From the Mayor's Office.

[kentblues]

Still a bit confused on the number tbf
Originally it was 17.5k tickets plus up to 9k per club tickets with coach travel- which is 26,500 per club and 53k total plus hangers on???

The club has said we had sold 23,900 (21,000 ticket only 2,900 with coach) before the additional 3,590 was made available, so new total 27,490. So 2,510 less coach and ticket, but 3.5k more ticket only but 990 more overall…

So if the same allocation was available to Oldham we would now be 55,000 plus the hangers on…

I think Oldham have pretty much finished at 21,000 though? Still going to be a bit over 48,000 if we sell our current allocation. But 48,000 would be still a 5k reduction in the original cap!

Net net for all the talk of fixing it, in reality it’s PR not action. The man with the beard and knitted cardigan has been resolute. To coin a phrase nothing has changed -in practical terms for all the noise everyone has blamed each other, a circular firing squad has formed and as always it’s mysterious “other parties” that are to blame….

 

[TheSouthendUnitedRunner]

The National League have known about these works for MONTHS.

They proceeded to sell “early bird” tickets for £20, before we knew who would be there.

They didn’t inform Oldham or us until Thursday. Not sure why they couldn’t tell Oldham as they’d qualified on the Tuesday and then us on the Wednesday.

It’s obvious they sat with their fingers crossed it would be York, Forest Green, Halifax or Rochdale, any combination of those four. Instead it’s the best two supported club in their league and they’ve **** themselves.

I genuinely don’t understand why the reduction in capacity because of ONE train station. They are other ones available. They haven’t taken into account those that will drive, those local to Wembley or anything.

I’m a season ticket holder, and had my tickets at 12:29 when they first became available, but that doesn’t stop me being annoyed at the thousands of Shrimpers who are missing out. I said we’d take 30,000 and Oldham probably just under. I actually think we could have taken 35,000 with the amount of people saying they tried and couldn’t get them.

Also, the fact the tickets ultimately go through Wembley’s system, so the club miss out on all the data of these “new” fans buying tickets, which could be used to “target” to get more fans for future occasions.

It’s been a shambles since our meeting with them on Thursday. TL and EVERYONE at the club have worked so much to try and get capacity increases, more coaches and other ways to get more Shrimpers to Wembley. It’s been a long season, which didn’t start brilliantly with the £1m bond, embargo and then the takeover and having worries about their jobs. It’s then a long season anyways, and then all this extra stress (some of it welcome because it’s better to be at Wembley than miss out). Some of our staff are running on fumes and this hasn’t helped.

Heads NEED to roll at the National League, and I’m sure all of us, and the Oldham fans too, are praying for victory on Sunday to get out of this league and hopefully never have to deal with this incompetence again.

 

[seves]

Still a bit confused on the number tbf
Originally it was 17.5k tickets plus up to 9k per club tickets with coach travel- which is 26,500 per club and 53k total plus hangers on???

The club has said we had sold 23,900 (21,000 ticket only 2,900 with coach) before the additional 3,590 was made available, so new total 27,490. So 2,510 less coach and ticket, but 3.5k more ticket only but 990 more overall…

So if the same allocation was available to Oldham we would now be 55,000 plus the hangers on…

I think Oldham have pretty much finished at 21,000 though? Still going to be a bit over 48,000 if we sell our current allocation. But 48,000 would be still a 5k reduction in the original cap!

Net net for all the talk of fixing it, in reality it’s PR not action. The man with the beard and knitted cardigan has been resolute. To coin a phrase nothing has changed -in practical terms for all the noise everyone has blamed each other, a circular firing squad has formed and as always it’s mysterious “other parties” that are to blame….

The way i read it & feel free to correct me is that the 48,000 limit is ticket only sales, 23,900 x 2. This will increase to over 50,000 with the coach & ticket sales???

 

[Target man]

The National League have known about these works for MONTHS.

They proceeded to sell “early bird” tickets for £20, before we knew who would be there.

They didn’t inform Oldham or us until Thursday. Not sure why they couldn’t tell Oldham as they’d qualified on the Tuesday and then us on the Wednesday.

"early bird" sales is a valid point and we know they have tried to shift blame onto TFL. Complete cover up.

With regards to not informing Oldham, I don't understand this because it's been well documented that Darren Royal (Oldham CEO) is a National League Director. How did he not know this?

 

[in the know]

Be great to beat the 50k crowd at Wembley for the recent league play off game. Can't remember if Walsall or orient game.

 

[Whispering Bob]

Pathetic response from the Mayor's office.
To be honest 6 trains an hour on the Bakerloo Line doesn't sound great to me if I have read that correctly?
Still a bloody disgrace........

You cant go too mad when it comes to the Bakerloo - ancient trains that are falling to bits!

 

[Westside]

So Bakerloo and Chiltern have upped from 4 trains per hour to 6 - is that the maximum possible? Or could that have been increased further still?

One train every 10 minutes on both lines is pretty poor...

 

[Beefy]

One train every 10 minutes on both lines is pretty poor...

Yeah - honestly I'm dreading this trip home. I usually use Wembley Stadium Station because almost everyone else uses Wembley Park but it is still usually crowded with massive queues.

It is going to be messy on Sunday. Just hope we're all in a good mood at least

 

[secondalibi]

Clearly this is just the old blame game going on here, but whoever is at fault, the whole saga is an absolute joke and quite frankly, utterly embarrassing.

I'm 50, I've supported Southend United since I was 10. I moved from Essex to Birmingham in 1999, but I still love my football club and go and support them, along with my son, whenever we can. We go to around 15-20 games a season. My son was born in Birmingham, he could have supported any team in the West Midlands, but he chose to follow me. He's probably more passionate about Southend United than I am!!

I've tried everything to get tickets for us for Wembley, but with no joy. Disappointingly, I've seen a few comments from fellow Southend supporters criticising the glory hunting, "part-time" fans for not being loyal enough, and suggesting that it's our own fault we can't get tickets, because we aren't season ticket holders. That's not really possible for us, living so far away and and my son also has disabilities.

The only option left now is to buy coach/ticket packages. But, I'm not doing that. I'm not driving from Birmingham to Southend, to get on a coach to Wembley and back to Southend, to drive back to Birmingham. And all of this at extra cost. It's just not feasible.

I will always support my team, and my son and I will be watching at home on Sunday and backing the team all the way! Just gutted that what should have been a special day out has been ruined, and we can't do anything about it.

Apologies for the waffling rant! UTB!

 

[ROB]

Why not wait until people with coach packages can confirm they have rickets in hand so to speak tomorrow. If so then no need to get on the coach then can purchase the tixkets that are remaining. Ok it costs a little more but I know I'd rather be there than not.

 

[TheSouthendUnitedRunner]

The only option left now is to buy coach/ticket packages. But, I'm not doing that. I'm not driving from Birmingham to Southend, to get on a coach to Wembley and back to Southend, to drive back to Birmingham. And all of this at extra cost. It's just not feasible.

Not singling you out in any way, shape or form, but I’ve seen a few posts and tweets about this.

I know it’s more expensive, but you don’t have to get on the coach with the ticket/coach package.

Your ticket is emailed to you tomorrow. You don’t have to get on the coach.

I know you end up paying £75 (for adults) instead of £40 (or £35) but if you have the money, that is one way. Just imagine the tickets are £75 anyways.

I know not everyone can afford that way of doing it, but it is an option for those that can.

I was going to pay £65 to watch Walsall with my brother until we got there.

 

[Rob1920]

Christ knows why it couldn’t be moved to Spurs / Arsenal / West Ham, or even Old Trafford. All have over 60k capacity, nearer 80k at Old Trafford I think? Awful planning. Probably due to someone assuming when Wembley was booked that it would be between clubs with smaller fan bases. Not the two biggest & best supported clubs in the NL. Personally I can’t go anyway but feel terrible for all those who can’t now get a ticket for such a big game at our national stadium which will be half empty. Can you imagine this happening if Coldplay or Oasis were playing there, or a higher profile game. Total shambles and a massive insult.

 

[secondalibi]

Not singling you out in any way, shape or form, but I’ve seen a few posts and tweets about this.

I know it’s more expensive, but you don’t have to get on the coach with the ticket/coach package.

Your ticket is emailed to you tomorrow. You don’t have to get on the coach.

I know you end up paying £75 (for adults) instead of £40 (or £35) but if you have the money, that is one way. Just imagine the tickets are £75 anyways.

I know not everyone can afford that way of doing it, but it is an option for those that can.

I was going to pay £65 to watch Walsall with my brother until we got there.

I did think about doing this, but can't afford to do that at the moment. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[kentblues]

The way i read it & feel free to correct me is that the 48,000 limit is ticket only sales, 23,900 x 2. This will increase to over 50,000 with the coach & ticket sales???

May well be all though it doesn’t actually say that and we are at 21,000 ticket only and have no more?

 

[PIERS]

Christ knows why it couldn’t be moved to Spurs / Arsenal / West Ham, or even Old Trafford. All have over 60k capacity, nearer 80k at Old Trafford I think? Awful planning. Probably due to someone assuming when Wembley was booked that it would be between clubs with smaller fan bases. Not the two biggest & best supported clubs in the NL. Personally I can’t go anyway but feel terrible for all those who can’t now get a ticket for such a big game at our national stadium which will be half empty. Can you imagine this happening if Coldplay or Oasis were playing there, or a higher profile game. Total shambles and a massive insult.

The national league playoff final is usually as big a draw as a decent championship match. The unlikely combination of events, a resurgent Oldham and Southend at the same time , and the appeal of a day out at Wembley would I think have got close to 60k . At spurs or West Ham sub 40k
At old Trafford, which is a ****hole we would take 20k max.

It’s such a shame this year both clubs have been f……..

 

[Tinks]

The sooner we are out of this s**t league run by equal s**t management the better

 

[kentblues]

@Stan whatever you can do to get the media all over Mark Bullingham CEO Wembley Stadium would be helpful I think. He has been identified as the ultimate blocker refusing to budge.

 

[Holy Joe]

May well be all though it doesn’t actually say that and we are at 21,000 ticket only and have no more?

Would it be 2 teams at 21.5k each plus the 5k players families, dignitaries and NL ****ers? I make that 48k, plus the coach sales

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Getting to Wembley Stadium from Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium Station should be a slow but an O.K. walk with fans arriving at all times of the day before kick-off.
Just a warning. Getting back to those stations after the game is another matter entirely. If Southend lose there will be a mass exodus with only a few Thousand staying behind to cheer the team and management, and staff. Most will be cheesed off and want to get home. They won't want to watch Oldham celebrating. The police tend to let those going to a train Station in blocks, as obviously you can't have everyone going into a Station at the same time. Also, obviously each train can only take so many. So it can be up to 2 hours before you get on a train. If we win, it will be a little easier, as we will leave more elongated, but it will still take a long time to get everyone on the trains.
Just a heads up guys n gals.

 

[Magnum PI]

I've got enough room in the Chopper for two extras. Wembley won't let us land on the pitch so we will find a side street. Bloody NL