Stockport Away Moved

Oh surprise flipping surprise

Bank Holiday monday 3pm moved to the following day 19.45 Kick off due to Stockport being on BT 2 days prior kicking off 2 hours later than normal

Stinks

Won't be many people pleased, but I come back from holiday Tuesday morning so will empty the car and head off down the 180 again.

I thought you were going to say it's been moved to The Etihad due to the massive crowd expected.  

Absolute disgrace, should have told them to get copulated.

Euros kicked off at 5pm so the match could be delayed by 2 hours from 3pm to 5pm. No problem!

Seems a tad unnecessary…Stockport will be happy that 2000 town fans won’t be turning up, but conversely, they’ll lose out on cash…

When did 2 hours less recovery lose you 3 points on a Bank Holiday Monday?

Feck sake! Just been discussing this game with my brother and had a whole weekend away planned, finishing on the Monday at Stockport.

They do my b@stard head in moving games on a whim.

Seriously, who agreed this? Did they take 1 single second to think about the implications for fans?

Quoted from ska face

Seriously, who agreed this? Did they take 1 single second to think about the implications for fans?

Do they ever?

Quoted from ska face

Seriously, who agreed this? Did they take 1 single second to think about the implications for fans?

They only pay lip service to the fans until times are hard then fans matter.

Nothing to do with their kick off being 2 hours later. They have bottled it and taken Manchester Police advice. Our so called bad rep strikes again.

Fucking shite

They should have just admitted on police advice - to put it down to a 2-hour delay to Stockport's Saturday game is equivalent to Dominic Cummings eye test sort of reasoning. Our first Brigg Jolly Boys trip duly canceled. I might still make it -  there is late train back to Nottingham from Manchester via Stockport.

Trainline giving very limited availability even from Sheffield so looks like car, minibus or coach. No good options for workers. If I get a ticket I'll drive from Sheffield and possibly have room for a couple of passengers.

Time to get serious about organising more coaches? they've been short of business in lockdown but drivers may still be hard to find in August.

You wouldn't Adam and Eve it. The return fixture gives them a jolly to Cleethorpes on Good Friday!!

Do we have regular coaches to away games anymore?
What happened to the "Battlebus"?

Anyone that does manage to go can we have a very audible chant of 'intercourse BT Sport!'
Will happily chip in for a massive banner too

Even from a footballing perspective, it makes no sense to move it back a day & half. You’ve got the title favourites away when they’re likely to be tired, so you decide to give them another 27 hours recovery time? Is that going to come back to haunt you in May? Unless there are league restrictions on recovery times/periods between games, then someone has dropped a massive bøllock in agreeing this.

Sorry but I’m absolutely screwing at this. My head has truly fallen off.

Quoted from The_Laughing_Mariner

Do we have regular coaches to away games anymore?
What happened to the "Battlebus"?

I havent heard that phrase since I used it 9 years ago when I live in Grimsby...

There is literally zero justifiable reasons for this to happen…it’s just lunacy.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist but...........

Games our away fans were looking forward to but are on a Tuesday night.

Wrexham, Solihull, Altrincham, Stockport

Other away games which are on Saturday but vulnerable to change by our friends in the Derbyshire and Notts Constabulary,

Chesterfield, Notts County.

Could these others be at risk?

Halifax,   Boxing Day,        Kings Lynn on Easter Monday

I hope the club has an early conversation with the NL about this apparent trend.

Quoted from Croxton

I'm not a conspiracy theorist but...........

Games our away fans were looking forward to but are on a Tuesday night.

Wrexham, Solihull, Altrincham, Stockport

Other away games which are on Saturday but vulnerable to change by our friends in the Derbyshire and Notts Constabulary,

Chesterfield, Notts County.

Could these others be at risk?

Halifax,   Boxing Day,        Kings Lynn on Easter Monday

I hope the club has an early conversation with the NL about this apparent trend.

If anything Notts County and Chesterfield could be pulled forward to 1pm but they could be candidates for TV which is 17:20. Not looked to see if they fall in the first 12 weeks or not.

Halifax on Boxing Day is a candidate for TV but I think they will opt for Notts v Chesterfield (or whatever way round it is).

It’s strange how Southend (Stockports opponents at 17:20 on the Saturday) haven’t moved their away match at Wealdstone on Bank Holiday Monday yet.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

It’s strange how Southend (Stockports opponents at 17:20 on the Saturday) haven’t moved their away match at Wealdstone on Bank Holiday Monday yet.

Funny that, almost as if it’s hardly necessary…

Just spoken to z Stockport fan, the are enraged too, they were looking forward to a decent crowd,, plenty of noise and revenue....

Why would we agree to shift a game for the convenience of a promotion rival? Or was the change imposed on us and by whom?

Idiocy in action.

I was speaking to a King's Lynn fan yesterday who is involved in the running of their club to some degree. Sounds as though he didn't think them going full-time was a great idea but they are absolutely skint and in debt thanks to the fact that they had to play on last season and the grants became loans. He said they are hoping for a lot of visiting fans so they can get much-needed money in. If the police/NL change the date of that one it will be truly damaging for their club.

The perfect answer is BEAT them .

I had been considering doing this by train  . Would have been a good turnout for both home and away fans.

Stockport would have had a bumper crowd.
Moving the game has certainly copulated up my plans and I assume quite a few others. Very disappointed

And for the sake of 2 hrs. Would that have a dramatic effect on performance?

How did they manage to play all those games close together over Christmas and Easter in the old days eh.

How much will Stockport make from their televised game? They could be losing an awful lot by switching the game with us, though the chance of improving their points tally might be worth it.

It’s not necessarily Stockport or BT Sport who are the problem here. Someone at GTFC had agreed this and they either don’t know or don’t care about the impact on away fans. Anyway, I’ll leave it now in the interests of supporting the new board, positivity and all that. Just hope it’s the last one of these decisions we see.

Quoted from ska face

It’s not necessarily Stockport or BT Sport who are the problem here. Someone at GTFC had agreed this and they either don’t know or don’t care about the impact on away fans. Anyway, I’ll leave it now in the interests of supporting the new board, positivity and all that. Just hope it’s the last one of these decisions we see.

If it’s a decision GTFC had a hand in they shouldn’t be given a free ride any more than the old regime.

Jason Stockwood in his recent fans' Q and A said he was really looking forward to the Stockport fixture. One reason was he's good friends with their owner (I think that's what he said, the audio on the video was a bit rubbish)....but the main reason was his wife was from Stockport and so had about 500 family members queuing up to attend!

Perhaps a statement from the club would clarify the matter.

Just saying.

No way I can get to this game on a Tuesday. My brother lives in Stockport so a fair few of the family were planning to go and and make a weekend of it. Will still do that but obvs have to be back for work Tuesday.

Ridiculous decision. Would be reassured to hear we didn't agree to it. I'm assuming we had no choice in the matter

By all accounts the club weren't the most liked out there under the old regime and you never know when you might need a favour so we are probably working on being a bit more accomodating whilst 1878 are unknowns in the football world.

Hurst is usually fairly balanced so I wonder what his thoughts are on the change of date. Assuming Stockport are coming straight back from Southend then it's at least a 5 hour journey on a coach.

If it was a 3pm kick off they wouldn't be home until at least 11pm which makes it a long old day anyway so the change in time means players won't be getting home until at least 1am. I know that if I go to bed at 1am I feel it the next day!

Yes I think they should just deal with it because fans do actually matter but the reasoning does make a little bit of sense.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

By all accounts the club weren't the most liked out there under the old regime and you never know when you might need a favour so we are probably working on being a bit more accomodating whilst 1878 are unknowns in the football world.

Hurst is usually fairly balanced so I wonder what his thoughts are on the change of date. Assuming Stockport are coming straight back from Southend then it's at least a 5 hour journey on a coach.

If it was a 3pm kick off they wouldn't be home until at least 11pm which makes it a long old day anyway so the change in time means players won't be getting home until at least 1am. I know that if I go to bed at 1am I feel it the next day!

Yes I think they should just deal with it because fans do actually matter but the reasoning does make a little bit of sense.

It's only 200 miles or so..... on a Saturday night even allowing for a pit stop it won't be any more than 5 hours

So if they get away from Southend by say 8-30 ish ( an hour after full time ) they'll be back as you say about 1-00 AM on the Sunday

Straight to bed with a bit of a lie in and then it won't be too much different to what would have happened with the initial 3-00PM kick off

I know it is what it is and we're all speculating but for the sake of a couple of hours to accommodate the TV cameras, now we will all have to take at least a half day holiday to get to Stockport and won't get back until the early hours of Tuesday morning ourselves

In my opinion it's been poorly thought out but then again we all knew from our past experience at this level it was never going to be straightforward

Quoted from jamesgtfc

By all accounts the club weren't the most liked out there under the old regime and you never know when you might need a favour so we are probably working on being a bit more accomodating whilst 1878 are unknowns in the football world.

Hurst is usually fairly balanced so I wonder what his thoughts are on the change of date. Assuming Stockport are coming straight back from Southend then it's at least a 5 hour journey on a coach.

If it was a 3pm kick off they wouldn't be home until at least 11pm which makes it a long old day anyway so the change in time means players won't be getting home until at least 1am. I know that if I go to bed at 1am I feel it the next day!

Yes I think they should just deal with it because fans do actually matter but the reasoning does make a little bit of sense.

The root cause is the TV deal. If the original game wasn’t moved there’d be no problem. Or better planning - move the televised game to a midweek. At least people who can’t get to the game have a chance of seeing it on telly. Our game gets shifted, fewer people all round get to go and there’s not even the mitigation of it being on the box.

There is NO consideration of the impact on fans on the televisation of games. The vast majority of revenue at this level comes from fans. The TV money is feck all. What other business would treat its most important customer like this, just to gain a few extra per cent from someone who demands you male private around with your main product?  

It’s basically shît. And we shouldn’t try to be accommodating. I get the point about 1878 trying to create a good impression. The problem wouldn’t be with us being awkward but with the lack of consideration in the first place by BT Sport and the NL. Stick your heels in and make them think harder.

This in spades.

The only under two hour journey Away 3.00pm kick off on either a Saturday or Bank Holiday before January now, is Halifax on Boxing Day. Even then, we are driving home in the dark. The impact on family groups and disabled supporters of yet another Tuesday fixture has been ignored. We have been played.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

The root cause is the TV deal. If the original game wasn’t moved there’d be no problem. Or better planning - move the televised game to a midweek. At least people who can’t get to the game have a chance of seeing it on telly. Our game gets shifted, fewer people all round get to go and there’s not even the mitigation of it being on the box.

There is NO consideration of the impact on fans on the televisation of games. The vast majority of revenue at this level comes from fans. The TV money is feck all. What other business would treat its most important customer like this, just to gain a few extra per cent from someone who demands you male private around with your main product?  

It’s basically shît. And we shouldn’t try to be accommodating. I get the point about 1878 trying to create a good impression. The problem wouldn’t be with us being awkward but with the lack of consideration in the first place by BT Sport and the NL. Stick your heels in and make them think harder.

I agree with this, but a two hour delay compared to the original KO time is a bullshit reason for shifting our fixture by a day and a half. If we were at Weymouth on the Saturday with a 3 pm KO we'd be back later than Stockport will be from Southend. If we had a Monday BH home game could we just move it to Tuesday night because we want the players to be more rested? Yes we have certainly been played...

I understand we are only talking conference here and how fans are always the last thought of by those in charge, the prime example is the European Super League thingy, that if it was not for the fans protesting then might have happened. The chap in charge of EUFA went on record to thank the fans then basically crapped on them by leaving the champions league final in Portugal, at the end of the day those in charge are only interested in the tv companies, advertisers etc,with the actual attending supporters way down the list.
PS, I’ve read today that if EUFA had admitted that people had got into Wembley for the final last Sunday then the game would have had to be cancelled/ abandoned as there were more people in the stadium then COVID rules allow, so they denied it until Monday then threaten to fine the FA for it happening.

Quoted from Gaffer58

I understand we are only talking conference here and how fans are always the last thought of by those in charge, the prime example is the European Super League thingy, that if it was not for the fans protesting then might have happened. The chap in charge of EUFA went on record to thank the fans then basically crapped on them by leaving the champions league final in Portugal, at the end of the day those in charge are only interested in the tv companies, advertisers etc,with the actual attending supporters way down the list.
PS, I’ve read today that if EUFA had admitted that people had got into Wembley for the final last Sunday then the game would have had to be cancelled/ abandoned as there were more people in the stadium then COVID rules allow, so they denied it until Monday then threaten to fine the FA for it happening.

If they had have cancelled it they would have been in for pelters, cancel it because of morons, making the fans who legitimately paid for it suffer and then potentially miss out if they cant make any rearranged game.

Quoted from ska face

Seriously, who agreed this? Did they take 1 single second to think about the implications for fans?

No

It's odd, I think there's a possibility that more people might have actually attended the game than would watch it on the telly.

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2021/july/recent-fixture-changes/

So the club did agree to this then? Really disappointing that.

The Southend explanations are non-sensical too from both clubs, unless I'm missing something?

Quoted from Son of Cod

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2021/july/recent-fixture-changes/

So the club did agree to this then? Really disappointing that.

The Southend explanations are non-sensical too from both clubs, unless I'm missing something?

Nice to see "in order of transparency" being used....even if that transparency is actually...........blame Paul Hurst...🤣

Quoted from Son of Cod

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2021/july/recent-fixture-changes/

So the club did agree to this then? Really disappointing that.

The Southend explanations are non-sensical too from both clubs, unless I'm missing something?

Yeah how can it allow more time to recover from a midweek game by playing it earlier!? I assume it's a ballsed up statement that means we will have more recovery time for a midweek game following it? Did they get fenty to write it or something?

Quoted from moosey_club

Nice to see "in order of transparency" being used....even if that transparency is actually...........blame Paul Hurst...🤣

Interesting - so we could have refused to budge but didn't. I still don't get the extra days rest for the playing squad thing. Play games when people most want to watch if it's not on TV. I think it would have been a 7k attendance if both clubs had started the season well. Why wouldn't we have had 2k fans there -  not much further than Bradford, Bank Holiday, direct train route, first big away day after lockdown? And all the ingredients for alcohol-fuelled feck bottom. My theory is there was a quiet word behind the scenes from the Greater Manchester police that they really don't want to police it with potential COVID depleted manpower and the clubs have agreed to it.

I was once told that there are 2 reasons for not doing something.

The 1 that sounds good and looks logical, which have here.

The other is the real reason, often camouflaged by the first.

Unfortunately, sometimes it takes much digging to find this one. My question to the club would be  'Why don't you want the maximum number of fans to be in the ground to cheer on the team, Monday fixture. The Tuesday night will attract some, but not the maximum?'

Instead of moaning and speculating on this forum, has any individual, Mariners Trust board member or even the Telegraph even approached the club with their concerns?

I didn’t realise that PH got to decide. Although now I’ve thought about it, it should be his decision as the manager.
What I don’t get, is why he agreed to this. Stockport are financially sound, so aren’t bothered about 1000 less town fans at the game. In fact, I suspect that’s the real reason behind this.   But surely it benefits the players to have a full away end. Which makes me wonder

1. As a club have we just been really nice ?

2.  Does PH not actually want a full away end on a big p1ss up. (I was at Halifax) !!

3.  Is it actually after the OB have put their oar in unofficially??

Quoted from Civvy at last

I didn’t realise that PH got to decide. Although now I’ve thought about it, it should be his decision as the manager.
What I don’t get, is why he agreed to this. Stockport are financially sound, so aren’t bothered about 1000 less town fans at the game. In fact, I suspect that’s the real reason behind this.   But surely it benefits the players to have a full away end. Which makes me wonder

1. As a club have we just been really nice ?

2.  Does PH not actually want a full away end on a big p1ss up. (I was at Halifax) !!

3.  Is it actually after the OB have put their oar in unofficially??

OR

All of the above. On this occasion, the avoidance of potential over exuberance of a section of our support may be deemed desirable as we try to nudge public perceptions of GTFC into a more positive light?

I was briefly next to Kristine in a queue by the new Fanzone on Saturday. I decided that it would have been exactly the wrong time and place to get her take on this puzzle. I am sure she would have been diplomatic!

At least the Bank Holiday trains will be a more pleasant experience for some.

I emailed the Trust to have a moan when the fixture was first arranged, along with the Bromley match, and Dave Roberts sent a helpful reply. I won’t copy & paste the whole thing, but some extracts are as follows -


“Direct impact of TV – As part of the TV contract with BT, member clubs are required to facilitate fixture changes for live TV with clubs receiving compensation as follows ,home club £6k and away clubs £2k. The kick off time for Saturday’s is a regular 5.20pm slot which does make it hard for supporters travelling long distances by public transport to get home again. The league and BT will argue the live coverage gives thousands of fans who wouldn’t normally have travelled to chance to see their team.

Indirect Impact of TV – This is when a game has moved for TV and one of the teams has another fixture within 48 hours. In that situation the team affected can apply for its next fixture to be changed. This is what has happened for the Stockport game, they have applied for the change, which is their prerogative and we have no say in the matter. The only choice we had was 7.45 pm on the Monday or 7.45pm on the Tuesday and the manager chose the Tuesday as it gives the players more rest period.”


The club’s statement yesterday was a bit misleading. Stockport can request their fixture is moved, but the request is made to the League rather than us, from what I can gather.

Either way, good of the Trust to reply and they’re also working with the new Football Officer to avoid the unnecessary issues we’ve faced due to their input in previous years.

Quoted from ska face

I emailed the Trust to have a moan when the fixture was first arranged, along with the Bromley match, and Dave Roberts sent a helpful reply. I won’t copy & paste the whole thing, but some extracts are as follows -


“Direct impact of TV – As part of the TV contract with BT, member clubs are required to facilitate fixture changes for live TV with clubs receiving compensation as follows ,home club £6k and away clubs £2k. The kick off time for Saturday’s is a regular 5.20pm slot which does make it hard for supporters travelling long distances by public transport to get home again. The league and BT will argue the live coverage gives thousands of fans who wouldn’t normally have travelled to chance to see their team.

Indirect Impact of TV – This is when a game has moved for TV and one of the teams has another fixture within 48 hours. In that situation the team affected can apply for its next fixture to be changed. This is what has happened for the Stockport game, they have applied for the change, which is their prerogative and we have no say in the matter. The only choice we had was 7.45 pm on the Monday or 7.45pm on the Tuesday and the manager chose the Tuesday as it gives the players more rest period.”


The club’s statement yesterday was a bit misleading. Stockport can request their fixture is moved, but the request is made to the League rather than us, from what I can gather.

Either way, good of the Trust to reply and they’re also working with the new Football Officer to avoid the unnecessary issues we’ve faced due to their input in previous years.

Yeah good of them to answer and cheers for posting that mate, very informative. It's quite funny that I've gone from being angry at Stockport, to disappointed at the club/Hurst...to now just okay with it it. All it takes is an explanation like that.

Wishful thinking, but is there a chance BT Sport will now show the Stockport match on that Tuesday?

Quoted from ska face

I emailed the Trust to have a moan when the fixture was first arranged, along with the Bromley match, and Dave Roberts sent a helpful reply. I won’t copy & paste the whole thing, but some extracts are as follows -


“Direct impact of TV – As part of the TV contract with BT, member clubs are required to facilitate fixture changes for live TV with clubs receiving compensation as follows ,home club £6k and away clubs £2k. The kick off time for Saturday’s is a regular 5.20pm slot which does make it hard for supporters travelling long distances by public transport to get home again. The league and BT will argue the live coverage gives thousands of fans who wouldn’t normally have travelled to chance to see their team.

Indirect Impact of TV – This is when a game has moved for TV and one of the teams has another fixture within 48 hours. In that situation the team affected can apply for its next fixture to be changed. This is what has happened for the Stockport game, they have applied for the change, which is their prerogative and we have no say in the matter. The only choice we had was 7.45 pm on the Monday or 7.45pm on the Tuesday and the manager chose the Tuesday as it gives the players more rest period.”


The club’s statement yesterday was a bit misleading. Stockport can request their fixture is moved, but the request is made to the League rather than us, from what I can gather.

Either way, good of the Trust to reply and they’re also working with the new Football Officer to avoid the unnecessary issues we’ve faced due to their input in previous years.

Thanks for clearing up the speculation. If we had the choice still not getting why we didn't go for 7.45 on the BH. No trains back, but still alot better for our fans.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Thanks for clearing up the speculation. If we had the choice still not getting why we didn't go for 7.45 on the BH. No trains back, but still alot better for our fans.

Whilst fans do matter, Paul Hurst is employed to get us 3 points so is always going to choose the option that gives his players the opportunity to be as fit as possible.

You should have - would have happily had a chat.

The Trust reply is on here so there isn’t really anything more I can add to that and the club statement

Quoted from Croxton

OR

All of the above. On this occasion, the avoidance of potential over exuberance of a section of our support may be deemed desirable as we try to nudge public perceptions of GTFC into a more positive light?

I was briefly next to Kristine in a queue by the new Fanzone on Saturday. I decided that it would have been exactly the wrong time and place to get her take on this puzzle. I am sure she would have been diplomatic!

At least the Bank Holiday trains will be a more pleasant experience for some.

Quoted from Kristine

You should have - would have happily had a chat.

The Trust reply is on here so there isn’t really anything more I can add to that and the club statement

How did the opening go on Saturday ?

Went well - it wasn’t 100% ready but we said it was a soft opening.

Entertainment went down very well. Plenty more to do before the first home game

Quoted from Kristine

Went well - it wasn’t 100% ready but we said it was a soft opening.

Entertainment went down very well. Plenty more to do before the first home game

Good to hear.

Quoted from Kristine

You should have - would have happily had a chat.

The Trust reply is on here so there isn’t really anything more I can add to that and the club statement

I will next time. Good to have such approachable 'Trustees'.

Please do 👍🏻