Hows ticket sales going for CCF

[dealwithit]

Just watched the replay on Kayo here in Australia. Atmosphere looked and sounded amazing. Epic battle on the pitch too. Positivity breeds confidence, and RL is really lacking in that department —  no thanks to the moaning fans. 

[JonM]

10 hours ago, Dave T said:

So, if we are going off sensible guesswork, probably more neutrals than club supporters 

No way. I would've guessed around half of the crowd in Wigan colours, about the same number of neutrals as Huddersfield fans, and about 3k apiece for Leigh & Fev.

[JonM]

I'm prepared to give the RFL a pass on the lack of promotion for this year's final, as I accept they have limited resources and World Cup has to be top priority for ticket sales.

Seems to me that the CC Final is a much more family friendly event than the Grand Final (late Friday Night) and Magic Weekend (all day drinking). It's on a Saturday afternoon, generally during the school holiday. 

So - maybe the plan for next year's final at Wembley ought to be target junior clubs. The RFL must have the details of every volunteer and every player.  Write to each club - you get a free ticket for each volunteer and each junior player provided you buy at least 10 adult tickets (additional adult & child tickets available at a discount - you get a bigger discount the more you sell - idea should be to be getting mum and/or dad, brothers and sisters, friends etc.) You have to sign up and provide final numbers by end of April (for an August final). Coach travel is your responsibility. If any of the free tickets are found to have been sold on, you're in trouble. The aim is to reward volunteers and encourage kids who play, not to maximise revenue. Selling extra tickets to friends and family should involve some profit for the amateur club as well as the RFL.

Could alternatively do it with Champion Schools and target teachers and school trips, rather than junior clubs. Doesn't have to be the whole game - could try it with a small group one year and see if the experiment works. If the whole game is too much to handle, could pick areas and rotate annually. Or you could target areas - student and girls RL one year. Or just pick a year category - just under-11s say. Somewhere like Cumbria or the North East, it probably has close to zero chance of cannibalising existing sales too.

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

I heard plenty of southern accents in the area of the stadium we were seated, and unfortunately at this moment in time we have to accept that there’s probably only 20-25k floating supporters plus the 2 finalists who will buy tickets, so plenty of work to do in marketing the game to a new audience.

in regards to cost, it’s a dear weekend, cost us about £750 each for 3 nights which included hotel, travel and spends so the reality is this weekend is now financially out of reach for a lot of supporters.

In regards to the day itself, have to say, I enjoyed the experience much more than Wembley, the stadium really is fantastic.

we had no issues getting to and from the stadium and I didn’t think pints and pies were anymore expensive that any other footie stadium 

[meast]

12 hours ago, Dave T said:

Let's be honest here. 51k is nowhere near good enough. Seeing huge banks of empty seats is pathetic. 

What's the answer Dave?

Do the RFL put more effort into marketing the game to non RL fans, specifically in the London/SE metropolis?

Reduced/subsided/free tickets to community clubs, schools, youth clubs etc?

Or do we look to entice more current RL fans to attend the final?

Or is the rot firmly set in now and we accept it?

[Scubby]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

You are spot on.

One thing I've noticed with my current employer is how much of the business is sales and there is a definite acknowledge from the owners/partners that without sales there is no business. This is sorely lacking when it comes to RL and the corporate world.

I know on this forum there are many who come from various backgrounds and there are a lot of views that I really respect. @Dave T alluded to this recently, the RFL just don't pay enough to move in this world. As a result I see much more foresight on here than I ever see from the RFL. I think there is a real lack of necessary skills and experience at the RFL and frankly the whole organisation is lacking. The IMG tie in acknowledges this but the same people still remain at the RFL. All they have done with this move is out source their failings over decades. 

I work in I.T, it's all pure I.T, but it's the sales guys who get the real big money. They get hired for the contacts they bring, often they more or less come with contracts in the bag, and get very well paid. 10% of contracts worth millions on top of everything else. RL can only move in that world if it appoints people from that world and pays them accordingly. Paying sales guys 50k a year just doesn't cut it. Neither does employing career RL people that don't have access to this world.

I have twice now in the last 5-6 years enquired about hospitality for internationals and had no reply. I can't be the only one.

[Toby Chopra]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Potential broadcasters and sponsors probably have significant crossover with "random union fans"...

They do, but we need to engage with these people in their professional capacity, not their personal ones. 

We be giving them a box to show them what their organisation could expect if they come on board. 

Obviously we'd want IMG to manage all these relationships, rather than Ralph and co... 

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I have twice now in the last 5-6 years enquired about hospitality for internationals and had no reply. I can't be the only one.

That beggars belief. It's a disgrace.

[fighting irish]

Not that this was a huge event in the grand scheme of things, because no-one got really hurt but as I stood, with my daughter, to applaud Wigan's cup-acceptance celebrations, with the flame throwers, blue smoke and bunting, someone threw a half full, (plastic) coke bottle (from higher up in the stand) and it hit my arm before crashing to the ground at my feet.

My daughter was mortified.

We were in the front row, on level 5 but if the bottle had gone over the edge and dropped to the much lower levels it would have acquired enough energy to kill someone.

While we are looking for new fans (IMG) can we please make some effort to eliminate the obnoxious amoral morons amongst the existing fanbase? 

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, meast said:

What's the answer Dave?

Do the RFL put more effort into marketing the game to non RL fans, specifically in the London/SE metropolis?

Reduced/subsided/free tickets to community clubs, schools, youth clubs etc?

Or do we look to entice more current RL fans to attend the final?

Or is the rot firmly set in now and we accept it?

Nothing is set in but we do need people who know what they are doing in charge of the objectives. 

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, Toby Chopra said:

They do, but we need to engage with these people in their professional capacity, not their personal ones. 

We be giving them a box to show them what their organisation could expect if they come on board. 

Obviously we'd want IMG to manage all these relationships, rather than Ralph and co... 

Ralph struggles to manage his own wardrobe 

[Northern Eel]

2 hours ago, JonM said:

So - maybe the plan for next year's final at Wembley ought to be target junior clubs. The RFL must have the details of every volunteer and every player.  Write to each club - you get a free ticket for each volunteer and each junior player provided you buy at least 10 adult tickets (additional adult & child tickets available at a discount - you get a bigger discount the more you sell - idea should be to be getting mum and/or dad, brothers and sisters, friends etc.) You have to sign up and provide final numbers by end of April (for an August final). Coach travel is your responsibility. If any of the free tickets are found to have been sold on, you're in trouble. The aim is to reward volunteers and encourage kids who play, not to maximise revenue. Selling extra tickets to friends and family should involve some profit for the amateur club as well as the RFL.

Could alternatively do it with Champion Schools and target teachers and school trips, rather than junior clubs. Doesn't have to be the whole game - could try it with a small group one year and see if the experiment works. If the whole game is too much to handle, could pick areas and rotate annually. Or you could target areas - student and girls RL one year. Or just pick a year category - just under-11s say. Somewhere like Cumbria or the North East, it probably has close to zero chance of cannibalising existing sales too.

The festival at Skolars yesterday morning attracted 33 teams across 20 different clubs. The ticket prices for the cup final were £5 for kids and £15 for adults. It is already dirt cheap. We got a few freebie tickets thrown in on our group booking of 60 tickets. I would imagine there were over 1000 tickets sold for the final involving those teams. 

[Northern Eel]

2 hours ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

I heard plenty of southern accents in the area of the stadium we were seated, and unfortunately at this moment in time we have to accept that there’s probably only 20-25k floating supporters plus the 2 finalists who will buy tickets, so plenty of work to do in marketing the game to a new audience.

in regards to cost, it’s a dear weekend, cost us about £750 each for 3 nights which included hotel, travel and spends so the reality is this weekend is now financially out of reach for a lot of supporters.

In regards to the day itself, have to say, I enjoyed the experience much more than Wembley, the stadium really is fantastic.

we had no issues getting to and from the stadium and I didn’t think pints and pies were anymore expensive that any other footie stadium 

It is expensive if you need to make more than a day of it, or you rely on coach/train travel, you're right.

Our club ran a day trip from North Notts and it worked out at £15 per child and £25 per adult for match ticket and travel as we used the club minibuses. We parked at New River Stadium and took the half-hour walk to Tottenham. It was dead easy getting out at the end, and we were on the M25 within 20 minutes of getting back on the bus. I gather those using public transport found it less easy?

The stadium is magnificent. 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Northern Eel said:

It is expensive if you need to make more than a day of it, or you rely on coach/train travel, you're right.

Our club ran a day trip from North Notts and it worked out at £15 per child and £25 per adult for match ticket and travel as we used the club minibuses. We parked at New River Stadium and took the half-hour walk to Tottenham. It was dead easy getting out at the end, and we were on the M25 within 20 minutes of getting back on the bus. I gather those using public transport found it less easy?

The stadium is magnificent. 

As we were returning to our coaches at the White Hart Lane A10 traffic lights we saw plenty of juniors from Doncaster heading back that way ( Skolars ground is about half a mile further down WHL ) 

[The Future is League]

11 hours ago, RayCee said:

The capacity of the ground according to Wiki is 62,850. For this season THS have averaged 56,500. If those figures are correct, I'm surprised it looked so empty. I assume the 51,000 were for both games and some didn't stay for the second.  Here's a video and it doesn't look to bad IMO. 

 

 

Now it might be interesting to see how the RFL react this crowd figure, Lets not forget that they charged the Catalans £500,000 the following season after they won the cup and still might to enter the cup after in their eyes was a disappointing crowd. Now will they charge Wigan and Huddersfield £500,000 to enter next years cup?

[Spidey]

4 hours ago, Scubby said:

I have twice now in the last 5-6 years enquired about hospitality for internationals and had no reply. I can't be the only one.

I get regular updates on all hospitality so must be on mailing list. It’s quite easy to find info on RFL ticketing website 

[Scubby]

Just now, Spidey said:

I get regular updates on all hospitality so must be on mailing list. It’s quite easy to find info on RFL ticketing website 

Not emails. I have actually completed two website enquiry forms, one for Eng v NZ 2018 and one for Ashes at Tottenham in 2020. I was looking at a box of 8-10 for that game.  Got no reply from either. 

It's not my job to follow up. Seeing a whole side of boxes empty for the cup final shows thjngs haven't improved.

[Padge]

13 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Not emails. I have actually completed two website enquiry forms, one for Eng v NZ 2018 and one for Ashes at Tottenham in 2020. I was looking at a box of 8-10 for that game.  Got no reply from either. 

It's not my job to follow up. Seeing a whole side of boxes empty for the cup final shows thjngs haven't improved.

You have so much bad luck it is untrue.

 

[Scubby]

16 minutes ago, Padge said:

You have so much bad luck it is untrue.

 

I just don't have to do anything else but this through my business usually. We decided on another London event in the end (well, before Covid put paid to that).

As the only RL fan in my company it is often hard work and a hard sell to colleagues. It really shouldn't be hard to be sold to when you show an interest.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Scubby

[Padge]

14 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I just don't have to do anything else but this through my business usually. We decided on another London event in the end (well before Covid happened that March).

As the only RL fan in my company it is often hard work and a hard sell to colleagues. It really shouldn't be hard to be sold to when you show an interest.

I have only had one problem with RFL ticketing, couple of emails sorted.

[shaun mc]

23 hours ago, bromleybulldog said:

Very impressive stadium, good sight lines, plenty of leg space, never been to a stadium with so many bars! Even had real ale, although the price will maybe have put off a few punters. £6.75 for a pint of Neck Oil. Accessibility not as good as Wembley, the Overground with 4 trains an hour can't compete with the tube services to Wembley Park but overall, really glad that I went.

£6.75 for a pint of Neck Oil isn't expensive, compared to a 440ml tin of Budweiser pish for £7.50 at Wembley. I know which I'd rather have

I've just read a story about a bloke complaining about the price of Neck Oil in a standard London boozer - he paid £7.60

[Phil W]

As promised from my group of three yesterday, me a Newcastle Thunder season ticket holder and two London based mates with no link to league.

We all enjoyed our day no problem with any of the pricing £30 for a ticket is a good deal and with that still had a good view and had no problem with alcohol pricing. We were sat in the North East corner top tier alongside a fair number of neutrals. At full time we wondered round to the South Stand to take in the biggest bar in Europe and have a pint and took in the Wigan fans celebrations which was all a good laugh.

Things that could be improved trains on the way back, not sure with Tottenham games if they get less on the overground as more live locally but could some extra services be put in? It wasn't the end of the world though.

Not sure if it was just our block but Abide With Me was quite crackly over the sound system again only a minor problem.

I do think the RFL needs to do more to market the game in London next year.

We all enjoyed our day and my mates are keen to go again next year which is a good thing. For me personally i'd like to see it back at Tottenham but know there's deals in place with Wembley. If we can't do Challenge Cup Final at Tottenham then two things, the marketing for Wembley needs to be full on as if 50,000 turn up throughout the day it's going to look quite empty. Secondly, we should be exploring all options for a game at Tottenham. 

 

 

[fighting irish]

I made a huge blunder, travelling from Stratford upon Avon by not leaving enough time to get there for the kick off. My google maps predicted 2 hours but it took 3 hours and twenty minutes to get there, due to a 40 minute delay (tail back) on the M40 and an horrendous stop start journey along the North Circular.

The stadium was magnificent, the staff very helpful, the game was great, my daughter and I loved it and would definitely go again if another match was arranged there.

The journey back was without incident and hardly any delay, which was a relief.

I've just watched the BBC coverage this afternoon and I thought they did an excellent job of it, (all of it) and I particularly liked the Jermain McGilvary bio and the after match interview with Matt Peet (at the commentators table).

It's clear to see, why he's such a positive influence on the Wigan club.

This was a great day for Rugby League, let's hope we have a lot more like it before the year-end.

[Somerset Casual]

A few comments from a casual neutral.

Enjoyed both games and thought the stadium was impressive. I was in the £25 top tier but had a very good view.

I spotted a wider range of shirts than recent years with a pleasent, happy mood inside and out. Incidentally, we played estimate the attendance and arrived at 44k.

Cost wise - £75 for petrol and parking split two ways, plus ticket. Spent a total of £2.25 in stadium for a bottle of water.  (I've never liked paying stadium prices for food I'm not keen on, so took my own which kept the costs down)

Access - Hired a driveway near ground and was back on the road at 17:15, back in Weston-Super-Mare at 20:15.

Love the CCF - happy with Wembley, happy with Tottenham - For me the game(s) take centre stage.

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by Somerset Casual

[Fevrover]

42 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

I made a huge blunder, travelling from Stratford upon Avon by not leaving enough time to get there for the kick off. My google maps predicted 2 hours but it took 3 hours and twenty minutes to get there, due to a 40 minute delay (tail back) on the M40 and an horrendous stop start journey along the North Circular.

The stadium was magnificent, the staff very helpful, the game was great, my daughter and I loved it and would definitely go again if another match was arranged there.

The journey back was without incident and hardly any delay, which was a relief.

I've just watched the BBC coverage this afternoon and I thought they did an excellent job of it, (all of it) and I particularly liked the Jermain McGilvary bio and the after match interview with Matt Peet (at the commentators table).

It's clear to see, why he's such a positive influence on the Wigan club.

This was a great day for Rugby League, let's hope we have a lot more like it before the year-end.

Agree on the Stadium it is magnificent but i prefer Wembley for the outside atmosphere, Wembley Way ,flag and scarf sellers  programme sellers plus the food and drink stalls. Nothing like that at Tottenham but i would definitely go to Tottenham again ,great views.