So I phoned the RFL ticket office (ref: Olympic Stadium). Brace yourselves

[JohnM 5,479]

There is just not enough time, money and newsprint  for LE and RLW jto cover forum members' visceral dislike of anything and everything the RFL does or doesn't do

[GeordieSaint 4,949]

There is just not enough time, money and newsprint for LE and RLW jto cover forum members' visceral dislike of anything and everything the RFL does or doesn't do

I presume you are happy with the situation and there is no room for improvement despite these issues being evident time and time again?

[GeordieSaint 4,949]

As much as I enjoy RLW they never really tackle tough issues like this, they did a piece a few issues back on the late organisation of 4N but it read more like an RFL press release. I'd love them to really fire into the likes of big Nigel and portray his and the RFL's incompetence in issues like this, but they don't.

See my comments at the end of the below thread on the 4N article

http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=285935#entry3351776

I've not seen the article unfortunately but from your and Dave T's analysis, it doesn't look like it holds the RFL to account... disappointing.

[Johnoco 5,371]

There is just not enough time, money and newsprint  for LE and RLW jto cover forum members' visceral dislike of anything and everything the RFL does or doesn't do

The England team for the 4N, could quite feasibly win. (Not saying they will obvs)

The tournament should be have been promoted to the max and on the way to full houses. As it stands it's heading for low crowds and less interest since it began in this country. You may find that acceptable since 2004 but I don't. Saying so doesn't make you an awkward negative Nigel, it means you are concerned. WTF is it that they are doing these people running the game?

I don't want anyone tarred and feathered, just a few answers.

[shaun mc 811]

The RFL has paid leaders who should be leading - on this they are not

If their hands are tied by Club Chairmen or by no funds for marketing, then lets gets some investigation into it, and look at what the solutions are, and let the leaders admit it

i'm sure all are working hard at Red Hall, but they are not leading and shouting the 4N from the rooftops, just bumbling along

 

John M mentioned covering what forum members are bringing up on here and answering them. Well apart from here and to a little extent the letters pages of LE - where exactly are the main points being debated? (the exception being Red Halls closed rooms).

There are a lot of intelligent, thoughtful and concerned members on here, concerned it seems about the direction of the game they care about, but its being glossed over and left to its own devices 

[BenGilesRL 297]

Sorry I don't get it - if you want to go buy tickets best that are available.

If you want to be picky and risk not going at all then you obviously don't want to go as much as you appear to be saying you do.

You'll be able to see the game wherever you are and will enjoy it, and will support the team - just get some tickets.

I would also hazard a guess that the others of the group aren't as bothered where they sit either - they just want to go - and you want to go, so get some tickets. Simples.

[Johnoco 5,371]

Sorry I don't get it - if you want to go buy tickets best that are available.

If you want to be picky and risk not going at all then you obviously don't want to go as much as you appear to be saying you do.

You'll be able to see the game wherever you are and will enjoy it, and will support the team - just get some tickets.

I would also hazard a guess that the others of the group aren't as bothered where they sit either - they just want to go - and you want to go, so get some tickets. Simples.

Wrong. It ain't Glastonbury where simply getting a ticket is the be all and end all. 

 

Who is realistically going to buy a ticket for a game where getting in is the main criteria? England WC? Euros? 6N?

 

RL is none of those and shouldn't be making life difficult for someone who might quite fancy watching a game of RL for the first time and fancies sitting in seat X. 

[deluded pom? 6,432]

Sorry I don't get it - if you want to go buy tickets best that are available.

If you want to be picky and risk not going at all then you obviously don't want to go as much as you appear to be saying you do.

You'll be able to see the game wherever you are and will enjoy it, and will support the team - just get some tickets.

I would also hazard a guess that the others of the group aren't as bothered where they sit either - they just want to go - and you want to go, so get some tickets. Simples.

Will you be buying/have you bought tickets Ben or do you have a media pass?

[gingerjon 7,748]

At last..a common sense solution!

 

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/browse/rugby-league-catid-695/sport-rid-10004

 

Links to a partner site. And the point remains about the RFL not using the available set-up for the stadiums they've hired.

 

But, still, please put something in italics ... then some dots ... then something about keyboard warriors never happy this forum the RFL must be awful because said so nur nur you must know better

[gingerjon 7,748]

Sorry I don't get it - if you want to go buy tickets best that are available.

 

But, as said, and I'm sorry you missed this bit as it's only been repeated on every page, every time for these games the early buyers end up getting tickets they don't really want in areas they'd rather not be at prices that are higher than are available nearer the kick off (by which time those areas they did really want have usually been opened up).

 

You might also have missed the part - repeated multiple times again - where the system glitches, where the system tells you price points and sections are sold out when we know half the ground is available, and where the system itself is user-unfriendly compared to most events.

 

And, finally, you've obviously missed the part where we're saying that as RL fans we're the most likely group to let this all slide and turn up anyway - if I go I'll be buying my ticket the day before and be glad to go - but the distinct lack of promotion, the system failures and the erratic pricing will sure as eggs is eggs put off a lot of the more casual sports fans who might have been interested in coming along.

[deluded pom? 6,432]

Sorry I don't get it - if you want to go buy tickets best that are available.

If you want to be picky and risk not going at all then you obviously don't want to go as much as you appear to be saying you do.

You'll be able to see the game wherever you are and will enjoy it, and will support the team - just get some tickets.

I would also hazard a guess that the others of the group aren't as bothered where they sit either - they just want to go - and you want to go, so get some tickets. Simples.

As a journalist Ben surely even you understand the meaning of patronising.

[deluded pom? 6,432]

Sorry I don't get it - if you want to go buy tickets best that are available.

If you want to be picky and risk not going at all then you obviously don't want to go as much as you appear to be saying you do.

You'll be able to see the game wherever you are and will enjoy it, and will support the team - just get some tickets.

I would also hazard a guess that the others of the group aren't as bothered where they sit either - they just want to go - and you want to go, so get some tickets. Simples.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-giles-509b4150

So that's an example of your marketing and creative problem solving skills!!!

Edited October 2, 2016 by deluded pom?

[deluded pom? 6,432]

Double post.

Edited October 2, 2016 by deluded pom?

[roughyed8 103]

Links to a partner site. And the point remains about the RFL not using the available set-up for the stadiums they've hired.

But, still, please put something in italics ... then some dots ... then something about keyboard warriors never happy this forum the RFL must be awful because said so nur nur you must know better

It takes you to the RFL Eticket site which is rubbish I spent 20 mins trying to buy tickets for Eng v NZ and kept getting kicked out when trying to pay, eventually had to ring the dedicated ticketline to buy them, as well as the transaction fee it cost me an extra £3.50 on my mobile bill for ringing them Edited October 2, 2016 by roughyed8

[shaun mc 811]

But, as said, and I'm sorry you missed this bit as it's only been repeated on every page, every time for these games the early buyers end up getting tickets they don't really want in areas they'd rather not be at prices that are higher than are available nearer the kick off (by which time those areas they did really want have usually been opened up).

 

You might also have missed the part - repeated multiple times again - where the system glitches, where the system tells you price points and sections are sold out when we know half the ground is available, and where the system itself is user-unfriendly compared to most events.

 

And, finally, you've obviously missed the part where we're saying that as RL fans we're the most likely group to let this all slide and turn up anyway - if I go I'll be buying my ticket the day before and be glad to go - but the distinct lack of promotion, the system failures and the erratic pricing will sure as eggs is eggs put off a lot of the more casual sports fans who might have been interested in coming along.

And then you receive an email from the RFL telling you its sold out - except it isn't as you can still buy tickets in the area they describe as sold out 2 days later

Edited October 2, 2016 by shaun mc

[Dave T 11,818]

But, as said, and I'm sorry you missed this bit as it's only been repeated on every page, every time for these games the early buyers end up getting tickets they don't really want in areas they'd rather not be at prices that are higher than are available nearer the kick off (by which time those areas they did really want have usually been opened up).

You might also have missed the part - repeated multiple times again - where the system glitches, where the system tells you price points and sections are sold out when we know half the ground is available, and where the system itself is user-unfriendly compared to most events.

And, finally, you've obviously missed the part where we're saying that as RL fans we're the most likely group to let this all slide and turn up anyway - if I go I'll be buying my ticket the day before and be glad to go - but the distinct lack of promotion, the system failures and the erratic pricing will sure as eggs is eggs put off a lot of the more casual sports fans who might have been interested in coming along.

i think that just about sums it up!

[BenGilesRL 297]

Wrong. It ain't Glastonbury where simply getting a ticket is the be all and end all. 

 

Who is realistically going to buy a ticket for a game where getting in is the main criteria? England WC? Euros? 6N?

 

RL is none of those and shouldn't be making life difficult for someone who might quite fancy watching a game of RL for the first time and fancies sitting in seat X. 

 

It is - because it's theatre - and if you're not there you're not there - like the MPG. I wish I had been there but I wasn't, so that's that.

 

Will you be buying/have you bought tickets Ben or do you have a media pass?

 

Got mine buddy - for that one and Eng NZ - travelling from Plymouth for both as usual. Fingers crossed for the biggest results of the year.

 

But, as said, and I'm sorry you missed this bit as it's only been repeated on every page, every time for these games the early buyers end up getting tickets they don't really want in areas they'd rather not be at prices that are higher than are available nearer the kick off (by which time those areas they did really want have usually been opened up).

 

You might also have missed the part - repeated multiple times again - where the system glitches, where the system tells you price points and sections are sold out when we know half the ground is available, and where the system itself is user-unfriendly compared to most events.

 

And, finally, you've obviously missed the part where we're saying that as RL fans we're the most likely group to let this all slide and turn up anyway - if I go I'll be buying my ticket the day before and be glad to go - but the distinct lack of promotion, the system failures and the erratic pricing will sure as eggs is eggs put off a lot of the more casual sports fans who might have been interested in coming along.

 

That's great you will be going anyway - I guess you will have to wait and see if you are on a corner because you waited and they never opened the top tier, or in the top tier. I don't care where I sit to the extent I might not go - I just feel better when I have my tickets because I'm desperate to be there. Maybe that's just me

[gingerjon 7,748]

It is - because it's theatre - and if you're not there you're not there - like the MPG. I wish I had been there but I wasn't, so that's that.

Got mine buddy - for that one and Eng NZ - travelling from Plymouth for both as usual. Fingers crossed for the biggest results of the year.

That's great you will be going anyway - I guess you will have to wait and see if you are on a corner because you waited and they never opened the top tier, or in the top tier. I don't care where I sit to the extent I might not go - I just feel better when I have my tickets because I'm desperate to be there. Maybe that's just me

I'm having to wait because I don't know if I'll be able to go. Nothing to do with waiting for tickets on this occasion.

[Kenilworth Tiger 1,306]

I don't care where I sit to the extent I might not go - I just feel better when I have my tickets because I'm desperate to be there. Maybe that's just me

Exactly how I feel

[Scubby 9,803]

That's great you will be going anyway - I guess you will have to wait and see if you are on a corner because you waited and they never opened the top tier, or in the top tier. I don't care where I sit to the extent I might not go - I just feel better when I have my tickets because I'm desperate to be there. Maybe that's just me

 

If someone can't go to a major RL international in a 60k London stadium because the RFL won't open the top tier (and want to cap it at 25k FFS) who has really got the problem here? I'm a customer not on a six-figure salary paid for by the game making these sort of strategy calls.

[BenGilesRL 297]

If someone can't go to a major RL international in a 60k London stadium because the RFL won't open the top tier (and want to cap it at 25k FFS) who has really got the problem here? I'm a customer not on a six-figure salary paid for by the game making these sort of strategy calls.

 

Unfortunately this needs to be reworded, as it's not a case of 'can't' it's a case of 'won't'

[Scubby 9,803]

Unfortunately this needs to be reworded, as it's not a case of 'can't' it's a case of 'won't'

 

That is a pretty ridiculous assertion towards someone who has attended upwards of 40 internationals on both sides of the world in the last 15 years. 

 

I think you need to re-read this thread. We will be there anyway FFS. It is the 1000s of casual sports fans will look at this and think "small time". Will have gone last year and thought "it was great 44k there, now Australia, why the hell is half the stadium unavailable?". It is people wanting to buy a £50 ticket and being told by the system it is sold out when 35k stadium seats are still available. Jesus!

[deluded pom? 6,432]

I've already booked tickets for Coventry, the OP and Liverpool. Others want to sit elsewhere in a 50,000 plus stadium than where the seats are currently available. I had exactly the same issues last year with the England v New Zealand game at the OP. Bully for you Ben if you're happy to sit anywhere. I and others obviously are not. Loyalty is an overrated virtue. Blind loyalty even more so. Donkeys are well known for being loyal.

[deluded pom? 6,432]

That is a pretty ridiculous assertion towards someone who has attended upwards of 40 internationals on both sides of the world in the last 15 years.

Oh dear. Ben is now going down the 'holier than thou' path.

[Scubby 9,803]

I've already booked tickets for Coventry, the OP and Liverpool. Others want to sit elsewhere in a 50,000 plus stadium than where the seats are currently available. I had exactly the same issues last year with the England v New Zealand game at the OP. Bully for you Ben if you're happy to sit anywhere. I and others obviously are not. Loyalty is an overrated virtue. Blind loyalty even more so. Donkeys are well known for being loyal.

 

Well it's already started. Congrats to those of you who have already shelled out £45 or £50 for top seats. They really test RL fans loyalties.

 

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/gl-the-rugby-football-league-4

 

These will crank up from 20% no doubt and there will be top priced half price seats (probably in the top tier on the half way line) rolling along in the next few weeks. Do they honestly think fans are mugs?