ACL Matchday 6, City vs Zhejiang, Tuesday 12th

[fensaddler]

Is the venue Ikon Park, the oval in Carlton?

[fensaddler]

Just had that confirmed on the TV commentary. Short tram ride or longish walk from the city. Could be feasible for those of us working in town that day.

[jw1739]

Very ambivalent about going. Don't know what Princes Park is like now but I went to a match there many years ago - Euro team was playing - and the seating angle is very shallow (because of course it's Carlton's old ground in the VFL/AFL) and we could hardly see a thing what with advertising hoardings around the pitch and what-not. Walked out with 20 minutes to go in frustration.

Even if you want to tackle the transport issue from the suburbs I'd say it depends on what seats they are actually offering.

What a shame that this is the critical match for us. Pretty piss poor IMO that MOPT/AAMI Park and the AFC can't do better. The club is powerless in this situation.

[citypool]

32 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

Very ambivalent about going. Don't know what Princes Park is like now but I went to a match there many years ago - Euro team was playing - and the seating angle is very shallow (because of course it's Carlton's old ground in the VFL/AFL) and we could hardly see a thing what with advertising hoardings around the pitch and what-not. Walked out with 20 minutes to go in frustration.

Even if you want to tackle the transport issue from the suburbs I'd say it depends on what seats they are actually offering.

What a shame that this is the critical match for us. Pretty piss poor IMO that MOPT/AAMI Park and the AFC can't do better. The club is powerless in this situation.

Football in Victoria is going down the toilet 

[icantthinkofacoolname]

I’m going for the novelty factor and the fact that I work nearby, but it’s certainly a pretty awful situation to need to be playing a champions league game on a vfl pitch. 

[jw1739]

1 hour ago, icantthinkofacoolname said:

I’m going for the novelty factor and the fact that I work nearby, but it’s certainly a pretty awful situation to need to be playing a champions league game on a vfl pitch. 

TBH I struggle for the words I want to use to express my feelings about this situation. I think the word is "disappointed" but it doesn't seem strong enough.

The last event I can see at AAMI preceding this match is a concert on 6th December. So MOPT can't get the place ready for an Asian Champions League football match in six days? Then they're not trying.

I think what it tells me is that the club has no clout whatsoever in Melbourne, and that football has none in Victoria.

I suspect that Scott Munn would have worked his arse off and secured AAMI Park for us.

Edited December 5, 2023 by jw1739

[icantthinkofacoolname]

15 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

TBH I struggle for the words I want to use to express my feelings about this situation. I think the word is "disappointed" but it doesn't seem strong enough.

The last event I can see at AAMI preceding this match is a concert on 6th December. So MOPT can't get the place ready for an Asian Champions League football match in six days? Then they're not trying.

I think what it tells me is that the club has no clout whatsoever in Melbourne, and that football has none in Victoria.

I suspect that Scott Munn would have worked his arse off and secured AAMI Park for us.

To make it even worse, Western United are playing at AAMI just 3 days later on Friday in a league game vs Brisbane. Surely 3 days can’t make all that much difference?

[jw1739]

29 minutes ago, icantthinkofacoolname said:

To make it even worse, Western United are playing at AAMI just 3 days later on Friday in a league game vs Brisbane. Surely 3 days can’t make all that much difference?

For the AFC of course, it's non-negotiable unless they move the other match as well, because the two matches must be played simultaneously. But FMD, 6 days to get the stadium ready for a football match? Laughable, except it's not funny. 

[Mr MO]

12 hours ago, jw1739 said:

For the AFC of course, it's non-negotiable unless they move the other match as well, because the two matches must be played simultaneously. But FMD, 6 days to get the stadium ready for a football match? Laughable, except it's not funny. 

Usually teams for ACL games also need to be given access to the stadium pitch to train a day or two in advance.

[jw1739]

5 hours ago, Mr MO said:

Usually teams for ACL games also need to be given access to the stadium pitch to train a day or two in advance.

I accept that. Nevertheless I think the club should explain to members just what has to be done after the concert finishes and why it cannot be completed in 4 days. It's not rocket science we're talking about.

[citypool]

$45 for a match on a oval taking the piss 

[IssySG]

43 bucks for a ticket is a joke. I think the club is trying to cash in on the strong contingent of away fans each ACL team has brought over. What makes it worse, is that the only Melbourne City supporters who would be buying tickets for this are ones without memberships, so when you get a chance to potentially re-engage them with the club, theres every chance they (fairly) sod it off due to the cost.

Do better City.

[jw1739]

29 minutes ago, IssySG said:

43 bucks for a ticket is a joke. I think the club is trying to cash in on the strong contingent of away fans each ACL team has brought over. What makes it worse, is that the only Melbourne City supporters who would be buying tickets for this are ones without memberships, so when you get a chance to potentially re-engage them with the club, theres every chance they (fairly) sod it off due to the cost.

Do better City.

I'm not sure that ticket prices are set by the club. IIRC all the arrangements for the match are in the hands of the AFC.

[jw1739]

On the venue and tickets - where can I see a plan of the stadium and available seats?

[neio]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

I accept that. Nevertheless I think the club should explain to members just what has to be done after the concert finishes and why it cannot be completed in 4 days. It's not rocket science we're talking about.

They are relaying the pitch. It would have booked in for months, having this window for no play (I suspect this is why neither is or victory have a home league game in this 3 week period) it's just really unfortunate that this has fallen into that. This is one of the issues with being co tenants with 3 other clubs at a multi purpose stadium, at some stage someone is going to have to move for periods of time.

If the weather is perfect and everything goes to 100% plan, yeah the game probably could be played on the 12th. But as we saw in Brisbane last week, any inclement weather and it's a total shambles. If the turf doesn't take as well as planned then it can become a real issue. It would have been a worse situation if they had to move the game a couple days before due to pitch conditions.

 

[Nate]

6 hours ago, IssySG said:

43 bucks for a ticket is a joke. I think the club is trying to cash in on the strong contingent of away fans each ACL team has brought over. What makes it worse, is that the only Melbourne City supporters who would be buying tickets for this are ones without memberships, so when you get a chance to potentially re-engage them with the club, theres every chance they (fairly) sod it off due to the cost.

Do better City.

I still haven't attended a City game since the bucket-derby fiasco and held off on the membership, so I guess I'm in this precise boat as I was planning on attending this lol.

But not for $43 I ain't

[IssySG]

17 hours ago, jw1739 said:

I'm not sure that ticket prices are set by the club. IIRC all the arrangements for the match are in the hands of the AFC.

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong but I swear the adults tickets for the first two ACL home games were closer to 30?

[MHFC-FAN]

12 hours ago, Nate said:

I still haven't attended a City game since the bucket-derby fiasco and held off on the membership, so I guess I'm in this precise boat as I was planning on attending this lol.

But not for $43 I ain't

Curious as to why you haven't been back since that derby?

[Le Hack]

29 minutes ago, IssySG said:

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong but I swear the adults tickets for the first two ACL home games were closer to 30?

Nope $40 adult, $20 kids, $30 concession. Me and my son had to pay $80 for the Kofu game. I'm not sure why the extra $3 for this one, is that a booking fee? Possibly they may not have electronic ticket system at Princes Park so they may have to scan manually 

[Tommykins]

34 minutes ago, MHFC-FAN said:

Curious as to why you haven't been back since that derby?

To be fair we've had about 4-5 of the semi-regulars we end up with not coming back at all off the back of it either.

[n i k o]

I find it strange to not come back to games after the that derby but hey that's just me.

[Mr MO]

1 hour ago, n i k o said:

I find it strange to not come back to games after the that derby but hey that's just me.

I think the biggest group hasn’t returned after the NSW debacle.

[jw1739]

I still go to regular league and Cup matches, but to not derbies anymore. Mainly because of my age I am still avoiding unnecessary contact with large numbers of people (COVID), secondly thanks to the bucket derby, thirdly, yes, because APL has destroyed the League's GF tradition, and not least because my club's vice-chairman and a board member of APL therefore supported that destruction (or at least did not oppose it).

[MHFC-FAN]

5 hours ago, Tommykins said:

To be fair we've had about 4-5 of the semi-regulars we end up with not coming back at all off the back of it either.

We really do have very fickle fans. It's no wonder we have stagnated in growing attendance...

[citypool]

2 hours ago, n i k o said:

I find it strange to not come back to games after the that derby but hey that's just me.

I don't. There were thugs who ran out on the pitch not to mention chucking flares. It's just aggressive behavior from stupid thugs some people don't want to deal with it 

[jw1739]

52 minutes ago, MHFC-FAN said:

We really do have very fickle fans. It's no wonder we have stagnated in growing attendance...

I don't agree. If you think back to Heart's first season the whole "experience" of going to those first two derbies, and league matches, was far removed from what we experience today. Many factors have been involved in first the growth of attendances and then the decline. IMO most have been the game self-harming, but of course external factors such as COVID have played their part.

[fensaddler]

Too much aggression from Victory fans for me to want to attend derbies any more. Just don't enjoy the experience like I do other matches.

[n i k o]

6 hours ago, citypool said:

I don't. There were thugs who ran out on the pitch not to mention chucking flares. It's just aggressive behavior from stupid thugs some people don't want to deal with it 

I look at it like this. In 13 years nothing like this has happened. From a personal perspective I've never had to encounter these morons. And for 13 years, bar this particular derby, I've had only good viewing experiences going as its an exciting fixture. So that's where I'm coming from. Maybe it's a case of everyone is wired differently which I acknowledge. And people may have had different experiences too. However, I do enjoy the extra tension between teams and supporter bases. Maybe some people just don't. 

[citypool]

8 hours ago, n i k o said:

I look at it like this. In 13 years nothing like this has happened. From a personal perspective I've never had to encounter these morons. And for 13 years, bar this particular derby, I've had only good viewing experiences going as its an exciting fixture. So that's where I'm coming from. Maybe it's a case of everyone is wired differently which I acknowledge. And people may have had different experiences too. However, I do enjoy the extra tension between teams and supporter bases. Maybe some people just don't. 

Yeah but some people might not have been to many games. For some it could of been the final straw. Active doesn't really connect with most Australians anyways because aussies hate the teams not really other fans. I'm going to derby and bringing some mates so hopefully it's a good game 

[neio]

Game is now at 8.30pm, it's getting harder and harder even considering going 

[fensaddler]

1 hour ago, neio said:

Game is now at 8.30pm, it's getting harder and harder even considering going 

Seriously? No chance for me then. Not going to hang around that late after work, and I've got to get back to Lara after the match and be up to deliver a presentation the following morning.

[jw1739]

2 hours ago, neio said:

Game is now at 8.30pm, it's getting harder and harder even considering going 

 

1 hour ago, fensaddler said:

Seriously? No chance for me then. Not going to hang around that late after work, and I've got to get back to Lara after the match and be up to deliver a presentation the following morning.

Might as well play it behind closed doors at this rate.... People wonder why attendances are falling? It's this sort of thing added to everything else that gradually strangles interest in the game.

[citypool]

Where did it say the game got pushed back to 8:30? Can't see it on the site to get the tickets 

[jw1739]

@citypool https://melbournecityfc.com.au/news/20231208-fixture-update

[n i k o]

Walked through the team arriving by bus in Docklands today. Surprisingly some very tall guys in their team. There were a few Melbourne City officials there to welcome them. 

[TheStig]

Why couldn't the game be played at our pitch in Cranbourne East? Its brand new, rectangular and suited to the crowd size.
 

[Mr MO]

35 minutes ago, TheStig said:

Why couldn't the game be played at our pitch in Cranbourne East? Its brand new, rectangular and suited to the crowd size.
 

Are you saying you want the ACL games to be played on our training pitch?

[citypool]

4 hours ago, jw1739 said:

@citypool https://melbournecityfc.com.au/news/20231208-fixture-update

Thx I dunno what to say I don't think they care about having fans at all 

[Mr MO]

4 minutes ago, citypool said:

Thx I dunno what to say I don't think they care about having fans at all 

Both ACL games in our group were moved to have them starting at the same time. It’s the right thing to do when there this much at stake.

[jw1739]

56 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Are you saying you want the ACL games to be played on our training pitch?

This whole saga of Bundoora/Casey Fields/ training facilities/mini-stadiums etc. etc. does my head in. So much money poured in and we still don't have a right-size home ground in a convenient location for spectators to play our League/Cup/ACL matches. Doesn't have to be all bells and whistles because facilities such as food and drink outlets will come to the ground on match-day. Instead we will continue to be beholden to others such as local councils and the MOPT and never control our own destiny.