Grand final attendance doom and gloom thread.

[Dallas Mead]

Ok I’ll start.  

I’m going as a non-neutral neutral Wire fan so my attendance guess is 55,000 with lots of words used post match from the following list:

Farce

Leigh

Toronto

Dying game

Rimmer

M62

 

Enjoy the event guys!

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Catalans by 2 points 

[Eddie]

Does anyone know how many tickets have been sold so far? 55k would be respectable imho, considering one of the teams’ fans can’t easily travel here.  
 

How many other regional sports in Europe would draw a crowd like that? In fact other than football and the odd Union game is there any club game in Europe that could get close? 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

What was the attendance of the Challenge Cup Final? 
I think the Grand Final attendance will be higher than that despite the Final having an overseas team in it. 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

To be fair other than a couple of thousand less behind the sticks at the Catalans end, the stadium map looks pretty much the same as it always does at this stage - plenty of the corner and expensive seats left, which miraculously get snapped up by match day. I agree it definitely won't be over 55k, because the top tier behind the sticks at Catalans end, 2nd and 3rd tier of the main stand and the off camera corner seating all looked to be closed currently. My optimistic estimate is 52,000. My more pessimistic guess is around 45,000. Really hoping a strong 2-3k Dragons fans can get congregated together, that will really help the atmosphere!  

[hunsletgreenandgold]

29 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

What was the attendance of the Challenge Cup Final? 
I think the Grand Final attendance will be higher than that despite the Final having an overseas team in it. 

40,000, but bear in mind it could only have ever been 45,000 max due to restrictions. 

[Wanderer]

I was wondering where this thread was hiding

[M j M]

Aim should be for the entire lower bowl to be sold out, but it doesn't look like they'll achieve that unfortunately.

[M j M]

Our old favourite the "selling every other row" has reappeared at the Catalan end, and even that isn't doing great - looking at this remember that the blue aren't sold and, presumably, the complete grey lines in between aren't even going to be put on sale.

While I'm here can I also say how much I hate this version of the ticketing website. Tried to choose specific seats on my phone and it was almost impossible so had to wait until I was in front of a desktop to book (in the Catalan end, of course ).

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, M j M said:

Our old favourite the "selling every other row" has reappeared at the Catalan end, and even that isn't doing great - looking at this remember that the blue aren't sold and, presumably, the complete grey lines in between aren't even going to be put on sale.

While I'm here can I also say how much I hate this version of the ticketing website. Tried to choose specific seats on my phone and it was almost impossible so had to wait until I was in front of a desktop to book (in the Catalan end, of course ).

On the plus side, there are a lot of grey seats there that have sold, and there’s still 5 days to go. The weather forecast is looking better than it did last week too. 

[M j M]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

On the plus side, there are a lot of grey seats there that have sold, and there’s still 5 days to go. The weather forecast is looking better than it did last week too. 

The problem is we don't really know if grey = sold or grey = not put on sale. I suspect a fair bit of the latter unfortunately.

Given this fundamental uncertainty compared to previous seat-watching extravaganzas I think the best thing to do is forget about it entirely, encourage anyone you know to get there for an historic evening and then just wait for Saturday

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, M j M said:

The problem is we don't really know if grey = sold or grey = not put on sale. I suspect a fair bit of the latter unfortunately.

Given this fundamental uncertainty compared to previous seat-watching extravaganzas I think the best thing to do is forget about it entirely, encourage anyone you know to get there for an historic evening and then just wait for Saturday

Well there’s 4 of us going from Norfolk, and none of the other three have ever been to a RL game before so I’m trying. I just hope there’s a decent atmosphere and a close match to keep them entertained. 

[Scubby]

For once, I really don't give a #### There will be enough in attendance to make it a great event. Catalans fans cannot travel how they would like and it will be a different atmosphere for that no doubt. I can't wait.

[gingerjon]

Most people realise that Catalans fans won't be able to travel at all and that there's enough going on in the world to mean not too many neutrals might fancy the trip.

The financial hit could be problematic but nobody in the outside world is going to condemn RL for a low to middling crowd after a fuel shortage and during an ongoing pandemic.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

Just on the point of Catalans fans travelling, is it difficult because the French have the UK on some form of 'red list'? As far as I can see we don't have France on our red list and now the amber list has also been scrapped i'm just trying to understand what obstacles there are? 

[David Shepherd]

It'll all be Featherstone's fault. 

[barnyia]

I'd best book my tickets! Four hour drive to Limoges with wife and our  two boys ,to fly Friday morning, quick stop over in Wiggin to see my parents then  back Sunday and with a bit off luck a stop off in Toulouse for the championship final, 

[M j M]

3 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Just on the point of Catalans fans travelling, is it difficult because the French have the UK on some form of 'red list'? As far as I can see we don't have France on our red list and now the amber list has also been scrapped i'm just trying to understand what obstacles there are? 

No restrictions for us entering France if vaccinated but even if they are jabbed they need to do lateral flows after entry to the UK (which for most will be after they return home!). Plus passenger locator forms in both directions. The admin is a burden and stress if you've not done it before, which most people won't have done.

Catalans official packages included the testing in the price which will have saved some of that worry.

[barnyia]

2 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Just on the point of Catalans fans travelling, is it difficult because the French have the UK on some form of 'red list'? As far as I can see we don't have France on our red list and now the amber list has also been scrapped i'm just trying to understand what obstacles there are? 

No it's easier for you to get into France than for us to get into the UK, no tests needed in France if vaccinated, just a locator form, the second day tests for us four is twice the price of the flights and drive to Limoges! 

[johnh1]

Well I am on my way from Gran Canaria and I will be bringing 4 others with me to the game. So there will be at least 5 of us in the Catalans end.

[barnyia]

1 minute ago, M j M said:

No restrictions for us entering France if vaccinated but even if they are jabbed they need to do lateral flows after entry to the UK (which for most will be after they return home!). Plus passenger locator forms in both directions. The admin is a burden and stress if you've not done it before, which most people won't have done.

Catalans official packages included the testing in the price which will have saved some of that worry.

Plus all the forms and testing company websites are in English, but then again they all should know how to read and speak the queen's English if they're flying to England!

[Eddie]

7 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Just on the point of Catalans fans travelling, is it difficult because the French have the UK on some form of 'red list'? As far as I can see we don't have France on our red list and now the amber list has also been scrapped i'm just trying to understand what obstacles there are? 

Flights, petrol, covid. 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Catalans by 2 points 

It will be an emphatic victory for Saints, maybe the margin may not be as wide as last Thursday's game, but I expect close to 20 points difference o  the scoreboard. 

I would have backed Leeds against Catalan last week if that is how the fixtures would have fallen.

[DavidM]

What an original thread 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

59 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

40,000, but bear in mind it could only have ever been 45,000 max due to restrictions. 

It’s a bit irrelevant the capacity was restricted to 45,000 if only 40,000 bought tickets