Play off semis - and Sky Sports good/bad

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

It's looking about 50/50 whether we would get a local one or a distant one.

So, are you saying that for your convenience the only acceptable kick off time is Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon, in case it's a distant one? In this case it wouldn't be shown live. You are happy that the 70 - 80% of Southend supporters who wouldn't travel to a distant playoff, or the 60% who wouldn't travel to a near one, should forfeit the chance to watch it live .... for your convenience?

I am not talking about ME, I am talking about fans who follow their team to matches. The reason matches are not televised if played at 3pm on a Saturday is so that people are not discouraged from going to matches in favour of watching another game on TV. The only games on at this time will be other play offs so that doesn't count - they have no reason to avoid standard football times for these games and yes I think they should time them so you can get there and back on the same day using public transport. Or alienate the people that want to go to the game and create the atmosphere needed to make good TV. Look after your fans is the attitude I expect.

 

[Mick]

I am not talking about ME, I am talking about fans who follow their team to matches. The reason matches are not televised if played at 3pm on a Saturday is so that people are not discouraged from going to matches in favour of watching another game on TV. The only games on at this time will be other play offs so that doesn't count - they have no reason to avoid standard football times for these games and yes I think they should time them so you can get there and back on the same day using public transport. Or alienate the people that want to go to the game and create the atmosphere needed to make good TV. Look after your fans is the attitude I expect.

Not true; there is a full Premiership programme both weekends.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Not true; there is a full Premiership programme both weekends.

Even so, make it at practical times IMO - the paying customer of that match should be considered.

 

[GrumpyBlue]

Knowing our luck we'll end up playing against Plymouth away in the second leg on a Thursday night!

Ok for me - nearest game :happy:

Though I would have to drive though :sad:

 

[Beefy]

7.45pm on a Sunday is a bit **** if it is a long distance but 7.45pm on a Saturday seems a great time for football.

 

[Jam_Man]

Because it's your opinion, and isn't necessarily fact.

The wall to wall coverage is definitely down to Sky, but football becoming acceptable and mainstream happened before that. In fact you could say Sky were the first to notice the trend and jumped on the bandwaggon. Who really knows, but to say you don't see how it is debatable is pretty short sighted IMO.

Its pretty obvious that football in general has had its profile raised massively, and the majority of that is because its on TV all the time now.

Prior to Sky football was never on TV and attendances were low without it on TV, so for attendances to rise as they have even with more TV has been majorly affected by the profile of the sport as a whole.

There are other factors of course, Hillsborough changed things, Italy 90 gave it a big boost as well, but you wouldnt have the superstars of the game coming to England without Sky or the influx of talent that we had from abroad where previously they went to Spain or Italy.

Whatever other factors there are I cant see how anyone can argue its been bad for the game as a whole.

Even so, make it at practical times IMO - the paying customer of that match should be considered.

The real negative is the changing of kick off times and the match going fans do get the short end of the stick quite often.

Didnt Wigan get shafted in the FA Cup semi the other year, and that wasnt even the Premiership.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Didnt Wigan get shafted in the FA Cup semi the other year, and that wasnt even the Premiership.

Yes. When they played Millwall in 2013, it finished too late for fans to get back to Wigan via public transport.

(That day. Of course, they could have started a journey somehow and got back home a day or two later but you get my drift)

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

I don't get that. They're not doing that for League 1 or Championship , so what's different about league 2?

It is ****.

 

[londonblue]

Its pretty obvious that football in general has had its profile raised massively, and the majority of that is because its on TV all the time now.

Prior to Sky football was never on TV and attendances were low without it on TV, so for attendances to rise as they have even with more TV has been majorly affected by the profile of the sport as a whole.

There are other factors of course, Hillsborough changed things, Italy 90 gave it a big boost as well, but you wouldnt have the superstars of the game coming to England without Sky or the influx of talent that we had from abroad where previously they went to Spain or Italy.

Whatever other factors there are I cant see how anyone can argue its been bad for the game as a whole.



The real negative is the changing of kick off times and the match going fans do get the short end of the stick quite often.

Didnt Wigan get shafted in the FA Cup semi the other year, and that wasnt even the Premiership.

Personally I think it has been awful for the game as a whole. The top clubs have benefited, the lower clubs are struggling to survive.

Again, to say your opinion can't be argued with is either a) short sighted, or b) arrogant.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

Why are we bothered about dates and times for the play off games, we have not secured a play off slot yet. Long way still to go. !!:unsure:

I think the opening post was more a generic rant about Sky and League 2 in general, than specifically SUFC.

 

[LennySUFC]

Much prefer the final being on a Saturday at 5:30 unlike before in the JPT on a Sunday (Bad Trains) and 1ish kick off (Less drinking time!)

Mind you we have to get there first! In 8 Playoff matches we have won 1, drawn 4 and lost 3...

 

[RobM]

...excluding beating Lincoln in the final.

 

[Jam_Man]

Personally I think it has been awful for the game as a whole. The top clubs have benefited, the lower clubs are struggling to survive.

Again, to say your opinion can't be argued with is either a) short sighted, or b) arrogant.

Lower clubs were struggling to survive before too, yet our attendances are still above what they were pre-sky.

Even if you dont believe Sky have had any influence on increased attendances what is it that they have done to make things awful?

 

[londonblue]

Lower clubs were struggling to survive before too, yet our attendances are still above what they were pre-sky.

Even if you dont believe Sky have had any influence on increased attendances what is it that they have done to make things awful?

The fact that we have higher attendances and are still struggling.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Even if you dont believe Sly have had any influence on increased attendances what is it that they have done to make things awful?

They (Sly) have allowed every wombat who sits on their arse in front of the telly to become an expert on football games and football players and the game of football without even setting foot in a single football ground.

It allows them to spout on endlessly about "completed passes" and "assists" and other rubbish that they hear on Sly - they become experts on how and what a referee should have done during a game and they are able to judge whether a player is off-side from their armchair.

Worse of all, they haven't been there to support their team (or any team) at any ground and they haven't assisted in providing an atmosphere and they haven't contributed to the game in my view.

How's that for starters?

 

[spoons]

Will hope for autos but have to miss playoff legs. Will be even more disappointed if we get Bury as only an hour away from North Wales. Will be at Wembley for the final, if we can get through.

 

[chapperzUK]

They (Sly) have allowed every wombat who sits on their arse in front of the telly to become an expert on football games and football players and the game of football without even setting foot in a single football ground.

It allows them to spout on endlessly about "completed passes" and "assists" and other rubbish that they hear on Sly - they become experts on how and what a referee should have done during a game and they are able to judge whether a player is off-side from their armchair.

Worse of all, they haven't been there to support their team (or any team) at any ground and they haven't assisted in providing an atmosphere and they haven't contributed to the game in my view.

How's that for starters?

I don't think you can blame sky for creating idiots, well not completely anyway. :winking:

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

I don't think you can blame sky for creating idiots, well not completely anyway. :winking:

As you have guessed, it was meant to be a little tongue in cheek. But at the same time .........

 

[Jam_Man]

They (Sly) have allowed every wombat who sits on their arse in front of the telly to become an expert on football games and football players and the game of football without even setting foot in a single football ground.

It allows them to spout on endlessly about "completed passes" and "assists" and other rubbish that they hear on Sly - they become experts on how and what a referee should have done during a game and they are able to judge whether a player is off-side from their armchair.

Worse of all, they haven't been there to support their team (or any team) at any ground and they haven't assisted in providing an atmosphere and they haven't contributed to the game in my view.

How's that for starters?

So more people are talking about the game and getting involved, and attendances still increased.

Not really a negative unless you have to listen to em :smile:....

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

So more people are talking about the game and getting involved, and attendances still increased.

If you put a leech on a person who is ill and next week they are better, one might conclude that the leech was the cure for the illness. Or perhaps not - it could have been something else.

Likewise, the fact that attendances have increased when Sly is here does not (for me) sound conclusive. I think attendances were declining whilst "The Big Match" was on TV on a Sunday afternoon - clearly a link that needs investigating.

There will be multiple factors as to why attendances have increased - and some have been mentioned above. To suggest that it is Sly alone would indicate to me that you are taking their advertising a little too seriously.