Semi Final

[Hughesy]

Also in regard to you signature

Rovers(forever blue)

yet you say

After over 25 years of watching football, I feel compelled to give it all in.

I can still be "forever blue", that is the colour of my blood.

When the cost becomes more than you can afford, and the FA make following football more expensive, it can become impossible.

Maybe you grow money on trees ?

They grow in branches!

Get a loan. Its the 1st FA Cup semi we have had for 45 years.

[ace]

It's disgraceful! I am unable to attend as I have a verruca on my left toe.

ps Dear Auntie Lee,

How many tickets have we sold so far?

x

Grumpy.

[stuwilky]

I cant believe people are moaning about time, date, location, banter, beer, travel, hotels etc etc etc...

We were well aware before that we would be playing in cardiff so it stop late to moan now!

Get your tickets and support the club.... if you really are a true blue.

We were aware of the Cardiff issue, yes.

Not happy about it, but aware of it.

But we dealt with it, we thought we would have plenty of time to get there, a nice trip of the train, in the car, on the bus, whatever.

Now we find that we cannot go via public transport (given the unreliability of it - would you risk 2 10 minute changes and a 20 minute turnaround upon arrival? I bloody wont.

It isnt just us, EVERY club involved in the semis are up in arms. Newcastle less so that the other three, but mainly because they have to travel miles everywhere, they are used to it.

[Will]

Also in regard to you signature

Rovers(forever blue)

yet you say

After over 25 years of watching football, I feel compelled to give it all in.

I can still be "forever blue", that is the colour of my blood.

When the cost becomes more than you can afford, and the FA make following football more expensive, it can become impossible.

Maybe you grow money on trees ?

They grow in branches!

Get a loan. Its the 1st FA Cup semi we have had for 45 years.

Get a Loan !!

You definitly don't know me, I am Mr Loan.

Don't worry about me not going to the game.

I had hotel & mini bus booked for 17 people on Sunday evening!!

[Will]

Personally my blood is red or blue. Where do u get your oxygen from if your blood is all blue.

From plenty of Alcohol.

[LDRover]

You definitly don't know me, I am Mr Loan.

Don't worry about me not going to the game.

I had hotel & mini bus booked for 17 people on Sunday evening!!

Where are you staying Will?

Managed to hire a bungalow for 6 people at £35 apiece in Caerphilly for Sat night now had to change it to Friday. Fortunately there was no problem and now I'm looking forward to it BIG TIME.

How are we all fixed for having it large in Cardiff on the Friday?

[CAPT KAYOS]

I cant believe people are moaning about time, date, location, banter, beer, travel, hotels etc etc etc...

We were well aware before that we would be playing in cardiff so it stop late to moan now!

Get your tickets and support the club.... if you really are a true blue.

Take it you will be going on official coaches Hughesy?

Enjoy your 90 mins in the stadium and 3 hours waiting afterwards

[stuwilky]

I cant believe people are moaning about time, date, location, banter, beer, travel, hotels etc etc etc...

We were well aware before that we would be playing in cardiff so it stop late to moan now!

Get your tickets and support the club.... if you really are a true blue.

We were aware of the Cardiff issue, yes.

Not happy about it, but aware of it.

But we dealt with it, we thought we would have plenty of time to get there, a nice trip of the train, in the car, on the bus, whatever.

Now we find that we cannot go via public transport (given the unreliability of it - would you risk 2 10 minute changes and a 20 minute turnaround upon arrival? I bloody wont.

It isnt just us, EVERY club involved in the semis are up in arms. Newcastle less so that the other three, but mainly because they have to travel miles everywhere, they are used to it.

And your point is .....

Isnt it obvious?

Thwe the semis in Cardiff is a bad idea.

More importantly, that having the kick off of those semis at times which is going to cause fans chaos in getting there is even worse.

[Will]

You definitly don't know me, I am Mr Loan.

Don't worry about me not going to the game.

I had hotel & mini bus booked for 17 people on Sunday evening!!

Where are you staying Will?

Managed to hire a bungalow for 6 people at £35 apiece in Caerphilly for Sat night now had to change it to Friday. Fortunately there was no problem and now I'm looking forward to it BIG TIME.

How are we all fixed for having it large in Cardiff on the Friday?

Doing the same as we did for the worthy cup.

Staying in Bristol on Saturday night, although now we are going to be celebrating round the streets of Cardiff after the game until we get kicked out of town.

[Hughesy]

Simple fact is that lots of people are making up excuses. There will be hundreds of coaches going from pubs etc and if you really wanted to go then you could get there. Fair enough the time isnt ideal but you just got to deal with it and get there, however you do it and support your club.

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Edited March 17, 2005 by Hughesy

[Nayef]

well 12:15pm is not too bad from birmingham. I'm going but I suspect I won't have a neighbour in the stadium.

Perhaps those that are going should bring a giant sign to the stadium along the lines of (in english) "Cassez-vous FA les putains" (good thing this site doesn't recognise french)

Maybe we can discuss this idea with Arsenal fans and see if we can all bring signs into the staidum. They want TV coverage - they'll get our messages plastered all over the TV.

FA - F*** All.

Incidently, this is from the bbc mB:

"As an armchair fan myself, the kickoff is very convenient for me but I can understand your frustrations about the kickoff"

[Ste B]

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Because people have day jobs or limited finances you idiot.

Not everybody can just take time off on a friday to stop over. Whereas for a reasonable timed kick off on a saturday, people could have trevelled down in their own time rather than everybody travelling en masse at anti social times.

[stuwilky]

Simple fact is that lots of people are making up excuses. There will be hundreds of coaches going from pubs etc and if you really wanted to go then you could get there. Fair enough the time isnt ideal but you just got to deal with it and get there, however you do it and support your club.

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Im not making any excuses.

The odds are Ill get there.

But trying to arrange two nights worth of babysitting (setting off at 5am requires someone to have the kids overnight) and then all day for the game and the night after (as we wont be home until about what 8/9pm?

Its just added aggro and expense, would we have any of this is played at Villa Park? Or Old Trafford?

No.

The fans are never listened to by the FA and frankly it stinks.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Simple fact is that lots of people are making up excuses.

Not excuses Hughesy , genuine concerns

The Semi final is about making a day of it - should be kept separate to stop it taking the 'glamour' away from the Final

The FA have probably made it as difficult as they could do for all sets of fans to travel to Cardiff in one way or another in terms of cost, time, safety ease and enjoyment.

Shows it all when they where even considering holding the QF at the 'new Wembley'.

What next - FA cup Final over two games? Wouldn't put it past the limp wristed idiots at Sweet FA HQ

Admit it its an absolute joke

[Hughesy]

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Because people have day jobs or limited finances you idiot.

Not everybody can just take time off on a friday to stop over.

Surely if you booked your day off now there wouldnt abe a problem? I too have a day job and cant really afford it, but il be there!

[Guest Kamy100]

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Because people have day jobs or limited finances you idiot.

Not everybody can just take time off on a friday to stop over.

Surely if you booked your day off now there wouldnt abe a problem? I too have a day job and cant really afford it, but il be there!

You just don't get it do you. As Ste said not everyone is in the position to just take a day of. What the FA have done has in affect it made it very difficult for the majority of fans to get down to Cardiff in a relaxed manner and to enjoy the occassion.

[Will]

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Because people have day jobs or limited finances you idiot.

Not everybody can just take time off on a friday to stop over.

Surely if you booked your day off now there wouldnt abe a problem? I too have a day job and cant really afford it, but il be there!

How many day's holiday a year do you get then ???

I get 20, not many in my book, when...

a) you have a young child and wife who would like to spend time with you.

you follow England home and away.

c) you have a week holiday already booked at the end of April

d) You can get up early and set off without having to take the day off.

[Hughesy]

30 days + Bank hols

[Guest Kamy100]

30 days + Bank hols

Well there you have it most people don't get such generous holiday entitlements. Who do you work for?

[blue/white]

Cassez-vous FA les putains

Break the FA whores ??

surely, something lost in the translation???

[JAL]

Surely this saturday provides an excellent opportunity for Rovers and Arsenal fans to get together and show a unified stance against the FA that the time of the kick off is wholly unacceptable.

In fact the Football Associations rulers need a big boot up their backside- no wonder the competition is being devalued, they can only look to themselves.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

The FA are a bunch of arrogant twerps who have put TV and revenue ahead of the supporters.

The FA are getting their excuses in early by holding the semi-finals at Cardiff this year in order to try to justify holding all semi-finals permanently at Wembley in future.

Because of the huge cost of the new Wembley, over £750m, as many events as possible including England friendly internationals, FA Cup semi-finals, the Community Shield and rugby leagues Challenge Cup final all have to be played at the new Wembley. They are looking at up to 25 events a year, including rugby, football and pop concerts.

Over £100m of the cost of the stadium has come from Lottery money, through Sport England - but the FA have also invested a huge amount in the project and want that money to be recouped. Therefore, it's Wembley semi-finals in future.

Nobody should be fooled by the ridiculous spin from the FA that Cardiff semi-finals this year and permanent Wembley semis in future is something that the fans want.

As Mark Palios, the disgraced former chief executive of the FA said before he resigned: "From the FA's point of view, the new Wembley will be a vital future revenue stream for us."

The emphasis when building the stadium was on corporate facilities which can bring in more revenue.

Cardiff semis this year are all part of the FA's plan. They don't care about the inconvenience that it causes to travelling fans by having such a crazy kick-off time at 12.15pm. And from next year, fans will no doubt be expected to travel to Wembley for an early kick-off as well.

As the link below says, no mention of the financial necessity of hosting FA Cup Semi Finals at Wembley was made at the time the project was submitted to the Sport England panel, who chose Wembley as the best venue.

Sadly I don't think any petitions will make a difference. There is simply too much money wrapped up in the new stadium for the FA to change their minds.

Supporters Against Wembley Semi-Finals

[stuwilky]

30 days + Bank hols

I get that many, but for most of us it isnt SOLELY the leave. Thats what you are missing. Most members on here have one OR MORE of the following concerns....

1) Work

2) Partner

3) Kids

4) Public Transport (or rather lack of)

5) Cost

6) Hotel

7) Where to park?

8) Physical time to get there, park, get into the cenrte of Cardiff.........All by bloody lunchtime?

The FA fans charter makes interesting reading.

[Hughesy]

30 days + Bank hols

Well there you have it most people don't get such generous holiday entitlements. Who do you work for?

Even if i didnt have the time i would take a days unpaid leave. Its a day that may never happen again in your lift time - although i think it will happen again.

I just hope rovers fans buy as many tickets as possible. It would be embarrassing to have something like 15,000 fans there

[Ste B]

Why not travel down on the friday and stay over at night? Then travel back after the game?

Because people have day jobs or limited finances you idiot.

Not everybody can just take time off on a friday to stop over.

Surely if you booked your day off now there wouldnt abe a problem? I too have a day job and cant really afford it, but il be there!

I booked the day off 4 months ago as I'm going round Manchester on the thursday.

Have about 65 days a year holiday in total at the moment, and a good deal of flexibility so its not a problem for me. Its a bigger problem when you want to go with your mates though who have far less or have family commitments preventing.`

However what you are doing is taking the same "I'm all right, so sod the fans" attitude that the FA are taking. No doubt Adrian Bevington, David Davies and Brian Barwick have had their hotel rooms booked for a good while and are thinking exactly that.

The overall problem is that this is massively inconvienent for the majority of fans of not just Rovers, but ManU, Arsenal and Newcastle. Won't stop me being there whatever though.