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Improved deal for football fans

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DavidGrain

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West Midlands Railways run extra trains between Birmingham Snow Hill and the Hawthorns during WBA home matches especially after evening matches when the normal timetable has been reduced to 2tph
West Midlands Railways also stop trains at Bordesley during Birmingham City home matches.
Both these services are on the Snow Hill line and not therefore easily connected to the long distance network for away supporters coming to these grounds.

Villa Park is convenient for Aston and Witton stations on the lines through Birmingham New Street but a long distance train stopping there to load several hundred away team supporters would interfere with the regular timetabled trains which the home team supporters use and would cause considerable problems sorting the two lots of supporters who would want different trains leaving from the same platform.

Chiltern Railways operate a special timetable at Wembley Stadium for matches there but that helps supporters mainly travelling via London. Although trains from the north do make an additional stops at Wembley there must be few occasions when that is of advantage for many supporters although I have been on Chiltern trains when football supporters have changed from Cross Country trains at Leamington Spa. Webley Stadium station also has the advantage of the depot there which would enable the stock to be held in a siding during the match.
 
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jtuk

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I'm surprised any football authority has the right to overrule the police.

Football needs to get back in its box and remember the fans

Sky have the authority to overrule the police. South Yorkshire's finest would never, ever allow the Steel City Derby to be held on a Friday night, so Sky have to pay the difference in cost of policing. Which is a lot, bussing in plod from Durham at overtime rates isn't cheap
 

Scotty

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One easy way to avoid being affected by TV companies dictating kick off times is to jump off the Premier League bandwagon and support your local non league team instead. Newcastle United fans might like to note that both South Shields and Morpeth Town for example are doing quite well at the moment....

Fans shouldn't desert their team...
 

philthetube

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Sky have the authority to overrule the police. South Yorkshire's finest would never, ever allow the Steel City Derby to be held on a Friday night, so Sky have to pay the difference in cost of policing. Which is a lot, bussing in plod from Durham at overtime rates isn't cheap
Sky don't have the authority to overrule the police, presumably in this case the police said it will cost so much to police this, do you want to pay?

A couple of extra trains are made available on the Met when there is football at Wembley, to plug gaps as needed.
 

Class 170101

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Sky have the authority to overrule the police. South Yorkshire's finest would never, ever allow the Steel City Derby to be held on a Friday night, so Sky have to pay the difference in cost of policing. Which is a lot, bussing in plod from Durham at overtime rates isn't cheap

In this period of austerity are there plod available on a Friday night to be bussed in from other parts of the country? Surely they would be 'supervising' their local towns and cities Friday night activities (nevermind Saturday come to that with the 19:45 Kick Offs this season)
 

Meerkat

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One easy way to avoid being affected by TV companies dictating kick off times is to jump off the Premier League bandwagon and support your local non league team instead. Newcastle United fans might like to note that both South Shields and Morpeth Town for example are doing quite well at the moment....

Nice idea but our games get moved all over the place due to multiple cup competitions and weather cancellations (which are rare at EPL level).
 

Iskra

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Sky have the authority to overrule the police. South Yorkshire's finest would never, ever allow the Steel City Derby to be held on a Friday night, so Sky have to pay the difference in cost of policing. Which is a lot, bussing in plod from Durham at overtime rates isn't cheap

No amount of resources will make SYP competent when it comes to policing football, so it hardly matters what time/day the KO is. Every big game is complete chaos.

In this period of austerity are there plod available on a Friday night to be bussed in from other parts of the country? Surely they would be 'supervising' their local towns and cities Friday night activities (nevermind Saturday come to that with the 19:45 Kick Offs this season)

Considering the Sheffield derby was held on a Friday night this season, then I'd say so...
 

AndyHudds

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No amount of resources will make SYP competent when it comes to policing football, so it hardly matters what time/day the KO is. Every big game is complete chaos.



Considering the Sheffield derby was held on a Friday night this season, then I'd say so...

We all know SYP competency when it comes to policing football games and striking miners and vulnerable young girls. WYP are no better, very heavy handed at times, although since we've reached the PL they've taken a 'lighter' approach.
 

aar0

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Imagine a Theatre Fan getting tickets for Hamilton with two months notice, booking rail tickets and a hotel in London only to be told with 2 weeks notice that the show time has been moved from 7pm to 1pm as one of the main actors has a clash with another show.

The opening of Hamilton in London was delayed by two weeks, without much notice either.
 

mmh

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In this period of austerity are there plod available on a Friday night to be bussed in from other parts of the country? Surely they would be 'supervising' their local towns and cities Friday night activities (nevermind Saturday come to that with the 19:45 Kick Offs this season)

Yes, local police from some clubs' home force routinely go to their away games, as sad as that is.
 

Iskra

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We all know SYP competency when it comes to policing football games and striking miners and vulnerable young girls. WYP are no better, very heavy handed at times, although since we've reached the PL they've taken a 'lighter' approach.

WYP are light years ahead of SYP. Barely any trouble at Elland Road. They are good at keeping the sets of fans away from each other and they are laid back for most games. SYP let both sets of fans get amongst each other or escort one set right through the home fans which causes more trouble than it solves. They seem to think letting it kick off but having loads of aggressive riot police on each corner is sensible.

If you speak to rank and file SYP, even they tell you it’s embarrassing how disorganised they are when it comes to football.
 

James_D

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There's a good chance Sunderland will be playing at Wembley on Sunday 31st March for the Checkatrade final. Of course there's an early 5.40am SUN - KGX service on a weekday then the return working around 8pm. It would make alot of sense for LNER to put it on for that weekend providing Sunderland beat Bristol Rovers. That would be too sensible though!
 

DavidGrain

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There's a good chance Sunderland will be playing at Wembley on Sunday 31st March for the Checkatrade final. Of course there's an early 5.40am SUN - KGX service on a weekday then the return working around 8pm. It would make alot of sense for LNER to put it on for that weekend providing Sunderland beat Bristol Rovers. That would be too sensible though!

Just being logical Cross Country crews have the route knowledge from Northallerton to Banbury and that is a major section of the route. But Cross Country have no interest in Sunderland or Wembley so why should they bother.
 

Wolfie

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I recall some years ago the commentator on a mid day game on Sky was bemoaning the fact that these games had no atmosphere and 'asked' who set these times

Was very tempted to send him a rather strongly worded email that it was Sky the wagged the FA and no one else. Now we gt Sat games at 19.45 ko,and wasn't a Leicester-Spurs game that some numpty got a 19.45 ko on a Sunday!!
Wolves vs ManU FA Quarter final scheduled for 1955 on Saturday....

The BBC are to thank for that particular gem....
 

Wolfie

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West Midlands Railways run extra trains between Birmingham Snow Hill and the Hawthorns during WBA home matches especially after evening matches when the normal timetable has been reduced to 2tph
West Midlands Railways also stop trains at Bordesley during Birmingham City home matches.
Both these services are on the Snow Hill line and not therefore easily connected to the long distance network for away supporters coming to these grounds.

Villa Park is convenient for Aston and Witton stations on the lines through Birmingham New Street but a long distance train stopping there to load several hundred away team supporters would interfere with the regular timetabled trains which the home team supporters use and would cause considerable problems sorting the two lots of supporters who would want different trains leaving from the same platform.

Chiltern Railways operate a special timetable at Wembley Stadium for matches there but that helps supporters mainly travelling via London. Although trains from the north do make an additional stops at Wembley there must be few occasions when that is of advantage for many supporters although I have been on Chiltern trains when football supporters have changed from Cross Country trains at Leamington Spa. Webley Stadium station also has the advantage of the depot there which would enable the stock to be held in a siding during the match.
Very kind of WMT to help West Brom supporters; perhaps their planners support that team........
Meanwhile the Dec timetable changes actually reduced the number of trains available on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line after Wolves night fixtures. Indeed, when Wolves played Shrewsbury in a night fixture FA Cup replay a few weeks ago not only were zero extra trains were provided but football fans publicly were told not to use the trains from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury. This being UK there were, of course, major roadworks underway in parallel.
https://www.shrewsburytown.com/news/2019/february/wolves-train-service/
 
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sprunt

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Wolves vs ManU FA Quarter final scheduled for 1955 on Saturday....

Admittedly just as an armchair fan, but that one's really annoying as I'm going to a concert that evening. Saturday night is absolutely no time for football matches.

football fans publicly were told not to use the trains from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury.

Jeez. I do hope as many as possible ignored that instruction.
 

DarloRich

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Sky have the authority to overrule the police. South Yorkshire's finest would never, ever allow the Steel City Derby to be held on a Friday night, so Sky have to pay the difference in cost of policing. Which is a lot, bussing in plod from Durham at overtime rates isn't cheap

No they dont!

One easy way to avoid being affected by TV companies dictating kick off times is to jump off the Premier League bandwagon and support your local non league team instead. Newcastle United fans might like to note that both South Shields and Morpeth Town for example are doing quite well at the moment....

Both are bankrolled clubs so they are doing well. Gateshead are also going well in the Conference.

We have had games moved involving Darlo this season. We are in Conference North. Our game against Brackley at home was moved back to a Tuesday night due to a Brackley cup clash. Brackley to Darlo on a Tuesday night for part time players! We have had our game at Telford moved to a Tuesday night because of a cup clash. Telford away on a Tuesday! We have also had to move games to a Friday and Sunday because we ground share with the Rugby club. None of these games were impacted by TV.
 

noddingdonkey

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Wonder if this new initiative can do anything about the annual farce of having a full programme of matches on Boxing Day when there are no trains running.
 

adrock1976

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What's it called? It's called Cumbernauld
Wonder if this new initiative can do anything about the annual farce of having a full programme of matches on Boxing Day when there are no trains running.

Why is that a farce? People have managed OK for decades...

At one time, Boxing Day matches were local derbies e.g. both Manchester sides would play each other on that day.
 

sprunt

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At one time, Boxing Day matches were local derbies e.g. both Manchester sides would play each other on that day.

I'm not sure this has ever been a thing as much as it's made out to be. Picking a year more or less at random, I see that on Boxing Day 1951 Manchester United played away at Fulham. Having played them at home the day before, as was the tradition in those days. The year before that, they played Sunderland on both days. In 1961, they played Nottingham Forest at home (the silliness of Christmas Day matches had finished by then) and in 1971 Coventry.
 

Poolie

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Wonder if this new initiative can do anything about the annual farce of having a full programme of matches on Boxing Day when there are no trains running.


.........and the farce of Easter Sunday when there is a normal Sunday service, but no football, sport and no shops open, so very little reason to travel. I'm sure everyone within the industry can come to an agreement to 'swap' Easter Sunday working for Boxing Day :lol:
 

CaptainHaddock

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At one time, Boxing Day matches were local derbies e.g. both Manchester sides would play each other on that day.

They still are at non league level. And, despite the lack of rail services, most clubs seem to get their biggest crowds of the season on Boxing Day.
 

DavidGrain

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Hawthorns Halt, now The Hawthorns station on roughly the same site, opened for a WBA home match on Christmas Day 1931
 

londonbridge

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There's a good chance Sunderland will be playing at Wembley on Sunday 31st March for the Checkatrade final. Of course there's an early 5.40am SUN - KGX service on a weekday then the return working around 8pm. It would make alot of sense for LNER to put it on for that weekend providing Sunderland beat Bristol Rovers. That would be too sensible though!

Checkatrade Final kick-off has now been confirmed for 2.30pm according to the EFL website.
 

Jurg

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We have had games moved involving Darlo this season. We are in Conference North. Our game against Brackley at home was moved back to a Tuesday night due to a Brackley cup clash. Brackley to Darlo on a Tuesday night for part time players! We have had our game at Telford moved to a Tuesday night because of a cup clash. Telford away on a Tuesday! We have also had to move games to a Friday and Sunday because we ground share with the Rugby club. None of these games were impacted by TV.
The main problem for rearranged games in the Conference North is Spennymoor's pitch!
 
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