We all agree I'm sure that fans who will only come to City if we're in the PL are hardly loyal and these people are often criticised. My question is, that being the case, why is it OK to refuse to go to cup games because 'you don't want to pay to see a reserve side'? If it was to do with money, work or whatever then fine. But not going just because the team aren't good enough for you is the same as only going to watch in the PL isn't it?
Well for me it is the fact that I go with my husband and thats £20 that we just can't spare in January, totally skint so cannot afford it. Not a lot of money I know but that is the honest reason.
I understand what you mean and went today myself, but I suspect the issue is related to the club not being seen to play to its full potential. Where I would argue is that seeing the squad players gives a better idea of the depth of that full potential.
If we're putting out a reserve side isn't it fair for fans to treat it as a reserve game? (That's not even my reason, my reason is I don't want a cup run saboutaging our season so it'd be hypocritical to go when I want us to lose)
Cup v League has always caused this type of debate. I said to my mate today, look how empty it is if we get through the replay and draw a big team here there will be more tickets sold. It boils down to the opponent in the cup. If we had Man Utd at home I'm sure a few more thousand people would be able to scrape the cash from somewhere to get a ticket.
Living away from home a lot of the time now watching City is something I make the most of when I'm at home. But after watching 2 home games and going to Derby on top of Christmas today's game was money I really couldn't afford to spend.
You don't have to explain yourself to me As I say, money, work and whatever are all good reasons I'm just talking about people who don't come for the single reason that it won't be a first team. I agree with you, I look forward to cup games in a different way, I don't care if we don't win really because it just harms our promotion chase but I like to see players like Stewart and Dougie Wilson who don't normally play or have returned from loan etc. to see how they get on. It's not like a reserve game though. Only Wilson and Cracknell from that squad will play reserve games regularly. As someone said on another thread that 11 was at least as strong as our first 11 last season and we had more than twice as many fans then.
I'll rephrase it then, if the club aren't going to play the first team (only the forced selection of Jakupovic stopped it being a complete second XI) why should fans be expected to treat it like a first team game? Going off on a tangent, has today's performance revealed a problem that comes from not playing our second XI in the reserves?
It's all about comtempt; comtempt for the FA Cup deserves a return of similar proportions. Today I played my Saturday reserve team and took my Grandson and dog for a long walk, saving myself a 280 mile round journey and a huge disappointment that the FA Cup is no substitute for a serious Reserve League where the less used players can achieve real match experience. I'm all for some form of rotation when you have a squad and schedule that allows it, but today was a piss-take and the result reflected that. Ironic that we are now burdened by an additional away fixture that we could so well have done without, instead of keeping some semblance of continuity in the team. Poor decision on a number of counts and SB should not blame the players - he says they (mostly) never turned up; well **** me, what a miserable, half-hearted invitation it was!
Would have been an ideal voucher distribution day today. All loyal fans attending get a voucher giving priority for play off final/ Cup final this season.
But people would still come (more than 8,000 anyway) if we were bottom of the league with the team showing no determination etc. as long as it's the first 11? I don't get it.
Well I went and it was pretty dire, however a 1-1 draw against Orient seems about the level I was used to for many many years so in some ways felt like being back in a comfortable place Voucher distribution day sounds like it wouldve been a good idea to me
No single reason why they came: no doubt some shared your opening sentiments, some would go to watch a hanging and some need the chance to get out of the house. If we have of kept a spine of sorts and added squad players in, then fair enough. But this is worse than the opening pre-season game there is no semblance of shape or form, just professional players who are expected to perform to show their potential - except this is the FA Cup, we are playing an opposition who deserve more respect and we are being asked to support (forget the dosh, although it has it's part to play) a team that is niot a team - at least not the ****ing team I recognise as the Tigers. Shameful and it will destroy the true historical values of football and the clubs that play it - TV will be the only winner and the fat cats at the top, of course.
i think its just money with most people home and away crowds this year suggest people are picking and choosing which games to go too, lot of people spent on leeds and leicester and are probably saving for next week..makes sense to go to the bigger game if you can only afford one.
Plus side was Jakupovic looked the part again, great fingertip save in the first half stopped a belter into the top corner. Very impressed with what I've seen from him.
I'm not working at the minute so can't afford it. With a few beers before and after the game with your mates, the cost of the day is out of my reach whichever line up is picked.
Today showed a lot of what is wrong with football today. For the FA Cup to be so disrespected is shamefull and our club are as guilty as most for reducing the meaning of it to that of a pre season friendly. If clubs are not going to take it seriously then they should opt out of the draw altogether. First of all congratulations to both clubs fore reducing the price. Pity City couldn't have advertised the fact a bit more. A bit like the decision to allow kids in for a quid for a Tuesday night game in December. Good intentions but very poorly thought out. I thought the policing and stewarding was totally over the top. The clubs knew beforehand that a low crowd was expected but that didn't effect the numbers on duty. Why were there ten officers on the East Stand concourse at half-time for example.? Many yawning, others texting, others watching the half-time results on the screens. Totally unnecessary. Gangs of stewards in each corner and plenty more throughout the ground. Even in the toilets at half-time. Which were blocked, perhaps the club should look at employing someone to unblock them instead of paying for men to stand about watching other men have a pee? After the game the policing across the footbridge and the escort for the 30 odd orient fans was embarrassing. I asked one policemen if he seriously thought a match of such unimportance on the field warranted so many police (and mobile cell blocks, dog vans, riot vans etc) He was local, a Arsenal season ticket holder by the way, and he agreed it was a bit much 'but it's what our boss asked for' Another one told me he was pleased City equalised because he'd now get a day out in London for the replay. Another one told me they were necessary because orient had a dozen 'likely lads with them' A dozen. We even had the metropolitan police on the pay roll today. As for the game itself. A great chance for those on the fringe of the first team to put themselves in the picture and for those looking to move out to impress. Sadly we had some players out there today who showed quite clearly that they couldn't give a toss. I hope Steve Bruce now knows who they are. So to conclude. The FA Cup and the fans who turned up were taken the piss out of today. We saw more evidence of the police milking the game dry and someone else who is employing these stewards also filling his boots on the back of football. Before the game I thought the £10 admission was fair. At the end I felt as though someone had mugged me. I also heard loads of moaning from the fans who did turn up and sadly the way the team played gave them plenty to moan about. Anyone who travels from Hull for the replay deserves a medal.
Pretty much the same with me and has been for a while, I catch up as best as I can and this site is a life-saver. A lot of people are struggling moneywise and I think it's getting worse not better.
Steward told me to sit down, I was on the end seat in the West stand in front of the steps with nobody sat directly behind so I restricted nobody at all. Why??
