Is anyone else growing tired of the constant preferential treatment shown towards Liverpool and United in the FA? It has gone on for years but today has just summed it up for me.

Liverpool were adamant they would not be playing their semi final on a Sunday which is the Hillsborough anniversary and their FA Cup semi has now been scheduled for the Saturday.

Firstly, who are Liverpool to decide when they will and won't fufill fixtures? If they don't want to play then kick them out as far as I'm concerned.

Secondly, it f**ks up our schedule. If we get past Benfica (and that's a big If) that would leave us having to play an FA Cup Semi on Sunday and then CL semi the following Wednesday. Other FA's have always been helpful and try to give their teams the best example possible. Milan and Napoli had their Serie A games on Friday Nights to give their teams the best chance possible in European competition.

Looking at our fixtures:

Fulham Apr 9

FA Cup Semi Apr 15

CL Semi Apr 18

Arsenal Apr 21

Fulham is a late Monday kick off and Arsenal an early Saturday so you practically have to take a day off that. I make that roughly 4 games in 11 days.

Why is it so unreasonable to ask for our game vs Wigan to be played on a Friday Night and Fulham pushed forward to Sunday?

In 2000 the FA allowed United to pull out of their prize competition (which devalued it IMO) to compete in the Club Championships, yet they won't give a little old Southern team any chance to get through at all? The FA are an embarrassment.

That's a ridiculous schedule.

While the Hillsborough tragedy should always be remembered, it is not right to f**k over other clubs because of that tragedy. Our schedule, especially the 15th through 21st, becomes extremely brutal for our players and managers to try to get through.

The NFL did special tributes in the home stadiums on September 11, 2011 to remember the horrific acts of September 11, 2001. Not once at any time did the New York Giants or New York Jets refuse to play (or any other team for that matter). While I understand that tragedy didn't happen on the field of play, it was a national tragedy and one our country will never forget. If anything, it was an opportunity for the teams and the NFL to give a salute to those that had perished, those that had become heroes, and acknowledge those that continue to fight for our freedom inside and outside of the USA.

IMHO, the correct course of action was for Liverpool to play on April 15th as originally scheduled and Liverpool request to perform a tribute to those fans lost in the Hillsborough tragedy. Something like an armband colour, a minute of silence before the match, etc. Liverpool refusing to play just shows me that they are being more selfish than honourable. The FA allowing this to happen shows me that they clearly favour some clubs over others, like United and Liverpool.

The correct course of action should have been for both semi finals to take place Saturday 14th. With Liverpool v. Everton/Sunderland at the Etihad or Old Trafford, and Chelsea v. Spuds/Bolton at the Emirates/Villa Park. Playing the semis at Wembley not only diminishes the meaning of playing the final there but it also means that both games have to be on different days.

I don't really understand why Liverpool would refuse to play on the anniversary either. Surely there is no better way to honor those who lost their lives than by playing a match of significance on the anniversary? They could even have a minute of silence etc. Do Liverpool also refuse to play on the anniversary of Heysel? Somehow I doubt it.

Despite all that I think we are really just victims of our recent success. Most teams face fixture congestion when they are competing for multiple trophies at this stage of the season. I remember Rangers having it particularly bad a year or 2 ago. If we were comfortably in 3rd at this stage we might have been able to coast a little in the league but then we might even have been in contention for the title in that case so I doubt it.

We will just have to make the most of the squad and try to give players a break whenever possible. Its a nice problem to have though. A couple of weeks ago it looked like our season would be over by now.

going by that perhaps they will refuse to play on 29th may due to the Heysel Stadium Disaster next .althogh i feel sorry for anyone involved in hillsbough i dont think they can just refuse to play dont think it would happen in cl

Our semi-final on sunday confirmed!

http://www.thefa.com...med-200312.aspx

Edited March 20, 201214 yr by Belgian_SW6_Lover

So will Liverpool never play on that date ever again?

Absolute bulls*it.

First of all, I don't see why they can't play on that day. As Forbzy said, there's no better way to honor those who lost their lifes. Could go for a minutes silence as well, though I don't see why since it was so long ago.

Now, in a way I could have understood their reaction if it happened a year ago and the memory of it was still very much real and they still felt horrible from it. But this was 23 years ago. Most players were probably too young to remember it.

Can't remember hearing about ManU moving a game because it was on 6 february. Not lately anyway.

So will Liverpool never play on that date ever again?

Absolute bulls*it.

First of all, I don't see why they can't play on that day. As Forbzy said, there's no better way to honor those who lost their lifes. Could go for a minutes silence as well, though I don't see why since it was so long ago.

Now, in a way I could have understood their reaction if it happened a year ago and the memory of it was still very much real and they still felt horrible from it. But this was 23 years ago. Most players were probably too young to remember it.

Can't remember hearing about ManU moving a game because it was on 6 february. Not lately anyway.

no i think man u do the opporsite and if they are playing they make it into a mermorial match for the busby babes

I had tickets for Newcastle game unfort and was bringing the brother and sister over to there first game so this fa cup weekend has well and truly me Fu*ked! I only get to around 5/6 games due to living in n.Ireland so going to struggle for cup tickets with my massive 10 loyalty points haha! Pub it will be

Also any idea when the Newcastle game could be changed to? May as well make the most and go to that game anyway

Compare and contrast:-

The French League (LFP) have postponed Olympique Marseille's Ligue 1 game against Montpellier to help the club prepare for their Champions League quarter-final return leg against Bayern Munich. Marseille had been due to play Montpellier on 31 March, three days after hosting Bayern Munich on 28 March.

Must be nice having an FA behind your push for European glory.

I think you're all forgetting that this is Liverpool the most adored club in the world!! w**kers!

remember the cup semi final in 2002 the FA brought chelsea and fulham fans all up to villa park on a sunday with a kick off time 8pm. they never looked after chelsea and never will.

Compare and contrast:-

Must be nice having an FA behind your push for European glory.

No change there then. In 1955 we had a chance to play in the first ever European Cup, but the visionaries at the FA and Football League refused to let us enter. They said something about there being no future in tin pot competitions against Johnny Foreigner.

remember the cup semi final in 2002 the FA brought chelsea and fulham fans all up to villa park on a sunday with a kick off time 8pm. they never looked after chelsea and never will.

It was a 7pm kick off actually not that this detracts from your point of how ridiculous the scheduling was. That the motorways were heavily impacted by roadworks made it the journey home from hell for many. I struck lucky and took some backstreets which got me home much quicker than the majority. Crazy organisation with no logic applied at all

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/26/chelsea-fa-cup-semi-champions-league?newsfeed=true

Chelsea will consider lobbying the Football Association to have their FA Cup semi-final brought forward by 48 hours to a Friday evening should they progress beyond Benfica to confront Barcelona or Milan in the last four of the Champions League.

Chelsea play the Portuguese at the Estádio da Luz on Tuesday night in the first leg of their quarter-final and Roberto Di Matteo has expressed frustration that more leeway is not granted to the last remaining English side in European competition on weekends ahead of key ties. Benfica and Napoli, in the previous round, were permitted by their domestic federations to play their league games on Friday night before taking on Chelsea, effectively allowing them an extra 24 hours' recovery time.

The Londoners' interim first-team coach suggested on Monday night that initial discussions had taken place with the FA to test the water ahead of a potential Champions League semi-final, which would be scheduled for 18 April at Stamford Bridge, if Benfica are defeated over two legs. There is an acceptance that having a move in date sanctioned may prove difficult but the situation is likely to be revisited by English clubs next season.

"Absolutely, we need [the support from the FA] because it doesn't help English teams in the Champions League," said Di Matteo. "Benfica played on Friday night, so did Napoli. Their leagues try to give them a lot of help and the best possible advantage. We are engaged on this matter but, ultimately, someone has to make the decision. But let's get through this tie first."

The schedule for FA Cup semi-final weekend is complicated by Liverpool's tie, against Sunderland or Everton, having been confirmed for Saturday 14 April to avoid a clash with the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. That would leave Chelsea facing either Tottenham Hotspur or Bolton – the sides meet on Tuesday night in what is sure to be an emotionally charged occasion after the initial game was abandoned when Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest – on Sunday 15 April, some three days before the potential semi-final against Milan or Barcelona.

Any request made through the FA to bring forward the fixture would run into issues with the Metropolitan police, particularly if the semi-final proved to be a London derby against Spurs. Broadcasters would also be reluctant to lose a showpiece occasion from their Sunday afternoon scheduling when viewing figures might be maximised.

Concerns are rife within the Chelsea squad over the cluttered fixture schedule, particularly with their fraught pursuit of a top-four Premier League finish. Petr Cech described the potential list of games as "a crazy calendar" over the weekend and Di Matteo has regularly expressed his concerns on the issue.

It was a 7pm kick off actually not that this detracts from your point of how ridiculous the scheduling was. That the motorways were heavily impacted by roadworks made it the journey home from hell for many. I struck lucky and took some backstreets which got me home much quicker than the majority. Crazy organisation with no logic applied at all

7 was it ah ok,but bringing two clubs from the same area up the midlands on a sunday night is crazy.

http://www.dailymail...emi-Friday.html

The Football Association are likely to reject any request by Chelsea for their FA Cup semi-final to be brought forward 48 hours should they reach the Champions League semi-final.

The Blues play the first leg of their quarter-final against Benfica in Lisbon on Tuesday night and are already looking ahead to a potential fixture pile up if they make it through to the next round.

The club are scheduled to play their FA Cup semi-final on April 15, which will be just three days before the first match of a Champions League semi-final against either Barcelona or AC Milan.

But the FA are unlikely to move the fixture and force the game to go ahead at Wembley on April 15.The club are understood to be considering asking the FA to switch the game against Tottenham or Bolton, who play their rescheduled quarter-final on Tuesday night, to the Friday instead so as to give them more time to recover.

Any hope of playing on the Saturday disappeared when Liverpool got through because April 15 marks the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster and the club have not played a game on that date since the tragedy in 1989.

Chelsea’s interim first-team coach Roberto di Matteo has complained English sides do not get the same backing from the governing bodies when it comes to moving fixtures as other European Leagues give their clubs.

It is the Mail, but if this is true then f**k the FA, we'll have to do it the hard way. Strikes of double standards to me; if Liverpool can pick and choose because of something that happened 20 years ago, why can't we pick and choose about something that will (probably) affect us in the very same week?! Don't get me wrong, Hillsborough was tragic and we shouldn't forget it, but (as far as I know) apart from Gerrard and Dalglish none of the players have personal connections to the event. What other FA would let their sole representative in Europe play 2 of their biggest games of the season in the space of 4 days?

Edited March 27, 201214 yr by gojo_ed

If any of our players are injured with soft tissue injuries following those games, I hope we sue the FA bankrupt.

It's not so much Hillsborough as Liverpool once again wanting to be treated as a special case. I don't know of any other club who refuse to play on a specific date, and would be allowed to do so by their FA. For comparison, Man U have played on the anniversary of Munich, Bradford have played on the anniversary of the Bradford fire, Rangers have played on the anniversary of the Ibrox disaster and Spartak Moscow have played on the anniversary of the Luzhniki disaster. It doesn't mean they respect those who lost their lives any less than Liverpool do.

I wonder if UEFA would allow Liverpool to pick which day they play on should they get to the knockouts of the CL and it land on the Hillsborough anniversary.

The F A are Cun*s. Liverpool are Cun*s.

Oliver Kay †@OliverKayTimes

FA Cup SF schedule confirmed: Liverpool v Everton 12.30pm on Sat 14/4 (ESPN). Spurs v Chelsea 6pm on Sunday 15/4 (ITV)

6pm? Are they taking the f**king piss?

6pm? Are they taking the f**king piss?

There's got to be wholesale changes now and devalue this worthless competition even further. I hate saying that because I love the FA Cup but something has to give. Say it goes to extra time and penalties FFS and the fans don't count I suppose. What a bunch of idiotic c**ts the FA are and they're putting down to Police advice, do me a favour. Oh yeah, f**k ITV and Liverpool too.