[Archived] Villa Semi Final Match Preview

[RoverInWigan]

snowing now aswell

[tcj_jones]

Spoke to the girl at the TO.

She said postponing the game hadn't been discussed. Said that, although there is ice on the streets, it isn't treacherous and that the authorities are due to grit the pavements in the area tonight.

She said she expected the game to go ahead.

[RevidgeBlue]

What if theres crowd disorder in or around the ground, how would this be tackled ?

Exactly the same as if the weather wasn't icy?

Or do you want to let them off because it's cold?

I don't agree with this recent fad for calling matches off for the flimsiest reasons. People should be allowed to make up their own mind up on whether they wish to attend.

[Will]

I was at United Vs Leeds yesterday, approx 75,000 people. The surrounding roads and streets were an absolute nightmare.

Game went on as i am sure you know !

[JAL]

Spoke to the girl at the TO.

Said that, although there is ice on the streets, it isn't treacherous and that the authorities are due to grit the pavements in the area tonight.

uote]

Why have the authorities waited so long to grit the pavements ?

If this happens then its a positive step to getting the game on.

Exactly the same as if the weather wasn't icy?

Or do you want to let them off because it's cold?

I don't agree with this recent fad for calling matches off for the flimsiest reasons. People should be allowed to make up their own mind up on whether they wish to attend.

OK Rev, but if it reduces the crowd and the spectacle, should this not matter ?

[RoverInWigan]

This is from LEE on the official message board:

The problem is that Nuttall Street and the surroundings are nothing to do with the football club. That is the domain of the council.

As a club we can ask and plead for them to grit and salt the places, but thats all we can do - though all those people double-parked down Nuttall Street aren't helping things thats for sure!

There was a large truck delivering rock salt to behind the Riverside this morning, which will be spread about on the areas the club control, but it is those we have no say over that is the problem.

[RevidgeBlue]

OK Rev, but if it reduces the crowd and the spectacle, should this not matter ?

I might be wrong, but I don't thnk the crowd would be significantly different if we held it a week later under thawed out conditions.

[tcj_jones]

I'm gonna be walking to Ewood from Blackburn main station. Am I to take it that the pavements on this route will be particularly slippery? I don't have any footwear other than basic trainers.

[broadsword]

Put a pair of these on:

http://www.abc-of-mountaineering.com/articles/cramponsgearguide.asp

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

As long as the 100 odd Home fans can get to the BBE it doesnt matter. Villa's 5k are largely going to come by road so the footpaths should be too much of an issue for them.

[RevidgeBlue]

Sam just been on SSN.

Dunny got through his 55-60 mins ok.

Givet got a kick but is OK.

Emerton ok and available, only Diouf and Grella unavailable.

[Hughesy]

Checked with the club earlier (about 1.30pm) - response

"Game should be ok, Players trained on the pitch this morning and we are in the midst of gritting to ensure eveything is safe for fans. Baring any mechanical disaster or a huge snowfall, everything is expected to go ahead as normal"

An updated response at 3

"There is a less optomistic weather view at the minute. There is a possibility of a big snow dump tonight or tomorrow. If this is serious enough we could have to take a view on the game as fans wont get here. As soon as we know, the fans will. At present though, as I say, we fully expect it to be on".

So basically unless it dumps it down....its on. If it does snow heavy tonight - as soon as the club know anything, they will communicate it..........

[Bobby G]

Disappointing, as Im so looking forward to tomorrows game, for the obvious reasons as well as putting behind the disaster that was Saturday.

Is it forecast to snow heavily?

[Neil Weaver]

A view from the LT..... doesn't sound over optimistic to me

[Bobby G]

Reading all the latest news it seems to suggest that theres at best a 40-50% chance that the game will go on.

Any chance that this leg would be played after the second leg, or thats not within the rules?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

At this moment in time looking at the zero degree temperatures predicted for tonight and tommorrow theres a real chance that this game is going to be postponed because of the icy footpath conditions especially near me on Cravens brow.

From a public safety point of view theres going to have to be a lot of hard work done on the pavements and roads around Ewood, currently they arent safe enough.

Totally agree Jal,the pavements around Ewood are sheet ice in many places.Lass next door to us fell and broke her leg this morning near to bus stop outside McDonalds...its bloody dangerous!

This game should be postponed,and it would also give folk more time to buy tickets etc,it just seems the common sense option at the moment.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Is it forecast to snow heavily?

The forecasts i have seen, BBC and met office forecast light snow until 3am then it should turn pretty heavy until 6am. Difficult to determine how much snow is described as 'heavy'. If the forecasts are right it should snow pretty much all night, though as we all know weather can be difficult to predict.

[JAL]

Totally agree Jal,the pavements around Ewood are sheet ice in many places.Lass next door to us fell and broke her leg this morning near to bus stop outside McDonalds...its bloody dangerous!

This game should be postponed,and it would also give folk more time to buy tickets etc,it just seems the common sense option at the moment.

Just been out again the roads are OK. There also been a little bit of thawing out, but it is a little yet still not enough.

Still havent seen any evidence of gritting but theres time yet.

Suppose first day back of the new year for the local council could have caught them short, so maybe this evening work to grit everything will begin.

Fingers crossed on the temperatures for tommorrow.

[matts5]

Any further info on how ticket sales looking?

I was very embarassed earlier this afternoon to hear a rovers fan saying that they were'nt shelling out £15 when it is on TV, how pathetic is that. I could understand if it was Old Trafford/Chelsea prices but it's not, as ever Rovers can't do anymore to get people in.

When will people relaise that our club won't be able to continue pricing games so cheaply if people don't get off their arses and comfort of their front room and get down to Ewood to cheer the boys on. We are the 12th man and we will make a difference tomorrow night. I have no doubt that if we get to Wembley the armchair cheapskates will be first in the cue, reminiscing of a fantastic semi-final victory over Villa.

COYB

[deftangel]

I have to leave around 11am tomorrow to get up for the game and I probably won't be able to make it if it's rescheduled; so hoping it's on but if it's going to be off, I at least hope they make the decision early enough.

[martonrover]

Reading all the latest news it seems to suggest that theres at best a 40-50% chance that the game will go on.

Any chance that this leg would be played after the second leg, or thats not within the rules?

No chance of Villa agreeing to that.

Next week would be the logical solution but that's complicated by the City game on Monday.

Perhaps that could be switched back to Saturday,as was due to be the case if either us or City needed to replay FA Cup 3rd round games next week.

Worryingly,I've just read an article from a midlands paper saying that a date of Thursday 14th has been pencilled in if the game is postponed tomorrow.

Not great coming three days after a Prem away game,(and two days before the next league game,unless that is put back 24 hours).

[JAL]

Its snowing NOW not heavily but constantly.

Will try and keep you updated of what the weather is like here.

Its stopped snowing now lasted about twenty minutes or so.

[grizfoot]

Went for my ticket this evening. Pavements around Ewood have a small amount of snow and ice but it's by no means dangerous providing you wear suitable footwear. Light snow now, unless we have a massive downpour of snow tonight the game should go ahead just fine.

By the way there's a couple of thousand Villa fans camping outside the Darwen End, looks like they weren't lying when they said they are bringing 50,000.

[martonrover]

Went for my ticket this evening. Pavements around Ewood have a small amount of snow and ice but it's by no means dangerous providing you wear suitable footwear. Light snow now, unless we have a massive downpour of snow tonight the game should go ahead just fine.

By the way there's a couple of thousand Villa fans camping outside the Darwen End, looks like they weren't lying when they said they are bringing 50,000.

Hope you're right but I don't share your optimism.

Problem is the worst of the weather is due overnight so it's almost irrelevant that conditions aren't too bad at the moment.

[FourLaneBlue]

"They (the fans) are going to determine whether we get there or not," he admitted.

Seems to me he is just asking for the fans to back the team and to big up how much influence they can have.

He even goes on to say...

"If we haven't got them cheering us on, particularly as they did in the second half against Sunderland (on 28 December) when we weren't playing so well; it was their help that lifted us to get a draw."

That is great to hear from a Rovers manager. Bigging up the fans and saying how important their support is.

Can't win with some whatever he says, can he?

It is a cup semi final...our most important game since the Chelsea semi at Old Trafford! A trip to the new Wembley up for grabs!