Football 2021/2022

[charlierc]

This does set up the possibility of a Man City v Liverpool Champions League final, with there also being the possibility of them fighting in the FA Cup final (though an upset today could jolt that) and fighting for the Premier League title... it's like we're creating our own El Clasico fighting for everything or something.

[The Nal]

Xavi doing a proper job at Barca. They kinda look like Barca again. 

[charlierc]

8 hours ago, The Nal said:

Xavi doing a proper job at Barca. They kinda look like Barca again. 

That result is genuinely astonishing. Pre-Xavi, they absolutely did not look capable of pulling off such a good result and performance.

[charlierc]

So it's Liverpool against Man City at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals on an Easter weekend when no trains are running south of Milton Keynes in engineering works Network Rail has apparently been planning since late 2019... one suspects this is going to be a challenge for the FA to defend it carrying on having it there, even though knowing them they probably won't move it to a less faraway venue.

[Gnomicide]

13 hours ago, charlierc said:

So it's Liverpool against Man City at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals on an Easter weekend when no trains are running south of Milton Keynes in engineering works Network Rail has apparently been planning since late 2019... one suspects this is going to be a challenge for the FA to defend it carrying on having it there, even though knowing them they probably won't move it to a less faraway venue.

Both region mayors have complained to the FA but it will fall on deaf ears, also it's too late. People will have booked hotels, alternative ways of getting there etc. Having the semis at Wembley has always been crap anyway, they should shift it to Old Trafford.

[TheGayTent]

8 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Having the semis at Wembley has always been crap anyway,

Agreed. 

8 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

they should shift it to Old Trafford.

Disagree. They should decide once the semi finalists are known. 

[Gnomicide]

3 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Disagree. They should decide once the semi finalists are known. 

I meant they should shift this one now we know who's in it, not shift all of them there. I used to enjoy a semi at Villa Park.

[Hugh Jass II]

19 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

I used to enjoy a semi at Villa Park.

Bet you did you dirty goat.

[Hugh Jass II]

They should move it to Old Trafford, only because it would be really, really funny for Liverpool to play a massive game against City there.

[Gnomicide]

16 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

They should move it to Old Trafford, only because it would be really, really funny for Liverpool to play a massive game against City there.

Not against City but we've played a few there, think the last one was against Chelsea.

[TheGayTent]

2 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

I meant they should shift this one now we know who's in it, not shift all of them there. I used to enjoy a semi at Villa Park.

Ah gotcha.

They trot out the tired excuse that they can’t do this anymore due to the time it takes to undertake all the necessary organisation. 

That is, and always has been, bollocks. 

A Man City / Liverpool semi final should never be played in London. A Brighton / Southampton semi final should never be played in Manchester. 

It’s not fucking hard (it’s only a semi…)

Edited March 23, 2022 by TheGayTent

[Hugh Jass II]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60846465
 

The scenes when Russia get picked to host ahead of us. UEFA hate us so much I wouldn’t put it past them.

Pretty good troll by the Russians.

[DareToDibble]

I reckon they just bin off Wembley and come back here to host finals at the Millennium Stadium again (refuse to use it's new name).

[efcfanwirral]

2 hours ago, Hugh Jass II said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60846465
 

The scenes when Russia get picked to host ahead of us. UEFA hate us so much I wouldn’t put it past them.

Pretty good troll by the Russians.

After the scenes of last summer I can't believe we're even in consideration 

[TheGayTent]

2 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

I reckon they just bin off Wembley and come back here to host finals at the Millennium Stadium again (refuse to use it's new name).

Great location (so close to the centre), crap ground and too small for the Final. 

[DareToDibble]

21 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Great location (so close to the centre), crap ground and too small for the Final. 

In comparison to Wembley it’s definitely too small. Talk of (already) getting rid and building a new one. Seems mad but no room to expand where it is currently so I guess it makes sense. 
Will be a shame though as the location is perfect as you said. 

[charlierc]

40 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

After the scenes of last summer I can't believe we're even in consideration 

What a choice between the nation that ruined the last Euro final with some pretty poor crowd control or the one that's currently not allowed to compete in, let alone host, international football.

Saying that, UEFA is happy for us to host a new Euro winners v Copa America winners game, the Women's Euros and an upcoming Champions League final, so clearly, they seem to have forgiven and moved on.

[charlierc]

26 minutes ago, DareToDibble said:

In comparison to Wembley it’s definitely too small. Talk of (already) getting rid and building a new one. Seems mad but no room to expand where it is currently so I guess it makes sense. 
Will be a shame though as the location is perfect as you said. 

There's talk of getting rid of it already? Only been about 20 years hasn't it?

[DareToDibble]

19 minutes ago, charlierc said:

There's talk of getting rid of it already? Only been about 20 years hasn't it?

Yeah June 99 so coming home to 23 years.

Theres just no scope to expand it as it’s built right on the river. Cardiff have recently built a swimming pool, water rafting and ice rink about 10-15 minutes away and call it the international sports village so the plan is to move it there. 

Good as it won’t make the city centre quite as busy in match day but will be a nightmare for people to get to and from as our public transport isn’t really up to it currently.  

[zahidf]

Chelsea allowed to sell tickets to away fans now

[charlierc]

21 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

Yeah June 99 so coming home to 23 years.

Theres just no scope to expand it as it’s built right on the river. Cardiff have recently built a swimming pool, water rafting and ice rink about 10-15 minutes away and call it the international sports village so the plan is to move it there. 

Good as it won’t make the city centre quite as busy in match day but will be a nightmare for people to get to and from as our public transport isn’t really up to it currently.  

I have seen it tbf - I was in Cardiff for a friend's birthday five years ago and was just walking down the street when buried amongst a couple of skyscrapers, there it was.

Feel like a 70-75,000 capacity is about right for now though. Unless there's a sudden spike in demand for Cardiff to need something even bigger than that which I've missed.

Lots of English clubs have that with stadiums out of town in really inconvenient locations that are really only reachable by car - Reading being one particular example, if only as going there meant being sat on the M4 for ages - so there's a novelty for it still being right in the heart of the city tbf. I imagine such a thing will take a while to come off anyway.

[pink_triangle]

Words can't describe how much I love Bale tonight!

[rock the clock]

Apparently the fa are going to run free bus services from Manchester and liverpool for the Semi-final to make up for no trains 

 

[thetime]

1 hour ago, rock the clock said:

Apparently the fa are going to run free bus services from Manchester and liverpool for the Semi-final to make up for no trains 

 

Would be easier just to play it at villa.

[DareToDibble]

8 hours ago, rock the clock said:

Apparently the fa are going to run free bus services from Manchester and liverpool for the Semi-final to make up for no trains 

 

The problem with this is that I believe it’s 100 coaches between the 2 clubs. What are coaches? 100 seats max?

That’s not even 20% of the stadium capacity. Granted not all fans will be coming from Liverpool and Manchester but that’s still way too low. FA are just so set on the Wembley payday they were never going to move it.