Playoffs

Anything yellow and blue
Kairdiff Exile
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Playoffs

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

Bit surprised it's not been given a standalone thread!

What do we think then, folks? Are we excited? Nervous? A bit flat? For me, it's a combination of all three. Any playoff which we've reached without the thrill of the normal end of season leading up to it feels devoid of narrative. In a normal season, you might have the excitement of sneaking into the playoffs in the last game, the disappointment of falling into them after being in the automatic places, or the grim feeling of cementing your place and wanting to play out the last few games without getting injuries. Instead, it's been decided over a Zoom call, over two months since we last played a match. I'm happy to be there and excited about the prospect of promotion to Div 2, but any momentum we had has been well and truly lost.

Coupled with all that is the fact that the games will be played behind closed doors and not on proper telly, which for us exiles means ringing up an Oxon-based relative and getting them to stick their 'phone by the wireless so I can enjoy the Radio Oxford commentary. It'll be funny and memorable, but it's no substitute for being there. Presumably the officers of Thames Valley Police are relishing the prospect of overtime to stop people standing on car roofs in the West Stand car park?

Have to say, I don't fancy us to beat Portsmouth over two legs. They've been a good side in recent years, with a similar progression to ours, and I think will be just too strong for us. I also see we've got personnel diagnosed with COVID, as have they, both teams presumably with the prospect of others now being diagnosed too and a rush to get the players concerned quarantined and ready in time.

And if we DO get past them, we then have a Wembley final (why Wembley? why not just find a neutral equidistant ground if no-one can be there anyway?) against Fleetwood (gulp) or Wycombe who might have had chance to regroup by then.

Lots of food for thought and plenty of things to discuss - so get discussing! And in the meantime, I hope all on here are safe, well and healthy in these difficult times.
recordmeister
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Re: Playoffs

Post by recordmeister »

I mean... so many points and questions, where do we start?!

- how do I feel? Same as you: a bit happy, a bit deflated, a bit confused. My neighbour is a Coventry fan and I kinda feel for him, and his family. They just don’t know how to celebrate. Nice problem to have I guess...

- personally I feel that we were looking likely to secure a top two finish. 5 wins in a row and a good run-in. I guess we now have Woodburn back. But where is Liam Kelly?

- Sky. Why? Will it be free to view? I don’t have sky so I bloody hope so. I’ve heard the EFL are doing all they can to adhere to their contract with Sky (two legs, Wembley final etc) so there we go...

- behind closed doors: again... how big is Wembley? Why can’t those with more premium season tickets (ass directors etc) have the option of an exec box at Wembley?

- I also did wonder about the Car Park End at the Kassam during the game...

- players with Covid: how many will it take to postpone or delay games? Has this been discussed? What happens if, say, on the day of the final 11 players from one team test positive?

- and this is just the start...
recordmeister
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Re: Playoffs

Post by recordmeister »

3 players called up for internationals = team can postpone if they want, so will this apply with Covid?
ty cobb
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Re: Playoffs

Post by ty cobb »

Although I'm glad the play offs are happening for such a key series of games its going to be really odd all these teams going into these matches cold. We aren't the best starters under Robbo and playing in front of a empty stadium is going to be really odd - the team that best adopts to this (Fleetwood and Wycombe are somewhat used to little atmosphere) stands a great chance. If the final is going to be at Wembley one would have thought 15,000 fans from each team could easily socially distance at the ground (and that should be enough to see most regular fans attend) otherwise seems really daft playing there. Having our friendly called off at the weekend won't help at all.

As for watching the semi final - now tv is the way to go, get a weekly sky sports pass (not owned by Murdoch now) - with all the other games going on and maybe some cricket its decent value.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Playoffs

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Yeah I finally succumbed to NowTV passes last summer for the cricket World Cup and Ashes. It felt a bit dirty but my refusing to pay for Sky for twenty-odd years didn't seem to have changed anyone's minds about the availability of sport on terrestrial TV! And it's reasonably priced, and you can turn it on and off like a tap without needing any equipment. So I'll be doing that again for play-offs and the upcoming Test series. As to why it's on Sky in the first place - well the play-offs always are aren't they? And Sky have paid upfront for fixtures which haven't been fulfilled. So it's understandable, if disappointing.

Regarding my thoughts about the situation, I just hope the play-offs happen now. Otherwise there will be more mess. I do feel sorry for teams like Sunderland and Peterborough, who were very handily placed coming in to the business end of the season. But unprecedented circumstances meant a difficult decision had to be taken. The real losers are the teams who will be relegated without the chance to save themselves. I'd feel pretty angry in that boat I think. I'd probably have favoured calling the season off and starting next year on the same points as now (a kind of handicapping). But who knows what next season is going to look like anyway?

I'm fairly ambivalent about wanting Us to go up. What's the point having more glamorous fixtures in better stadiums if you can't be there to see it? If we do go up I hope things get back to some kind of normality allowing us to attend matches. A season of Championship football in empty grounds on iplayer isn't any more appealing than the same in League 1 really.

Is the final at Wembley? I hadn't seen any venue announcement. In fact all statements about the play-off logistics seemed to be deliberately vague. Why on earth are we the early kick-off for both semi-final legs though? Surely we're the more glamorous tie? I've currently got a meeting at 5.15pm on the Monday so I'm hoping that gets shifted.
slappy
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Re: Playoffs

Post by slappy »

I tried Now TV for a game a few years back and it was just a standard definition picture which didn't look great on an HD tv at home. Looking online now, it seems there is a Boost version which is an HD picture.

Anyway, at our office we have Sky Sports, so I guess I will get a couple of cans in and watch it there.
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: Playoffs

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

I fear I'm repeating myself, but I've never paid to watch football on telly and won't be starting now. I'm sure Now TV relatively affordable, but it's a matter of principle. This struck a chord with me:
Kernow Yellow wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 11:46 am I'm fairly ambivalent about wanting Us to go up. What's the point having more glamorous fixtures in better stadiums if you can't be there to see it? If we do go up I hope things get back to some kind of normality allowing us to attend matches. A season of Championship football in empty grounds on iplayer isn't any more appealing than the same in League 1 really.
If I can't go and watch us play in Div 2 / Div 3 next season, then I'll go and watch some non-league instead, as there's bound to be a level where crowds will be allowed. And any dough I save can go towards watching Us when it's once again deemed feasible. I'd sooner watch the Dog & Duck with a dozen other people at the side of windswept parks pitch than sit at home watching us on a tiny laptop screen with zero atmosphere.
Last edited by Kairdiff Exile on Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
recordmeister
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Re: Playoffs

Post by recordmeister »

My best mate, and my best man at my wedding, is a big Derby County fan. We met in 1999 at university, and haven’t seen each other’s teams play a competitive game against one another in that time. Sods law we get promoted, and neither of us get to go to the games!
Dr Bob
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Re: Playoffs

Post by Dr Bob »

What chance pubs are allowed to reopen on or by the 3rd of July?
Radley Rambler
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Re: Playoffs

Post by Radley Rambler »

Dr Bob wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:38 am What chance pubs are allowed to reopen on or by the 3rd of July?
Nil. 4th July possibly if you’ve got a big pub garden where there is social distancing, won’t be many TV screens out there.
Radley Rambler
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Re: Playoffs

Post by Radley Rambler »

Kairdiff Exile wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:42 pm I fear I'm repeating myself, but I've never paid to watch football on telly and won't be starting now. I'm sure Now TV relatively affordable, but it's a matter of principle. This struck a chord with me:
Kernow Yellow wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 11:46 am I'm fairly ambivalent about wanting Us to go up. What's the point having more glamorous fixtures in better stadiums if you can't be there to see it? If we do go up I hope things get back to some kind of normality allowing us to attend matches. A season of Championship football in empty grounds on iplayer isn't any more appealing than the same in League 1 really.
If I can't go and watch us play in Div 2 / Div 3 next season, then I'll go and watch some non-league instead, as there's bound to be a level where crowds will be allowed. And any dough I save can go towards watching Us when it's once again deemed feasible. I'd sooner watch the Dog & Duck with a dozen other people at the side of windswept parks pitch than sit at home watching us on a tiny laptop screen with zero atmosphere.
I admire your principles but key football matches being on non-terrestrial channels isn’t going to change. I’ll be tuning in.

And a season in The Championship raises the profile of the club. Also, I’m reliably informed we would maintain our sustainable model and bank £1m profit if we went up thus having a war chest for L1 the following season if we didn’t survive. Bring it on.
OtmoorYellow
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Re: Playoffs

Post by OtmoorYellow »

I’ve used Now TV in the past for F1 and cricket. Less so for football as I have little interest in watching games on the box that are of little or no relevance to OUFC.

I’ll be surprised and disappointed if season ticket holders, who relinquished their rights to refunds under the very short and poorly advertised refund window, aren’t given free access to view the games.

But, as I’m looking forward to some cricket and F1 in the coming months, I’ll go for Now TV anyway, and I note that the monthly Sky Sports Pass on Now TV is presently on offer at £25 per month for 3 months (normally £33.99).

Not sure I’m going to bother with a cardboard cutout of myself at £25. Seems a bit of a rip off.

Wembley seems pointless for hosting play off finals, and it must cost a small fortune to hire out. Surely Sky would be happy with Villa Park or Hillsborough for the finals. I can’t see how an empty Wembley would add to the TV spectacle.

The government today have said it hopes to have fans attending matches at the start of next season. They haven’t said when they expect the season to start, but I reckon there is little chance of fans being allowed to attend for some time yet.
recordmeister
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Re: Playoffs

Post by recordmeister »

So my take on it - and this is interesting for the way Oxford play - is that it’s much better to run at rusty teams and get free kicks and pens, and possible cards, than it is to ‘shoot on sight’
slappy
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Re: Playoffs

Post by slappy »

OtmoorYellow wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:12 pm I’ve used Now TV in the past for F1 and cricket. Less so for football as I have little interest in watching games on the box that are of little or no relevance to OUFC.

I’ll be surprised and disappointed if season ticket holders, who relinquished their rights to refunds under the very short and poorly advertised refund window, aren’t given free access to view the games.

But, as I’m looking forward to some cricket and F1 in the coming months, I’ll go for Now TV anyway, and I note that the monthly Sky Sports Pass on Now TV is presently on offer at £25 per month for 3 months (normally £33.99).

Not sure I’m going to bother with a cardboard cutout of myself at £25. Seems a bit of a rip off.

Wembley seems pointless for hosting play off finals, and it must cost a small fortune to hire out. Surely Sky would be happy with Villa Park or Hillsborough for the finals. I can’t see how an empty Wembley would add to the TV spectacle.

The government today have said it hopes to have fans attending matches at the start of next season. They haven’t said when they expect the season to start, but I reckon there is little chance of fans being allowed to attend for some time yet.
I agree the time scale for choosing season ticket refunds was short, however there was always the option of refund, donate, or hold over to 2020/21 renewals. Play-offs are always paid for on top of season tickets, and as these are on Sky, I think that overrides any option of the club showing them in UK on IFollow (whether free or paid, for season ticket holders or anyone else). Perhaps Sky will choose to make these free to view?
ty cobb
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Re: Playoffs

Post by ty cobb »

How about a month's now tv sports pass for free for those who refuse to pay to watch TV??

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/free-n ... ss-3488250
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