Vice article

[Pubey]

No idea if posted at the time, but an interesting piece abou Wembley and the playoff final

https://sports.vice.com/en_uk/artic...d?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign&utm_medium

 

[dannypav]

I agree.
Great views , but totally lacking in soul.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

It was so interesting reading that. My mind and opinion differed dramatically throughout. My mind was saying, 'how dare you knock the home of football' but then I was thinking, 'no he's right, it is an abject place'. I don't think the idea of achieving the right to play there has lost its appeal, I just think that actual stadium itself is a bit of an anticlimax once you get in there. You do get the impression that the stadium is just created to appease the FA's cooperate chums. Echoed when the fa cup final comes around and the actual fans only get about 15,000 tickets.
However I'm going to contradict everything because that Pigott goal was just the best feeling ever and it happend at Wembley under the lights and I wouldn't change that for the world.
Wembley as a symbol still has romance but maybe some of the romance has been lost. I guess it's up to the fans who earn the right to play there to step up and try to establish that romance on their day.

 

[Chalky]

Very interesting but I have to disagree. I got goosebumps when walking into at the play off final - same for England games and the JPT final. Anyone saying that when you walk in to get your seats that its an "anti-climax' is lying. Its an amazing stadium and it was an amazing day and it was AMAZING when Pigott scored. No way on earth that is 'Non-place'

 

[Chalky]

But I do agree with Corporate side of it all. A lot of fans missed out on last years FA cup final due to it.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Trouble is that Wembley has to host a variety of events, so, by keeping it "character-less" allows it to be neutral for anything it hosts. Also, didn't we have Hobgoblin on offer? I'm damn sure I wasn't drinking Tetleys!

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Seems a cheerful chap :blush: and they moan about zoners being all doom and gloom.....jeez !!

 

[shrimperjon]

I read an article by Peter Reid a while ago talking about Evertons trips to Wembley in the 80s. He said in his opinion they got two things massively wrong with the new Wembley. The first was the twin towers should have been kept in some way, they were iconic with Wembley. The second was moving the tunnel. He thinks it should have been built still with the tunnel one end. The walk across the pitch from the tunnel was a very special moment, something that is lost in the new Wembley. For what it's worth I love Wembley new and old, I attend regular England games as well as both the Southend games there, still get goosebumps!

 

[RHB]

It's good that the writer could differentiate between the stadium and the match and it's players. I agree with him on the stadium, but that is what that stadium is about, it's a cash cow which fulfills its mission of making the owners big dosh. The o2 arena gives me exactly the same feeling, and I'm never, ever going to see Bentley and the Pig recreating their heroics at the o2, so it's worse than Wembley.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I read an article by Peter Reid a while ago talking about Evertons trips to Wembley in the 80s. He said in his opinion they got two things massively wrong with the new Wembley. The first was the twin towers should have been kept in some way, they were iconic with Wembley.

Absolutely! This was a huge mistake.

 

[Jam_Man]

I went to the old Wembley a number of times and the new one is a far better.

I dont really get this "character" lark. Roots Hall has character, which is nice as I can enjoy that every time the ball goes past one of the many posts blocking my view whilst sitting in my cramped seat.

I agree with Jon above though the Tunnel shouldnt have been in the middle, the walk out from one end was much better. I dont know why they dont use the corner entrances though, the NFL teams come out from there. Would no doubt be a walk from the changing rooms.

 

[Liam AAS]

Nu Wembley suffers from not having a lot of memorable matches having been played there. I would comfortably say that that play-off final was one of the top 5 matches there.

The character will come but it can't be forced. Very good observation on the PA system and its over use in that article.

 

[Greebosan]

well written article, and in general I would agree, it certainly sums up our JPT trip. The last trip though, I enjoyed, plenty of standing in our bit and lots of singing, plus of course we were watching our beloved team through one of the most nerve-shredding games of recent years. I don't like the venue much, but my last experience there wasn't a bad one.

 

[londonblue]

I personally think that the issue for our two matches at the stadium were the lack of atmosphere. For me, the lack of atmosphere is down to the number of empty seats. I wonder if the author would have come to the same conclusion if he had been to an FA Cup final, for example.

However, we can't do anything about the empty seats because I wouldn't want to deny the players (and fans like me) the chance to play (visit) the home of football.

 

[spoons]

I read an article by Peter Reid a while ago talking about Evertons trips to Wembley in the 80s. He said in his opinion they got two things massively wrong with the new Wembley. The first was the twin towers should have been kept in some way, they were iconic with Wembley. The second was moving the tunnel. He thinks it should have been built still with the tunnel one end. The walk across the pitch from the tunnel was a very special moment, something that is lost in the new Wembley. For what it's worth I love Wembley new and old, I attend regular England games as well as both the Southend games there, still get goosebumps!

Having the old twin towers would hark backwards. How much more iconic is the biggest arch over a football ground I have ever seen. Backward thinking from Reid and the 80s would have us sitting on benches with no back rest and coughing from cigarette smoke. I think the stadium is superb except for lack of cover on the outside approaches and the prices of course.

 

[spoons]

I personally think that the issue for our two matches at the stadium were the lack of atmosphere. For me, the lack of atmosphere is down to the number of empty seats. I wonder if the author would have come to the same conclusion if he had been to an FA Cup final, for example.

However, we can't do anything about the empty seats because I wouldn't want to deny the players (and fans like me) the chance to play (visit) the home of football.

The lack of atmosphere first time was because Crewe killed us and Mohsni was a dying clown. The atmosphere for the Wycombe game was subdued because of the bland 90 minutes. Once Piggy did what he did, you should have sat with us or rather stood because the atmosphere was loud and electric, still buzzing in the car park and journey back North

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Very good observation on the PA system and its over use in that article.

I haven't read the article so my apologies if this comment is not relevant ............

Too many grounds over use loud music and the announcer .......... you cannot talk to your friends before the game or during the half-time and any attempt to sing and create an atmosphere prior to the kick-off is wasted as the fans are drowned out.

Doncaster this season was typical with the announcer thinking we were there for his benefit as he prattled on relentlessly ......... all made worse by the fact that his speech was distorted and virtually incomprehensible. :sad: