Attendance thread

[Eddie]

7 minutes ago, EggFace said:

What got me into Rugby League was seeing a packed stadum in 1993 for Wigan v Widnes and again in 1994 and 1995 for Wigan v Leeds but seeing the empty seats just doesn't come over well.

We are lucky to have both the Challenge Cup and Super League final compared to just having the NRL grand final but both are not selling the uk Sports market on fire compared to 20 years with a 71,000 plus at Cardiff and 65,000 plus at Old Trafford.

It may not come over that well, but surely the product on the pitch today made the empty seats irrelevant. And anyway if it is true that many people missed the game because the M1 was closed it explains why there were so many empty seats in ‘sold out’ areas, which did puzzle me at the time. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

43 minutes ago, dead man inc said:

KR must have brought nearly 20k, Rovers shirts everywhere.

Have been to approximately the last 15 or so CC finals - today it was very very noticeable lack of visibility of other SL teams shirts on general display in & around the ground compared to previous finals - is it cost of transport that’s putting them off in current cost of living crisis, or something else? (Though actual ticket prices were very reasonable for a top tier event.)

All the people at Wembley & in surrounding area seemed to having a great day out & really enjoyed themselves.

I saw loads of various SL club shirts about mate....as many as normal to be honest 

Is there a rumour quite a few fans were delayed and didn't make it? 

[RL Tragic]

23 minutes ago, EggFace said:

What got me into Rugby League was seeing a packed stadum in 1993 for Wigan v Widnes and again in 1994 and 1995 for Wigan v Leeds but seeing the empty seats just doesn't come over well.

We are lucky to have both the Challenge Cup and Super League final compared to just having the NRL grand final but both are not selling the uk Sports market on fire compared to 20 years with a 71,000 plus at Cardiff and 65,000 plus at Old Trafford.

Agreed , when people say it doesn’t matter I get it from an diehards point of view who knows and loves the game , But from a perspective of selling your product it looks dreadful, Major finals should be or at least look sold out , the crowd and the stadium are the window dressing. 

[Eddie]

8 minutes ago, RL Tragic said:

Agreed , when people say it doesn’t matter I get it from an diehards point of view who knows and loves the game , But from a perspective of selling your product it looks dreadful, Major finals should be or at least look sold out , the crowd and the stadium are the window dressing. 

Where do you reckon it should be played then? 

[Eddie]

25 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I saw loads of various SL club shirts about mate....as many as normal to be honest 

Is there a rumour quite a few fans were delayed and didn't make it? 

Yes, https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/20000-fans-miss-challenge-cup-final-due-to-horrific-problems-on-the-motorway-80143/?fbclid=IwAR3MgY6_wDc1_59_T3Pk9E7NRcX5cKMPcfaxm-i4fUzrvYeJljwCAfq7ux4&amp

[RL Tragic]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Where do you reckon it should be played then? 

ideally Wembley if it only held 70,000

My personal thought would be a rotation,

Spurs

Edinburgh

Cardiff

Possibly Dublin .

 

the ultimate ideal would be to get crowds back up to the 80k mark . Over to the marketing guys on that one . 

[EggFace]

42 minutes ago, RL Tragic said:

ideally Wembley if it only held 70,000

My personal thought would be a rotation,

Spurs

Edinburgh

Cardiff

Possibly Dublin .

 

the ultimate ideal would be to get crowds back up to the 80k mark . Over to the marketing guys on that one . 

The Euro Rugby comp moves about so why not us.

[Tommygilf]

27 minutes ago, EggFace said:

The Euro Rugby comp moves about so why not us.

That doesn’t have a single home though for most of 80 years as the CCF does.

[Havenlad80]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Where do you reckon it should be played then? 

Anfield and possibly Murrayfield.

also etihad and st James park when expansion is completed.

[EggFace]

12 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

That doesn’t have a single home though for most of 80 years as the CCF does.

We can't have this all the time London is lost.

[Havenlad80]

1 hour ago, RL Tragic said:

ideally Wembley if it only held 70,000

My personal thought would be a rotation,

Spurs

Edinburgh

Cardiff

Possibly Dublin .

 

the ultimate ideal would be to get crowds back up to the 80k mark . Over to the marketing guys on that one . 

No point keeping it in London and not playing at Wembley.

dublin and Cardiff would be less appealing than Wembley.

Murrayfield is a good option as a backup but I feel that the final should be held in England if possible.

[ChristianB]

18 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

No point keeping it in London and not playing at Wembley.

dublin and Cardiff would be less appealing than Wembley.

Murrayfield is a good option as a backup but I feel that the final should be held in England if possible.

The Olympic Stadium would be better, in my opinion. Went for the recent Diamond League event and it had a better feel than Wembley - there's something wrong with that stadium that I can't quite put my finger on.

However, if Wembley is to be it then the RFL needs to address the 'upper tier' issue. Give family tickets to London's most disadvantaged kids based on indices of multiple deprivation. No one loses and everyone wins.

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

Yes, https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/20000-fans-miss-challenge-cup-final-due-to-horrific-problems-on-the-motorway-80143/?fbclid=IwAR3MgY6_wDc1_59_T3Pk9E7NRcX5cKMPcfaxm-i4fUzrvYeJljwCAfq7ux4&amp

The words 'up to' doing an embarrassing amount of heavy lifting there.

[Liverpool Rover]

6 hours ago, EggFace said:

What a shame and to think in the dark days of the 1970s it still could 70,000-95,000 plus...Wembley is just too big.

In those days it was the big day out to London and winning the Cup was possibly more valued than winning the league. Now it's the league that is the focus and there is now the cost of going to Magic Weekend and trips to Catalans and maybe there are people who wold rather wait for the Grand Final as that is based in the North.

[Leyther_Matt]

I dreamed all my life of seeing us win at Wembley. Today I achieved it. I’m not sure it would have been quite the same elsewhere. It wasn’t full…so what. Not a prayer it would have been such a good crowd at Spurs or god forbid Anfield, Newcastle, wherever. There’s a reason 90,000 football fans walk past rugby league statues and murals every time they go to an England game. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Still looked and sounded great capped off by a close game and a Hollywood finish to it.

Some are working hard to find fault.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Dear God, not Dublin! I wouldn't surface until the start of the next season!!

[Josef K]

Promoting the CCF would help instead of relying on the same followers of the game to dig deeper into their pockets. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

7 minutes ago, Josef K said:

Promoting the CCF would help instead of relying on the same followers of the game to dig deeper into their pockets. 

I think most people in the country rally around the idea of ‘England’ in sports whether to watch them win or lose.

I would send England on tour outside the heartlands in part (not every game) where we can sell it and use England as the gateway to attending the Challenge Cup as a neutral fan (which used to be a strength).

If we can get non heartland sports fans to follow England then we can promote our marquee club events to them.

I think this will work faster than hoping London Broncos will emerge as a club superpower as ultimately most people follow success in sport or national (local) identity.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref

[bromleybulldog]

I know I should feel down in the dumps after seeing Batley fail so narrowly to win yesterday but I have to say I thought the atmosphere at Wembley was terrific, colourful, plenty of noise, good humoured fans all round. Even at the end of the 1895 when there were only a few thousand fans left there was still an amazing roar as Batley scored in the last minute. Wembley still has a lot going for it, tradition, history, a good day out, the anticipation on the tube trains from Kings Cross and Baker Street, the crowds on Wembley way. In my mind it just needs the RL to take promoting the game seriously and professionally instead of just assuming 'they will come' which looks to be the current cheapo attitude.

[Guest]

Cracking day 

The 6 non RL fans I took all loved it and all stayed and enjoyed the Fax v Batley game as well

Great game and probably the best atmosphere at a CC final I have been too

Club Wembley is superb and for £50 on halfway a bargain

It also seemed very full, which probably impacted lower bowl sales

I can't get the moaning of those who never go

Try it, you might have a great day out

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, bromleybulldog said:

I know I should feel down in the dumps after seeing Batley fail so narrowly to win yesterday but I have to say I thought the atmosphere at Wembley was terrific, colourful, plenty of noise, good humoured fans all round. Even at the end of the 1895 when there were only a few thousand fans left there was still an amazing roar as Batley scored in the last minute. Wembley still has a lot going for it, tradition, history, a good day out, the anticipation on the tube trains from Kings Cross and Baker Street, the crowds on Wembley way. In my mind it just needs the RL to take promoting the game seriously and professionally instead of just assuming 'they will come' which looks to be the current cheapo attitude.

Spot on

[gingerjon]

6 minutes ago, Leonard said:

I can't get the moaning of those who never go

Who on this thread do you think has never been?

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Some are working hard to find fault.

This is an attendance thread, I believe.

58,000 is ... being kind ... disappointing. Being realistic, it is troubling to the RFL's financial position. So it's kind of important given the precariousness of their books right now.

[Gerrumonside ref]

3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

This is an attendance thread, I believe.

58,000 is ... being kind ... disappointing. Being realistic, it is troubling to the RFL's financial position. So it's kind of important given the precariousness of their books right now.

Yes, and to be fair on this or on the other similarly related thread, I have echoed the call for more work and no resting on laurels.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref