Blues Game (2 Viewers)

Frank Sidebottom

Well-Known Member
Nobody is having a go at CCFC but surely both clubs should have arranged for more tickets. None of the explanations for such a reduced capacity so far I've heard make any sense apart from the thing about Coventry parking their coaches in the away car park making those turnstiles harder to access for Blues fans if they open up more seats in the Gil Merrick. However, even with that explanation Blues have in the past had big home crowds with Blues fans sitting in every block of the Gil Merrick Stand and the away side only occupying 500 seats in the far corner of the stand so if it was possible to fill up the Gil Merrick Stand with Blues fans then, why is it not permissable now? The fact is Cov should be given more seats in the Tilton as well, at the very least 3 or 4 more blocks and be able to access via the Tilton Road turnstiles. It is unfathomable that both clubs cannot make this work.

I'm guessing the main reason is to keep the 2 sets of supporters apart when entering/leaving the stadium.
To give us T-01 - T-07 they'd have to use the entrances on Tilton road, With the current set up all Cov fans will enter the stadium from Cov Road/Cattell Road and all Blues fans will enter from the opposite side of the stadium.
 

Speedies_Chips

Well-Known Member
No way nearly 500 season ticket holders either moved seat or didn`t take option of a ticket.
As i said earlier. Very strange.
I wouldnt be surprised. I have a ST but wanted to take a friend with me, but the only way I could get 2 together was not to have my own seat as I have ST holders either side. So I expect a few more ST holders may have had the same problem.
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing the main reason is to keep the 2 sets of supporters apart when entering/leaving the stadium.
To give us T-01 - T-07 they'd have to use the entrances on Tilton road, With the current set up all Cov fans will enter the stadium from Cov Road/Cattell Road and all Blues fans will enter from the opposite side of the stadium.

That might be the reason, but it shouldn't be. At most grounds in England opposing supporters enter via turnstiles that are adjacent to each other, including grounds that stage some of the most volatile derby fixtures in the land.
 

Frank Sidebottom

Well-Known Member
That might be the reason, but it shouldn't be. At most grounds in England opposing supporters enter via turnstiles that are adjacent to each other, including grounds that stage some of the most volatile derby fixtures in the land.
Yes but this fixture is fairly unique in that we're effectively the away team with around 10000 fans. Most of the more volatile derbies are a max of around 3000 fans in the away end which is an easier number for the police to manage/escort from the stadium if necessary.
Whenever teams get a circa 10k away allocation in the fa cup or whatever it's usually at big stadium with all the away fans in a single stand.
I'm fairly sure/hopeful that the game will pass without incident, But if they sold the extra 7 or 8 thousands tickets and had fans clashing as they came out the stadium then it's the Stadium/Club Safety Rep that would get it in the neck if they hadn't taken measures to prevent it.
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
Yes but this fixture is fairly unique in that we're effectively the away team with around 10000 fans. Most of the more volatile derbies are a max of around 3000 fans in the away end which is an easier number for the police to manage/escort from the stadium if necessary.
Whenever teams get a circa 10k away allocation in the fa cup or whatever it's usually at big stadium with all the away fans in a single stand.
I'm fairly sure/hopeful that the game will pass without incident, But if they sold the extra 7 or 8 thousands tickets and had fans clashing as they came out the stadium then it's the Stadium/Club Safety Rep that would get it in the neck if they hadn't taken measures to prevent it.

I'm sure this is their logic, but I'm not sure I buy it. We had FA Cup semi finals at neutral grounds where every seat was taken with an even split of tickets. It isn't beyond the wit of man. Still, there's no changing it and I'm sure it will be rocking in there regardless.
 

Porkchophill

Well-Known Member
Yes but this fixture is fairly unique in that we're effectively the away team with around 10000 fans. Most of the more volatile derbies are a max of around 3000 fans in the away end which is an easier number for the police to manage/escort from the stadium if necessary.
Whenever teams get a circa 10k away allocation in the fa cup or whatever it's usually at big stadium with all the away fans in a single stand.
I'm fairly sure/hopeful that the game will pass without incident, But if they sold the extra 7 or 8 thousands tickets and had fans clashing as they came out the stadium then it's the Stadium/Club Safety Rep that would get it in the neck if they hadn't taken measures to prevent it.
All good in theory but there are no pubs on blues side of the ground , apart from digbeth , and seeing as the blues will be in the roost they are going to come straight past the cov end anyway .. or the other thing could be that the George pub is on the corner of the Tilton end and will be full of blues too
 

luwalla

Well-Known Member
one seat left.... come on who's gonna have it!!

Screenshot-2020-01-21-at-20.10.39.png
 

Frank Sidebottom

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing the main reason is to keep the 2 sets of supporters apart when entering/leaving the stadium.
To give us T-01 - T-07 they'd have to use the entrances on Tilton road, With the current set up all Cov fans will enter the stadium from Cov Road/Cattell Road and all Blues fans will enter from the opposite side of the stadium.

Some fans on social media have questioned the allocations for each team, and that not all seats have been made available for sale, and Dave explained this.

“This is a very unique situation, and as such segregation and matchday operations have had to adjust to this – as much as possible in a traditional stadium designed to have a home support which outnumbers an away support, rather than a 50/50 split which is easier at the likes of Wembley.

“For example, we are not able to use the left-hand side of the Tilton Road Stand due to the turnstiles for this area being next to the Main Stand areas, which are being used by Birmingham City fans. You cannot use other turnstiles for these areas, due to access, egress and flow rates, so we haven’t been able to use this seating area.

“At the other end, the away section of the Gil Merrick Stand is not in use. This is so that the access routes for this area are not in use off the Coventry Road, meaning Birmingham City fans are not coming in that way."

Pretty much what I was trying to say.
 

Jukeblue

Well-Known Member
"Tilton Road Stand turnstiles for this area being next to the Main Stand areas, which are being used by Birmingham City fans"

This is complete nonsense though. The Tilton Rd turnstiles are on a completely different road and completely fenced off with a car park and a pub (the George) in between them and the Main Stand turnstiles. A huge gap. Cov are being deprived of 3/4000 seats up that end and similarly Blues are being denied 2/3000 seats up the other end for even more spurious reasoning. It's a joke but there you go
 
Last edited:

Porkchophill

Well-Known Member
"Tilton Road Stand turnstiles for this area being next to the Main Stand areas, which are being used by Birmingham City fans"

This is complete nonsense though. The Tilton Rd turnstiles are on a completely different road and completely fenced off with a car park and a pub in between them and the Main Stand turnstiles. A huge gap
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top