11th April 2005
By
Gaz Pearson
It's the Semi-Final of a Cup competition so once again the so-called
fans come out of the woodwork and snap up all the tickets. Cardiff
may be a long trip for many, but not you ‘die- hard fans' out there
hey? There was poor attendance against Coventry City in the third
round so excuse me where the hell where all of you? Its time tickets
for Cup competitions where not given sole priority for season ticket
holders and put on general sale at St. James Park.
It's evident we have a ‘die hard' core of fans of around 25,000 these
days, maybe less, maybe a bit more, either way there are definitely
not 40,000 that will be going to Cardiff. I am not a season ticket
holder, but I get to as many matches as money permits and I have been
to every round of the FA Cup bar Yeading and every home leg of the
UEFA Cup, where I might add the turn out against Lisbon was pathetic.
Yet if we do get to the Semis it will be a full house at St. James's.
Something doesn't add up.
To all those loyal season ticket holders this article need only apply
in entertainment form but for the ones who are simply season ticket
holders, to be season ticket holders, listen up. All of you did not
go to the Coventry City game, where were you? How many of you are
going to Cardiff? Imagine my dismay when I go over to St. James' Park
to try and get tickets for the FA Cup Semi-Final only for the lady
to say, "not a season ticket holder? No chance!".
I know I am not alone and I would love to hear from those of you who
are in the same boat as myself. It seems that some of the Geordie
faithful are only there to be seen when we are doing well. The thrashing
Fulham gave us and the scenes of all those thousands of fans booing
and leaving the ground in droves will haunt me forever, yet the fans
who remained till the end and sang their hearts out give me some hope
for the future of our club, fans and team alike.
By putting the tickets for Cup Semi on general sale, or by telling
people to keep the stubs of the tickets from earlier rounds in order
to get a ticket for the next is surely the fair way to do this? It's
not fair for the 'proper fans' to be sat at home when corporate fat-cats,
wannabe football fans, and part-time supporters are sat glumly in
the stands of the Millennium stadium. Perhaps this is why the atmosphere
in the Cups is better than the league, because these fans stay away?
All in all, this is a rant aimed at those who should be ashamed for
they rob proper fans the chance to go to Cardiff. People will either
agree or disagree with this article but I believe the argument holds
firm. Its about time fans were treated as equals and tickets were
not like 'gold-dust' as so often becomes the case in the later round
of competitions; the irony is that in the earlier rounds the club
is throwing them at you because the season ticket holders are not
taking their seats. Time for a change in the way tickets are sorted
and sold, I think.
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