[azul]

Stokespireite, on 21 May 2016 - 07:21 PM, said:

A dreadful game and another one in recent times that was instantly forgettable........ no atmosphere and just felt like a normal match not an FA Cup final. Everything used to stop on cup final day years ago and everyone i know watched it. These days i dont know anyone who bothered. The late start , the new Wembley the semi's played at the same stadium...... still am sure the Thais enjoyed watching it in the bars of Bangkok!!!

Didn't like the result but sadly seen many worse finals and I thought the Palace fans were far noiser than most that turn up

[dtp]

Valley Blues, on 21 May 2016 - 07:50 PM, said:

I pretty much agree with your post. However, if the semi's were at the likes of Old Trafford and the Emirates ( which would probably be nailed on, depending on the geography of the teams involved ) I would think there would criticism for the revenue being afforded to the fashionable clubs hosting these games.

For what is worth, I'd much prefer a return to the neutral semi final venues and Wembley for the final only.

Part of the charisma of FA cup games is the thought that they provide an opportunity to play at Wembley.

The very fact that you don't have to get to the final to get to Wembley has reduced the value of the occasion.

I much prefer the old system of playing the semi-finals at neutral grounds and saving Wembley for the big occasion. Fans are losing interest if Wembley isn't full for one of the games biggest occasions. Wembley has become a bit of a rip off, both inside and out, for the travelling fan who now has to think twice as to whether or not they should line the pockets of the greedy merchants twice darn south.

On a different note I thought the referee was very consistent today. All his bad decisions seemed to be against Palace. Apart from not playing the advantage rule 3 times but instead blowing his whistle to book a Manc player what happened to the rediculous nailed on booking for removing one's shirt after scoring also ignored by Clattenburg?

[bifocart]

dtp, on 21 May 2016 - 08:21 PM, said:

Part of the charisma of FA cup games is the thought that they provide an opportunity to play at Wembley.

The very fact that you don't have to get to the final to get to Wembley has reduced the value of the occasion.

I much prefer the old system of playing the semi-finals at neutral grounds and saving Wembley for the big occasion. Fans are losing interest if Wembley isn't full for one of the games biggest occasions. Wembley has become a bit of a rip off, both inside and out, for the travelling fan who now has to think twice as to whether or not they should line the pockets of the greedy merchants twice darn south.

On a different note I thought the referee was very consistent today. All his bad decisions seemed to be against Palace. Apart from not playing the advantage rule 3 times but instead blowing his whistle to book a Manc player what happened to the rediculous nailed on booking for removing one's shirt after scoring also ignored by Clattenburg?

Agreed on the wembley thing. Wembley is an overpriced craphouse of a place designed to milk fans dry after first making sure they are screwed over with stupid kick-off times, impossible transport arrangements rubbish facilities etc..
I always feel patronised when the FA roll out that "special day for the fans" crap about wembly and even more so when they aim it at clubs outside the Premier league. Its not simply about "watching your team playing at wembley." The point is to be there because youve won through to the big occasion, not the slightly smaller occasion before the big occasion, and certainly not contrived big occasions like play off games. Id have been happier to watch Town in the play offs at a decent sized club ground within easy reach of both sets of fans and realistic pricing.
How do the FA square wembleys Venue Of Legends hype with the fact that you can get there by finishing fourth in the conference?

Craphouse.

[Siberian Spireite]

I watched it and would like to post a pithy and incisive summary but am far too drunk to do so.

[jack bauer]

well it was a final I will remember for all the wrong reasons, pre-game nonsense of that massive blanket and tiny thing did nothing to get me thinking "oh yes fa cup final", then abide with me sang out of time by that choir, then the national anthem was quite amusing as the big celeb singer forgot to start. the game was mostly poor, made worse by a shocking display from the ref. game briefly came to life for 5 mins around 77 mins, then inevitably the team I want to win end up losing, what an advert, give me league one any day

[calvin plummers socks]

bifocart, on 21 May 2016 - 08:50 PM, said:

Agreed on the wembley thing. Wembley is an overpriced craphouse of a place designed to milk fans dry after first making sure they are screwed over with stupid kick-off times, impossible transport arrangements rubbish facilities etc..
I always feel patronised when the FA roll out that "special day for the fans" crap about wembly and even more so when they aim it at clubs outside the Premier league. Its not simply about "watching your team playing at wembley." The point is to be there because youve won through to the big occasion, not the slightly smaller occasion before the big occasion, and certainly not contrived big occasions like play off games. Id have been happier to watch Town in the play offs at a decent sized club ground within easy reach of both sets of fans and realistic pricing.
How do the FA square wembleys Venue Of Legends hype with the fact that you can get there by finishing fourth in the conference?

Craphouse.

I'd imagine you're in the minority of 1 there.
Everyone wants to watch their team at Wembley

[Spire-Heights]

Johnnyspireite7, on 21 May 2016 - 04:26 PM, said:

They're trying to turn the FA Cup Final into the Superbowl, stop it, stop it now!!!!!

What you on about you fool!

[sophocles]

Spire-Heights, on 21 May 2016 - 09:30 PM, said:

What you on about you fool!

Well I'm with him on that one; he's obviously referring to the crass attempt at 'entertainment' and generally limp razzmatazz. Still at least it wasn't as bad as the ludicrous Haye fiasco where it took him about ten times longer to walk from the dressing room to the ring than the entire 'fight' lasted.

[Lincs Spireite]

bifocart, on 21 May 2016 - 08:50 PM, said:

Agreed on the wembley thing. Wembley is an overpriced craphouse of a place designed to milk fans dry after first making sure they are screwed over with stupid kick-off times, impossible transport arrangements rubbish facilities etc..
I always feel patronised when the FA roll out that "special day for the fans" crap about wembly and even more so when they aim it at clubs outside the Premier league. Its not simply about "watching your team playing at wembley." The point is to be there because youve won through to the big occasion, not the slightly smaller occasion before the big occasion, and certainly not contrived big occasions like play off games. Id have been happier to watch Town in the play offs at a decent sized club ground within easy reach of both sets of fans and realistic pricing.
How do the FA square wembleys Venue Of Legends hype with the fact that you can get there by finishing fourth in the conference?

Craphouse.

We're back to the old argument again of money ruining football. They want 2 or 3 bites of the cherry.

[bifocart]

calvin plummers socks, on 21 May 2016 - 09:08 PM, said:

I'd imagine you're in the minority of 1 there.
Everyone wants to watch their team at Wembley

yes, thats the trouble.

[Johnnyspireite7]

Spire-Heights, on 21 May 2016 - 09:30 PM, said:

What you on about you fool!

The stupid nonsense with Tinie Tempah

[bifocart]

Johnnyspireite7, on 23 May 2016 - 05:52 PM, said:

The stupid nonsense with Tinie Tempah

the lass banging out god save the chuffin queen was bad enough.