Semi Final

[Eddie]

Would you like to expand on that?

[Threepenny Bit Foot]

Boss, boss - we've drawn Arsenal away!

Put em back lads............!

[Blueboy Downunder]

well all last night i thoguht we were gonna get man urinal....but arsenal is ok. i aint bothered as we knew that we qould have to beat two of these 3 teams to win the thing anyway.

come on rovers.....

[Flopsy]

well cant see us beating the Arsenal - which is great - I like it when we're written off - no pressure on our players everything heaped on Arsenal

[LDRover]

******!!!

Is there really no accommodation left on the Saturday night in Cardiff?

B*****ks.

[Flopsy]

Try Bristol

Also - after reading Philip Cornwall's article I cant do anything but agree with it.

[millionpints]

Channel 4 News reported this evening that our game is on the Saturday. That's 2 sources now, so think we can just about take it as fact

[Scotty]

Channel 4 News reported this evening that our game is on the Saturday. That's 2 sources now, so think we can just about take it as fact

I'll believe it when it's on the FA's web-site. Channel 4 may just be saying that because we were drawn out first.

[jim mk2]

Don't the BBC have first refusal ?

Presumably they will take ManU v Newc, so that match will be on the Saturday.

[tonygreenbank]

I am so angry this evening . We are getting some fearful stick from supporters of other teams on Century and talksport tonight about our right to be at Cardiff as well our pathetic support. I have tried to get on but was too late on both occasions. Rovers have a poor reputation at the moment and people are saying things about our club which are not based on fact e.g. on Legends phone-in our average gate is 15000 which is wrong and then some prat from London says that we have no right to be at the semis as only 8000 go to watch us anyway. Please can I ask you to ring in and set the record straight about our history and fan base . It is spoiling what should be a great occasion for the town and the club.

[Scotty]

Why get upset? I love the fact we're getting stick. It'll make it all the more sweet if we win.

[roversWASmylife]

I don't care either.

We're at the semi's because we deserve to be, we've beaten every team who we've been drawn against up to this point and that's all you can do.

So what, we all know our support isn't great and everyone doesn't expect us to win.

We can go to Cardiff with no pressure, it's all on Arsenal.

[Paul]

It's pretty difficult to weigh up all the permutations on these games for KO times. The one thing I'm sure of is Cardiff can look forward to a weekend of total chaos as up to an extra 140,000 people try to find food, drink, parking, accomodation etc. all in the space of about 36 hours. Genius bit of organisation, perfectly designed to ensure fan safeyt and comfort.

For those who drive down - a tip on getting home. Avoid the M4 and use the parallel roads to Newport. Here you can join the M4/M50 without a problem. Did it last year and got home in around 3.5 hours, no jams at all.

[nellybc]

Avoid the M4 and use the parallel roads to Newport. Here you can join the M4/M50 without a problem.

Thanks for that top tip,

Shame you couldnt have posted that before the last trip to cardiff coz getting out of cardiff was a total shambles.

[nellybc]

We are getting some fearful stick from supporters of other teams on Century and talksport tonight about our right to be at Cardiff as well our pathetic support.

Woke up this morning only to find that Talksport have replaced Alan Brazil this week with Rodney Chuffing Marsh.

Within 5 mins of me starting my trek to work they were on about rovers ticket allocation etc

What a total plonker that bloke is.

[Ricky]

I'm going to head straight out of Cardiff as soon as the game finishes, it will be an absolute nightmare there.

I know when we played there in 2001 a lot of people stayed in Bristol, Newport, Abergavenny and places like that. Hereford is only 1 hour away and is on the Manchester line so might be an option for some people. (I can always put people up in Hereford )

[SkinnyBinman]

Some guy from Man Utd Supporters Association was on 5Live this morning saying that he's seen the ticket allocations the clubs have asked for and that for our game the FA has been asked for 45-50,000 tickets when both clubs requests are put together.

Also on 5Live this morning it said that details of our match won't be announced for a little while as there is a possibility that it will be moved to another ground.

[Paul]

OK I'll leave you to reach your own conclusions on this one, don't shoot the messenger.

An IMUSA representative, interviewed on Five Live this morning re a boycot unless the Newcastle - Man Utd game was moved to Elland Road, stated the following:

"This morning we (IMUSA) have information the Arsenal-Rovers match could be moved from Cardiff as the total ticket allocation requested by the two clubs was 45,000." His inference being why play the match in front of a half empty stadium? The same person also suggested he had information Utd could be looking at a 5.15pm Sunday KO.

[Ste B]

"This morning we (IMUSA) have information the Arsenal-Rovers match could be moved from Cardiff as the total ticket allocation requested by the two clubs was 45,000."

Don't be silly, that would involve the FA using common sense.

Knowing them they would likely move it to Highbury or White Hart Lane.

[RoyRover]

I'm abit dubious about the draw itself. Would it is be ridiculous to think that a Manchester United v Arsenal final, would be a more appealing final for the FA? I know that there was a 50% chance that we would draw United are Arsenal, but it makes you wonder. Well, we'll just have to go to Cardiff and ruin the party. It makes Saturday's game against them even more interesting.

[joey_big_nose]

Would the FA not be contractually bound to play them at Cardiff? I would of expected them to of made some down payment for hiring the venue by now....

Hope it does move however, it should increase the attendance!

[millionpints]

"This morning we (IMUSA) have information the Arsenal-Rovers match could be moved from Cardiff as the total ticket allocation requested by the two clubs was 45,000."

Don't be silly, that would involve the FA using common sense.

Knowing them they would likely move it to Highbury or White Hart Lane.

No, using common sense would have meant them arranging to stage it somewhere else in the first place. A lot of people have booked hotel rooms and planes / trains / buses by now. The plane I have booked is non-refundable

Perhaps Lee could give us an update on the arrangements, or give us an idea when we are likely to hear more?

[Hughesy]

Neither of the semi's will be moved.

If there has been a request of say 50,000 then with the corporate packages etc on top you are looking at 70,000. No way will they move the game.

The only suitable stadium would be gold trafford but that is too close to one team and the FA would not allow it. They have a contract with the Welsh FA over the millenium stadium and there is not a chance it will get moved. Simple!

[Paul]

Avoid the M4 and use the parallel roads to Newport. Here you can join the M4/M50 without a problem.

Thanks for that top tip,

Shame you couldnt have posted that before the last trip to cardiff coz getting out of cardiff was a total shambles.

To be honest I only thought of it when I was in Cardiff and saw the traffic chaos. My folks lived in Cardiff for about ten years and I used to know the city quite well. After the Worthy cup and seeing the traffic chaos I took a chance on my local knowledge. We did this (why am I telling you all?? ) got home by 10.00pm latest.

From the car parks head towards the city centre (assummes you are in official car parks to roughly the west of the stadium).

Through the city following local signs for Roath and major signs for Newport (A4161).

Don't get on the A48 trunk road but keep heading towards St.Mellons on the B4487 and then head to Castleton

Join the old A48 towards Newport which runs parallel to the M4

Go straight through Newport and at Junction 24 of the M4 go straight over on to the A449 which will take you up to the M50 and home.

Using this route gives you options to get on the M4 at any junction from 28 to 24.

There is another alternative that follows the coast and eventually swings back into Newport but I haven't been on that road in 20 years. There other routes to avoid even this but I can only drive them by instinct rather than give directions. So I'm saying nothing.

Edited March 15, 2005 by Paul

[jim mk2]

Can vouch for the above.

For the Worthy final I avoided the motorways and approached Cardiff down the valleys from the north (came through Caerphilly I think). Went home the same way. No problems at all.

Parked in the city centre near the university right outside a pleasant pub and only five minutes walk from the ground.