More than 30,000 Albion fans face an early exodus from the Black Country after the Baggies were today given a high-noon Wembley shoot-out against Portsmouth.
Three days of wrangling between TV executives, police and the FA Cup semi-finalists closed with Albion’s showdown against Pompey set for Saturday, April 5 at 12.15pm.
The match will be screened live on BBC1 but for the lucky ticket-holders it will mean a breakfast time departure to see their team’s first semi-final for 26 years.
32 Comments
There we go then.
Will have to drink on the train.
What a rubbish time! Why not the traditional 3pm? F.A make me sick. Anyway enough groaning,imagine how the poor dingles are feeling today!? Sorry poor relatives… BOING BOING make mine a double!!
Dear Super Stripes,
Most of us Dingles are feeling fine today thanks seeing as we came to terms with another wasted season 3 months ago. Last night was a bonus as it should be another nail in Muppet’s coffin. Cheers anyway.
i think we can seriously count ourselves lucky with this draw anyway, imagine what a ruin the day would be if we had to face the neandetholic Cardiff lot. Whether we won or not the day would be disgraced by their tribal behaviour.
I’m pleased we face a club of the same morale status, good fans, good club, fair history etc.
Bring on Palace tonight!
Get some goal practise in before the semi’s!
At least it’s on the Saturday. The pitch will be in great condition and will suit our passing game. Could be pretty cut up after the Cardiff - Barnsley semi. Feels really weird saying that!
Well about 6 of us are going down friday night to stop in a travel lodge, sod the train first thing saturday! have a nice lie in, get to the boozer for 10am and have a couple before the game! all refreshed!!
Albion to do the double!
I love being a baggie!!
Terrible kick off time, trains leaving Snow Hill from 6am, little chance of having a drink and a singsong before the game, and a very good chance of Wembley totally lacking atmosphere. I really think the game will not sell out because of this crazy decision.
Super Kev said: Mar 11th, 2008 at 2:36 pm I’ve had it on good authority that the BBC will screen the Saturday Semi Final at 12.15ko and Sky will screen the Sunday Semi Final at 16.00ko.
Anyone want to know tonight’s lottery numbers ?
The FA is a disgrace, why 12.15 kick off??
What justification is there for this kick off time??
It is yet another slap in the face of fans who attend games and dont watch it on the box.
It has put a dent in what should be a great day out.
Miffed ?? Yes i am!!!!
What a bloody stupid time to kick off!!!
Why the hell couldn’t it be at 3pm?
Pompey is a great club with great fans and IMHO the best English manager in the game.
I hope that the Barnsley fans have a good day out and come away safe and sound. Unfortunately, your opponents in the semi’s have a track record of thuggery in England. Cardiff fans vandalised Wolverhampton Town Centre and caused nearly £250,000 pounds of improvements.
What makes it even more bizarre is that Sky are showing Arsenal v Liverpool live on the Saturday with a 12.45pm kick off.
Why would the BBC want to clash ?
LOl @ £250′000 worth of improvements
6. - Usual Alb**n Atmosphere then???
3. No worries flower!! he.
anybody got any idea what time the tickets will be available online tomorrow? can’t get through to ticket office to find out.
Nice early start from the North East then, thanks FA / BBC / Sky.
12.15 for a fa cup semi final….. the fa are a disgrace yet again.
Albion Cup Semi, I still can’t believe I have seen these three words in the same sentence.
its better than a sunday 4pm kick off,plenty of time in london for a drink,,DOING THE DOUBLE THE MOWBRAY WAY ,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,,OH YES
No1 and No6 yeah they’re gonna make you watch it sober so you can savour every Pompey goal and remember them as a souvenir of your day out.you can drown your sorrows back in Smethwick after an early exit.
No19.
and heres me thinking it was Wolves who had an early exit.
Let’s hope that Virgin trains do as good a job as last time. It cost about £13 return from Brummagem Snow Hill and we ended up right outside Wembley. Then there’s an ‘Irish Theme Pub’ down the street to the left which was heaving last time with Baggies and Derby all happily drinking together and teasing like mad. Not one scrap of trouble either. Didn’t like the club pubs with HUGE bouncers and queues to get in. There’ll be about 66,000 in Wembley thanks to the daft sponsorship deal. Sad, because even casual Baggies and Pompey supporters would like to attend this one. Could have been a full house and NOISY !
TV big execs win again, s**t on the supporters - who cares about them and the logistics of travelling to wembley to reach a 12.15 KO, total disgrace, but have come to expect this treatment as a paying football fan. they know both pompey & wba fans would go whatever the time cos it’s not every year we get to see our teams in an FA cup semi-final at wembley.
..And thats without mentioning the prices inside wembley once your there…Grrr…don’t get me started!!
because of the grand national that’s why Albion’s match against Portsmouth is a 12:15pm (KO time)
optimistic wolf… just another jealous dingle comment… ouch its really hurting the fact we’re losing games and out of the cup oh no wait thats you down in custard council borough. get on with life or you’ll remain a very bitter 10 year old. we will savour every pompey goal - with their 2 strikers out. and then savour our goals with 3 strikers all over 17ish and a midfield with more goals than arsenals/man u’s/ hell even the almighty dingles!!! so bring on pompey cause your jealous bitter comments are doing zilch. zero. nicht.
we MIGHT win the fa cup
we MIGHT gain promotion
you wont get the chance to do either
“Optimistic Wolf” (well done on your spelling today): I am worried about you, you sound so bitter and angry. Are you ok?
9 BoingBoingBaggieBill.Wolverhampton is a city not a town.It has proper shops (not discount or pound shops), a university, theatres x 2,night clubs and bars, art gallery,grammar schools,railway station,speedway,dog track,Aldersley athletics centre,Dunstall Park horse racing, the list is endless.West Bromwich has become an extension of the Soho Road sadly and it would be impossible not to improve it.Okay we do have a crap football team but even thats alright because they put a shift in!
Well I’ve just found out good old WBA ticket office did not renew my membership even though I’ve booked tickets using it this season, so I’m a wee bit pee’d off with good old baggies ticket office and the “new online” ticketing to say the least.
Looks like good old Ticketmaster for me and paying over the odds, thanks baggies ticket office!!!!
17. I think you’ll find Albion’s number of FA cup sem-final appearances out does most teams, its 16 I think, 10 finals and 5 wins.
I wonder if it would have been the same time if it was man u vs pompy? Thanks for trying to spoil the day F.A
Where did the extra 10,000 come from, last night we had 20,000 at the palace game where they at home watching football on TV. they will all be coming out of the woodwork for the CUP SEMI FINAL
a ? for you albion fans..where were you last night..a low crowd for a team that is so good.now we are rubbish.but at least we support.good times and bad..dont tell saveing your money for the semi!!!!!!!!!!!!!