The General Football Thread

If Eastleigh and Manchester United get through, I wonder if Eastleigh would want to switch to St Mary's to maximize their revenue streams?

 

No chance. Why would they choose to give up home advantage?

Don't think they'd be allowed in any case.

 

They could ask to play at Old Trafford though and give up home advantage for the revenue AND a once in their life chance for most/all.

 

Don't think they can. That rule was binned years ago if I'm not mistaken.

 

Yep 20 years ago - https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2003/mar/12/newsstory.sport1

Rather interesting tidbit in there too that we applied to host UEFA Cup final in 2005!

 

Just taken this from the FA Rules and it does allow for teams to apply for a change of venue.


Venue
(i) The venue of each match (save for the Semi-Finals or Final which will be played at
venues selected by The Association) will be that of the first named Club.
Subject to
Competition Rules 9(a)(ii), 9(a)(iii) and 11 such match shall be played on that ground
unless the consent of the Professional Game Board has been obtained to any change
of venue or the Professional Game Board has directed that there should be a change
of venue. In the case of a replay, subject to Competition Rules 9(a)(ii), 9(a)(iii), the
match shall be played on the ground of the second drawn Club, unless the consent of
the Professional Game Board has been obtained to any change of venue.
(ii) For a tie to be played on the ground of a Club outside The Premier League or English
Football League playing a Club from The Premier League or The English Football
League, the Home Club shall take all necessary steps to liaise with the local enforcing
authority and/or Police to assess the suitability from a safety or security point of view
of staging a tie at the ground. Any such assessment shall be completed within three
days of the date of the Draw (or the date at which the Home Club’s participation in the
relevant fixture is confirmed, whichever is later) or such longer period as shall be
agreed by The Association.
The Home Club shall forthwith notify the outcome of the assessment to The Association
along with such documentation supporting the assessment as may be required by The
Association.
The Association will decide whether to allow and require the match to be played at such
ground or not, taking into account the assessment and any supporting documentation

 

Pretty sure it's only on safety grounds or if it's inappropriate for the fixture (ie you can't just change cos you want more money), away clubs can protest if they believe a ground is unsuitable.

I was reading a discussion about this on a Charlton forum a couple months back when they had to play at Cray Valley funnily enough.

I can find plenty of mention of the rules changing in 2003 after Farnborough switched their home tie with Arsenal to the Emirates but no mention of this being reversed.

 

I get the financial reality of all this, but historically speaking if Eastleigh meet MU at home, forever the supporters and the Club can say, we played MU here. What a memory if that happens, I rather hope it does.

 

I think what you say comes under point (ii), but you may well be right.

 

Yeah I think it's bollocks allowing clubs to change as they end up making a financial decision rather than a sporting one. It'd be on TV anyway so money would come from that.

Using this example Eastleigh at home to United would be tie of the round and exactly what the FA Cup is all about. Whereas United at home to Eastleigh is just a bit meh.

 

@......loading...... @Libby We were talking about this clip from 2005 just a few days ago.

Then tonight we've got this, must have really hurt.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/67919330

 

TBH, even if that was permitted, Man United would love that. To play on a pristine surface and a PL standard ground and facilities would suit them down to the ground.

 

Sholing took the spoils in the West v East Southampton derby winning 3-1 at Totton in front of an impressive crowd of 1,235 and kept in touch with the play-off places.
Congratulations to Dan Mason whose 2 goals made him the highest scorer in Sholing's history...

 

That is a bigger crowd than what third tier teams get is Spain. Incidently, what tier is this in the footballing hierarchy?

 

The 8th

 

Totton isn't Southampton

 

Any likelihood that MU fans buy all home and away tickets, through having a ‘local’ address

 

Despite disliking Fernandez and MU completely, that contact would be given as a foul anywhere else on the pitch. Not in real grassroots football but in professional football.
# made of chocolate.

 

Ok Mr Pedant...
Still a historical local derby though.

 

It's the 7th tier Ides, 3 levels below the football league, the highest league that Sholing have ever played in.