Catalans Vs Toulouse. Is there a major final back up if the meet?

[Pie tries]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Yes, we do just need to crack on and accept the variances that this kind of thing brings. 

We can't plan for every eventuality, if we choose OT as the Grand Final venue, we go with that. 

The game last night had 20k fewer than par, but it was a fabulous occasion. 

Correct. Last night was fabulous….wish more people would focus on that…

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

5 minutes ago, Hvy wg said:

Because more isn't best?

40k packed is better than 60 in 90k

It isn’t. 60k at a Final is better than 40k at Final. 

[Hvy wg]

1 minute ago, Saint 1 said:

This is the sort of thinking that led to England playing internationals Vs Aus at DW Stadium. 

Psg play at a 45k stadium, Valencia at 53k, Séville at 43k and I don't think they're doing too bad. You don't NEED a massive stadium.

[Barley Mow]

1 hour ago, Hvy wg said:

Because more isn't best?

40k packed is better than 60 in 90k

Since the SL GF was introduced in 1998 the percentage of old trafford we have filled is:

1998 - 79%, 1999 - 90%, 2000 - 98%, 2001 - 100%, 2002 - 96%, 2003 - 96%, 2004 - 97%, 2005 - 97%, 2006 - 95%, 2007 - 93%, 2008 - 91%, 2009 - 82%, 2010 - 95%, 2011 - 91%, 2012 - 83%, 2013 - 95%, 2014 - 91%, 2015 - 93%, 2016 - 87%, 2017 - 100%, 2018 - 88%, 2019 86%, 2021 - 60%.

Since 98, only this year is anywhere near 40,000 (for reasons discussed elsewhere). The grand final isn't usually being played in front of half (or even three quarter) full stadiums. We usually need a stadium with a capacity well over 60,000 otherwise you are turning fans away.

I accept that if we had another 2 or 3 years with lower crowds we should look at other options, but not yet (hopefully never).

[Futtocks]

I assume everyone who responded to a thread with this title used Google Translate.

[meast]

Maybe if RL fans weren't so insular and negative and got behind the sport as neutrals then there wouldn't be an issue with empty seats anywhere.

Just a thought 

[meast]

1 hour ago, Hvy wg said:

Because more isn't best?

40k packed is better than 60 in 90k

Then we should be looking to get 90k in a 90k stadium surely? Rather than just give up and admit defeat?

[EagleEyePie]

To be fair this isn't a situation unique to Rugby League is it? In the United Rugby Championship (apparently that's what it's called now) where Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Italian and South African teams feature they also have a Grand Final, meaning there's also the chance that the final could feature two teams playing in a different country to their own. In fact there's more of a chance of that happening as they have cities bid to host the event early in the year.

We just need to focus on marketing the game as an event that anyone would enjoy going to, rather than just the fans of the two teams who get there. Was the NFL London game at Tottenham attended by 30,000 Atlanta Falcons fans and 30,000 New York Jets fans? Of course it wasn't. It was attended by 60,000 people who like 60 minutes of action to take 3 goddamn hours. But good for them.

The number one focus for Super League and the RFL is to make the Grand Final and the Challenge Cup the biggest events they can be without even considering which teams might get there.

[Just Browny]

1 hour ago, The Daddy said:

By the way Toulouse v Catalan is the Occitanie derby not the French derby 

Occitanie is in France. I'm always a bit surprised by this desire to claim places in France aren't French. Dual identities can and do exist.

[Barley Mow]

7 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Occitanie is in France. I'm always a bit surprised by this desire to claim places in France aren't French. Dual identities can and do exist.

Additionally Occitanian identity is controversial for some French Catalans who do not consider it to apply to them.

[Mumby Magic]

2 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Well, I'm glad we waited a reasonable amount of time before exploring the negatives of Toulouse being in Super League. 

I wasn't personally. Looking at it the other way tbh. 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

2 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

I don't get why we try to fill enormous stadiums. Let's pick a 40k one and pack it to the gills.

 

 

What an unusual take.

Why not just pack the 75k stadium to the gills like every other year? Why would you want to downsize because of one year?

[Griff]

11 hours ago, PREPOSTEROUS said:

To be fair I thought the thread was a discussion over the contingency to have a stadium in France on standby, which isn't unreasonable in itself, not a whinge about low crowds.

What would you suggest is done about the tickets already sold, given that the finalists might only be known a week before the final?

It's a non-runner for a lot of reasons.

[Eddie]

11 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

I don't get why we try to fill enormous stadiums. Let's pick a 40k one and pack it to the gills.

 

 

Because in a normal year there’d be 25,000 people who couldn’t get a ticket? 

[Gerrumonside ref]

If we are a European Super League then maybe it’s time to consider rotating one of our major events to mainland Europe on a ‘1 year in 5 type basis’.

Perhaps ‘Week-end Magique’ one year to be held at a big stadium in South West France?

Just a thought to test the water there.

 

[Moove]

12 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

Because more isn't best?

40k packed is better than 60 in 90k

Why stop at 40k? Play it at the LSV and really really pack them in. Being able to put the sold out signs up a couple of years in advance would instill a real fear of missing out and would be great publicity for the sport. I can see the headlines now... 'RL so popular the 2035 GF is already sold out!'

I like your thinking 

[Dave T]

13 hours ago, Damien said:

Toulouse in Super League has reignited my enthusiasm for SL next year. French teams add a lot, I don't think it's unfeasible that Catalans and Toulouse will be amongst the richest and best supported, and we need to just accept the rough with the smooth. The bigger picture is so much more positive than worrying about crowds for a final.

Spot on. We need to get to the point ultimately that we shoudn't panic if we get a crowd that brings in £0.5m less than budget. 

We can't micro-manage every eventuality - crowds will go up and down - we need to just do the very best we can - that is the challenge - and at the moment I don't think we can honestly say we are at our best. We need to be focused on the positive things we can do rather than what is effectively risk-management.

[FearTheVee]

14 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

We had 2 major finals this year

Saints v Catalans 45,000

Saints v Cas 40,000

Even you realise that this is nonsense.

The 40k at wembley was at a time when you needed a vaccine passport to attend amidst a pandemic.  How does the 40k compare to other years when you've needed to take those steps to attend Wembley?

The 45k at OT was about where I expected it to be with Catalans in the final and covid still playing a part in people's decision making.  We haven't filled OT for a long while and we were never going to at the weekend.

The one thing I will agree with is that more needs to be done to sell tickets earlier for these events but at the end of the day the people complaining about the crowd tend to be those RL die-hards who watched on TV.  Those of us at the game enjoyed a great atmosphere and a great match.

[PREPOSTEROUS]

5 hours ago, Griff said:

What would you suggest is done about the tickets already sold, given that the finalists might only be known a week before the final?

It's a non-runner for a lot of reasons.

Fair point, free holiday to France may compensate pre-sold attendees!

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

17 hours ago, Mumby Magic said:

Old Trafford and Wembley or should the RL try and reserve a large stadium in their vicinity. Needs thinking of. Let's be proactive rather the reactive.

Just had this with conversation with a bloke at work (southerner not really a RL fan but who always catches the big games on telly) 

I think it would have to be a decent sized soccer stadium in South of France surely

I'd be there for that as quick as you could say Zut Alors! 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

I remember going to Cardiff for Heinekin Cup final between Saracens and Toloun.... Far from full and sh*te atmosphere with  few French it seemed

[idrewthehaggis]

16 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

We had 2 major finals this year

Saints v Catalans 45,000

Saints v Cas 40,000

The common factor - COVID-19.

Random, often symptom free, life changing if not killer disease might have had an impact, don't you think.

If there was an all French final, it would be commonsensical to play it in France, won't it? 

Any thoughts on Magic being held in France? 

[Griff]

2 minutes ago, idrewthehaggis said:

Any thoughts on Magic being held in France? 

Fine - I'd give that a go.

3 minutes ago, idrewthehaggis said:

If there was an all French final, it would be commonsensical to play it in France, won't it?  

No, because you need to decide where the Final will be long before you know who's in it.   You have a week for the Grand Final and maybe a month before the Challenge Cup.   If you're going to play a Final in France, you need to decide that at least a year beforehand.

[Mumby Magic]

5 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Just had this with conversation with a bloke at work (southerner not really a RL fan but who always catches the big games on telly) 

I think it would have to be a decent sized soccer stadium in South of France surely

I'd be there for that as quick as you could say Zut Alors! 

Not googled but I believe there are other footy clubs in the area. Yes we can say it should be at Old Trafford but our game is lacking confidence. Maybe have Toulouse Vs Cats as a season opener and work from there. Maybe even Nou Camp.

[Cheadle Leyther]

On magic weekend next year I presume one of the Toulouse v Catalans derbies will be held in France the same weekend with Thunder v Leigh or Fev. being the replacement match?