FA Cup 5th Round - Leicester at Home

[olaftab]

It's all about audience numbers and TV will have more watching the selected matched than Bradford v Fulham.

I reckon more neutrals/armchair fans would want to watch Bradford than us v Leicester. Or Bitters v West Ham.

No that's not how TV Companies think. It's all about potentail revenue from advertising and sales to overseas broadcasters. So for those two Bradford are  not able to contribute as much as a big club like the Villa.

[olaftab]

BBC very much measured on TV figures as success, just like any other station.

And Villa v Leicester is going to help them with that ?

Yes as there are 500,000 Villa fans in this country (mostly in the Midlands) another 500,000 or possibly million who want to see us humiliated. So this coupled with general public will ensure about 4/5 million watching.

[olaftab]

Leicester have been given the Witton End Upper so I assume they have asked for around 5K?

[rob_bridge]

Who did we play in 96? I can only remember that sole destroying defeat to Liverpool in the semi.

That was a wretched Semi Final. We never turned up.

It didn't help that we'd won the League Cup final a week earlier and Gareth Southgate had got injured playing for England midweek.

Southgate played as well, didn't he? Even though he was plainly unfit and had his knee heavily strapped.

I think he came off injured but I'd have to check. Either way, a final and an international in the previous seven days is hardly good preparation for a semi.

He did come off-injured. Staunton replaced him.

After they just went 1-0 IIRC.

[rob_bridge]

1996 - Gravesend and Northfleet was Round 3 and comfortable enough victory without breaking sweat. They brought 4000 fans and as H&V opined at the time they had their day out and could go back to supporting Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and Man United.
We beat Forest in the QF 1-0 I think but at their place.

4th and 5th Rounds anyone? Sheff Wed maybe?

[Chico Hamilton III]

1996 - Gravesend and Northfleet was Round 3 and comfortable enough victory without breaking sweat. They brought 4000 fans and as H&V opined at the time they had their day out and could go back to supporting Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and Man United.
We beat Forest in the QF 1-0 I think but at their place.

4th and 5th Rounds anyone? Sheff Wed maybe?

Forest away was a fantastic night. Did Franz Carr ever score another goal for us? in fact, did he ever play for us again?

[PeterWithesShin]

1996 - Gravesend and Northfleet was Round 3 and comfortable enough victory without breaking sweat. They brought 4000 fans and as H&V opined at the time they had their day out and could go back to supporting Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and Man United.
We beat Forest in the QF 1-0 I think but at their place.

4th and 5th Rounds anyone? Sheff Wed maybe?

Round 4 Sheff U (A) 1-0 (Yorke chipped pen in the snow), Round 5 Ipswich (A) 3-1 (Johnson got injured iirc)

[PeterWithesShin]

1996 - Gravesend and Northfleet was Round 3 and comfortable enough victory without breaking sweat. They brought 4000 fans and as H&V opined at the time they had their day out and could go back to supporting Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham and Man United.
We beat Forest in the QF 1-0 I think but at their place.

4th and 5th Rounds anyone? Sheff Wed maybe?

Forest away was a fantastic night. Did Franz Carr ever score another goal for us? in fact, did he ever play for us again?

He started the next league game at Sheff Weds and never played for us again. Think it was 4 appearances for us in total.

[Clampy]

Talking of cup games, I read earlier that Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy a ticket for their game against Cambridge get their season ticket for the next home league game suspended. It's all in the terms and conditions. What the bloody hell is that all about? Surely that's illegal?

[Ads]

I understood that if you bought a Yanited season ticket, then you have to buy all domestic and european home cup tie tickets as well, but I wasn't aware your season ticket would be suspended.

I feel bad for the locals, but if you're one of the few who clogs up the M6 every other week, then they can get to fuck.

[dave.woodhall]

Talking of cup games, I read earlier that Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy a ticket for their game against Cambridge get their season ticket for the next home league game suspended. It's all in the terms and conditions. What the bloody hell is that all about? Surely that's illegal?

It's probably bound up with their idea that to get a season ticket you have to buy all their cup tickets as well. It's immoral but not illegal.

[PeterWithesShin]

Talking of cup games, I read earlier that Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy a ticket for their game against Cambridge get their season ticket for the next home league game suspended. It's all in the terms and conditions. What the bloody hell is that all about? Surely that's illegal?

That is disgraceful. If Villa pulled that shit i'd tell them to go fuck themselves and would stop going to games. I may love the Villa but there is no way i'd put up with them telling me what tickets I have to buy. Fortunately we'd never do it.

Anyway, from the MEN

Around 9,000 United season ticket holders have been threatened with a one-game suspension if they fail to pay for next week's FA Cup clash with Cambridge.

Under the beleaguered Automatic Cup Scheme (ACS), season ticket holders are obliged to pay for any home cup draws, although there is an option to opt out of Capital One Cup games, as there is for under 16s in FA Cup ties.

Failure to pay for the Cambridge game by 8pm on Wednesday night will result in a ban for the visit of Sunderland on February 28.

In a letter sent to season ticket holders, United wrote: "The deadline to buy your seat for Cambridge United is 8pm tonight. Please note that not buying this ticket will result in your Season Ticket being suspended for the Sunderland game."

One supporter, who wished to remain anonymous, told MEN Sport: "I shouldn't be surprised because the club have got a reputation for this kind of stuff but the concept of a ban left me gobsmacked.

"I wasn't really aware that supporters who pay for a season ticket could actually be banned from the ground. Stadium bans are associated with people who misbehave and this isn't even in the same ballpark.

"Sometimes you take the hit on not going to the game but an actual ban as well is ludicrous."

The ACS was introduced ahead of the 2007-08 season to nationwide scorn, as the Glazer family owners were accused of guaranteeing extra income against less attractive opponents.

United said in a statement: "We notify fans that failure to pay for a game in the cup scheme would mean a suspension from the next game.

"The terms and conditions are clear: 'In respect of each home cup match for which the Ticket Holder fails to provide valid payment card details or for which the Ticket Holder’s card or payment is declined, the Ticket Holder’s Season Ticket may be suspended for one home league match.'

"This measure was introduced at the start of the season before last. If we successfully sell the ticket the fan has failed to pay for, they can apply for a refund of the Sunderland ticket at the end of the season."

[dave.woodhall]

Let's be realistic - there isn't a club in the league who wouldn't do it if they could get away with it.

[Clampy]

Talking of cup games, I read earlier that Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy a ticket for their game against Cambridge get their season ticket for the next home league game suspended. It's all in the terms and conditions. What the bloody hell is that all about? Surely that's illegal?

It's probably bound up with their idea that to get a season ticket you have to buy all their cup tickets as well. It's immoral but not illegal.

You could argue that it's illegal if you've paid for all the league games up front.

[dave.woodhall]

Talking of cup games, I read earlier that Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy a ticket for their game against Cambridge get their season ticket for the next home league game suspended. It's all in the terms and conditions. What the bloody hell is that all about? Surely that's illegal?

It's probably bound up with their idea that to get a season ticket you have to buy all their cup tickets as well. It's immoral but not illegal.

You could argue that it's illegal if you've paid for all the league games up front.

You could but it'll have been checked beforehand by more expensive lawyers than you could afford.