pm. on a Saturday, there would have been no live TV, and no rail engineering works to bugger up travel, and the date would not have been chosen to clash with the Grand National. But then why let tradition get in the way of the Emirates Budweiser Rumbelows Zenith Data Systems Coca Cola Carabeo F.A. Cup, sponsored by Ann Summers Butt Plug.
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.
Had they done so, we'd be playing semis in other grounds rather than paying the eye watering mortgage on what is an unremarkable new Wembley.
That said, they started playing semis at Wembley before it was rebuilt anyway - the north London and Sheffield derbies were both played there one year in the 90s. The real problem will be when two poorly supported teams make it and barely fill it. Anyone remember 1988 when Luton played Wimbledon at WHL for their semi and only 28,000 turned up?
Had they done so, we'd be playing semis in other grounds rather than paying the eye watering mortgage on what is an unremarkable new Wembley.
That said, they started playing semis at Wembley before it was rebuilt anyway - the north London and Sheffield derbies were both played there one year in the 90s. The real problem will be when two poorly supported teams make it and barely fill it. Anyone remember 1988 when Luton played Wimbledon at WHL for their semi and only 28,000 turned up?
AmexRuislip
Trainee Spy 🕵️♂️
I'm sort of biased as Wembley on doorstep, providing tickets still available for general release, which I'm sure there will be.
The same for when we get to the final.
Indeed, the new Spuds stadium would have been amazing (a new experience for all) had it been ready saving Wembley for our final.
St James' Park would have done quite nicely for a neutral venue for our game, not that I'm biased or anything. 
Barham's tash
Well-known member
You might struggle with the final if we make it as club allocations drop to 24k.
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drew
Drew
Was 28k each last year.
GloryDays
Well-known member
Surely the time for StadiumMK to rise. Big cup day out and a Prezzo for afters.
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.
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.
AmexRuislip
Trainee Spy 🕵️♂️
There isn't one stadium in all of UK and most of the world that would be fully neutral. Even the AMEX would be 55%/45% with tonnes of half n half scarves. In the end this match would only be "semi" neutral.
I think the total opposite of everything that's above.
Why the need to pay the FA for Wembley or man United or Man City or Liverpool to use their ground.
I see no need to have a neutral ground. If you come out the hat first, you should be at home right up to and including the semi final.
I get the need for more people to attend the match but it is all covered by TV now so people can still watch it and you could quite conceivably have a small club get a big club in the semis at home; however the Sponsors don't want that. They want more of a ''bang for their bucks'' and they don't want small clubs in the final.
Why the need to pay the FA for Wembley or man United or Man City or Liverpool to use their ground.
I see no need to have a neutral ground. If you come out the hat first, you should be at home right up to and including the semi final.
I get the need for more people to attend the match but it is all covered by TV now so people can still watch it and you could quite conceivably have a small club get a big club in the semis at home; however the Sponsors don't want that. They want more of a ''bang for their bucks'' and they don't want small clubs in the final.
drew
Drew
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.
happypig
Staring at the rude boys
St James' Park would have done quite nicely for a neutral venue for our game, not that I'm biased or anything.
I'd prefer La Rosaleda Stadium, Malaga just this once.
Old Trafford wouldn't really be suiting Wolves and Watford. A ground in the midlands would make more sense. Same for us and City really, although London works too.
It shouldn't be at Wembley though.
drew
Drew
Not that I'm a great fan of the FA but one of the main reasons for playing at wembley is to pay for the building of the stadium. Original Wembley was iconic but a dump and needed upgrading. Would have loved them to incorporate the twin towers but understand they didn't fit in with the futuristic look of the stadium.
Don't always understand comments about soulless bowls. To have uninterrupted views for as many as possible then it's going to be a bowl.
blue-shifted
Banned
Are the FA really greedy? They're constantly only a couple of bad years away from bankruptcy. You're thinking of the Premier League, who have actual money.
There is an argument to say that the FA are to blame for being broke, because they spent all their money on rebuilding Wembley. That's a fair enough opinion. But remember, that the old ground was crumbling and unsustainable, so they had the choice .....
Option 1 - knock it down, sell the land and move the national team and all cup finals to grounds around the country (which of course they would have had to pay rent for), or
Option 2 - rebuild, at huge cost and have to have all events which they have responsibility for held there to pay it off, (plus of course have loads of gigs, American footy etc)
Now you may think they should have gone for option 1, that's a legitimate enough opinion, but I think it's more far sighted to rebuild the stadium (and retain ownership). It will take ages to pay off, but there will be some amazing events there which just wouldn't happen at other venues, (eg the Euro 2020 finals and semis). When it's closer to being paid off we can have more England games back at the outgrounds (and remember there have been some England games up north in pre tournament warm ups).
I also think the emotional pull of Wembley was just too good to lose, When the Albion team walk out to the pitch at Wembley for a semi final, i'll barely be able to hold back the tears. Emirates doesn't really have the same effect.