Another reason the playoff final was a disappointment

[Wolfie]

I missed the 2007 playoff final but went to the league 2 (Rotherham v Leyton Orient) one in 2010 and have to say that nPower did a much better job of making it an occasion than Skybet managed on Saturday.

 

nPower used to have much more pre-match build up and blimps for each team, massive flags & fireworks etc. There was none of that on Saturday & the build up was far too low-key IMO.

 

For obvious reasons I don't know what happened at the end, as I was trudging down the ramps with everyone else but I just think Wembley treated it as just another game of football and not the occasion it should have been.

[Jordy]

Personally I was never in doubt of the importance of the occasion, it was anything but another game of football regardless of the pre-match build up.

[Ewetube]

To be perfectly honest all the contrived razamataz and Americanisation of football matches does nothing but irk me so I was thankful for the lack of it.

[i84est]

I missed the 2007 playoff final but went to the league 2 (Rotherham v Leyton Orient) one in 2010 and have to say that nPower did a much better job of making it an occasion than Skybet managed on Saturday.

nPower used to have much more pre-match build up and blimps for each team, massive flags & fireworks etc. There was none of that on Saturday & the build up was far too low-key IMO.

For obvious reasons I don't know what happened at the end, as I was trudging down the ramps with everyone else but I just think Wembley treated it as just another game of football and not the occasion it should have been.

Know what you're getting at this year it was up against Heineken cup final and champions league final and Monaco Grand Prix so wasn't covered as much by sky sports news either

[Van der MoodHoover]

Know what you're getting at this year it was up against Heineken cup final and champions league final and Monaco Grand Prix so wasn't covered as much by sky sports news either

Pfft. Too much on Sunday am SSN from the do that was laid on at Loftus Road. Have nothing against the QPR fans whoc have in general been genuine and empathetic but the execs and management had that insuffereably smug look that suggested they had just had their arses saved. Even switched to a dreadful daytime channel in a panic just to avoid 'Arry's mug appearing with his usual banal platitudes...."we won but I fought they woz triffic....etc....etc"

[Hongdo]

I missed the 2007 playoff final but went to the league 2 (Rotherham v Leyton Orient) one in 2010 and have to say that nPower did a much better job of making it an occasion than Skybet managed on Saturday.

nPower used to have much more pre-match build up and blimps for each team, massive flags & fireworks etc. There was none of that on Saturday & the build up was far too low-key IMO.

For obvious reasons I don't know what happened at the end, as I was trudging down the ramps with everyone else but I just think Wembley treated it as just another game of football and not the occasion it should have been.

If you needed blimps, fireworks and other unnecessary American type hype to let you know this was a big game, then I'd suggest football is not for you.

[davenportram]

What let me down was the Roadrider journey from Hell, no time to soak up the occasion, and the fact that Wembley is no more impressive or iconic from the outside than any other large stadium.

[Hongdo]

What let me down was the Roadrider journey from Hell, no time to soak up the occasion, and the fact that Wembley is no more impressive or iconic from the outside than any other large stadium.

Completely agree with this and feel this is exactly why they built that arch. A ridiculous feature that means nothing. They knew the stadium would look no different to any of the new stadia that have been build lately, all glass, steel and breeze blocks, and needed something that they could argue was as iconic as the old twin towers. It isn't and never will be.

Inside however, it does look impressive and I was taken aback at how involved you felt in the game even if you were sitting near the back of the top tier. I've sat at the back of other stadia like the Millennium Stadium and you feel miles away. At Wembley, you don't and I have no idea how they managed to achieve that.

[NewquayRam]

I totally get what the original poster is on about. Yeah, we all know about the importance of the match etc and don't need flags, banners and balloons and razamataz but bloody hell, how often do we get to go to Wembley? I want all out everything, fireworks, giant flags on the pitch, pyro technics etc.

In 2007 there was much more pre match build up, nobody 'needed' it but it added to the occasion.

You don't want cheerleaders on a wet Tuesday night v Yeovil (I quite like those Palace cheerleaders though) but a one off Final at the national stadium... yeah give me some glitz.

[HeyHudson]

I quite enjoyed the lack of pre-match razzmatazz. Gave me a chance to get talking to the chaps sat next to me. Cracking pair of lads, and we had a good ol' talk about predictions, team selection etc.

Not sure I would've got to do that if there'd been pyros/cheerleaders/ridiculous music etc distracting us.

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

Completely agree with this and feel this is exactly why they built that arch. A ridiculous feature that means nothing. They knew the stadium would look no different to any of the new stadia that have been build lately, all glass, steel and breeze blocks, and needed something that they could argue was as iconic as the old twin towers. It isn't and never will be.

Inside however, it does look impressive and I was taken aback at how involved you felt in the game even if you were sitting near the back of the top tier. I've sat at the back of other stadia like the Millennium Stadium and you feel miles away. At Wembley, you don't and I have no idea how they managed to achieve that.

Derby were playing....simples

[Wolfie]

My point was that it just smacked of half hearted complacency and lack of respect from the sponsors for the enormity of the game, given what had been served up in previous seasons.

 

We all know how big the game is but It's not as if most clubs get to Wembley that often, what's wrong with a bit of fanfare to show the organisers care (a bit) about it too?

[RB53RAM]

What let me down was the Roadrider journey from Hell, no time to soak up the occasion, and the fact that Wembley is no more impressive or iconic from the outside than any other large stadium.

Got to agree, due to 4.5 hr journey getting down there gave us no time to join in with fans on Wembley Way and around the ground. We just had time to find our entrance and go in. Why did we have to que for 2 hours at the Ipro before we left - 2 hours that could have been spent at the "carnival"

[GetMeRangers]

Perhaps the oddest pre-match entertainment, I have been "treated" to, was many years back at LR when we had the excitement of the first ever Women's FA cup final. It wasnt very good, though my expectations may well have been raised by a recently broadcast from Not the Nine O'Clock News.

 

Looking back it now, the "strips" look not dissimilar to Saturdays

 

[Alph]

Completely agree with this and feel this is exactly why they built that arch. A ridiculous feature that means nothing. They knew the stadium would look no different to any of the new stadia that have been build lately, all glass, steel and breeze blocks, and needed something that they could argue was as iconic as the old twin towers. It isn't and never will be.

Inside however, it does look impressive and I was taken aback at how involved you felt in the game even if you were sitting near the back of the top tier. I've sat at the back of other stadia like the Millennium Stadium and you feel miles away. At Wembley, you don't and I have no idea how they managed to achieve that.

On tv it looks like it's flatter? And even on the pictures I took inside the ground it looks like everything is far away. I was surprised at how much of a bowl it is. Like even as high up as I was I was still sort of on top of the pitch.

Very impressed once you step out into the ground.

The area and everything else ranges from 'meh' to awful.

For a national stadium I thought the access was *****. I dunno if we went wrong somewhere but we had a slow crawl all around industrial units to get around to the car park. But once you're in your seat it's when you can appreciate it.

[Ewetube]

On tv it looks like it's flatter? And even on the pictures I took inside the ground it looks like everything is far away. I was surprised at how much of a bowl it is. Like even as high up as I was I was still sort of on top of the pitch.

Very impressed once you step out into the ground.

The area and everything else ranges from 'meh' to awful.

For a national stadium I thought the access was *****. I dunno if we went wrong somewhere but we had a slow crawl all around industrial units to get around to the car park. But once you're in your seat it's when you can appreciate it.

 

I was saying to my son on the way back home that it was a really bad mistake to put the new Wembley in the middle of that sh1thole.

 

We, as a nation, had the perfect opportunity to construct a new national stadium on a greenfields site and construct all the necessary infastructure around it.

 

As is our tradition, we couldn't possibly have a national ammenity that wasn't based in London; so us happless punters have to endure a nightmare journey there and back to experience its delights.

 

The stadium itself - great! Its location, suroundings and access are quite frankly an embarassment.

[mozza]

Perhaps the oddest pre-match entertainment, I have been "treated" to, was many years back at LR when we had the excitement of the first ever Women's FA cup final. It wasnt very good, though my expectations may well have been raised by a recently broadcast from Not the Nine O'Clock News.

 

Looking back it now, the "strips" look not dissimilar to Saturdays

 

 

 

Just as well Daveo 'never even presses play' ..

 

Cheers GMR , set me up for the day..

 

[Alph]

I was saying to my son on the way back home that it was a really bad mistake to put the new Wembley in the middle of that sh1thole.

We, as a nation, had the perfect opportunity to construct a new national stadium on a greenfields site and construct all the necessary infastructure around it.

As is our tradition, we couldn't possibly have a national ammenity that wasn't based in London; so us happless punters have to endure a nightmare journey there and back to experience its delights.

The stadium itself - great! Its location, suroundings and access are quite frankly an embarassment.

I think London is the centre of the entire universe.

Such a grand stadium (on the inside) built for grand occasions and the journey to your seat is about as slow and dull as a Paul Lambert interview.

It does dampen the sense of occasion.

But inside, wow!

I bet you'd like to taste that again?

[RamNut]

It was better than last time, because the middle tier wasn't empty.

[VulcanRam]

I missed the 2007 playoff final but went to the league 2 (Rotherham v Leyton Orient) one in 2010 and have to say that nPower did a much better job of making it an occasion than Skybet managed on Saturday.

 

nPower used to have much more pre-match build up and blimps for each team, massive flags & fireworks etc. There was none of that on Saturday & the build up was far too low-key IMO.

 

For obvious reasons I don't know what happened at the end, as I was trudging down the ramps with everyone else but I just think Wembley treated it as just another game of football and not the occasion it should have been.

 

I agree, and was noted by my 11 yrd old son who was disappointed - and he's as fanatical a Derby fan as there is - but having watched the 07 final to a standstill on DVD he was expecting the same.