On the current FA website it has the following information for the FA Cup: 'In all matches preceding the Semi-Finals, the Visiting Club shall have the right to claim up to 15% of all accommodation for which tickets are issued providing these tickets are in a fully segregated area' Do we get around that by claiming its not a 'fully segregated area'?
If there isn't room for a fully segregated area the police can object anyway. Quite a few big clubs have got away with offering less tickets on this basis. In other cases the clubs would have been happy to give the 15% but the police said no. Other clubs don't sell season passes for certain areas to extend the area available for cup matches. Arsenal, who include some Cup games and European games with season passes have an area of the ground where the passes are less as they don't include these games to allow for the higher allocation given to away fans. There would be a problem at the KC with the ew layout as any extension of the away allocation might be accommodated in the North East corner but not otherwise as the catering and toilets wouldn't match up with the aisleways and I imagine police and SAG wouldn't be happy with the thought of fans mingling on the concourses.
How about the 12,000 or so extra they could have sold for the Man Utd, Liverpool etc games? Barcelona, Real Madrid and the Milan clubs don't fill their stadiums every week but keep a larger stadium for the games where they can,
I don't see what's so difficult in having certain areas which can easily be for away fans if needed and used by home fans if the away fans don't need them.
How come stadiums with no roof generate more noise? Noise is down to people making a noise more than acoustics. If the great majority sit there like at the theatre then you get no atmosphere no matter what the acoustics. The noise at Brentford is more to do,with the fact it was the more dedicated fans there and them all being together in a confined space instead of being spread around amongst a load of people sat like dummies who,steadfastly refuse to show any vocal support.
When they can get a big crowd for a local derby in Birmingham, be it for Villa or .Birmingham City the away numbers are curtailed by the police.
Why should it be for the odd game? Reduce some of the prices if you wont get a capacity attendance otherwise.
I don't think you will find any stadium that generates noise with no roof would not have more noise with a roof. That is the basis of my argument. Obviously if the fans are not shouting and singing it doesn't matter if they have individual microphones - it still wouldn't generate any noise. I am in favour of standing terraces but I don't think that is going to happen in the Premier League. These rail seats wont make any difference as you are still allocated a place to sit/stand. It helps if the fans can stand where they want.
It is when the stadium was poorly designed like the KC. Too much credence given to the views of rugby fans waxing lyrical about fans swapping ends and walking around the concourses. Do you recall how many open meetings there were with rugby fans about the building o the .KC compared to the solitary one with football ones! Not enough thought given to the realities of having segregation which was variable for football with areas not matching food and drink outlets and toilets to the areas. Hence losing so many seats to segregation whilst Reading, a similar ground loses aboutb 60 seats with only an aisleways and a fence between fans and the lost seats being used for stewards to sit on, They can also easily accommodate more away fans due to the better thought out design with no problems.
Really, you have been to Wednesday in the days they didn't have a roof on the Kop Enf. More atmosphere and noise than they have now.
I was meaning Hull City v Birmingham. 17,436 with prices as they are. Reduce the prices by 20% and you would get more attending. You will get the full affect over time as people get back into the habit of attending or are lured to matches for the first time. If the club don't get a lot more, if at all, from ticket sales they will make up for it from the sale of programmes, food and drink, and merchandise.
They only have to add gates on the concourse that can be closed to keep the away fans from the home fans.
