Blue Seats and Missed Signals: Why the Forest Tie Isn’t Filling the Dot Com

There’s a line doing the rounds this week that sums up the mood around Swansea City’s upcoming Carabao Cup tie against Nottingham Forest: “More blue seats showing than the Cardiff City Stadium.” It’s sharp, it’s visual, and it’s depressingly accurate and of course relation to the use of the colour blue to indicate an available seat for the tie.

Anyone who’s logged into the ticketing site recently will have seen the same thing: a sea of unclaimed seats, a midweek fixture that’s struggling to sell, and a fanbase that, despite signs of life, still hasn’t fully reconnected.

On paper, this should be a draw. Premier League opposition under the lights, a chance to test ourselves against top-flight talent, and a cup run that could build momentum. But the reality is more nuanced. Nottingham Forest arrive in SA1 with one eye on Europe and both feet planted firmly in their Premier League campaign. Sandwiched between two crucial league fixtures and a return to continental competition, this is almost certain to be a second-string Forest side. The glamour fades quickly when the names on the teamsheet don’t match the badge.

And that’s part of the problem. Supporters aren’t just buying a ticket, they’re buying into a moment. If the moment feels diluted, the pull weakens. Forest’s rotated XI might still be strong, but it won’t carry the same weight. For many Swans fans, the question isn’t “Can we win?” It’s “Is it worth going?”

That question echoes the themes explored in last week’s article on the subject of crowds laid bare the slow erosion of matchday culture. Covid broke the rhythm. TV scheduling broke the routine. Flat football broke the feeling. And now, even with a transfer window that showed intent and a squad that’s starting to gel, the crowd remains cautious.

This fixture exposes that caution. It’s not just about the opponent. It’s about timing, pricing, and emotional investment. A Wednesday night game, live on Sky, with adult tickets priced at £20 and no cashback incentives, is a hard sell. Families are doing the maths. £85 for a family of five versus watching from the sofa. The sofa wins.

Add to that the recent ticketing problems, and the frustration compounds. Fans have reported glitches, failed payments, and login issues that turn a simple purchase into a chore. Try once, try twice, and it’s very easy to decide that trying is more trouble than it’s worth. When the process itself becomes a barrier, even the most loyal supporters start to hesitate. The club’s digital infrastructure needs to match its ambition, or risk losing fans before they even reach the turnstile.

And yet, the club has made strides. The summer window wasn’t just busy, it was brave. Signings with purpose, exits that made sense, and a manager who seems to understand the assignment. That deserves backing. But backing isn’t automatic. It has to be earned, fixture by fixture, performance by performance.

The Forest tie could have been a statement. Instead, it risks becoming a symptom. A symptom of a crowd still in recovery, still weighing its options, still unsure whether the buzz is back. The East Stand will sing, as it always does. But the echo from the rest of the ground might be louder.

There’s also a broader question here about how the club markets these moments. The messaging around the fixture has been functional, not emotional. Ticketing details, booking windows, mascot packages, it’s all there. But where’s the story? Where’s the sense of occasion? Where’s the reminder that cup nights under the lights used to mean something?

Supporters respond to narrative. They want to feel part of something. If the club wants to rebuild the crowd, it needs to sell the experience, not just the seat. That means clearer communication, smarter incentives, and a matchday that feels like an event, not just a transaction.

The Forest fixture won’t define the season. But it does offer a snapshot. A snapshot of where we are, what’s changed, and what still needs work. The club has laid the bricks. Now it needs to build the buzz.

Because when the dot com is full, when the East Stand is bouncing, when the crowd believes again, this club becomes something more than just a team. It becomes a movement. And that’s what we’re still waiting to see.