The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[Lineker]

Costa has lost his appeal and will serve a three-match ban.

[Colly]

Just got the FSF email, apparently Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy tickets for the Cambridge replay (at £50) will be 'banned' from the next league game. Is that right? And if so, fuuuuck...

[brenchill]

Just got the FSF email, apparently Man Utd season ticket holders who don't buy tickets for the Cambridge replay (at £50) will be 'banned' from the next league game. Is that right? And if so, fuuuuck...

Yeah, I heard this a few days ago on TalkSport. Madness.

[stokeriño]

That policy of United's has cropped up a few times in recent years. Holding their fans over a barrel for fear of the most widely-supported club in the country possibly having a few empty seats...

[Matt]

In all fairness, whilst it is really shitty, it's not as though ST holders aren't aware of this possibility when they buy season tickets.

[Colly]

So what's the option, don't go and see your club? It's in the Ts&cs is no excuse for treating your customers like shit, and the FA should be stepping in.

[Matt]

So what's the option, don't go and see your club? It's in the Ts&cs is no excuse for treating your customers like shit, and the FA should be stepping in.

Aren't they not going to see their club anyway, if this is a problem for them. I completely agree that it's shitty but essentially they know that their ST includes having to pay for home cup ties. The real problem is that there is no opt out option for the auto cup scheme

[Colly]

The real problem is the fact its a horrible concept. I go to every home cup game at Newcastle (we've had one in two seasons...) but if we got home draws every time and actually went somewhere I'd have to consider whether I could afford an extra £400+ on top of my season ticket. The fact they're actually being punished for the team being shit away at Cambridge is mental, especially if you're one of the fans who went to that game.

[Lineker]

Mike Phelan will be confirmed as Hull's assistant manager after Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle, BBC Humberside understands. Steve Bruce had been on the lookout for a new assistant following Steve Agnew's departure to Middlesbrough last month. The former Manchester United and Norwich head coach is unable to take up the post before 1 February because of the terms of his departure from Norwich.

[Lineker]

Stoke City defender Robert Huth will serve a two-match suspension after he admitted breaching FA Rules in relation to comments he made on social media. Huth, who has been linked with a loan move to Leicester City, replied 12 times to a Twitter account that asks users to guess the gender of individuals pictured in explicit images. An FA statement added that Huth was also fined £15,000 and ordered to complete a mandatory education course.

[Matt]

The real problem is the fact its a horrible concept. I go to every home cup game at Newcastle (we've had one in two seasons...) but if we got home draws every time and actually went somewhere I'd have to consider whether I could afford an extra £400+ on top of my season ticket. The fact they're actually being punished for the team being shit away at Cambridge is mental, especially if you're one of the fans who went to that game.

They're not the only club to have an auto cup scheme, though, there's no problem with that... The problem is that they can't opt out of it

[Colly]

I think we're in agreement. :/

[brenchill]

Matt is just sticking up for his beloved Man Utd

[Baddar]

This is a fucking stupid way of doing things, but yeah, it's been mentioned before.

As far as Matt and his "beloved" Man Utd - it's funny because as much as he refers to us as "Scum", he still tells it like it is and isn't always anti-United.

[Colly]

Probably didn't need to add this since it goes without saying, but £50 for a cup tie against Cambridge is disgusting even if you weren't being forced into it...

[The Lusophone]

Eh, with a large fan base there's always enough idiots to pay for stuff like that. Milk em for all their worth I say.

[Colly]

I still think clubs have a vague responsibility to let young fans get to see games, and cup games are always perfect for that. I know Man Utd have the luxury of middle class middle aged twats from anywhere and everywhere, but when I went to Stamford Bridge for the League Cup a few years back the atmosphere was lovely on the tubes with loads of kids and families taking in their first games.

Actually, does this daft rule apply in the League Cup too?

[stokeriño]

Yeah our League Cup games are roughly half the price of Premier League games (£25 adult, £12 kids) so a massive draw for families.

Are they honestly charging £50 for the Cambridge replay?!

[The Lusophone]

They are, under the terms and conditions season ticket holders sign up for. If a season ticket holder doesn't buy a ticket for the Cambridge game, and they do get suspended for the Sunderland game, they can get the price of the ticket for Sunderland game refunded at the end of the season, provided the club manage to sell that ticket (I assume season ticket holders have a seat assigned to them?) for the Sunderland game.

It's weird, because United's cheapest season ticket is cheaper than 12 other Premier League teams and hasn't gone up for four seasons, but then I suppose this kind of thing is how they top it up so to speak. You can opt-out of the Carling Cup scheme but I think that gives you less priority on away tickets for the League, iirc.

[brenchill]

Probably didn't need to add this since it goes without saying, but £50 for a cup tie against Cambridge is disgusting even if you weren't being forced into it...

When you've already paid for your train ticket from London, what's an extra £50?