Is that the justification/logic of the club i.e. to get fans congregated for atmosphere or is there a different explanation? Given the observation it saves little if any cost and TS doesn’t appear to operate in a penny pinching way it seems odd.
Purely given Covid I’d assume we should have all areas operating as near to normal.
Unless perhaps they think staffing it with stewards etc may be a constraint if Covid worsens?
I know COVID may well affect this game, but this closing of the North Upper for cup matches really puts me off going to the games. There is rarely any atmosphere generated by the other areas, which must affect the players. I suppose I can understand the minor cup games, where the attendance will inevitably be low, but I really do not understand this decision by the club for an FA Cup third round tie, against Premiership opposition.
I was looking forward to this, and went to purchase my usual seat, then saw the options, so now I don’t think I’ll bother.
Restrictions permitting, we were planning to travel c 500 miles to attend this match as can't come down over the festive season so it was next best thing. But have no inclination to sit elsewhere in ground other than my Covered End Upper ST seat. Seems a bizarre decision when we are all meant to be trying to "Fill the Valley".
I like my ST seat in the upper tier CE, but would never dream of missing a match just because it wasn't available.
Some of you are far too precious.
If anything this just vindicates the club's decision to not open up the whole ground, people obviously aren't that bothered about going. There just isn't that much interest in it.
I like my ST seat in the upper tier CE, but would never dream of missing a match just because it wasn't available.
Some of you are far too precious.
If anything this just vindicates the club's decision to not open up the whole ground, people obviously aren't that bothered about going. There just isn't that much interest in it.
i accept that it isn't like having Liverpool coming to town but hope the club haven't based this on sales so far because very few will have bought a ticket yet with all this covid lark going on, knowing they don't need to geta ticket early - shutting the covered end upper is still a mistake though
I like my ST seat in the upper tier CE, but would never dream of missing a match just because it wasn't available.
Some of you are far too precious.
If anything this just vindicates the club's decision to not open up the whole ground, people obviously aren't that bothered about going. There just isn't that much interest in it.
i accept that it isn't like having Liverpool coming to town but hope the club haven't based this on sales so far because very few will have bought a ticket yet with all this covid lark going on, knowing they don't need to geta ticket early - shutting the covered end upper is still a mistake though
Is it?
No-one cared for the H&W game or the West Brom game a couple of years ago.
This was never going to get close to selling out, it will obviously have more interest than the H&W game hence the AC stand being opened, makes far more sense to have fans around the whole of the pitch.
Makes no sense to have about 1000 stuck in the CE upper trying to create an atmosphere when there is barely anyone else closer to the pitch.
We haven’t had a fixture of this kind for 25 years, which makes it hard to call, even without Covid. But I have no doubt that the club has reduced cup crowds by closing areas of the stadium since 2014 because they take no account of people who simply prefer their regular seat.
No doubt the lack of interest in winning cup matches over that period has played a part too.
Best guess is that you would get a 10k plus crowd, including Norwich, with 2.5k in the upper covered end. That is way more than the actual in the ground for most of our midweek fixtures in L1 - and the costs are shared for cup games.
Probably no difference between when we played West Brom two years ago. Premier league team in name only.
Except that West Brom were in the Championship when we played them because we hosted them in the league a week later!
I think you are missing my point. I don’t think the attendance would be any different if we played Norwich/Watford of the premier league, or Bournemouth, WBA or Fulham in the cup. Don’t really see any locals turning up to see a premier league team at The Valley.
Reckon we would get double the attendance if we were playing Villa, Southampton, Wolves etc.
I like my ST seat in the upper tier CE, but would never dream of missing a match just because it wasn't available.
Some of you are far too precious.
If anything this just vindicates the club's decision to not open up the whole ground, people obviously aren't that bothered about going. There just isn't that much interest in it.
i accept that it isn't like having Liverpool coming to town but hope the club haven't based this on sales so far because very few will have bought a ticket yet with all this covid lark going on, knowing they don't need to geta ticket early - shutting the covered end upper is still a mistake though
Is it?
No-one cared for the H&W game or the West Brom game a couple of years ago.
This was never going to get close to selling out, it will obviously have more interest than the H&W game hence the AC stand being opened, makes far more sense to have fans around the whole of the pitch.
Makes no sense to have about 1000 stuck in the CE upper trying to create an atmosphere when there is barely anyone else closer to the pitch.
yep - paticulaly if the next few games are called off - i think the crowd will be a lot bigger than we have had at the valley for a cup game for a long time - the oppoition aren't that exciting but they are premier league and most importantly, we will be fielding a full strength side if JJ's selections in the last 2 rounds are to go by - that is the biggest factor - very few want to go and watch a second string half arsed tbhing like the papa johns but this will be a proper challenge and game
Before the club decided on what stands to open/close surely season ticket holders should have been given priority in line with previous seasons and as part of the commitment the club made when selling season tickets. As my season ticket seat has been sold already my protest will be to not go at all, they do not appear to have any justification to act the way they have and even the person I spoke to in the ticket office stated that they had received plenty of complaints about this already and will pass them on to senior management who made the decision.
Before the club decided on what stands to open/close surely season ticket holders should have been given priority in line with previous seasons and as part of the commitment the club made when selling season tickets. As my season ticket seat has been sold already my protest will be to not go at all, they do not appear to have any justification to act the way they have and even the person I spoke to in the ticket office stated that they had received plenty of complaints about this already and will pass them on to senior management who made the decision.
Agree. They should have a period of at least a week to claim your usual seat. The argument will be that others can’t because that part of the ground is closed.
Before the club decided on what stands to open/close surely season ticket holders should have been given priority in line with previous seasons and as part of the commitment the club made when selling season tickets. As my season ticket seat has been sold already my protest will be to not go at all, they do not appear to have any justification to act the way they have and even the person I spoke to in the ticket office stated that they had received plenty of complaints about this already and will pass them on to senior management who made the decision.
Yes, it's not great that ST holders had no prior period to claim their seat
Effectively the club are suggesting that they feel the attendance will likely be smaller than what we would get at a normal League One game.
This is why some people, like myself, aren’t completely bowled over about the idea of facing Norwich. The fact they are in the Premier League currently doesn’t necessarily mean it comes with the typical attraction of facing a PL side. They’re basically “Championship plus”.
Which sides in this season’s Premier League aren’t Championship plus?
Obviously you have the big six, maybe Everton makes seven? All 13 other sides in that league has been outside the Premier League in recent years.
West Ham 2003-05, 11-12 Wolves 2004-09, 12-18 Leicester 2004-14 Aston Villa 2016-19 Palace 2005-13 Brentford -2021 Brighton -2017 Southampton 2005-12 Leeds 2004-20 Watford 2000-06, 07-15, 20-21 Burnley -2009, 10-14, 15-16 Newcastle 2009-10, 16-17 Norwich 2005-11, 14-15, 16-19, 20-21
Maybe it’s because in an alternate universe, we are one of these 13 sides and this doesn’t seem like a “big club” list by comparison. Effectively the list is narrowed from 20 clubs to six or seven. And then you’re reducing your chances of an exciting tie from 1 in 3 ish to 1 in 10 ish.
Would you prefer a draw vs Blackburn or Forest who are historically a bigger club than some of those above but are in the Championship?
Before the club decided on what stands to open/close surely season ticket holders should have been given priority in line with previous seasons and as part of the commitment the club made when selling season tickets. As my season ticket seat has been sold already my protest will be to not go at all, they do not appear to have any justification to act the way they have and even the person I spoke to in the ticket office stated that they had received plenty of complaints about this already and will pass them on to senior management who made the decision.
We really do have some 'weird' fans! I find it very strange that with everything that is currently going on in the world that you have decided to protest by not going because your seat has been sold.
Hopefully one of these organisations that is meant to represent fans can advise the senior management that they may just have got this decision wrong as i doubt reversing it will be that difficult. I'd suggest its a far more worthy topic than some of the stuff that tends to get on their agendas - closing the most popular and vociferous section of the ground for the 3rd round of the fa cup against a premier league team when we are actually going to play our first team is a bad decision - JJ has started showing the competition and the fans some respect so i think the club need to be prodded into having a re think.
Hopefully one of these organisations that is meant to represent fans can advise the senior management that they may just have got this decision wrong as i doubt reversing it will be that difficult. I'd suggest its a far more worthy topic than some of the stuff that tends to get on their agendas - closing the most popular and vociferous section of the ground for the 3rd round of the fa cup against a premier league team when we are actually going to play our first team is a bad decision - JJ has started showing the competition and the fans some respect so i think the club need to be prodded into having a re think.
It's because fans like yourself were so anti going to the last rounds that the decision has been made. Quite ironic really.
Hopefully one of these organisations that is meant to represent fans can advise the senior management that they may just have got this decision wrong as i doubt reversing it will be that difficult. I'd suggest its a far more worthy topic than some of the stuff that tends to get on their agendas - closing the most popular and vociferous section of the ground for the 3rd round of the fa cup against a premier league team when we are actually going to play our first team is a bad decision - JJ has started showing the competition and the fans some respect so i think the club need to be prodded into having a re think.
It's because fans like yourself were so anti going to the last rounds that the decision has been made. Quite ironic really.
i was anti going to the last game because we hadn't played our first team in the fa cup for years and the last one i went to under LB was the straw that broke the camels back but yes, it will have contributed - doesn't make it the right decision for this fixture now we have a manager that is taking it seriously and if the fan organisations want to keep senior management informed then i'd suggest this is a perfect opportunity to do so
I have no hope Charlton could compete with struggling top flight Norwich. Don't underestimate how much of a different class the prem even for the shite teams. We'll be under the kosh with their off the ball movement and creativity with from their 1st team fringe. It'll be a lot like the west brom FA cup game when we in the championship, dull and outclassed
I don’t think the crowd will warrant having all stands open but I never see the point in closing the most popular area and the one that generates any atmosphere. If anything it will deter some from attending (if we can that is)
I have no hope Charlton could compete with struggling top flight Norwich. Don't underestimate how much of a different class the prem even for the shite teams. We'll be under the kosh with their off the ball movement and creativity with from their 1st team fringe. It'll be a lot like the west brom FA cup game when we in the championship, dull and outclassed
cup upsets happen - this has the ingredients for one
I don’t think the crowd will warrant having all stands open but I never see the point in closing the most popular area and the one that generates any atmosphere. If anything it will deter some from attending (if we can that is)
Do you think sub-7,000 for Accrington and 8,000 for Rotherham warranted opening all stands then? On that basis we should shut the west upper permanently in L1 as we never need it (not even for Plymouth).
Comments
Some of you are far too precious.
No-one cared for the H&W game or the West Brom game a couple of years ago.
This was never going to get close to selling out, it will obviously have more interest than the H&W game hence the AC stand being opened, makes far more sense to have fans around the whole of the pitch.
Makes no sense to have about 1000 stuck in the CE upper trying to create an atmosphere when there is barely anyone else closer to the pitch.
No doubt the lack of interest in winning cup matches over that period has played a part too.
Reckon we would get double the attendance if we were playing Villa, Southampton, Wolves etc.
I think we need ask Stuwall from Millwall regarding this
West Ham 2003-05, 11-12
Wolves 2004-09, 12-18
Leicester 2004-14
Aston Villa 2016-19
Palace 2005-13
Brentford -2021
Brighton -2017
Southampton 2005-12
Leeds 2004-20
Watford 2000-06, 07-15, 20-21
Burnley -2009, 10-14, 15-16
Newcastle 2009-10, 16-17
Norwich 2005-11, 14-15, 16-19, 20-21
Maybe it’s because in an alternate universe, we are one of these 13 sides and this doesn’t seem like a “big club” list by comparison. Effectively the list is narrowed from 20 clubs to six or seven. And then you’re reducing your chances of an exciting tie from 1 in 3 ish to 1 in 10 ish.
Would you prefer a draw vs Blackburn or Forest who are historically a bigger club than some of those above but are in the Championship?
I find it very strange that with everything that is currently going on in the world that you have decided to protest by not going because your seat has been sold.
We fully appreciate the many logistical and cost hurdles, especially around staffing in a pandemic, but expect a statement ASAP.