Blackburn Rovers News 24/7Writer: Walker 
Date:Friday April 13 2007
Time: 3:31PM
UK time is: 13:36:40
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Hughes Not A Fan Of Semi Venue
The selection of Old Trafford for the FA Cup Semi Final meeting of Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea has been met with much disapproval, ticket sales certainly seem to suggest this. Mark Hughes has joined the calls as he reveals that maybe Old Trafford wasn't the correct choice?
Although Hughes acknowledges what a fine venue Old Trafford is and is more than happy with the number of tickets Rovers have sold, he knows there will be plenty of empty seats, up to as many as a combined 16,000 that haven't sold for both sides.
One venue Hughes has suggested could have been used is Manchester City's Eastlands or City of Manchester Stadium (not entirely sure of the correct name!) Hughes sad:
"Maybe you have to look at the choice of venue, fantastic as it is. If it had been at the City of Manchester Stadium it would probably be full.
"We have been delighted with the amount of tickets we have sold and the support we have."
Hughes can also understand why so many fans, from both sides it must be added will stay away. He added:
"It is an expensive business watching football. The FA set the prices and we have to be led by them.
"By all accounts the £25 tickets went very quickly. The £55 ones haven't gone as quickly - so that tells the story."
Man City's stadium is a good call but without trying to defend he FA too much I guess they had to look at grounds that would have been available this weekend anyway wouldn't they and City's wouldn't have been.
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Your Comments
In terms of distance to travel for Rovers fans Old Trafford it's juts the costs (tickets) but Man City's might have been even better, maybe even for both sides, but isn't available, well it is but City play a match there on Saturday so using it two days running isn't likely to EVER happen! Anfield was free, which many have touted and tickets would have been cheaper wouldn't they?!?! White Hart Lane is free, but then (although I'm not looking for double standards) this swings in Chelsea's favour. St James' Park is free but this would be a no, no for both sides. Then you have to look at Championship grounds, and although some are more than capable of housing such an event one in particular that springs to mind would be ruled out for obvious reasons you would think.
Hughes Da Man
But if they had chosen Man City's ground and it sold out people would have been complaining there weren't enough tickets! Old Trafford def the right choice, just not the right prices!
Blade1889
Fair point Blade.
Hughes Da Man
You want to talk choices, what was wrong with the millennium Stadium for the semis??? Its equal in distance between all 4 clubs competing in the semis and its hosted them prior, plus Cardiff is a great city AND i would only have had to travel 12 miles to see the game!!!! LOL
BomBom
OT is not the right choice, not when it adds £50 petrol onto my ticket price and I won't get home until around 2am!
SpanishBlue
What's wrong with Villa Park being used on successive days?
merlin
That's the question I keep asking! The only reasonable answer is that I guess they get paid and the FA don't want to be seen to be favouring Villa by lining their pockets?
SpanishBlue
Put it this way: If it had been at Villa Park, there'd have been 30,000 less tickets available and I beleive there are only 18,000 remaining for Old Trafford. That would mean there would already have been 6,000 fans from each team who would have been unable to go to the semi-final! Surely that would have annoyed you more than a few empty seats in OT?
Blade1889
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