Semi final tickets?

[TFF]

I sat in the top tier when i went to the Robbie Williams concert a couple of years back - couldn't see a fcuking thing

Did you pay extra for that? etc etc

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yip, sat up in the gods v Swansea, just like watching animated Subbuteo

[handbags_harris]

Seems fairly simple to me - club have understandably overestimated the demand for tickets and have been let down by the fans. They stated on their website that with 100k members they didn't anticipate going to GS, also stating anyone with 300 points should be ok into the bargain so to get to 50+ points and not have sold out is very disappointing. As if the first FA Cup semi final in 88 years, and only the second in our 145 year history, isn't a big thing? What I find astonishing is we've never had a problem taking 40k to Wembley in the three previous appearances there before - 40k in 1988, 36k in 1995 and could have taken double that if reports at the time are to be believed, and 42k in 2011 - and we took a more than creditable 37k to Cardiff in 2001, so why are we struggling to sell 31.5k tickets this time around? I'm a bit saddened in all honesty.

[loyalroyaldaz]

I sat in the top tier when i went to the Robbie Williams concert a couple of years back - couldn't see a fcuking thing

Ha ha ha
I was there as well in the very back row. Fkucing nearly killed me getting up there and infact one woman had to be taken back down in a stretcher seat on oxygen!
And the concert was shit because the sound bounced around the stadium..

[Samrfc01]

Seems fairly simple to me - club have understandably overestimated the demand for tickets and have been let down by the fans. They stated on their website that with 100k members they didn't anticipate going to GS, also stating anyone with 300 points should be ok into the bargain so to get to 50+ points and not have sold out is very disappointing. As if the first FA Cup semi final in 88 years, and only the second in our 145 year history, isn't a big thing? What I find astonishing is we've never had a problem taking 40k to Wembley in the three previous appearances there before - 40k in 1988, 36k in 1995 and could have taken double that if reports at the time are to be believed, and 42k in 2011 - and we took a more than creditable 37k to Cardiff in 2001, so why are we struggling to sell 31.5k tickets this time around? I'm a bit saddened in all honesty.

All those games were winnable.

I think that is the main difference to be honest.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Maybe one or two folk don't believe that a semi final is Wembley worthy.......devaluing the occasion etc etc and all of those cliches, maybe some are saving their money for the final?

[leicsRoyal]

Maybe one or two folk don't believe that a semi final is Wembley worthy.......devaluing the occasion etc etc and all of those cliches, maybe some are saving their money for the final?

If and I know it's a big if we got there,
Imagine if the club then said that the first round of ticket sales went to those that purchased for the semi.

[Samrfc01]

Maybe one or two folk don't believe that a semi final is Wembley worthy.......devaluing the occasion etc etc and all of those cliches, maybe some are saving their money for the final?

If and I know it's a big if we got there,
Imagine if the club then said that the first round of ticket sales went to those that purchased for the semi.

That would suit me.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Imagine the whinging and whining.

Think that they may piss off more than they actually help by not announcing ithat at this stage.....but.then of course, the stampede would now be on, and some would be left short for both games

[Elm Park]

Seems fairly simple to me - club have understandably overestimated the demand for tickets and have been let down by the fans. They stated on their website that with 100k members they didn't anticipate going to GS, also stating anyone with 300 points should be ok into the bargain so to get to 50+ points and not have sold out is very disappointing. As if the first FA Cup semi final in 88 years, and only the second in our 145 year history, isn't a big thing? What I find astonishing is we've never had a problem taking 40k to Wembley in the three previous appearances there before - 40k in 1988, 36k in 1995 and could have taken double that if reports at the time are to be believed, and 42k in 2011 - and we took a more than creditable 37k to Cardiff in 2001, so why are we struggling to sell 31.5k tickets this time around? I'm a bit saddened in all honesty.

Because on those other ocasions ST holders were able to buy more than 1 ticket and therefore took loved ones etc. that didn't have ST's (like me) but this time we either had to wait until they could buy (no way) or they had to miss out (hence lower ticket sales).

[Samrfc01]

Imagine the whinging and whining.

Think that they may piss off more than they actually help by not announcing ithat at this stage......then of course, the stampede would now be on, and some would be left short for both games

If they had said that from the beginning i.e before tickets for the semi went on sale, we would have sold out by now in my opinion. Then nobody could have moaned because they would have been told already.

Would have saved all the hassle they're having now as well/

[watfordroyal]

Maybe one or two folk don't believe that a semi final is Wembley worthy.......devaluing the occasion etc etc and all of those cliches, maybe some are saving their money for the final?

If and I know it's a big if we got there,
Imagine if the club then said that the first round of ticket sales went to those that purchased for the semi.

In the Final, the clubs only get 25K each with the rest going corporate & associations etc. around the country (for them to sell on at inflated prices and make a tidy wee profit )

[andrew1957]

To be fair the ticketing issue does seems to have turned into a bit of a car crash, but I just think it is one of those things. However the club chose to allocate tickets they would have been criticised.

I am not a STH but do have oodles of points on my member card. I could have bought a ticket at the end of last week and nearly did as I was worried they would run out. BUT ideally I wanted to go with the rest of the family and so I had to wait until today as the others had various points around the 100-200 level. In the end it has worked out well for me as I managed to get 4 tickets this morning in Blue. If I had bought a single ticket last week the rest of the family would not have bothered and watched on TV instead and the club would have lost 3 sales. I suspect that the way the club has sold tickets has meant that many of the less committed friends and family of very active supporters will just end up not going.

However, I still think we will sell out the initial 31,000 by the end of tomorrow. We shall see.

[Hobo]

In the Final, the clubs only get 25K each with the rest going corporate & associations etc. around the country (for them to sell on at inflated prices and make a tidy wee profit )

Shocking really that almost half the stadium is not for the fans of either clubs. You would think with that sort of generosity from the FA they would at least be able to find a sponsor

[Kitsondinho]

In the Final, the clubs only get 25K each with the rest going corporate & associations etc. around the country (for them to sell on at inflated prices and make a tidy wee profit )

Shocking really that almost half the stadium is not for the fans of either clubs. You would think with that sort of generosity from the FA they would at least be able to find a sponsor

I dunno, I had a brilliant time at last years final. Mate of mine works for local FA and goes every year. I was in the Hull end, right up in the Gods. It was full of Arsenal fans (many in replica shirts!) who had obviously obtained their tickets from friends....or other sources!

[No Fixed Abode]

This was my view when I sat up in the gods for the Community shield final in 2007 between United and Chelsea. Yes I got tickets in the United end.....

[jd82]

I think thats pretty much where my tickets are. I'd rather be there than in the front few rows tbh

[No Fixed Abode]

Upper tier around the other side of the stadium, about half way up for Dolphins v NY Giants

[Schards#2]

Seems fairly simple to me - club have understandably overestimated the demand for tickets and have been let down by the fans. They stated on their website that with 100k members they didn't anticipate going to GS, also stating anyone with 300 points should be ok into the bargain so to get to 50+ points and not have sold out is very disappointing. As if the first FA Cup semi final in 88 years, and only the second in our 145 year history, isn't a big thing? What I find astonishing is we've never had a problem taking 40k to Wembley in the three previous appearances there before - 40k in 1988, 36k in 1995 and could have taken double that if reports at the time are to be believed, and 42k in 2011 - and we took a more than creditable 37k to Cardiff in 2001, so why are we struggling to sell 31.5k tickets this time around? I'm a bit saddened in all honesty.

Clearly, it's all about the +1s, in all the previous occasions, I know lots of people who brought their children, parents, grandparents for what was probably their only game that season. Additionally people who don't follow Reading went with a group of mates for the crack. Once you make it difficult for these people to buy tickets together, they don't go because the +1s aren't diehards anyway.

In hindsight the club should have allowed a +1 but I can understand why they didn't, they have no real benchmark to work against as a play off final is very different. There was little danger of tickets being bought for Luton/Bolton/Walsall/Swansea fans whereas there was a real possibility of a lot of +1s being Arsenal fans as we all know a few who live in the area.

I'm sure we will sell out and, as others have said, there's no obvious way to do this and whatever option you choose is going to upset people.

[Nameless]

At least this way there can be no one coming up with sob stories about how they are a true fan but due to the unfairness of the system or bizarre personal situations they were wrongly denied a ticket. Everyone with some connection to the club will be able to get a ticket.
+1 could have seen 24,000 tickets go to STH pandora people with quite a lot of points miss out.
Personally getting +1 would have made my life easier but this is probably fairest to the largest number of people