The authorities and TV companies will only sit up and take notice if fans stop acting as if they are under some kind of obligation to attend matches, regardless of travel headaches and weird kick-off times.
If fans moan but attend anyhow then it will continue in this vein - the clubs ultimately will only react if they lose ticket revenue whilst the TV companies don't want to broadcast from half-empty stadiums with no atmosphere.
The authorities and TV companies will only sit up and take notice if fans stop acting as if they are under some kind of obligation to attend matches, regardless of travel headaches and weird kick-off times.
If fans moan but attend anyhow then it will continue in this vein - the clubs ultimately will only react if they lose ticket revenue whilst the TV companies don't want to broadcast from half-empty stadiums with no atmosphere.
The authorities and TV companies will only sit up and take notice if fans stop acting as if they are under some kind of obligation to attend matches, regardless of travel headaches and weird kick-off times.
If fans moan but attend anyhow then it will continue in this vein - the clubs ultimately will only react if they lose ticket revenue whilst the TV companies don't want to broadcast from half-empty stadiums with no atmosphere.
It is a big ball ache but I can't help feeling this place would've been in uproar if we'd beaten sheff wed on the original date and had to wait for Brighton and hull to replay before our kick off for the quarters had been set in stone.
I've read all the posts on here , for & against, and this will be my last post on all of this.
There is a difference between just being inconvenienced having to get up early Sunday (6am for most) or having to take time off work and not actually being able to get to the game. So, when WILL you take a stand.................when they announce the kick off has been moved to accommodate those in the far east & it is now 7am kick off.
I've read all the posts on here , for & against, and this will be my last post on all of this.
There is a difference between just being inconvenienced having to get up early Sunday (6am for most) or having to take time off work and not actually being able to get to the game. So, when WILL you take a stand.................when they announce the kick off has been moved to accommodate those in the far east & it is now 7am kick off.
it wont be long..........
What are you doing about it?
He already said he is going to phone the FA. Good for him.
The deferential attitude of most English fans amazes me, and is the reason behind so much that is wrong with the way it's organised, as NYA says above.
It now seems (from the unofficial Sue Parkes tweet) that the Police are driving this, not so much the TV companies. So the Trust will concentrate on persuading the Club to help get as many people as possible to the game. I personally agree with Golfie, (as he knows) it is time we stood up to this sort of nonsense, however realistically we will not change the Police mind in time. So it will be a separate push. We have to accept that inidividual Clubs are most reluctant to take on the Police. There are always ways in which the Police can take revenge. But we should not be cowed. This is not a police state and they work for us. However, it is a problem of football, and on our own we will not achieve too much. But the Trust is affiliated to Supporters Direct, and I also think, if the Trust Board agrees, that we should take it up with Clive Efford, who is the shadow sports minister.
The police may be driving this, but perhaps someone can tell me how 5000 Charlton fans arriving half hour into the game is safer than them arriving half hour before it.
It was Sheffield, after all, where a rush to get into a game was a factor in the English game's biggest tragedy. Are they really so insensitive to this reality??
If there is a replay, utd might have the same problem with getting trains home for an evening game although with our luck the FA will probably ask for a 5PM k o
we're in the FA cup quarter finals, with a decent chance of going to Wembley for the semi final. So this all really nice, but no excuse for not getting up to Sheffield and supporting the boys.
Can't wait for the complaints about how expensive the hotdogs are at Wembley
BTW - Would we get 37.5% of any Wembley gate in the semi final?
we're in the FA cup quarter finals, with a decent chance of going to Wembley for the semi final. So this all really nice, but no excuse for not getting up to Sheffield and supporting the boys.
Can't wait for the complaints about how expensive the hotdogs are at Wembley
BTW - Would we get 37.5% of any Wembley gate in the semi final?
Presumably but net of costs - which will be massive.
The time for complaining / representations was before not after the decision. Schedule is set and won't be changed now. Neither is it a demanded requirement for the club to provide free transport as some suggest.
There will be a whole host of official and unofficial ways to get there. None of them will be preferred, but you do what you can.
It won't suit everyone, no slot would, but if you are more interested in getting pissed then stay at home and watch it in your front room or local
I would like to complain about the post that Stonemuse is going to post next Friday at 16.24. I think it is outrageous, insulting and belittles the efforts of all concerned. I demand that you as a moderator do something about it now AFKA. ;-)
Wembley give out a lower proportion of the gates but this is compensated for with a losing semi final prize of £450K.So beating Sheffield Utd earns CAFC £1.4m on top of the £1M already banked from the cup run. More than enough to subsidise a few coaches and the loan budget to help get get us there AND avoid relegation!
I am sure you are right, that this is something they would use.
However it's a derby between two teams with a lot of helmet fans and a bit of history. So that was going to happen even if they'd kicked off at 09.00. Not that plod would ever accept that. They seem unable to accept the fact that modern day English matches pass off without any incident despite the fact that fans have a few beers beforehand. But then why should they accept it, they can pass on overtime costs to individual clubs without any accountability, knowing that the clubs are too cowed to protest. It's a nice little earner.
I have read this thread with interest and I appreciate that it is probably a lot to do with the Police but let's not forget that English Football was sold out to Sky a long time ago. I don't remember many complaints when we were banking £20m a year TV money. It was easier then as we were hardly ever on the TV.
The revenues from this cup run are staggering. One of the prices to be paid is that kick off times will be messed about.
Also I am convinced that we will sell out out our end so it's hardly as though it's putting Charlton fans off. I am not convinced that I will even get a ticket, even though I've been a season ticket holder for 26 years, so if all those that are disgusted could hold off buying a ticket until Friday afternoon that would be great.
The time for complaining / representations was before not after the decision. Schedule is set and won't be changed now. Neither is it a demanded requirement for the club to provide free transport as some suggest.
There will be a whole host of official and unofficial ways to get there. None of them will be preferred, but you do what you can.
It won't suit everyone, no slot would, but if you are more interested in getting pissed then stay at home and watch it in your front room or local
This is my stance too.
You can't please all the people all the time ...or something like that.
Can't agree with the post that states MOST people prefer to use the train.....I always thought unless you book weeks in advance , prices are very high. Yes, you can drink but is this really the main reason why you go to away games ????
The car sharing idea has now taken off so take a look on that thread & see if you can get to Sheffield early enough to have a pint or two that way ( barring the driver!) Or use the Club coach...again , time invariably for a drink when you arrive. I know pick up points don't suit everyone & you may have to drive to reach your nearest but is this such a big deal for a one off, important ," Must be there ! " game ?
There is some communication between CASTrust/FF regarding any possible alternatives the Club might be party to but at such short notice & the fact that many will have already made their own arrangements, I wouldn't hold my breath...
Sorry if that's not what you want to hear but unfortunately, following our lads "over land & sea & Leicester" isn't cheap or easy.
Last time I did that to Bristol City in the snow the coach came off at services 30mins outside of Bristol for an hours break. Got to the ground 10mins before kick off, vowed then, never again. If the game was the sensible option (Saturday tea time) I think the train was about £45-50. Luckily I had foresight and convinced my brother to drive a minibus up, 5am start but it'll get a few of us there and means we can have a drink (apart from the driver). As people have said its ridiculous, once again nobody thinks of the fans but for this game I'd have hitched if needed
I suspect that SYP had set this game for 12.00 KO long before Callum Harriot scored.
No evidence but I guess they anticipated a local derby and set in place arrangements with that in mind.
I suspect the Sheffield derby was going to be 1.30 sunday and the Hull game was 5.30 saturday. Then ITV took the Hull game and put it on sunday lunchtime leaving us with the saturday game. Police then thought sod that, we've got 3 other games in Yorkshire that day so made us play on sunday too. The fact that Hull was announced originally for 1.30 sunday then later pushed back to 2pm so our game could be finished first suggests our game was a last minute decision.
I suspect that's not far from the truth. It also explains the apparent delay in announcing the timing of the game.
I'd add something that I don't think anybody has mentioned so far. Sheffield Utd were scheduled to be at home anyway on March 8th. They were due to play Rotherham in a local derby though I've no idea how "tasty" that game might be. It's not easy to understand the thought processes of the Police.
That said, it is what it is and I'd imagine that an early start will suit many people.
I suspect that SYP had set this game for 12.00 KO long before Callum Harriot scored.
No evidence but I guess they anticipated a local derby and set in place arrangements with that in mind.
I suspect the Sheffield derby was going to be 1.30 sunday and the Hull game was 5.30 saturday. Then ITV took the Hull game and put it on sunday lunchtime leaving us with the saturday game. Police then thought sod that, we've got 3 other games in Yorkshire that day so made us play on sunday too. The fact that Hull was announced originally for 1.30 sunday then later pushed back to 2pm so our game could be finished first suggests our game was a last minute decision.
I suspect that's not far from the truth. It also explains the apparent delay in announcing the timing of the game.
I'd add something that I don't think anybody has mentioned so far. Sheffield Utd were scheduled to be at home anyway on March 8th. They were due to play Rotherham in a local derby though I've no idea how "tasty" that game might be. It's not easy to understand the thought processes of the Police.
That said, it is what it is and I'd imagine that an early start will suit many people.
Aha. I believe it is extremely tasty. You and I are old enough to remember Ronnie Moore as a player. Well I can remember him as a Rotherham player being involved in absolute mayhem in a game against United. I think it's big trouble, that one. More than Blades against Charlton, thats for sure.
The club needs to find a voice, if you'll pardon the expression. Whatever its view of the kick-off time, someone ought to explain its position. It's inconceivable that we wouldn't have heard something from Peter Varney or Steve Kavanagh at this point. Saying nothing makes the club appear remote and disconnected from the issues the timing has caused fans, even if that's not the case and it couldn't have changed it.
The club needs to find a voice, if you'll pardon the expression. Whatever its view of the kick-off time, someone ought to explain its position. It's inconceivable that we wouldn't have heard something from Peter Varney or Steve Kavanagh at this point. Saying nothing makes the club appear remote and disconnected from the issues the timing has caused fans, even if that's not the case and it couldn't have changed it.
Exactly. It seems such a simple and obvious thing to do. A couple of sentences expressing regret is all that is needed
I am curious as to the motivation in the past to subsidise, why was it a good thing then and not now? The only reason I can see in this case is to mitigate the ridiculous start time, but would it actually help? It's not the cost its the inconvenience.
I am curious as to the motivation in the past to subsidise, why was it a good thing then and not now? The only reason I can see in this case is to mitigate the ridiculous start time, but would it actually help? It's not the cost its the inconvenience.
We would never have taken the numbers we did to Port Vale, Blackburn or Middlesbrough without free coaches. That was the club's objective. Nottingham Forest was limited capacity anyway, but Charlton were flush at the time and against the PL revenues to come it didn't cost that much. Ditto in the last season in the PL the board wanted to encourage people to go, so there were subsidised coaches to Man City and Everton, among others. But the cost of those was minimal.
I'm a huge critic of the overbearing influence of the police on fixtures but we see here that the TV coverage is just as big a problem. If we kicked off at even 13.30 it would be so much easier. The FA have to take the blame for this as it is they who negotiate the TV deals for the Cup. If they had an ounce of care for the customers who make the game what it is they would lay down a simple red line in negotiation: Any kick off time must allow for an away team's fans to reach their destination, and return, by scheduled train. If that means time slots overlap, tough.
Comments
If fans moan but attend anyhow then it will continue in this vein - the clubs ultimately will only react if they lose ticket revenue whilst the TV companies don't want to broadcast from half-empty stadiums with no atmosphere.
The deferential attitude of most English fans amazes me, and is the reason behind so much that is wrong with the way it's organised, as NYA says above.
It was Sheffield, after all, where a rush to get into a game was a factor in the English game's biggest tragedy. Are they really so insensitive to this reality??
I was not supporting the specific idea of turning up half an hour late, if that is what you are supposing.
Can't wait for the complaints about how expensive the hotdogs are at Wembley
BTW - Would we get 37.5% of any Wembley gate in the semi final?
More than enough to subsidise a few coaches and the loan budget to help get get us there AND avoid relegation!
http://www.forestforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=40074
However it's a derby between two teams with a lot of helmet fans and a bit of history. So that was going to happen even if they'd kicked off at 09.00. Not that plod would ever accept that. They seem unable to accept the fact that modern day English matches pass off without any incident despite the fact that fans have a few beers beforehand. But then why should they accept it, they can pass on overtime costs to individual clubs without any accountability, knowing that the clubs are too cowed to protest. It's a nice little earner.
The revenues from this cup run are staggering. One of the prices to be paid is that kick off times will be messed about.
Also I am convinced that we will sell out out our end so it's hardly as though it's putting Charlton fans off. I am not convinced that I will even get a ticket, even though I've been a season ticket holder for 26 years, so if all those that are disgusted could hold off buying a ticket until Friday afternoon that would be great.
I'd add something that I don't think anybody has mentioned so far. Sheffield Utd were scheduled to be at home anyway on March 8th. They were due to play Rotherham in a local derby though I've no idea how "tasty" that game might be. It's not easy to understand the thought processes of the Police.
That said, it is what it is and I'd imagine that an early start will suit many people.
Or is it down to the ground staff again? :-)
I'm a huge critic of the overbearing influence of the police on fixtures but we see here that the TV coverage is just as big a problem. If we kicked off at even 13.30 it would be so much easier. The FA have to take the blame for this as it is they who negotiate the TV deals for the Cup. If they had an ounce of care for the customers who make the game what it is they would lay down a simple red line in negotiation: Any kick off time must allow for an away team's fans to reach their destination, and return, by scheduled train. If that means time slots overlap, tough.
Of course that rule should apply in the PL too.
Dream on, of course.