To all those left behind.....

[PeterWithesShin]

It's normally receptions at VP rather than ceremonies. And as I mentioned earlier, this is the latest the FA Cup final has been for years, so as many weddings are booked a year or more in advance they probably thought it was a safe date.

[silhillvilla]

There's no way I'd miss the game for a wedding, including my own

[KRS]

Exactly. You've got to be gutted if you were a Villa fan and booked your wedding on this day of all days.

[silhillvilla]

Exactly. You've got to be gutted if you were a Villa fan and booked your wedding on this day of all days.

Literally , you just cancel and go again when convenient . Fa cup finals don't cone too often.
If she don't get that , she probably isn't the one.

[KRS]

Anyways, for those that are left behind...if I couldn't have got a ticket, I'd have preferred to be watching at home with friends, getting the beers in and having a bbq for the match build up with the semi-final playing in the background.

Hope you all have a great day whatever you do and wherever you watch the match...hopefully it will be a day to remember for all the right reasons!

[dave.woodhall]

Exactly. You've got to be gutted if you were a Villa fan and booked your wedding on this day of all days.

Literally , you just cancel and go again when convenient . Fa cup finals don't cone too often.
If she don't get that , she probably isn't the one.

Are all Villa fans men, then?

[PeterWithesShin]

Exactly. You've got to be gutted if you were a Villa fan and booked your wedding on this day of all days.

Literally , you just cancel and go again when convenient . Fa cup finals don't cone too often.
If she don't get that , she probably isn't the one.

Easy to say, harder to do when it could cost thousands in stuff already paid for etc.

[amfy]

I looked into it when we were getting married and, it could be popular with local non-Villa fans who are pretty neutral (not Baggies or Blues), because it was very good value for the quality of the venue. I think they do a fair few Asian weddings now.
Although the minimum coast was about £5000, a fairly regular sized wedding would probably bring in £10-15,000 & the club could be hosting 2 or more on the day, given that the end of May would be a popular date - so pretty significant in revenue terms. (I know we say - a weeks wages for 'name of crap player' - but the club actually do have to work out how to make that money)

Then, we need to consider that most of the left behind are left behind because:

They don't get to many games because they live a long way from Villa Park
They have booked a holiday or have some other unmissable event which prevents them from going to the cup final
They attended less than 6 games at Villa Park last season.

Bearing in mind that most of us will also throw a hissy fit at the prospect of being charged even £10 to watch a match 'on the telly', in reality, how many would be there?

The club then have to consider whether it makes sense to disrupt people's wedding plans, have sad brides on the front page of the evening mail with all the accompanying bad publicity - to be fair, probably not. They probably tried to negotiate with people to move, or allow a simultaneous screening, but if they didn't want to, there isn't much they can do.

[placeforparks]

The club aren't doing anything as it would clash with too many prior bookings at Villa Park that day. Which is a bit shit.

Its more than that!  Appalling public relations considering Arsenal are putting it on at their place.

i watched the final at the emirates last year with arsenal mates who had a spare. there was 20,000 people there in the sun, drinking beer, having a good time. people kept running on the pitch and they were threatening to pull the plug on the screens!

i've been invited back there this year, but i'll probably give it a miss...

[oldhill_avfc]

Exactly. You've got to be gutted if you were a Villa fan and booked your wedding on this day of all days.

Literally , you just cancel and go again when convenient . Fa cup finals don't cone too often.
If she don't get that , she probably isn't the one.

Are all Villa fans men, then?

No, there are lesbians as well - as readily acknowledged in the post above.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I remember my auntie getting hitched (to a Bluenose) on Cup Final day in 1981. Probably the one Saturday in the football season that a Blues fan can absolutely guarantee he'll be free. I also remember the reception at the Lambert Court in Edgbaston where everyone was running around, desperate to find a telly to watch Spurs v Man City and there not being one. Luckily it went to a replay.

[curiousorange]

As documented on here last week, I scrabbled round trying to get a required booking history for me and the missus. She's as big a fan as me, has the same debates with fans of other teams as I do, and would have been gutted to have missed out on Wembley. But if we'd organised a wedding and i'd suggested cancelling it for a match, even this one, my life wouldn't be worth living.

Happily, I wouldn't have taken the chance and she knows that. Every now and again a social occasion clashes with a fixture but Villa more or less takes priority. It reminds me of the Stoke City fan in 'An Evening with Gary Lineker': "My mother wouldn't die during the football season; she loves me".

[cheltenhamlion]

You could do worse than Snobs to watch the final if you don't have a ticket. Loads of screens, the beer is cheap and they are doing cheap food that day as well. I think you get free entry to the club that night to continue the celebrations as well but don't quote me on it.

[el león Benidorm]

Massive screens at the White Star in Benidorm. Look for the idiot with a 6 week old nipper using the old Acorns top as a blanket in the Pram - That'll be me.

Beer €1.80 a pint. Shame it's all fizzy lager shite though.

UTV

[martin@ardenley]

Frustratingly it's my partners birthday on 30th May! A few of us are going to the evening racing at Stratford races, which starts at 5pm. She understands it is non-negotiable that I disappear to watch the match (to be fair she's always pretty sound about me doing what I want). Assuming it's not on at the races can anyone recommend decent pubs in Stratford that will have the game on?  Thanks in advance

Oddfellows Arms in Windsor Street or possibly the Bulls Head in Bull Street.