FINALLY – SOLD OUT
From the OS
That is not unexpected, went down just before 6 and only a few left with cars still coming in and ticket office opening for a bit longer. I wonder what the atmosphere will be like with a lot of people experiencing their only chance at Wembley with Villa
Should be a cracker (or as good as Wembley allow)
Ticket Update for Semi Final
Whilst there are still tickets available for tomorrow, people on forums are being told that there is now ‘limited availability’ and numbers of less than 1000 being mentioned.
Therefore if you want to go I would suggest you get on the phone NOW to the ticket office but apparently long waits or get yourself down to Villa Park.
Semi-Final build up – Bright Hopes and Sunny Forecast
So have you seen the weather forecast for Saturday then in the North of London ?
Well according to the met office we are expecting 19 degrees and sunny weather, perfect conditions for football, a few drinks and photos
According to all the pundits we are expected to be thrashed. OK you can understand why they may say this, it is not as if our last match would give few people any hope we could actually win. But actually for myself I prefer that, let everyone write us off, let John Terry think we will fade again after 60 minutes and lest show them all how wrong they are and how determined a side we are.
I know and I have seen us fight and battle in every game (well except one we shall not mention !), I expect a Villa team to go out on Saturday and pay back for 7-1 to show the doubters just how wrong they were to write us off (that includes our own fans).
It is going to be a stunning day for weather and I think coming back up the M40/M1 Villa fans will be reflecting on a stunning days football for Villa, of course !
Semi Final Build up – Time for Payback – The FA Cup MATTERS
No Villa fan needs reminding of the humiliation that Chelsea dished out to us two weeks ago but it should not be forgotten that for the first half we more than competed that we do know.
So all that matters now is to think of the prize at the end of Saturday, concentrate on what really matters which is not the opponents but the game. I can understand why Petrov and Young reacted as they did against John Terry’s comments but the place to show this is on the pitch Saturday because Chelsea expect nothing less than a comfortable win and that will be their downfall.
For them and it seems the rest of the football world the FA cup is now an irrelevance the booby prize if top 4 is not possible or even a Champions League win. However for Villa fans (well the ones who are going and I suspect the vast majority of us) the FA cup does really MATTER.
It has been built into our own fragile psyche’s that we have not won it since 57, we are aware that we have appeared in only three semi finals since then, it hurts that of all teams this is a disgraceful record. MON has said he wants players at Bodymoor to be reminded of the European Cup win, so I hope he has reminded the players of Johnny Dixon, got Peter McParland in for a talk.
Show the players how this is really our pot of gold and we deserve to win it again and leave NOTHING on that pitch Saturday.
Oh and hope for a referee who does his job properly !
Semi Final Build Up – Why have we not sold out by now ?
The Official site has now announced that from tomorrow Season Ticket holders can now purchases 2 tickets extra per season ticket for the semi final. Along with with this there is an effective general sale of tickets to anyone with a booking history this season.
The rumour around is up to 5,000 Season ticket holders have not brought a semi ticket and over 5000 remain for sale.
I have got to say I do not understand that at all. Yes we were only down in London 4/5 weeks ago and yes it is an expensive business but surely the FA cup is our destiny, after 53 years of hurt we will win the bloody thing some time and why not now.
Yes so we lost to Chelsea 7-1 the other week but that has no baring on a one off cup game, why get so disheartened about it ? Surely you want to say you was there at Wembley when we got revenge for 2000 ?
Surely that is worth a £50-80 payout ?
However with the details announced today I can not imagine us not selling out now and maybe with fans being there for their only time then the atmosphere could be better ?
UPDATE – 15:00 – 07/04 – Rung up ticket office today to renew season ticket and asked about availability and was told 3500 left
Webb the referee for Semi Final
It as been confirmed that England’s ‘top ref’ Howard Webb is the referee for the semi final on Saturday.
He has been dodgy recently but can he really be worse than Dowd was ?
WEMBLEY Semi Final Ticket Details – NO Internet sales
Thanks to Chelsea’s website being quicker than ours, we have found out the ticket details for the Semi Final on April 10th 5PM KO
Tickets are £30, £40, £50, £60 and once again we have the West End
The cheapest £30 tickets are all the upper tier and I think this sale may well go to general sale
Allocation 32,000
Will presume full details for buying Villa’s tickets will appear in due course
EDIT now on OS
Ticket Allocation confirmed as 31,837
NO internet sales, which is disappointing.
It takes a couple of reads to understand the allocation but good idea to give those who went to previous FA cup games first choice.
FA Cup Semi Final against Chelsea to be played 10th April
The FA have confirmed as predicted on this blog that the FA Cup Semi Final will kick off on Saturday 10th April at 5PM.
Best option for me anyway !!
Wembley Ticket UPDATE for FA Semi Final
Well here we go again.
Just to confirm that based on last seasons semi final we will get slightly more tickets than for the Carling Cup Final at around 32,000.
The full details will be released on Thursday 11th March but the prices are likely to be around £10-25 lower than the Carling final, so probably between £25 and £60 (link for Man U last season).
Before people start to panic again it is worth remembering for the Carling final the ticket distribution went to people with a 5 game history and it is likely that a number of season ticket holders will not go for the tickets due to cost, time and not being a final. I would not mind betting it goes on general sale to anyone with a booking history.
The game is likely to kick off either on
Saturday 10th April 17:15
or
Sunday 11th April 13:00
My best guess is that we will be the Saturday game as for TV our game is the more attractive game and the Saturday slot is for ITV the better one for advertising revenue.
Villa vs Blues semi final – NO thank you
Well with a few hurdles to get through before this scenario could happen, we obviously all hope that Portsmouth win and they hope that Reading would beat us but it can not be ignored that the semi final could be an all Birmingham affair.
And what a problem that would cause amongst the police, clubs, Wembley and law abiding fans. Anyone who walked down Wembley Way on Sunday would recognise that the segregation is pitiful and the baiting apparent. On Sunday few fans bit at this but imagine the same with thousands of Blue noses next to his, does not bear thinking about does it ?
When you have to have a huge police presence to control just 3000 away fans at the Sty or at VP. The consequences of a semi final meet up with the whole of London, it’s pubs and tubes to pick from does not bare thinking about.
I do not want to put into a position about deciding to go to Wembley or not based on the actions of a few louts but it could be a call we may all have to make come 6PM on Sunday.
So to stop this and obviously not wanting Reading to win we have to say
PLAY UP POMPEY, POMPEY PLAY UP !!!
Wembley was rubbish
Thats right, I hated everything about the ‘NEW’ Wembley
Opinion is most definitely split on the forums about the new ground, it seems half disliked it and half hated it and guess which half I am in ?
Got to Wembley Park station at just before half two, nothing had changed in there since 2000 and then the ‘infamous’ walk down the renamed ‘Olympic Way’. No proper policing of it, crowded, surrounded by fences, so once again nothing changed, still wondering at this point how £800m was spent.
Approaching the main frontage of Wembley, nothing special, arch waste of time so made our way to the entrance gate, got through to be confronted by the escalators not working, £800m you say ?
So after numerous steps up to the higher lever concourse I was shocked at just how plain the concourse looked. Totally bland, looked finished off very cheaply, almost like Ellis did with the new Trinity. So toilet time, thinking half an hour before KO should be fine, well was I shocked to see no urinals and just cubicles, thought I had walked into the ladies !
Finally to my seat, decent view in block 531 36 rows back
However because of the split in the upper and lower tiers because of the Club Wembley seats this totally kills the atmosphere. Where I stood all game the atmosphere was good but you have no connection with the lower tiers and too far away from other blocks of fans singing. I came away from the ground with not even a sore throat and that is massive contrast to the other cup finals I have been to (1994,1996,2000).
At half time, I went down for a beer, 4th in the queue for it and it took 10 minutes to get served, thats right, 10 MINUTES. Sometimes you do not appreciate how good your own ground is and we have to be very proud of Villa Park when compared to Wembley.
All that for £56 and a mountain hike, rip off Britain indeed !
COME ON YOUR LIONS
This is likely to be my last blog post before the game.
So sitting here with train and match ticket ready, camera in coat and anticipation high there is little else left for us to say
Just enjoy it tomorrow, weather will be lousy but all that matters is the result
Hope in your heart, a few pints and expect no voice left, give it your all, leave nothig behind.
MON will be telling the players this we do our bit on the pitch
Yipee aye Ah, HOLTEENDERS IN THE SKY
Holte Enders in the Sky
Weather for Wembley poor, forecast for game, very good
First the public service
A storm is brewing over London (not Bridge vs Terry !!) and heading to Wembley for Sunday and it is going to be very wet and windy.
However the forecast is very good for the game and Villa in particular. Over the years we have had an inferiority complex with Man Utd but the result at Old Trafford earlier this season has changed the team and more important the fan’s psyche. We now go into Sunday’s game on an excellent run of form, unbeaten in 12 and 2010, scoring goals a plenty in the cups and knowing as so called underdogs the pressure is off us.
When the pressure is off we are capable of playing some stunning stuff and whilst we know exactly our team (see Burnley) as it appears Petrov is fine but Man Utd’s team is any guess.
You know what I do not give a damm who they played.
In 1994 we went into the game with Man U chasing a domestic treble and arguably a stronger team than now and we blitzed them because we had no fear and that is key for Sunday. If we play with fear then it is game over, however play with freedom, let Ash free and you know what we will win it.
The mass hordes of Villa fans depart Birmingham on Sunday by coach, car and train and I really sense there is a strong sense of belief and destiny in the fans which we do not see often. The fans and team are united and we expect every many to do his job.
Rob El Cid posted this on Villatalk, let battle begin
We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have had before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.
You ask, What is our policy?
I will say; “It is to wage war, on the pitch, with all our might and with all the strength that McGrath can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of football crime. That is our policy.”
You ask, What is our aim?
I can answer with one word: Victory – victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is nothing.”
Petrov to MISS Carling Cup Final
According to Sky Sports News last night Petrov is unlikely to play in the cup final.
Tsvet on H&V who has good links to Petrov though just posted
A friend got a text from him saying he’s coughing a lot and is feeling very weak, but is getting better since yesterday. I reckon he’d be OK for the final.
I hope this is true because no matter how much I rate Delph the game is an occassion for experience and Petrov deserves his final spot.
Wembley hopes increase
Did you watch the Everton/Man U game earlier today ?
Simply they were awful and it was their first team choice and showed totally how over reliant they are on Rooney. Every attack comes through him, they used to have great strength on the wings but no more. In fact without Rooney I would say the present Man U team would struggle to be even top 4, they have been unable to strengthen with top quality and the cracks are showing.
We have shown in the past two games against them just how to shut them down through keeping Rooney under lose control and our strong defence allows that. Everton today also showed just how you can score past them, the problem for us is that it is likely that both Vidic and Ferdinand are going to play.
There is of course another factor in that Ferguson has indicated that he will not play the same type of team that he did against Man City in the Semi’s that is another boost for us.
On the forums there is far too much negativity surrounding the result, people seem to think playing Man U is a bad pick but we have shown all season we are able to raise our game against the better sides and wins at Old Trafford and Anfield simply prove this. As pointed out above there is no reason to be negative, in fact quite the opposite, we should be going down there in a weeks time full of hope, given we do not have some kind of injury disaster.
First trophy win since 1996, you bet !
Ticket competition is WRONG
Under Randy Lerner’s reign I have little to be unhappy about in the main they have got most if not all of the major decisions 100% correct.
However their competition just announced is WRONG in many ways. It is not right that 100 tickets (50 pairs) could go to anyone with a 10 year booking history, the criteria should simply be the next people in the queue based on booking history.
Already a fair number of the 31,000 allocation does not get to what I call ‘normal fans’. A number of other areas get the tickets
- Players as we saw by the Nathan Baker incident, probably 400 tickets
- exec box holders (should get one per box as per season ticket holders) but they I have heard get 10- maybe 1000
- club employees, 2 each, probably another 1000
I have no gripe with these getting these tickets but they come out of the 31,000 allocation which means after season ticket holders get their share maybe only 1500 for sale afterwards, depriving these people of 100 tickets is unfair.
Too late now for the club to change it’s mind but I hope they will learn a lesson from this because this is proving to be a very unpopular decision, even with the likes of me who have supported the Lerner regime 100% from the start.
The new Wembley song from Colin Davies
This is so much better than the horrible Nikki Evans song.
Though it has to be said Colin Davies amongst the forum guys splits views.
Definitely a marmite person !
I love the cheesyness of his songs !
FA Cup Final 2000 pictures
OK, so most of us would like to forget the final it was that bad.
However with a great chance of progression to another final tomorrow, I think it is worth just reminding those who went and would like to go, what a FA cup at the old Wembley was like.
If anyone has any more pictures please let me know at ianrobo@sky.com
Weakened Man U team at Wembley
Alex Ferguson has said on Sky that he will play a different team against us at Wembley than we saw today.
Actually I expected that to be honest and with Giggs off for an X-ray and Champs league to come then the likes of Gibson will get a game and maybe even Owen ! For him the only reason he played a full team against Man City was to ensure they never got through.
However with Petrov limping off today it could be that we see a ‘weakened’ team for us also and of course still two more games to come but we are looking stretched as well.
I always thought we had a chance of winning the trophy and if Fergie holds to his word then the chances become greater.
Wembley ticket details for non season ticket holders
After season ticket holders have took the allocation of Wembley tickets Villa have announced the following detail for sales of tickets on priority sale.
This seems very fair to me to include the earlier Carling cup games and this should satisfy most people. the estimate is that there will be around 1500 tickets available
Monday February 15: On sale to supporters who have a 12+ home booking history (including either Carling Cup fixture at home to Cardiff City or Blackburn Rovers). Matches played in the 2009-10 season only
Tuesday February 16: On sale to supporters who have a 10+ home booking history (including either Carling Cup fixture at home to Cardiff City or Blackburn Rovers). Matches played in the 2009-10 season only
Wednesday February 17: On sale to supporters who have a 7+ home booking history (including either Carling Cup fixture at home to Cardiff City or Blackburn Rovers). Matches played in the 2009-10 season only
There will always be those unhappy at the allocations, there will always be the odd person whose fair claims are ignored but what else could the club do about it, cater for the odd person out of thousands, just not possible.
Away shirts for The Carling Cup final
Just on Sky Sports News that we will be wearing the away shirt at Wembley
Carling Cup final ref – Phil Dowd
The Carling Cup final referree has been announced
The officials have been announced for the Carling Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester United later this month.
Phil Dowd will be in charge of proceedings at Wembley and his Assistants will be Shaun Procter-Green and David Richardson, while Lee Mason has been named the Fourth Official.
It will be the first time the Stoke-born official has taken charge of a final, although he was previously the Fourth Official in the FA Cup Final.
Dowd for me is a good ref who lets the play go. The bonus is that he is not Fergie’s favourite ref after sending Rooney and Scholes at Fulham last season.
Very good choice as the PL stats show
20 PL games
60 Yellows
4 Reds
SHOCK – Hansen tips us for success
After the highlights of the Man Utd/City game on Match of the Day tonight, Alan Hansen tipped us for success at Wembley
Aston Villa can have a great chance on the counter attack
Steady Alan not too much praise for us !!
To confirm that the final will kick off at 3PM on the 28th February and will be shown live both on BBC and Sky.
Man Utd our bogey team at Wembley, nothing to fear
So we now know who we play at Wembley on Feb 28th (I have my ticket woo hoo !!).
It is of course the mighty (sic) Manchester United who tonight beat Man City 3-1 at the theatre of dreams (urgghhh).
Let me remind you of the past two occasions we played them at Wembley
Saturday 4th May 1957 – FA Cup Final
Aston Villa 2 (Peter McParland, 2) Manchester United 1 (Taylor)
Sunday 27th March 1994 – League Cup Final
Aston Villa 3 (Atkinson, Saunders 2) Manchester United 1 (Hughes)
Not a bad record eh ?
We are the clear underdogs, everyone will write us of like in the previous two and we have nothing to fear from losing as we are expected to.
BRING IT ON
ps. as an after thought but after seeing Bellamy pelted by at least 4 missiles, should their fans be banned at Wembley ?
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