StuartL wrote:Redarmy wrote:
End of season against Sunderland
Mid week game
Raining, corporates and tourists not keen to go to a worthless match
Fans protesting by saying away
End of season (With all to play for ...top 4 but no one could be bothered)
Mid week - champions league matches are all mid week I believe.
Raining

dear god are our fairweather fans really that fair weather ?
Only 500 turn up for a protest yet many thousands stay away as a protest ?
I see it like that as well.
There was 'realistically' nothing to play for in the League, and it was against Sunderland, who had already been relegated as one of the worst sides ever from the Premier League.
Mid-week, raining, PLUS the thought that there might be protests and in-fighting, and the atmosphere would be unpleasant.
Also a big point would be saving a bit of money for the Cup Final.
Corporate free ticket for a Champions League game mid-week, everything still to play for, with all the fancy music and the stars and the bunting = OK
Corporate free ticket for a Premier League game mid-week, end of season, with nothing to play for, and possibility of protests = not OK
And of course staying away for one pointless game mid-week against Sunderland before the Cup Final is a lot easier than having to show your face at a protest where you will be filmed and photographed, and the possibility of repercussions, etc.
Also, staying away after already having paid for the ticket is helping a bit, but not really. Especially only sacrificing Sunderland at home.
Sadly the thousands of empty seats can be explained away, especially with the receipts for the tickets sold...
59,510 softening the blow.