The poor buggers have a second leg to go through.

Boro might have dodged a bullet there.

7-0, 9-0, in space of a few days, its football but not as we know it, frightening.

Man United once beat a premier league side 9-0, so Oil FC beating a 3rd Division side by the same score, is no big deal...it's really not.

Clough out!

32,000 in a 55,000 capacity stadium for a semi-final, shame there fans didn't take it seriously.

32,000 crowd for a semi-final in a 55,000 capacity stadium, shame their fans didn't take it seriously.

You mustn’t forget that some Premiership and even Championship club club ‘fans’ only turn out for the big occasion and have an odd aversion to lower league clubs, a sort of dismissive snobbery.
To be fair to Man City, I suspect the 32,000 will be mostly the old guard who were there when there was no money. The absentees probably being the inevitable Cling-ons, the new fans, they who appear when success walks through the door at any club.

fair point snowy, probably just my way of having a dig at them...

I would imagine Burton would of had 5000 there, that leaves 27000, probably paying reduced prices as well. Old guard or not, still not a great figure.

Its tragic what has happened to cup football in this country , and it will only get worse.

As for snobbery, lets see how our fans view the FA Trophy.

Its the curse of the Premiership, that has now worked its way down through all the leagues, were now only league games and promotion matter.

Very very depressing Mr H - but very very true - the money that is now linked to league placings has killed the game - and a fair point about our own attendance on Saturday (mind, how much will be due to the general frustration with Pools rather than the quality of the competition?). Me? I'll be there - with a drink fuelled positive attitude ('positivity Dickie, it's the way forward') and a new postage stamp ('can the DoF please talk me through the basics od dead ball tactics?').

Its the curse of the Premiership, that has now worked its way down through all the leagues, were now only league games and promotion matter.[/quote]
so true horden. years ago burnley got fined for playing a weekened side in a league game before a fa cup semi final. nowadays you,d get the opposite. get into the 3rd round draw a premier club at home and you get a semi reserve side to watch. down at the lower levels fans do not bother to turn up as they say its only so and so from a lower division so they do not bother with the game. no the glory of all the cups for me have gone and when pools and a few others are knocked out i do not even bother watching the draw or the final for that matter.

so true horden. years ago burnley got fined for playing a weekened side in a league game before a fa cup semi final. nowadays you,d get the opposite. get into the 3rd round draw a premier club at home and you get a semi reserve side to watch. down at the lower levels fans do not bother to turn up as they say its only so and so from a lower division so they do not bother with the game. no the glory of all the cups for me have gone and when pools and a few others are knocked out i do not even bother watching the draw or the final for that matter.[/quote]

But - and it is a rare but - some of these cup games can be financial lifelines for the lower league clubs - Exeter City for example - and let's not mention Newport County....oops

Even lower league clubs have been known to field weakened sides these days, its ruined. I'm just pleased I caught a bit of what it used to be like , in the 1970s, full strength teams, great crowds, 3 or 4 replays, Man City away, Palace at home 9500 and even 6000 + v Runcorn in round 2 , Villa 12000+ in the Vic and the Bournemouth marathon and Blackburn games in 74. You just have to go on YouTube and see some of the cup semi finals of the 70s to see what it meant then. People's pursuit of money will ultimately ruin the game as it will life itself.

It was always going to be a bit is a mismatch it sounds daft but it probably put off a lot of Manchester City fans especially just being a few days after paying to watch another one coupled with it coming just after Christmas and a third hole game in less than a week it’s probably understandable.

I had an experience of your modern footballer this morning actually. Loads of teams are over this neck of the woods this week and for a bit of warm weather training including Bayern Munich who are based about ten minutes from where I live, I had look over this morning and when I got there not a lot was happening quite a few players were milling about but on one of the pitches Arjen Robben was training on his own with one coach, I was stood with my youngest watching with one other lad I know who asked him for picture with his five year old son Robben didn’t even look up to make eye contact despite being five yards away and said “not while I’m training no” seriously it would have taken less time to take the picture than say it. He was finished as well whatever he was doing. Literally six people stood around and he can’t give up a second for a picture with a young lad. Every time I see him cut inside and shoot with his left foot from now on I’ll think “you absolute cock.” The games gone!

true poolie their attitude is like the game now shite. i had a good mate who was a pro in the 80,s always said he,d never refuse to give his autograph as he thought of it as a priveldge to actually be asked in the first place. no one asked his old man for his when he worked down the pit.

Oh yes, they all turned out for the big games. But where did those great fans disappear to?
You mustn’t forget however that most league games had shit attendances and the great fans were nowhere to be seen. I know, I was there for them.

Football was more popular across the board in those days, and yes the crowds turned up for the big games , as they still do now to a lesser extent. I remember in the 70s , while our crowds were generally shite, if we won 3 games on the bounce, 2000 would quickly become 5000, and if we were playing a club who were rumoured to be bringing a mob up, that could put 500 on the gate, against Hereford in 73 it put 2500 on the gate, with every nutter in Hartlepool turning out.

I was at the Hereford match and it was said some coaches were turned away at Greatham, exciting for the school boy me all the same

That may explain why not many Hereford turned up, it was said all week leading up to game, they were bringing 1000 but only couple hundred turned up

They should have held on to Dinanga............

Don't judge me but a mate took me along to Man C v Liverpool last week. (Obviously there was no pools match on!) Even a few days before you could get a city ticket, which is insane given it was a top of the table clash. It was also noticeable how many overseas fans and visitors were there in half and half scarves.

It was a great game, fantastic stadium but ultimately it all felt very manufactured, more of an entertainment event rather than a full blooded battle.

No offence to city fans who I've always found very likeable and have been through it but their hardcore fan base does seem surprisingly small.

Very true your comment about being manufactured......... thats why i support Pools as you just cant make this up!

Burton just rolled over and died tbh and should hang their heads in shame imho

Out of interest Seagull how did you manage to get a ticket ? Our lass has been wanting to get tickets for her dad to see City, but every time I look for tickets, other than for the shitty games like Bournemouth or Burton, it seems like they're all sold out. Obviously there are ticket agencies and hotel deals were you have to join some sort of supporters club, but wouldn't pay those prices.

In defence of Man City, they always had a hardcore of about 30,000 who stuck with them when they dropped down to the 3rd tier. I feel sorry for them having to negotiate all the tourists now.

I was actually with the Liverpool fans and someone dropped out, so I got the call. A mate is a City fan though and he said he was able to get a ticket for the match the week before from the club ticket office. Maybe he just got lucky. I'm with you though, no way I'd pay a ticket agency.

Thanks. I think City fans who are non season ticket holders have to belong to some sort of supporters club before they can get any spare tickets.

I was at that '73 Hereford game lost 1-0 and circa 5,600 I think was the attendance. Remember they were expected to bring plenty, but never knew about Greatham thing and turning coaches away surely that is a myth. It was just the long journey and Hereford were outside promotion race if I remember.

Agree with Horden on cups being killed today. All this can change by a champions league place to the FA cup winners.

According to the radio commentary, Horden, a lot of the Burton fans didn't even manage to get to the game as they were stuck on the M6 due to the "police incident".

I heard that as well Rudolph.