8pm Midweek Kick-offs. WHY?

[handbags_harris]

I am pretty damn sure that evening kickoffs were 7.45pm at Elm Park, the only time that changed was for TV games, which rarely happened. The 8pm kickoff, as far as I am aware, is pretty much as described by Yellowcoat, because Reading Buses cannot complete their scheduled services and provide football buses for a 7.45pm kickoff.

And does 15 minutes really matter that much?

[Maguire]

They definitely changed it a few seasons ago whilst at the MadStad. Made perfect sense given the total cluster fukk that was the HP car park and environs thereof which witnessed gridlock. The ground is right by a major motorway junction which, needless to say, gets rather busy on weekday evenings.

8pm was the right thing to do

[Barry the bird boggler]

8pms go back to the days of Elm Park and for the reasons already specified - traffic.

We had a few at 7.45 in the Premiership because of the telly

[Terminal Boardom]

I am not wrong in this. 8pm kick-offs were introduced when we were at Elm Park. Shirley someone has programmes dating back to then to prove me right. As for avoiding the rush hour, are you lot saying that our delays are worse than those in London??? I can go back to the 1980s and 1990s when I would stay in town after work, have some food then stroll to Elm Park. Accepted that the Mad Stad is less convenient to get to but what with the buses and proliferation of parking opportunities I fail to see why we can't go back to 7.45 or even earlier. Since when does a crowdof 5,000 for a league cup tie with Burton necessitate an 8pm kick off?

And just for once, spare a thought for the away fans and reading fans with youngish children!

I'm sure neither away fans or families who take kids to mid week games would find 15 minutes anything worth thanking you for.

You may as well suggest we play 40 minutes each way an dget half time to 10 mins.

*pm makes it easy for epople with jobs to get home, get changed and get to the game without breaking the speed limit.

You clearly have no thought for Royals fans who live outside Berkshire either....

A tad harsh when for the best part of the last 8 years I have worked OUTSIDE of Berkshire. And where I live, well, if I didn't have a car I would be left with a laughable one bus every 2 hours sort of service

[Sun Tzu]

A tad harsh when for the best part of the last 8 years I have worked OUTSIDE of Berkshire. And where I live, well, if I didn't have a car I would be left with a laughable one bus every 2 hours sort of service

Not harsh at all. More like shows how wonky your original thinking was !!

[Terminal Boardom]

A tad harsh when for the best part of the last 8 years I have worked OUTSIDE of Berkshire. And where I live, well, if I didn't have a car I would be left with a laughable one bus every 2 hours sort of service

Not harsh at all. More like shows how wonky your original thinking was !!

Well, I am hardly going to agree with that am I

[Sun Tzu]

A tad harsh when for the best part of the last 8 years I have worked OUTSIDE of Berkshire. And where I live, well, if I didn't have a car I would be left with a laughable one bus every 2 hours sort of service

Not harsh at all. More like shows how wonky your original thinking was !!

Well, I am hardly going to agree with that am I

Nothing surprises me on HNA !!

[weybridgewanderer]

i really don't see why people have a problem with a 8pm kick off.

Leaving work in the heathrow area at 5:30 and trying to get to the mad stad for 8pm can be a squeeze and I have missed kick off on more than 1 occasion. 7:45 would be worse and with the number of home midweek games we have in the championship I would have to consider it worth my season ticket.

I wish other clubs would follow our lead. The number of times I have sat in traffic going to an away game wishing that the kick off was at 8 rather than 7:45.

Are those that want it moved to 7:45 gainfully employed and every working outside reading?

[Tankman]

Surely there's less of an issue with London-based clubs opting for a 7.45pm kick off since there is a workable public transport option i.e. the tube?

[Terminal Boardom]

Surely there's less of an issue with London-based clubs opting for a 7.45pm kick off since there is a workable public transport option i.e. the tube?

Did you go to Highbury for the League Cup tie a few years back? Admittedly, there were 38,000 or so there but the tube and main-line were awful! I wonder how they cope with 60,000 crowds now and minimal car parking?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

They cope because people adapt, when we went we parked a distance away and hopped on a bus. Can't see how folk manage the midweek away games, however they seem to, even if the coach leaves at noon, there are usually people willing to adapt so they can attend.

[midfield diamond]

Surely there's less of an issue with London-based clubs opting for a 7.45pm kick off since there is a workable public transport option i.e. the tube?

Did you go to Highbury for the League Cup tie a few years back? Admittedly, there were 38,000 or so there but the tube and main-line were awful! I wonder how they cope with 60,000 crowds now and minimal car parking?

Have been to Highbury and Emirates by car. Get there early (2 hrs at least) and park in a school for £15. Get home in an hour or so while everyone else is still trying to get down the tube station. Much more comfortable.

[East Grinstead Royal]

The Simod Cup semi against Coventry was supposed to be an 8pm ko, but was delayed until 8.15. The 90 minutes finished at around 10, extra time took it to around 10.35, and the penalties meant it finished just before 11.

My point being that we did have 8pm starts at EP. And long may they continue at the MadStad.

[Sun Tzu]

Surely there's less of an issue with London-based clubs opting for a 7.45pm kick off since there is a workable public transport option i.e. the tube?

Did you go to Highbury for the League Cup tie a few years back? Admittedly, there were 38,000 or so there but the tube and main-line were awful! I wonder how they cope with 60,000 crowds now and minimal car parking?

There are about 6 tube stations within easy walking distance of the Emirates IIRC, plus surface rail.

[voyager1]

Load of old bollox, move it back to 7-30, the later time is a pain. people adjust, always did to 7-30, are things so difficult these days???

Things are so difficult these days because a lot of employers are expecting their staff to work extra hours which is resulting in people finishing 5.30-6.00pm.

If your work contract is 35 hours per week and you don't have to work any extra hours then you're in the lucky minority.

A consequence of this long working hours culture is that is drags out the rush hour. An 8pm kickoff gives people a better chance of being able to make it to the match and also helps to prevent match traffic from meeting rush hour traffic.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Finish 6 go to the game, or do folk go home first?? I really do not see that many folk work past 6pm in town, except in service industries, and they would be working late shifts, so would not make the game. JM manages the KO whatever time, and he is a busy fella.

[rabidbee]

If your work contract is 35 hours per week and you don't have to work any extra hours then you're in the lucky minority.

Plus 35 days of annual leave, 3 more "customary" days at Christmas, and the bank holidays.

Public sector ftmfw!

[tomrfcurz]

Its 8 for a reason - to get everyone in the ground and as we are close to a major junction our games are now at 8

[RoyalBlue]

Load of old bollox, move it back to 7-30, the later time is a pain. people adjust, always did to 7-30, are things so difficult these days???

Some people can't finish work until 5.30-6.00.

Maybe if 'some people' spent a little less time on HNA during the day when they are meant to be working, they might get to leave a bit earlier!

There is a route from Northwest London that allows you to leave pretty late for the game and still miss most of the traffic. However, if I shared it on here, it would get full up with traffic!

[Wycombe Royal]

Finish 6 go to the game, or do folk go home first??

I finish at 5pm (at an office near the Mad Stad, go and pick the kids up, take them home, put them bed, wait for my dad to come round to babysit and then drive back to my place of work for a brisk walk to the stadium. Usually make it 10 minutes before kick off but luckily I don't have any problems parking.