Play-off final venue

[antman]

Wembley's great, keep it there.

We've been there long enough now though to know that in order to get a decent racket going, we have to keep singing the same song for longer than 10 seconds and then moaning when everyone isn't joining in. It's not rocket science - just persevere with a simple song like 'Come on you reds' or 'Ooh arr we are Exeter' and it will pick up. Give up after a few seconds and it won't.

I should add that I wasn't there yesterday but have been on the two previous occasions and this annoyed me.

Actually the singing spread right round to the side where I was sitting on occasion and I thought the atmosphere - for Wembley - was quite good.

 

[LOG]

I've always thought that part of the "prize" for getting to the play off final is to get to experience Wembley, both for the players and the fans. Moving it elsewhere might mean a higher percentage of seats are filled but i think it may devalue it a little.

 

[paperclip]

Wembley' great. Had we won yesterday, and had it not been Blackpool we were playing, we wouldn't have this thread.

Precisely. If the game had been played at a ground in, say, the Midlands, most people would still have been cheesed off because we lost. And there's no guarantee the atmosphere would have been any better. Leave it at Wembley.

 

[Legohead]

Precisely. If the game had been played at a ground in, say, the Midlands, most people would still have been cheesed off because we lost. And there's no guarantee the atmosphere would have been any better. Leave it at Wembley.

I've been to quite a few Derby County games at Pride Park including the Forest one. Believe me, if there were half of it filled with Exeter fans and half of it filled with Blackpool fans for a sell out play off final the atmosphere would be electric. It's cheaper, not a ball ache to get to, easier to park, train station 5 minutes away and overall would be a superb day out. Wembley is over rated.

 

[D__Lo__]

Maybe the lost and my banging headache magnified everything but I dread to think what the delays were like Saturday and today after the FA Cup and Championship Play-off given the delays we experienced when the stadium was barely quarter full. I would have thought the national stadium would have better infrastructure, certainly in terms of roads (can't comment on the rail service) Whilst a number of times I thought I'm not sure the surrounding area gives a great impression especially for visiting nations, i.e. the industrial estate location. OP is clearly in the minority but I'm not completely opposed as long as the alternative could cope. There's certainly logic to the idea, hypothetically speaking, as we all know the F.A. are financially committed. That said Wembley Way is impressive and the Stadium is clearly state of the art

 

[grecIAN Harris]

I've been to quite a few Derby County games at Pride Park including the Forest one. Believe me, if there were half of it filled with Exeter fans and half of it filled with Blackpool fans for a sell out play off final the atmosphere would be electric. It's cheaper, not a ball ache to get to, easier to park, train station 5 minutes away and overall would be a superb day out. Wembley is over rated.

But whole lot more expensive to get to if you're going by train. I put in the 3 adults, 1 child with a freinds and family discount for two weeks time (a comparative amount of time between play-off semis and final) and it would have cost me an extra £100. It's further, not a great deal admittedly, by road both in terms of time and mileage which also equates to extra cost whether you go yourself or take the supporters coach. Bring it back a little bit more central to Villa Park and you might have more of a case to argue with. I'm still not convinced that you could argue with the magic and aura that Wembley brings regardless of where you might find an alternative.

 

[Legohead]

But whole lot more expensive to get to if you're going by train. I put in the 3 adults, 1 child with a freinds and family discount for two weeks time (a comparative amount of time between play-off semis and final) and it would have cost me an extra £100. It's further, not a great deal admittedly, by road both in terms of time and mileage which also equates to extra cost whether you go yourself or take the supporters coach. Bring it back a little bit more central to Villa Park and you might have more of a case to argue with. I'm still not convinced that you could argue with the magic and aura that Wembley brings regardless of where you might find an alternative.

Fair points. My main point really would be to get it away from London and into a stadium that would sell out thus creating a real cracking atmosphere and sense of occasion. You do get that a bit at Wembley but when three quarters of the ground is empty it's really diluted I feel. Kind of half hearted. Fair points about the costs though.

 

[richard_portland]

If it went elsewhere, we would have taken less fans imo. Even with 23000 there was still some decent noise generated. Even Blackpool made a reasonable noise at times with their fans grouped in a few blocks, and were it not for the boycott the crowd would have been around 40000.

I think Wembley is great, good views pretty much everywhere.

 

[Kirtonville Grecian]

Interesting discussion and I can see both sides.

When full, Wembley has an incredible atmosphere (been to an FA Cup Final). When it's 3/4 empty it looks stupid and the atmosphere is mediocre at best.

Having been a few times I wouldn't mind being at a smaller ground. However, for the sake of hundreds of players and tens of thousands of fans who've never been their with their team there is only one place and that is Wembley.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

There is no more special feeling than coming out of Wembley Park station and seeing everyone walking up Olympic Way towards the Stadium on high with the Arch....
No other walk in football has this magic

It's all a bit over rated in my opinion..It's a iconic area & the rebuild is very nice & customer friendly but it does not give me the hair standing on neck moment that I used to get when exiting Wembley Park Underground & seeing the old twin towers.

The pricing is rediculous to watch a couple of 4th Division teams slug it out for the last promotion spot for the also rans,but as already posted earlier,the FA are in serious hock to the German banks since the rebuild.