Grand final - will it be full?

[Mr Frisky]

9 minutes ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

Do you ever post about any of your own experiences old man??

Regularly lad.

Been a bit sparse over lockdown but been to a few SL games this year and the CC final and the usual games you laugh at (thats league 1 where I'm heading tomorrow).

Been last 3 World Cups (supported your team at a few matches and made some good friends from lads from the South of Scotland)and used to be a Roosters member when I lived in Oz for a few years and go and watch them when ever I'm over.

Just amazing how more and more on here are sussing you don't actually follow RL or go to games...

[Kirmonds pouch]

On 09/09/2021 at 20:54, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I've booked my tickets.

Will it sell out/nearly sell out as usual?  Imagine if Catalan got a new name on the trophy in front of a great crowd and France vs England is competitive in decent French crowd it would be a good end to a difficult year 

What do we think? 

But it’s not France v England is it. RL fans see what they want to see. Catalan depend massively on NRL and English talent, whilst few of there actual French players are of International quality.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

As for the crowd. If The final has a mix of either Saints, Warrington, Leeds or Wigan it will probably be near capacity.

Catalan fans will do their best I’m sure but 5,000 would be the max I suspect. No shame in that as Manchester is a long way away, it is next door for the other clubs.

[dkw]

11 hours ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

Dream on son. Have been to far more grand finals than you!

(Because I follow the game in general, not just the local team from my village) 

Thinking about - I have spent thousands of euros attending Grand Finals alone.... Never mind regular matches, internationals etc. Flights/hotels etc .... Not just walking down 1 street in Cumbria.

You've never been to a Rugby League game in your life. The evidence is there in literally everything you write on here, it's a whole new level of being wrong. 

[The Frying Scotsman]

18 minutes ago, dkw said:

You've never been to a Rugby League game in your life. The evidence is there in literally everything you write on here, it's a whole new level of being wrong. 

Jog on son. You have absolutely no idea. 

[Cheshire Setter]

Anyway, back on topic….

If it’s two local teams in the final - 45k at most would be my guess.

If it’s Cats in the final, I’d put it closer to 30k unless there’s some sort of special late deal available to encourage people to attend.

Might sound like a bit of a gloomy prediction, but I’m just being a realist. Looking at the hype surrounding Raducanu’s tennis victory I can only wonder what opportunity we’ve lost by not staging a World Cup to boost the game’s presence in the British mindset. Next year no one will care or even know about RL. 

[Mr Frisky]

15 minutes ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Anyway, back on topic….

If it’s two local teams in the final - 45k at most would be my guess.

If it’s Cats in the final, I’d put it closer to 30k unless there’s some sort of special late deal available to encourage people to attend.

Might sound like a bit of a gloomy prediction, but I’m just being a realist. Looking at the hype surrounding Raducanu’s tennis victory I can only wonder what opportunity we’ve lost by not staging a World Cup to boost the game’s presence in the British mindset. Next year no one will care or even know about RL. 

I think 45k is the minimum, and that's if Cats make it and, as has been said in here already - that won't look bad on TV so I'd be happy with that.

One poster said Cats fans restricted by the distance to Manchester without considering the French/UK covid restrictions and RL fans current attitude to attending games.

If Cats don't make it i would expect around 55k given Covid attitudes - that would be a great effort. If we count the Flyingscotsman cardboard cut out (as he hates SL) then we could say 55k + 1

[Cheshire Setter]

1 minute ago, Mr Frisky said:

If Cats don't make it i would expect around 55k given Covid attitudes - that would be a great effort. If we count the Flyingscotsman cardboard cut out (as he hates SL) then we could say 55k + 1

I attended my first game for two years yesterday. It was the final home game of a good season for Warrington, and an important send-off for a lot of our long-serving players, coaches and backroom staff. There were only 7000 there. I remember only 10 years ago us getting 7000 for a televised cup game against lower league opposition.

I hope you're right about 55k, but I just get the feeling there's going to be a bit of apathy from neutrals over attending the final. COVID seems to have created a 'meh' attitude over getting out and doing things in the real world unless it's really necessary. I don't think it's anything to do with fear of catching a virus, I think it's just that we've become used to staying indoors in a bubble and living life through the TV or internet.

Anyway, as I say, I hope I'm wrong and you're right and the current attendances are not a predictor of the grand final.

[Gooleboy]

10 hours ago, Johnoco said:

I didn’t go to the GF where James played. IIRC it was the Ben Flower one?

But I do remember it as my bed was on fire with passionate love and the neighbours were complaining about the noise from above.

Straight up.

Who was using your bed while you watched the match?

[dkw]

11 hours ago, Johnoco said:

I didn’t go to the GF where James played. IIRC it was the Ben Flower one?

But I do remember it as my bed was on fire with passionate love and the neighbours were complaining about the noise from above.

Straight up.

But was she on top? That's the important question...

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

3 hours ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

But it’s not France v England is it. RL fans see what they want to see. Catalan depend massively on NRL and English talent, whilst few of there actual French players are of International quality.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

As for the crowd. If The final has a mix of either Saints, Warrington, Leeds or Wigan it will probably be near capacity.

Catalan fans will do their best I’m sure but 5,000 would be the max I suspect. No shame in that as Manchester is a long way away, it is next door for the other clubs.

Huh? What bubble are you bursting? 

[Dave T]

2 hours ago, Cheshire Setter said:

I attended my first game for two years yesterday. It was the final home game of a good season for Warrington, and an important send-off for a lot of our long-serving players, coaches and backroom staff. There were only 7000 there. I remember only 10 years ago us getting 7000 for a televised cup game against lower league opposition.

I hope you're right about 55k, but I just get the feeling there's going to be a bit of apathy from neutrals over attending the final. COVID seems to have created a 'meh' attitude over getting out and doing things in the real world unless it's really necessary. I don't think it's anything to do with fear of catching a virus, I think it's just that we've become used to staying indoors in a bubble and living life through the TV or internet.

Anyway, as I say, I hope I'm wrong and you're right and the current attendances are not a predictor of the grand final.

The crowd was really poor yesterday, but so was the event. I don't often criticise Wire for their organisation, but it was a very low-key event. 

I took my daughter for her first ever game (partly because I knew it would be a low crowd), and after I asked her whether she enjoyed it, she said yes, but was sad there was no singing, dancers or wolfie. I'd shown her the 'behind the scenes' videos on YouTube when asking her if she wanted to come. 

It was a lesson in going through the motions, by the club, players and coaches, and they get the crowd they deserve. 

I know Saturday afternoon isn't a great day for RL, but it could easily be turned into a positive family day as so few games or on during the afternoon nowadays. 

[Cheshire Setter]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

I know Saturday afternoon isn't a great day for RL, but it could easily be turned into a positive family day as so few games or on during the afternoon nowadays. 

Yes, I was a bit surprised by the lack of an entertainment package. I'd assumed the club were minimising costs whilst gates remain low. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I do remember how great the atmosphere was in the mid-2000s when the on-field product from the top clubs like Bradford was all about champagne rugby and flair. Also summer afternoons, with lots of novelty stuff pre-match such as barbecues and beer tents and bands. In the 2010s we seemed to move away from that, at the same time losing the on-field novelty of throwing the ball about.

[ELBOWSEYE]

4 hours ago, Dave T said:

The crowd was really poor yesterday, but so was the event. I don't often criticise Wire for their organisation, but it was a very low-key event. 

I took my daughter for her first ever game (partly because I knew it would be a low crowd), and after I asked her whether she enjoyed it, she said yes, but was sad there was no singing, dancers or wolfie. I'd shown her the 'behind the scenes' videos on YouTube when asking her if she wanted to come. 

It was a lesson in going through the motions, by the club, players and coaches, and they get the crowd they deserve. 

I know Saturday afternoon isn't a great day for RL, but it could easily be turned into a positive family day as so few games or on during the afternoon nowadays. 

If you break down the crowd against saints 10k, and deduct a reasonable estimate of saints fans the crowd wouldn't be that much different from Salfords game, I agree with you a club going through the motions of getting this season done and hoping for a fresh start next season. 

[Dave T]

7 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

If you break down the crowd against saints 10k, and deduct a reasonable estimate of saints fans the crowd wouldn't be that much different from Salfords game, I agree with you a club going through the motions of getting this season done and hoping for a fresh start next season. 

The South Stand was very empty yesterday, although there were more in the seats using the family tickets, so maybe it was just a bit of a shift around the ground. I expected around 6k to be announced tbh. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

It will be interesting to see how the play offs hold up (Usually very poor) anyway regardless lets all rally round the cause:)

 

Paul

[Dave T]

2 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

It will be interesting to see how the play offs hold up (Usually very poor) anyway regardless lets all rally round the cause:)

 

Paul

I expect they will be broadly in line with other years (rubbish as you say!). 

I think something I've struggled with is not knowing the format, dates, match days, and tbh until recently even followed that it was a 6 team playoff.

I know it is as it was from the start, but this whole win % thing makes following the table a bit difficult, so I don't bother. 

And then with the call offs and random scheduling it's hard to know what round we are even in. So I don't bother and just nip onto rugbyleagueontv.com to see what's on Sky, and Wire's site to see who we are playing. 

It means there is no real narrative to the season for me. And I say this as somebody who has enjoyed the rugby when it's been on, and have finally started to get back to the HJ, but it's been a bit of a challenge. 

Hopefully we will get a few crackers in the playoffs and a great Grand Final and finish the season on a high. 

[Scubby]

5 hours ago, Dave T said:

The crowd was really poor yesterday, but so was the event. I don't often criticise Wire for their organisation, but it was a very low-key event. 

I took my daughter for her first ever game (partly because I knew it would be a low crowd), and after I asked her whether she enjoyed it, she said yes, but was sad there was no singing, dancers or wolfie. I'd shown her the 'behind the scenes' videos on YouTube when asking her if she wanted to come. 

It was a lesson in going through the motions, by the club, players and coaches, and they get the crowd they deserve. 

I know Saturday afternoon isn't a great day for RL, but it could easily be turned into a positive family day as so few games or on during the afternoon nowadays. 

In Karl Fitzpatrick and Kris Radlinski you probably get what you pay for.

[ELBOWSEYE]

59 minutes ago, Dave T said:

The South Stand was very empty yesterday, although there were more in the seats using the family tickets, so maybe it was just a bit of a shift around the ground. I expected around 6k to be announced tbh. 

The thing is that the finishes SL are producing are astonishing in lots of games. So if the clubs put some effort they could certainly increase crowds. 

[Dave T]

8 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

The thing is that the finishes SL are producing are astonishing in lots of games. So if the clubs put some effort they could certainly increase crowds. 

It's a silly minor point, but I'd been ill all week and so only decided at 7pm on Friday that I could attend. So I went online to buy tickets, and they had been removed. No trace of them, no idea how to buy them. 

So I spent ages on Saturday morning trying to call them, no answer on most lines. Finally got through (the lady was very helpful - notifying me they had held the pre-purchase prices). 

We then went to the game, spending £76 on tickets, £13 on a flourescent llama Teddy, plus a further £20 on refreshments, which wo ld have been more had the queues not been huge (for a small crowd) and one of them not taking cards. So we spent over a hundred quid, but it was quite difficult to do. Far more difficult than going to the cinema, or soft play, or bowling etc. 

[Northern Eel]

4 hours ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Yes, I was a bit surprised by the lack of an entertainment package. I'd assumed the club were minimising costs whilst gates remain low. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I do remember how great the atmosphere was in the mid-2000s when the on-field product from the top clubs like Bradford was all about champagne rugby and flair. Also summer afternoons, with lots of novelty stuff pre-match such as barbecues and beer tents and bands. In the 2010s we seemed to move away from that, at the same time losing the on-field novelty of throwing the ball about.

Happy to stand corrected, but much of the razzmatazz is still not allowed. That said, there’s still some stuff can continue. 

[LeeF]

On 10/09/2021 at 20:29, Tommygilf said:

I must admit, Shed 7 and James were a bit "retro"...

Even Blossoms, who are a good band, aren't really a "sport stadium band".

Shed 7 and James who have both released new music over recent years with the latter’s latest album issued in June so I would question them being retro. Their gigs attract a wide age range

[Northern Eel]

8 hours ago, dkw said:

But was she on top? That's the important question...

First 10 minutes, but quite an even affair after that….

[LeeF]

On 10/09/2021 at 22:57, The Frying Scotsman said:

At least I'll be at the game. Which is a lot more than can be said for you. 

 

 

You jetting in for the game as it was only recently you stated you couldn’t watch Sky due to not living in the UK? If you are just popping over for the game then good on you 

[Dave T]

17 minutes ago, LeeF said:

Shed 7 and James who have both released new music over recent years with the latter’s latest album issued in June so I would question them being retro. Their gigs attract a wide age range

I watched both of these at the Neighbourhood Weekendee festival in Warrington last weekend. James were the Saturday night headliner and had a huge audience following them. James were a great choice for the Grand Final, they started this recent indie trend for SL. Unfortunately, the bands after that were all lesser acts, certainly in terms of demand and what kind of anthems they have. 

The likes of Feeder, Shed 7 and the Charlatans are Al good in their own right and I've seen them all, but not really mainstream enough to be a big draw themselves. 

[The Frying Scotsman]

26 minutes ago, LeeF said:

You jetting in for the game as it was only recently you stated you couldn’t watch Sky due to not living in the UK? If you are just popping over for the game then good on you 

Yes, exactly.  As I said, I will be there. 

Travelling over for the game.