Now it's getting close

[Grecian2000]

It's ENTIRELY down to Wembley for me. Enjoyed Cardiff, well up until about 10 minutes in, far more. Stadium, transport and surrounding area all vastly superior in every respect (same plastic feel to the pre-match buffoonery but that's Sky football for you).

The place is simply shit, unless you can afford a really good seat and the price of one of those for what is essentially a third division match is an absolute scandal.
I know the Burnley game itself was hideous but having a seat so far above the action (second price tier so not fucking cheap) meant I wouldn't enjoy it whatever the game was actually like.

Wembley, not designed by a football fan that's for sure!

 

[shorehamview]

Last trip to Wembley was an expensive one.

£44 ticket.
£25 train down.
£14 coach back.
£7 tube ticket.
£80 ish for other spends - ale, fags, food, and lots of fizzy pop in a pub near Victoria coach station after to rehydrate.

Total spend at least £170 - more than half the cost of my season ticket. there's a definite case for not bothering this year, knowing the inevitable heartbreak that will start at roughly 3:01 pm.

All in all I reckon that play-off matches have cost me somewhere in the region of a grand, and I suspect that many will have spent far in excess of that. It wouldn't be so bad if I'd seen anything resembling a spirited display in any of the four finals, but it's been the frankly dire offerings served up by a succession of teams that make me think that watching in in a pub back in Sheffield would be a far better choice, if only from an economic perspective.

All four play-off finals were great days out until the actual football started. I've been sober for the first, and for the others drunk many pints of shit lager - southern beer is flatter than a ragman's trumpet, and that stuff in London has eels swimming in it - consumed what may now have been horse at least three times, been baked in the sun like the Apaches used to stake out captive cowboys, twice, and have yet to see us score a proper goal, or even look anywhere near interested in being competitive.

No, Wembley can sod off. It's a trek to get to, on the way back it takes hours to get even to the bottom of the motorway before the long schlep north because North London is just one massive car park, and I'm not giving surly cockneys a big wad of my money to rent some fizzy piss and modged-up horse.

I might consider Old Trafford. At least the fuckers fleecing you there aren't cockneys.

 

[Wapping Blade]

The place is simply shit, unless you can afford a really good seat and the price of one of those for what is essentially a third division match is an absolute scandal.

We bought the expensive seats for the Burnley game but it was still a crap experience, I totally agree with you that Wembley is just all-round awful.

 

[Jehovah]

After being lifted to my feet by a sympathetic, giant sized Huddersfield fan as I sat against a wall outside Wembley feeling destroyed, I thought there's no way I'm coming here again. This feeling was then compounded further by paying 6 quid for a burger which had no salad or onions on it.

In spite of that, I've decided I can't miss the chance to see us win something, so I've booked the weekend off and ill be there should it happen.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

After being lifted to my feet by a sympathetic, giant sized Huddersfield fan as I sat against a wall outside Wembley feeling destroyed, I thought there's no way I'm coming here again. This feeling was then compounded further by paying 6 quid for a burger which had no salad or onions on it.

In spite of that, I've decided I can't miss the chance to see us win something, so I've booked the weekend off and ill be there should it happen.

£7 wi' onions!

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

serious question, do they have bands on at the arena on the same weekend? ive never noticed. ive been to the stadium, ive been to the arena, but obviously on different occasions. i imagine they avoid having events at both on the same day?

would it be mental to stay in a hotel near the stadium, only have tickets for a concert at the arena, but have a blades shirt handy just in case we win?? could then stare aimlessly outside the window at full time hoping against all known logic to actually see smiley blades instead of the usual droopy looking dejected red and white morgue precession going by. join in the celebrations and pretend i went to the match! like who would think youd go all the way to wembley, with a blades shirt, but not to the match??? nobody would ever twig! if we lose, quietly pack away the blades shirt and ive not had to witness yet another zombie-like shambles.

 

[stannyblade]

serious question, do they have bands on at the arena on the same weekend? ive never noticed. ive been to the stadium, ive been to the arena, but obviously on different occasions. i imagine they avoid having events at both on the same day?

would it be mental to stay in a hotel near the stadium, only have tickets for a concert at the arena, but have a blades shirt handy just in case we win?? could then stare aimlessly outside the window at full time hoping against all known logic to actually see smiley blades instead of the usual droopy looking dejected red and white morgue precession going by. join in the celebrations and pretend i went to the match! like who would think youd go all the way to wembley, with a blades shirt, but not to the match??? nobody would ever twig! if we lose, quietly pack away the blades shirt and ive not had to witness yet another zombie-like shambles.

At the Burnley final they had the darts at the arena the same day.

 

[shorehamview]

serious question, do they have bands on at the arena on the same weekend? ive never noticed. ive been to the stadium, ive been to the arena, but obviously on different occasions. i imagine they avoid having events at both on the same day?

I went to a rugby league match in 1991 and Metallica were on the same day. I'd been on a corporate jolly, so was stumbling round looking for the coach amid hordes of rockers. I stood out a bit in my suit and tie, but at least my very long hair helped me blend in.

 

[sitwell]

May wouldnt be May without a good old play off final defeat.

 

[judge]

absolutely no way ,cant take it anymore .life is going pretty well at the moment and even reading this thread has completely killed the buzz i had from finishing work and looking forward to a great weekend where hopefully the weather will make sure the blades cant fuck it up as they invariably do

 

[Deleted member 875]

I went on one of the cheap tickets and then moved to a better seat which was also considerably more expensive than the one I paid for.

Also took my own cans in to the Green Man.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

After the last debarcle i swore i would never attend another play off match and definately would never darken the overblown vastly over expensive rip off Wembly Stadium again.
I swore I would never suffer that gut wrenching feeling again. Never again will I come away from a ground feeling mortified and let down. Never again will i fork out the price of a week abroad to watch my team not even look like scoring in a major match of great importance. Never again will I suffer the ignomy of defeat in a match that means so much.

So there you have it. Im sure there will be thousand more like me who feel the same.



So ......................Yes Ill be going.

If you are over 60 you can get in half price! I have a Senior Railcard so travelled cheap first class from Leeds and got half price in Club Wembley

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

I'd still go even if I knew beforehand that we were going to lose 5-0.

I can't not go. Is there something wrong me?

No mate - we're all the same!

 

[Jon Bon]

Didn't go to any of the play off games last time and certainly won't go this time. The difference being, if we did get to Wembley, I wouldn't even watch it on the box this time.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

Didn't go to any of the play off games last time and certainly won't go this time. The difference being, if we did get to Wembley, I wouldn't even watch it on the box this time.

if i dont go, and i almost certainly wont, i definitely wont watch it on tv either.

though to be honest i think it wont happen, either we get top 2 or we'll get stuffed in the semis this time. dont think were good enough to beat anybody else over two legs. unless somehow tranmere or orient sneak in the back door.

 

[Princess Annes Dog]

Didn't go to any of the play off games last time and certainly won't go this time. The difference being, if we did get to Wembley, I wouldn't even watch it on the box this time.

I hooked up to a dodgy stream over here for the Huddersfield game, sat through the whole turgid experience.....and it cut off when we were in front on Pens. I gave it a few minutes then logged on to Sky Sports knowing withough a single shadow of a doubt that we'd have fucked it up again.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I'll end up going but it will be for the day out with family. I think the next time United get to a playoff final, it will be the first time I'll go with zero expectation. Against Burnley I said "surely it's our turn" .....against Huddersfield I said "you never know, they might surprise us" .....from that moment forward I decided that it's something to do with the club. They simply can't rise the big occasion, don't have it in them.

 

[metalblade]

I missed the play off games against Stevenage but was released from hospital in time for the final so watched the whole train wreck from home. After what seemed the longest drive home from Cardiff and the rip off Wembley prices against Burnley I doubt if I could justify paying more for a League One final even if I wanted to, I don't think I could take yet another disappointment. I'll maybe go to the caravan at the coast and watch it in the pub well away from any gloating piggies (that is if we should make the finals this time, I have my doubts)

 

[Kenilworth]

I was released from "hospital" in time for the final

That explains a lot there Metal