Semi Final

[SouthAussieRover]

I love the FA.

I love the chairman,president, ball drawer, the cleaning lady, my dog etc.

[Hughesy]

If you go via coach from a pub, then as usual pubs will be open before.

If you go on the friday then you can go out in cardiff on friday.

Also you can go out when you get back from cardiff to celebrate.

Whats the problem!

[LDRover]

B*****ks and any other expletive you can think of.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Disgraceful decision by the FA!!!!

Total disregard for the fans and spoiling what should be an enjoyable day out for the club.

[Blackpool_Rover]

If you go via coach from a pub, then as usual pubs will be open before.

If you go on the friday then you can go out in cardiff on friday.

Also you can go out when you get back from cardiff to celebrate.

Whats the problem!

Have you ever been to an away match? Have you ever been to cardiff?

Part of a great day of football is standing outside a pub near the ground, with hundreds of fans, having a few pints, enjoying a bit of banter with the other fans and getting in the mood for the game. A 12:15 kick off is crap.

[brightonrover]

I can't believe that they are making people travel all the way to Cardiff for a 12.15 Kick off!!

[Nuclearsox]

At least they've listened to the fans that were moaning that there is only one train from Blackburn prior to kick-off - by moving the kick-off to 12:15 rather than 12:00, you now have 24 minutes to walk from the Station to the Stadium.

[Blackpool_Rover]

At least they've listened to the fans that were moaning that there is only one train from Blackburn prior to kick-off - by moving the kick-off to 12:15 rather than 12:00, you now have 24 minutes to walk from the Station to the Stadium.

Its making me sick. The train leaves blackpool at 5:10am, gets their for half 10. 75 quid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[USABlue]

Will Arsenal fans have the same logistical travel problems as our lads and lassies do?

Can the club put on transport to help our fans get there. One train pulling in a few minutes before kick off is ludicrous. I expect there will be quite a poor showing from Rovers. Talk about peeing on someones Cheerios

[Guest Kamy100]

Disgraceful for the fans and feel for all who have to put up with this. Luckily I had booked to go via Dublin, flying out there Friday evening staying overnight and then onto Cardiff morning flight.

[Biddy]

I don't think Arsenal fans will have that many problems. Certainly for me, going from Reading will cost £37 (if I book in advance) and trains go hourly taking 1hr 31. Add a bit on from London, but not that much more.

Hourly back too, but you have to specify a time and I can't see trains running that well after the game. Certainly didn't after the Worthies final.

[Ste B]

Whats the problem!

The problem is that the FA are as ignorant towards the football fans in general as you are stupid.

Its all well and good saying go down Friday bt what about those who have jobs/kids etc. Its just not a practical time.

I'll still be there, wouldnt miss it for the world, but at best you will have time for a flyer before the game.

[Dan Furness]

Had to set off at 6 in morning to make Worthy final, for a 12.15 game I really dread to think what time set off. Train is too expensive

[DaveyB]

Just had a gander at the BBC site and found these quotes:

FA spokesman Adrian Bevington said: "We announced Cardiff as the venue last year and it's proved very popular."

Bevington added: "The kick-off times are always set after full consultation with the police and other safety authorities, and with safety and security considerations given the highest importance.

"We have taken a responsible decision bearing in mind these issues and the travel arrangements for fans from the four competing clubs."

Never heard so much ###### in all my life!!

It's proved very popular

With who??? Not fans from any of the 4 clubs involved it's not!

"We have taken a responsible decision bearing in mind these issues and the travel arrangements for fans from the four competing clubs."

Have they??? Doesn't seem like they've fans travel arrangements into consideration at all!!

It'd funny if I wasn't so flaming furious!!!

[Biddy]

Have they??? Doesn't seem like they've fans travel arrangements into consideration at all!!

It'd funny if I wasn't so flaming furious!!!  

But you are forgetting that Arsenal fans will be alright, so all's fine and dandy with the FA.

Edited March 17, 2005 by Biddy

[den]

Might have missed this, but why is our game 12-15 and man U's 2-00?

Could it be that the FA have worked out that is the best time for the newcastle fans and if so, who's considered the rovers fans?

[CAPT KAYOS]

Well their intent on making sure evrybody can see it is working as the majority will be watching it on telly

So much for the extra seats

Early signs show its not gone down well with the Gooners fans either on the Arsenal Mania MB

12.15? they are taking the ###### they really are

Attendance was going to be low enough already, but this will probably push it down even further. It could be embarrassing. Half-empty stadium, I reckon.

On a completely selfish note, at least I might get a ticket 

But yes, both the venue and the times of the kick offs are ludicrous and the FA have once again ballsed up a big decision.

Looks like even the big club and Premier League Champions don't envisage selling all the tickets

UP YOURS FA!!

Edited March 17, 2005 by CAPT KAYOS

[Glenn]

Right. Rather that letting the few usual suspects do it, who is up for getting on every phone-in/letters page/rant line etc to voice our displeasure ? Who's up for turning up at the FA with printed letters of complaint (no point emailing them, they'll just get ignored. Pretty much the same with posting them), physical people stood getting in folks way in the reception at Soho Square will have far more of an impact.

Lets face it, we're not going to get it changed, but we should at least let the world know what stupid, ignorant, London-biased, big-club-orientated arses the FA are being.

Getting media attention is easy, phone ins are dying for rant-driven callers, paper editors love to run this kind of thing. It doesn't take much effort.

I think the important line to get out is the hypocrisy of their statement "We have taken a responsible decision bearing in mind these issues and the travel arrangements for fans from the four competing clubs."

Plainly this is a LIE on the day of the game only a single train that doesn't leave quite enough time to get to the ground is running from Blackburn. We've had two sources claim a LARGE section of the M6 is going to be closed. It's common knowledge that when two teams are in Cardiff on the same day the traffic backs up for miles, how bad is that going to be when Man Utd and Newcastle fans are arriving too (because a lot of people will be down for the weekend). For the game at Ninian Park I got on the minibus at 8am at Acrington, so that would make it 5am, however that was allowing for traffic of 1000 travelling fans, how much longer with 60000+ travelling fans (plus those Man Utd/Newcastle fans making a weekend of it). So say .... 2:30am ? Plus the hour from Leeds to Acrington ? I might as well just go straight from work !

Take the Friday off work and stay down there ? Great idea, my wife has to book her holidays every april for the next 12 months ! Some of use just can't "take the day off". Even if we could, having 4 teams playing on the same weekend has made hotel rooms one hell of a premium.

Their other point, "The kick-off times are always set after full consultation with the police and other safety authorities, and with safety and security considerations given the highest importance." - Yeah, that makes sense. Rovers have next to no recent history of trouble and Arsenal rarely take big numbers of lads outside London, where as Man Utd and Newcastle are both known to mob-up on regular occasions. It therefore makes sense to keep us and Arsenal out of the pub but not Man Utd and Newcastle .... NOT ! The decision has been made for TV, not safety.

I'd end with a cheeky "rant over", but I've got a feeling this rant is going to last for some time yet !

[tmap]

Has anyone worked out the justification for the early start? Is it the Grand National or something?

What utter sh1te. What the hell is wrong with these people?

[Glenn]

Has anyone worked out the justification for the early start?

Conspiracy theories abound regarding the scheduling of the new series of Doctor Who (I kid you not .... and lets face it, everyone who is THAT bothered about it has already downloaded it ).

[promoted2001]

No train gets to cardiff from lancaster on time, looks like i'm driving then. Cr*p

[CAPT KAYOS]

Is it the Grand National or something?

Nope thats the Saturday before (9th).

As I have said before- they where holding out on Newcastle because they wanted MU on the Saturday at the initial KO time (17-15) so as to get the prime time TV audience etc - this has now backfired.

How the hell are you supposed to really enjoy a build up to the game - its bad enough at a normal league game

Now its a battle of moral for a lot of Rovers fans and in the good words of the Clash ' should I stay or should I go?'

Edited March 17, 2005 by CAPT KAYOS

[den]

Has anyone worked out the justification for the early start? Is it the Grand National or something?

What utter sh1te. What the hell is wrong with these people?

JW was talking last night, before he knew the final details. He suspected we would have to kick off early because of recent crowd trouble at Goodison, after a late kick off. As he also said, it's very difficult to argue when the reason being given for an early kick off, is for safety reasons. That's fair enough.

Why though, can the other semi be played at 2-00. Wouldn't 2-00 be a better time for our fans?

[Blackburn Ender]

Well, that pretty much solves it.

You'd want to be in Cardiff for at least 10am to make sure of finding a parking space and getting to the ground, etc.

And that doesn't factor in the thousands of fans with the same thought, setting off at the same time and all arriving at a similar time.

They've set this up for TV without giving a flyer about the fans, so I'll damn well watch it on TV.

Hope they're satisfied.

Oh, and when the camera pans round the stadium showing all the empty seats, what's the betting the commentator will blame the FA and their stupid kick off time?

If safety, etc, is such a bloody issue, switch the game to Villa Park.

[Ricky]

Beacuse other league games will be going on at the same time. They are not allowed to show a live saturday game that will interfere with the 3pm saturday kick offs.