Fa cup semi final ..

[adamtherover]

71k crowd..    pompey v mackems 85k..    city didn't even sell their allocation of 30k.  Have the big  clubs got bored of a day out in the big smoke... shame really....

[NickDRFC]

They’ll sell out for the final - it’s more of a reflection on how pointless it is having the semis at Wembley.

[Campsall rover]

They’ll sell out for the final - it’s more of a reflection on how pointless it is having the semis at Wembley.

Agreed. Totally devalues the tournament.
The whole point of the FA Cup for me is the magic of getting to the final which is played at Wembley.
Semi’s should be on neutral grounds or playing them over 2 legs is an option.

[Padge_DRFC]

Don't get why they don't do that now. England are going to other grounds

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The decision to play semis at Wembley was a terrible one and was certainly not for the benefit of fans. I agree that's one of the factors that has now ruined years of tradition.

[drfchound]

The decision to play semis at Wembley was a terrible one and was certainly not for the benefit of fans. I agree that's one of the factors that has now ruined years of tradition.

Money for the FA.

[Campsall rover]

The decision to play semis at Wembley was a terrible one and was certainly not for the benefit of fans. I agree that's one of the factors that has now ruined years of tradition.

Money for the FA.

Yes that’s what it all about hound I’m afraid.

[redwine]

But if they do sell it, you can bet your mortgage that there will be a clause in the contract of sale that will commit to all semi's being held there.

[colincramb]

Wembley is an awful ground as well

[IDM]

Wembley is an awful ground as well

Say what.??

Did you ever go to the old stadium.??

New Wembley is a great stadium..

[RoversAlias]

Wembley is an awful ground as well

Say what.??

Did you ever go to the old stadium.??

New Wembley is a great stadium..

I can get his point, to a degree.

When it's full or thereabouts - brilliant! When it's got an attendance that's a small fraction of the overall capacity, it's not great.

Surely that's the case for every venue in the world?

[sha66y]

It’s corporate rape,
When the zombies stop trekking there, and man up a little by boycotting them, it would ultimately force the FA to rethink the whole venture, and I’m sure the PM would want to know what’s going on...

But football fans are so conditioned/programmed to follow the white ball, they do!
no matter what the cost, ....and Corporate know that, they want totally obedient zombies filling the coffers .......a happy fan whether happy or not, is a happy shareholder somewhere...lol...

[Chris Black come back]

Absolute madness that FA Cup semi finals are played at Wembley. There is literally nobody apart from the FA bean counters that can possibly support this. Diminishes the competition, diminishes Wembley and has no thought for all the teams outside London who typically make up the semi finalists. Plenty of superb grounds with massive capacity outside London (or in London) that can host semi finals. That Wembley still hosts semi finals is testament to bone heads and cloth ears that are at top of FA. 

[normal rules]

I feel the same about the playoffs.

If rovers end up playing Barnsley or Sunderland, somewhere like hillsborough would be more appropriate.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen my team win at Wembley.

It’s just the fa trying to make Wembley pay for itself.

[NickDRFC]

I feel the same about the playoffs.

If rovers end up playing Barnsley or Sunderland, somewhere like hillsborough would be more appropriate.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen my team win at Wembley.

It’s just the fa trying to make Wembley pay for itself.

Can’t say I agree with the playoffs. It’s a cup final and should be at Wembley. Besides, Hillsborough’s capacity is 40,000 - someone like Sunderland could take that many themselves.

[Padge_DRFC]

I think every side above us would fill their allocation at Wembley. So it's right to be there. Obviously we would probably have about 15k there

[IDM]

It’s quite simple really..

Finals including play offs should be at Wembley..  its an occasion and warrants such, who would expect a 3rd division play off final to attract 75000 or even more for the Chaka Kahn trophy.?

Semi finals, no, they are not the final, simple as that.. 

[sheffield exile1]

I think things have changed dramatically since the Hillsborough disaster, thankfully for the better. However that stadium suffered badly in the aftermath, and wouldn't be fit for a semi now. However in that time Old Trafford has been revamped beyond all recognition, Liverpool, Everton City, as well so plenty of venues outside London, with Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham within. The insult that 30,000 ish Leeds was initially chosen for the Sheffield derby, whilst Wembley was for the other Spurs v Arsenal (and when it was moved outsold the latter) was probably correct at the time capacity wise. The other obscenity is the gaps in the club Wembley seats not helped by the cameras positioned where they are situated. showing that up when genuine fans should see their club, this would not happen in a neutral venue. Get it back out of Wembley....

[Herbert Anchovy]

Wembley should just be for finals. I’m sure most would agree on that. Having the finals of other competitions, such as play offs, allows other clubs the opportunity to play there which would be unlikely if it was still just the FA Cup and League Cup plus the Charity Shield.

As for the ‘new’ Wembley, the atmosphere can be fantastic. I was at the England v Poland game a few years ago and it was tremendous. I compare that with an England v Wales match that I went to in around 1984ish at the old stadium. There were no more than 30,000 there. You could hear the players shouts echo around the stadium and huge swathes of empty terraces everywhere you looked. The facilities were a joke and the stadium was literally crumbling around you. Coupled with the fact that England were appalling and we spent much of the evening trying to avoid Chelsea and West Ham fans who were chasing each other around the stadium, it was a bad night. I’ll certainly never get misty eyed about the old stadium.

[Donnywolf]

Wembley should just be for finals. I’m sure most would agree on that.

Having the finals of other competitions, such as play offs, allows other clubs the opportunity to play there which would be unlikely if it was still just the FA Cup and League Cup plus the Charity Shield.

Agree FA Cup Semi Finals should go back to the Club Grounds - and there are some great ones to allow that to happen

Other Finals should continue at Wembley

Suspect as others have said above Wembley = cash cow so unlikely to happen.

[phil old leake]

Idm totally disagree with Wembley being a great stadium.   It’s not bad but lacks character and what makes it worse for me is they really take the pxxx with prices inside.  There’s far better stadiums than Wembley