Big 2 semi final to played in Cardiff

lad12

This should not be allowed..if it is going to happen then i think the other semi final should be played there also...why should the top 2 teams got a higher preference then anyone else....

yom 1

This should not be allowed..if it is going to happen then i think the other semi final should be played there also...why should the top 2 teams got a higher preference then anyone else....

i agree if this is the case then everyone would see it as the final
and wudn't give a toss about the actual one

lad12

Yeah true...I think that this is a way for the fa 2 have to finals(more money for the hungry english tossers) with this being the actuall one...

PLAY AT VILLA PARK

yom 1

PLAY AT VILLA PARK

Exactly as far as i can remember they have always been played there
why break tradition to suit UNITED and ARSENALS coffers

Villain

I think they shouild play both there, we'r (Villa)are playing at home the day before the game so I don't think the pitch will be up to Fa Cup semi-final standard!

lad12

Yeah but they two matchs have always been played at villa park and old trafford....The reason arsenal want the game moved to cardiff is because they will play on the game on a saturday and this will give them an extra days rest before there next round game in champions league(Thats if they get there).
If this was one of the smaller clubs in the premiership then the idea wouldnt have even been listened to, never mind being considered...

The Muppet

I can see both sides of this argument. It could be seen to belittle the final itself and yest there is no doiubt this will be a bigger match than the Final with the winners being hot favvourutes to win thge trophy. It doesn,t bother me where its playad as long as its a good match and united win of course.

jank

i personally dont see anything wrong with that as it is all about capacity
old trafford has a capacity of 67,000 which will host the other semi, villa park has 41,000 or so
thats around 25,000 difference which is a sizable amount

cardiff can host 78,000 or so which means an extra 36,000 fans can get to see their team play.

Wembley has been used before for semi finals so i dont understand what the big deal is about moving it to cardiff

the clubs wont really profit that much from it really at the end of the day, but the TRUE fans of each club will, which is fair

Hyzepher

A smaller club in the premiership wouldn't fill it - Arsenal and Utd will fill Cardiff - Villa Park will leave a lot of fans without a ticket - surely the more people who can enjoy this match the better

Hyzepher

lad12

Yes but then why cant the other semi be played there to if its that simple...like give the loser of the other semi final and there FANS a chance to play there aswell....why make one rule for the big teams...

Why change now when over the last 4 seasons its always been played in old trafford and villa park...

lad12

Em sunderland fans would sell out a big ground...its always been said that the best followers of football clubs come from the north-east...and millwall or tranmere would bring alot of fans 2...

jank

Originally posted by lad12
Yes but then why cant the other semi be played there to if its that simple...like give the loser of the other semi final and there FANS a chance to play there aswell....why make one rule for the big teams...

because old trafford is big enough for the other two teams,

Why change now when over the last 4 seasons its always been played in old trafford and villa park...

because this is the first time since 99 that arsenal and utd met in the semi final, and if i recall correctly wembley was still in use and the cardiff stadium was just finished then just in time for the rugby world cup

talla

Originally posted by lad12
Em sunderland fans would sell out a big ground...its always been said that the best followers of football clubs come from the north-east...and millwall or tranmere would bring alot of fans 2...

Then why has Sunderlands ground only been half full for the last 2 rounds of the FA Cup?

lad12

Yeah so like i said one rule for the big to teams...if they play the semi final there then it will make a muck of the comp..so what if there is only 41000 seats at villa park...whoever wins will play in cardiff...like the prize for reaching the final is a trip to cardiff...

Sunderland fans would fill cardiff for an fa semi final with either millwall or tranmere...

talla

Em no they wouldnt, please see my previous post. Also as stated by jank, this is not the first time this has happened. There have been semi finals in Wembley before, the Arsenal-Spurs match comes to mind.

lad12

Yes that was when there was a Wembley...over the last 4 yrs its been played at Villa park and old trafford..so if your talkin about tradition then why change after 4 years...oh yeah thats rite cos its the big 2 involved...such SH**E

jank

Originally posted by lad12
Yes that was when there was a Wembley...over the last 4 yrs its been played at Villa park and old trafford..so if your talkin about tradition then why change after 4 years...oh yeah thats rite cos its the big 2 involved...such SH**E

as i said in my previous post its the first time these two have met since 99 and the first time cardiff has been available to host a semi final between these two

lad12

Yes but cardiff has never held a semi final never mind between these two..anyways i just read that if it is played at cardiff on the saturday then it will clash with the grand national..so its very unlikely that it will happen then...

also Big Mick says he would rather play at old trafford for his teams tie..

talla

Ok lets break it down into barney language for you

Attendence at Sundays match between Sundertland and Sheffield United 37,000, of which approximately 5,000 were sheffield united fans. Capacity of Sunderlands stadium of light is 48,000.

Lets deal with the other 2 teams involved, Milwall and Tranmere:

Capacity of Milwall Ground 20,000,
average attendence for the year 2002/03 - 8,512

Capacity of Tranmere Ground 16,587
average attendence for the year 2002/03 - 7,877

So lets say Sunderland actually bring 40,000 supporters(highly unlikely), and milwall or Tranmere bring 20,000. Capacity of Old Trafford is 67,751. That means there will be 7,000 seats empty. So why would they even consider moving the semi to a bigger ground???

Oh and since when does 4 years actually make a tradition?? The semi finals were played in Hillsboro/ Villa park and selhurst up until recently!

yom 1

Oh and since when does 4 years actually make a tradition?? The semi finals were played in Hillsboro/ Villa park and selhurst up until recently!

thats sounds like the semis have been played in Villa Park for years (tradition)

So why change it for united and arsenal

talla

as in rotating between various grounds, i.e. the grounds which at the time had the biggest capacity:rolleyes:

eirebhoy

Its been played in Cardiff, end of. Whats the big bloody deal?

lad12

Yes why??and dont say cos they havent played each other for years in the cup...sure sunderland havent played millwall or tranmere in the cup for an even longer amount of time..its cos its the big 2..so all the rules can be broke..like ya see when players are called before the fa for hearings...arsenal and utd players are always allowed drag out the proceeding while the rest of the teams and players have the book thrown at them straight away..

jank

thats sounds like the semis have been played in Villa Park for years (tradition)

the only reason the games were played at villa park was because of capacity and geographic location

now though a bigger and better stadium is available and although not in the centre of the country it is still a half way house for utd and arsenal fans...what do you want st james park? scotland(hampdon park!)?

Rmember cardiff is only 5 years old if that so why not. it is a fantasic stadium, out of this world

lad12

It is a big deal...because its another example of the big 2 getting there own way...and it aint decided yet...the decision isnt going to be made till later today..

BaZmO*

Originally posted by lad12
Yes why??and dont say cos they havent played each other for years in the cup...sure sunderland havent played millwall or tranmere in the cup for an even longer amount of time..its cos its the big 2..so all the rules can be broke.

Who's breaking rules???

like ya see when players are called before the fa for hearings...arsenal and utd players are always allowed drag out the proceeding while the rest of the teams and players have the book thrown at them straight away.

I think you'll find that Arsenal or United players tend to get harsher sentences due to them being in the lime light! :rolleyes:

eirebhoy

Originally posted by lad12
its cos its the big 2..so all the rules can be broke

And what rules would they be?

TwoShedsJackson

This is the stupidest thread ever on this board. It's about money you gobshites. End of story.

BaZmO*

Originally posted by TwoShedsJackson
This is the stupidest thread ever on this board. It's about money you gob****es. End of story.

Yeah exactly! lad12 is acting like he "is" 12!!!!

lad12

I dont think so..like the brawl at the end of the utd and arsenal match at old trafford this season...they dragged out there bans as long as they cud...and made sure that the dates they were to start on didnt interfere with them playing the bigger clubs...always happens

yom 1

i agree its a fantastic stadium thats why the final is there

but the point is if the semi is played there then it takes away from the actual final as people will take the game as the "real" final

jank

why is the earth round?
why did oswald kill jfk
why oh why...

its only a venue not the nuremberg trials

lad12 you seem to have a chip on your shoulder about the big clubs, as a matter of interest who do you support or follow if any!?

eirebhoy

Originally posted by jank
lad12 you seem to have a chip on your shoulder about the big clubs, as a matter of interest who do you support or follow if any!?

would you believe he supports the team at the bottom of the premiership.:D

Imposter

Play both in old trafford. Then there's no argument about having different size venues.:)

Pepe LeFrits

Originally posted by lad12
I dont think so..like the brawl at the end of the utd and arsenal match at old trafford this season...they dragged out there bans as long as they cud...and made sure that the dates they were to start on didnt interfere with them playing the bigger clubs...always happens

And yet, when two smaller teams were involved in an actual brawl (not the OT handbags that you and the tabloids like to prattle on about), nothing was made of it.

AthAnRi

It is a big deal...because its another example of the big 2 getting there own way...and it aint decided yet...the decision isnt going to be made till later today..

Oh go back to reading the hype in the Sun will ya.

Is it just me or did no one in this forum do Geography?

Arsenal -> Cardiff 158.0 miles

Manchester -> Cardiff 191.0 miles
Pretty Fair

Sunderland -> Cardiff 549.3 miles

Millwall -> Cardiff 160.5 miles
or
Tranmere -> Cardiff 207.4 miles
Would this be fair on a first division side?

Cardiff is an obvious choice for the big two cause it is almost central to both and is big enough for both sides. Villa park although it has been a charming ground for Man Utd it's just not big enough I'm afraid.

I would also like to thank AAroadwatch for this broadcast.

eirebhoy

Arsenal are the only club that want it played in Cardiff, United want it played in Villa park so i'd say it won't be played in Cardiff.

smemon

Originally posted by eirebhoy
Arsenal are the only club that want it played in Cardiff, United want it played in Villa park so i'd say it won't be played in Cardiff.

exactly, arsenal want it moved because they feel villa park is a jinx venue for them. Utd have a good record there and are happy to see it played there. so what if its not as big as cardiff?? arsenal or utd are hardly stuck for cash, the fa shouldnt change a set venue, will be unfair on fans that have already made arrangements.

mr_angry

To be honest, I don't think anyone in the Arsenal camp is superstitious enough to think Villa park is a jinx venue for us. After all, we've won there already this season. Why would it be superstitious for us? Because we lost a single F.A. Cup semi-final there to Utd once? Doesn't exactly have me quaking in my boots.

As far as I'm aware, the Arsenal spokesman claimed they were interested in giving as many fans as possible access to the game, and so therefore asked the F.A. for it to be moved to Cardiff. I'm not going to argue with you there - it was clearly a badly thought-out move that none of the fans seemed to want. However, I don't think it was done out of any malicious intent.

smemon

well i think the fa have re-confirmed its at villa park about half an hour ago. so looks like arsenal didnt get their way.

will make tickets all the more valuable now.

robbie1876

Confirmed Villa Park. End of thread. Thank you please.

Villain

see here SEMI FINAL VENUE ANNOUNCED

gandalf

Closing this pointless waste of "0's" & "1's".

Gandalf.