Wembley - Visit without norwich? yay or nay?

[Bovril 264]

I''m goin to wembley next saturday to see the league 2 play-off final between shrewsbury and bristol rovers, and while im obviusly excited to be going, i am a bit apprenhensive to go and see a match without norwich playing (this will be my first live neutral match)... should i have waited for norwich to potentially go to wembley or take the chance to go to wembley now?

[Old Shuck 291]

Blass me, go now bor!

I''d leap at the chance to go to any match there, even the Conference play off final today, had I the chance-FA Vase, whatever. You''re a Norwich fan but also a football fan, go along and enjoy the game without worrying about your teams performance and wanting them to win-I swear, the occasions I have been watching Norwich and the tension, mixed with the frustration, means it is usually not a very enjoyable experience at all!

[Pyro Pete 2,353]

I say go and enjoy it. You could be in for a very long wait if you''re hanging on for Norwich to get there. And let''s face it, the match can''t possibly be as bad as yesterday''s FA Cup final.

[Evil Monkey 52]

Go for it, I say!If it wasn''t for those pesky Morcambe bastards I''d be there today watching York play... [:(]

[0peteddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

You''ll enjot it even more by being a little partisan, have a tenner on Rovers its money in the bank.

[Old Shuck 291]

Pyro Pete is spot on. I''m watching the Conference play off final at the moment, and the first half of that game has been ten times more entertaining than the fare dished up by the two, supposed, best teams in the country yesterday.

Suspect they won''t come off at the end and say they were tired or the grass was too long (!!) either.

[sheded 0]

[quote user="pete"]You''ll enjot it even more by being a little partisan, have a tenner on Rovers its money in the bank.[/quote]

Yep .........thats what I thought  about Forest !    £20 stake   forest to win , draw for the cup final ,  and Blackpool to win .....  accumulator  ,  moral ? no such thing as " bankers "!   

[canary cherub 1]

If Yeovil have any tickets left I''ll be very tempted.  Don''t want to deprive a genuine Yeovil fan though, so I''m going to wait until Wednesday morning and then give it a try. 

[Big A 0]

I''ll be at wembley for the NFL in October which should be good.  Don''t see an issue with going to watch other footy teams play though, its good that football fans support the lower leagues.  These playoff games provide so much for these smaller teams, the revenue earned by Morcombe and Exeter today will probably ensure they are still in business for another 2-3 years.

[ShrewsCanary 0]

Im a Shrewsbury fan as well as Norwich (town are my home side) so Ill be there!

Please get behind us, its massive for us

COMEONYOUBLUES!

[AJ 1,359]

I''ll be there in the middle of the pitch on June 16th when Muse play the first of their two gigs in the new Wembley Stadium.Should be a cracking gig.

Pity i won''t be going there for the football side of things any time soon though.

[Bovril 264]

i''m goin as a shrewsbury fan, as my mate is a shrewsbury fan.. although it does seem that bristol rovers are massive favourates... but still hopefully a 50,000+ attendance who i''m sure will make more atmoshphere then the lacklustre fa cup final will make it a great day and then its back home to canterbury for our uni summer ball... bring on next saturday!

[Pete Raven 276]

Am hoping to be there on Saturday supporting my second team amongst 35,000 Gasheads.

[Gentleman Jim 0]

The question arises "how come you get to see this match ? are you a partial supporter of either side ?

 Anyway go for it , I''ll come with you if you need a friend, it will be a million times more entertaining than that so called "classic"muck that they served up at Wembley on last Saturday.

[Bigmarkcanary 0]

I''m not sure whether I could to be honest, as Norwich are my team - but if a personal mate of mine asked if I wanted to, then I would more than likely say yes.

Oh, for City to play there next year...

 

...excuse me, but I''m gonna go and lie down for a while [:D] [S]

[Boyo 0]

Of course you should go.  any would jump at the chance to go to wembley so why should''nt you.  i say yay!

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="Philip Ellis"]I''m goin to wembley next saturday to see the league 2 play-off final between shrewsbury and bristol rovers, and while im obviusly excited to be going, i am a bit apprenhensive to go and see a match without norwich playing (this will be my first live neutral match)... should i have waited for norwich to potentially go to wembley or take the chance to go to wembley now?[/quote]

Of course you should go. Wonderful day out. Pity you missed the old Wembley so you could compare.

Former great Norwich managers John Bond and Ken Brown (each of whom led us to a League Cup Final appearance at Wembley) both had stints with Shrewsbury after leaving City. So you could have a little wager on Town, shout for them and spice up your trip

Jusy don''t get tempted by the three card trick men on your way from the underground or the coach/car park!!

Enjoy.

OTBC

 

OTBC

 

[Mello Yello 2,572]

[quote user="Philip Ellis"]I''m goin to wembley next saturday to see the league 2 play-off final between shrewsbury and bristol rovers, and while im obviusly excited to be going, i am a bit apprenhensive to go and see a match without norwich playing (this will be my first live neutral match)... should i have waited for norwich to potentially go to wembley or take the chance to go to wembley now?[/quote]

Go and enjoy yourself........

Although, make sure you take an American Express Goldcard - if you intend to partake in halftime refreshments.......[pi][B][C]

[ca 1]

[quote user="mystic megson"]

If Yeovil have any tickets left I''ll be very tempted.  Don''t want to deprive a genuine Yeovil fan though, so I''m going to wait until Wednesday morning and then give it a try. 

[/quote]

 

I may have 4 spare tickets for the Yeovil end if you or anyone else is  interested. Will know on Wednesday for definate.

[Bovril 264]

haha! im too young to forget the old wembley... just... i went there to see a friendly once with england but yeah obviusly i wasnt there for the milk cup... for those questioning how i got tickets.. my mate is a shrewsbury season ticket holder (a small minorty) so they were each aloud 4 each i think

[Gingembre 0]

Can''t see Norwich getting there in the foreseeable future........if you get the chance to visit the new stadium grab it with both hands mate.I''m going to the EngBrazil game next week and can''t wait.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Would be interested to hear comparisons from anyone who has been to both the old and new Wembley''s.

I went to the old Wembley on the three occasions Norwich went there. The place was steeped in history but I was disappointed in the atmosphere and facilities and felt it was over-rated. I thought that he Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the play-off final had far better facilities and a much better atmosphere.

 

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="Gingembre"]Can''t see Norwich getting there in the foreseeable future....
....if you get the chance to visit the new stadium grab it with both hands mate.

I''m going to the EngBrazil game next week and can''t wait.
[/quote]

I''m going on Sunday to support Yeovil - us rural footy fans must stick together! 

Non-season ticket holders have to book through Ticketmaster - log on to the Yeovil site for details.   Prices start at £28. There''s a handling charge of about £5, tickets sent by special delivery (no refunds if tickets are lost in the post).  Online bookings are theoretically possible but after half an hour I couldn''t even get into the queue, so did it by phone - the Yeovil site has a special number to ensure you get a ticket in the Yeovil section.  Not possible to select where you want to sit, but group bookings ensure you sit together.  I''m not sure what Blackpool''s arrangements are if you want to support them.

Yeovil advise fans to book by midnight Tuesday to ensure tickets are delivered in time.

 

 

[Matt Juler 211]

I went for the FA Vase Final last Sunday between Totton and Truro. I''ve got no affiliation to either team, but thought it would be good to see the stadium and I wasn''t let down. Really looking forward to going again next Friday for England v Brazil, to see it full will be superb.

One game I did find a touch odd to be at recently was Southampton v Derby, playoff first leg, but a friend has a spare ticket and I thought why not, and it was a decent game.

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="cityangel"][quote user="mystic megson"]

If Yeovil have any tickets left I''ll be very tempted.  Don''t want to deprive a genuine Yeovil fan though, so I''m going to wait until Wednesday morning and then give it a try. 

[/quote]

 

I may have 4 spare tickets for the Yeovil end if you or anyone else is  interested. Will know on Wednesday for definate.

[/quote]

Cheers angel, but I''ve got one now. 

[CaptCanary 72]

I went to the game yesterday to support the Shrews (my family were originally from the area and my great-grandad played for them). Sadly we didn''t get the result we had hoped for but the stadium is amazing.

We were located in the top tier and when I stepped out into view of the pitch it made my jaw drop. It''s huge! Even the view from being right at the back of the top tier is fantastic. It''s on such a steep slope that there seems to be no restritive views anywhere.

They must have known there would be a few Norwich fans there, as in the programme there are 2 counts of Norwich shirts and a picture of Dion too!

Hopefully we won''t need the play-offs next year, but if we do you won''t be disapointed by the stadium!

[Bovril 264]

yeah, the stadium was hugely impressive and you definately get the jaw-dropping motion when you first walk up the steps into the actualy stadium, the attendance was 61,000 odd, making it 2/3rds full with both lower and upper till virtually full with the middle section or the corporate section virtually empty (a sign of things to come i think)... however i was slightly dissapointed by the atmosphere, whether it was the acoustics / the p.a / or the crowd itself i couldnt quite tell you but i''d imagine norwich vs a similiar size club, a full wembley would be fantastic, although i obviusly enjoyed cardiff better, as its just not the same when you dont have the same natural passion as your own team..... that being said, an very early goal (2mins in), helped a fairly free-flowing game, albeit the shrews lost.... however i would not hesitate to buy a £40 ticket if norwich were to reach there, as the stadium itself is simply fantastic and to be fair the police and stewards had a well-planned transport system in place to ferry out the fans as quick as possible although as ever you still face lengthy queues in places

Stadium Structure = 10/10

Accoustics = 7/10

Match = 7/10

View = 10/10 (i was sitting 10 rows back behind the goal, with ample leg room)

Overall Day-out = 8/10

 

[canary cherub 1]

I''ve just got back from Wembley.  I went to support Yeovil - "Yoey" - so obviously I''m disappointed that they didn''t win.  Blackpool were the stronger side, especially after Yeovil lost a key midfielder through injury just before half time, and 2-0 is not a bad reflection.  But my motm was a Yeovil player, Terrell Forbes.

As far as the stadium goes - yes it''s an impressive structure if you''re into architecture, though not particularly imposing close to - there were no "oohs" from the fans on the train when they first caught sight of it.  But it appears to have been designed by someone who has never been to a live game and only watched it on television.  It''s a stadium for passive spectating, not active supporting.  It looks great empty but a bit untidy when occupied (it was about 2/3 full and the third tier was almost empty).  90,000 seats in pillarbox red really hits you in the eye and rather drowned out the club colours, especially the Blackpool fans in tangerine.  A more subdued colour would have made all the difference - it''s the fans who should provide the colour, not the seats.   

The five tiers feel very separate from each other, and at the top where I was the players were like ants, it was difficult to make out the shirt numbers.  It was like a televised game without closeups or replays.  And I''m sorry to say that the playing surface simply didn''t look up to standard.  True, I was watching from a distance, but it seemed spongy and springy and very energy-sapping - players on both sides were getting cramp after an hour.  The linesmen''s tracks had no grass left at all, just mud, and the pitch cut up quite badly - they''ll have to work flat out to get it ready for tomorrow. 

No complaints about the practicalities - getting there from the tube, and up to my seat once inside via escalators was very easy.  Fairly relaxed stewarding.  Interesting loos with black doors and walls and a spotlight on the porcelain!

I really wanted to be impressed by the New Wembley.  I didn''t fork out over 30 quid plus travel and food to go there and pick holes.  I''m glad I went to see for myself, and I''ve developed a soft spot for Yeovil Town.  But in all honesty I was disappointed, especially given the cost of construction.  Give me Cardiff every time, it made me realise how fortunate we were to have been there for our own playoff experience.

 

[Branston Pickle 4,150]

I was meant to be going to the Lge 1 play-off with a mate but had to cry off - we had decided that with the sides we support (Brentford is his) we weren''t too sure about what sort of wait we''d have before we got there otherwise!  The staduim certainly looks fantastic from the outside, I''ve been past a few times and you can actually see the arch from just down the road from my house.

I''ve never been bothered about going to games as a neutral and went to 3 playoff finals at Cardiff with mates who support other sides (Brighton and Sheff Wed)....sadly, the side I was ''supporting'' won all but one of the the games (ie the most important one, being ours).