1895 cup final spot vs finishing 6th

[Tommygilf]

47 minutes ago, wiganermike said:

I would say you are looking at it the wrong way around. IMHO what we (and the RFL) refer to as the early rounds of the Challenge Cup (those before the SL clubs take part) are in reality the early rounds of the 1895 Cup which is for everyone below SL. The Challenge Cup is now a de facto 16 club competition for the 12 SL clubs plus four qualifiers (currently the qualifiers will be the four clubs that reach the 1895 SFs).

I suspect that de facto state will become de jure with the cup going to group stages in the near future too.

[Griff]

27 minutes ago, Jughead said:

I’ll be at my 22nd Challenge Cup Final in a months time, thanks. As someone who attends regardless of what game it is, the fact I have no interest in staying inside a Wembley until 7-8pm with a crowd that would look out of place in the fifth tier of English Football, says a fair amount, I’d suggest. 

It’s not though, is it? It’s the Challenge Cup draw, it’s not the 1895 Cup. Theyre not qualifiers and watering down the cup to justify the Garden Decking Cup, The 1895 is almost never mentioned by anyone until it gets to a stage where teams are left in the competition. 

Well, you're entitled to your eccentric views.

[Jughead]

4 minutes ago, Griff said:

Well, you're entitled to your eccentric views.

You find me where it’s advertised as the 1895 Garden Decking Crapathon Trophy prior to when it gets very late into the proper Challenge Cup? I won’t wait, you’ll be gone forever. 

[Griff]

9 minutes ago, Jughead said:

You find me where it’s advertised as the 1895 Garden Decking Crapathon Trophy prior to when it gets very late into the proper Challenge Cup? I won’t wait, you’ll be gone forever. 

You're right. It's not often you see that title.

[The Blues Ox]

10 hours ago, Jughead said:

I’ll be at my 22nd Challenge Cup Final in a months time, thanks. As someone who attends regardless of what game it is, the fact I have no interest in staying inside a Wembley until 7-8pm with a crowd that would look out of place in the fifth tier of English Football, says a fair amount, I’d suggest. 

I get what you are saying but its each to their own. If Fax were to get there I would be going but I will decide if I watch the CC final depending on who gets there as there is about 6 teams in SL that I really have no interest in watching. I don't like the format and if I wanted to watch a competition where the best teams don't come in to the later rounds I would just go and watch the 1895 cup final each year. 

[Harry Stottle]

11 hours ago, Jughead said:

It’s not though, is it? It’s the Challenge Cup draw, it’s not the 1895 Cup. Theyre not qualifiers and watering down the cup to justify the Garden Decking Cup, The 1895 is almost never mentioned by anyone until it gets to a stage where teams are left in the competition. 

You really are a miserable bhugger aren't you, go talk to the man in the mirror he is one of the few on the same wavelength.

"I'm a Saints fan, so I must be right" comes over very loud and clear.

[Griff]

34 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

You really are a miserable bhugger aren't you, go talk to the man in the mirror he is one of the few on the same wavelength.

"I'm a Saints fan, so I must be right" comes over very loud and clear.

He'll be popping over to Belfast tonight.  Plenty of bonfires for him to p*** on.

[phiggins]

20 hours ago, RP London said:

when i was there in 2019 it wasn't perfect but it was still special and still great to win some silverware there.. i was at the old Wembley in 1998 as well so its been a nice couple of trips to Wembley with eagles. 

Winning silverware is always good a good feeling. One of my favourites, if not my favourite moment as a Leigh fan was when we won the Northern Rail cup (or whatever it was called at the time) with a try on the last play, against Blackpool at Halifax.

Seeing your team at Wembley must be special, I might never find out. But I guess it was a much better atmosphere in amongst the Widnes and Sheffield fans there, to help to not worry about the empty seats and just enjoy the occaision. But as a Leigh fan, as disappointed as I was at losing the semi final, seeing the final almost made me feel better about us not being there. If Saints beat us in the semi final, particularly if it's a close game, I might struggle to watch this year's CC final full stop. (Unfortunately, it's Saints, in a semi final.)

[David Shepherd]

8 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Winning silverware is always good a good feeling. One of my favourites, if not my favourite moment as a Leigh fan was when we won the Northern Rail cup (or whatever it was called at the time) with a try on the last play, against Blackpool at Halifax.

Seeing your team at Wembley must be special, I might never find out. But I guess it was a much better atmosphere in amongst the Widnes and Sheffield fans there, to help to not worry about the empty seats and just enjoy the occaision. But as a Leigh fan, as disappointed as I was at losing the semi final, seeing the final almost made me feel better about us not being there. If Saints beat us in the semi final, particularly if it's a close game, I might struggle to watch this year's CC final full stop. (Unfortunately, it's Saints, in a semi final.)

It really is special. I've been lucky enough to see Fev win there twice. 1983 and 2021. It doesn't matter that the place is virtually empty (2021), the acoustics are such that it sounds like it's packed.  Two of the most memorable days of my life. 

[RP London]

29 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Winning silverware is always good a good feeling. One of my favourites, if not my favourite moment as a Leigh fan was when we won the Northern Rail cup (or whatever it was called at the time) with a try on the last play, against Blackpool at Halifax.

Seeing your team at Wembley must be special, I might never find out. But I guess it was a much better atmosphere in amongst the Widnes and Sheffield fans there, to help to not worry about the empty seats and just enjoy the occaision. But as a Leigh fan, as disappointed as I was at losing the semi final, seeing the final almost made me feel better about us not being there. If Saints beat us in the semi final, particularly if it's a close game, I might struggle to watch this year's CC final full stop. (Unfortunately, it's Saints, in a semi final.)

we were on the side watching the CC final in 2019 as we had bought tickets before the participants were known and then, as it got quieter we moved along to watch with the Eagles fans which was a great way to finish.. my then 12 year old son was buzzing after as we had seen both the team we "follow" win the CC and the team we support win the 1895.. we were staying in london that night as my wife, daughter and mother in law had also come down to "take in a show".. got back to the hotel, mother in law looked after the kids and me and the wife went out on the town!! next day was Stokes at Headingly... 'twas a good weekend!

[crashmon]

If London do make it I will be going, but I will only go for teh 1895 cup.   I generally only watch my team (London) or England, I don't tune into any other games.  But London qualify for finals so infrequently, that being in any final at wembley would be a rare occasion if you follow the Broncos (like once every 15-20 years probably)

[Anita Bath]

2 hours ago, crashmon said:

If London do make it I will be going, but I will only go for teh 1895 cup.   I generally only watch my team (London) or England, I don't tune into any other games.  But London qualify for finals so infrequently, that being in any final at wembley would be a rare occasion if you follow the Broncos (like once every 15-20 years probably)

So infrequently?  Wembley, once every 15-20 years….that would be luxury for the fans of Oldham, Rochdale and Swinton.

[spanishknight]

Went to watch the Knights in the 1895 final two years ago at Wembley, the last time York were at Wembley was in 1931, I thought I would never see my team at Wembley, I'd had a heart operation on the previous Wednesday, nothing was going to stop me being there, I'm 75 and so glad I made it.

[The Blues Ox]

6 hours ago, phiggins said:

Winning silverware is always good a good feeling. One of my favourites, if not my favourite moment as a Leigh fan was when we won the Northern Rail cup (or whatever it was called at the time) with a try on the last play, against Blackpool at Halifax.

That sounds a truly awful day. 

Nice period for Fax that though, we lost a grand final and it was heart breaking, the following year we won the grand final and it was the best day then year after the game mentioned above and the worst day again then year after won the NRC. I don't remember how many people were there I just remember how good it feels to win in a final and after losing a final it makes it all the sweeter.

[LINNERS]

4 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

So infrequently?  Wembley, once every 15-20 years….that would be luxury for the fans of Oldham, Rochdale and Swinton.

Batley have won the challenge cup 3 times but never played at Wembley. Would be quite poetic to finally get to play there. 

[Chris_T]

As a Batley fan sitting pretty in second place and an uncanny knack of spoiling Fevs party when it counts I am desperate to see my team at Wembley, even with 3k in a 90k stadium it would mean everything to me. There's a fighting chance we could make superleague this season, but a tinpot cup final at Wembley would mean just as much to me. 

[south yorkshire]

i would rather see a third place play off between the 2 challenge cup losing semi finalist with a trophy for winners. Then a runners up trophy in challenge cup final along with winners cup. It would be a bigger day out. Also smaller teams could still get there with the luck of the cup draw. Halifax would have been there a few years ago. 

[Click]

18 hours ago, south yorkshire said:

i would rather see a third place play off between the 2 challenge cup losing semi finalist with a trophy for winners. Then a runners up trophy in challenge cup final along with winners cup. It would be a bigger day out. Also smaller teams could still get there with the luck of the cup draw. Halifax would have been there a few years ago. 

This isn't the FIFA World Cup where you have to have a 3rd Best and 4th Best team..

You can have the Winners and the Runners Up - What would the 3rd and 4th team even be playing for? To be crowned 3rd best in the challenge cup for that year? 

Sounds awful

[Griff]

22 hours ago, south yorkshire said:

i would rather see a third place play off between the 2 challenge cup losing semi finalist with a trophy for winners. 

Why stop at third and fourth?  We could play all the places out.  Then there'd be no blank weekends and we could include cup games in the season ticket.

Drifting slightly off topic, a mate told me that he'd played in a five-a-side soccer tournament a few years ago where the first round losers went into a "plate" competition where, unusually, the winners were eliminated and losers stayed on to compete for the title of "Worst Team in the Competeition".  He said that those games were some of the most fiercely competitive that he'd ever seen.

[Anita Bath]

7 hours ago, Griff said:

Why stop at third and fourth?  We could play all the places out.  Then there'd be no blank weekends and we could include cup games in the season ticket.

Drifting slightly off topic, a mate told me that he'd played in a five-a-side soccer tournament a few years ago where the first round losers went into a "plate" competition where, unusually, the winners were eliminated and losers stayed on to compete for the title of "Worst Team in the Competeition".  He said that those games were some of the most fiercely competitive that he'd ever seen.

Warrington would be favourites I expect

[Griff]

1 minute ago, Anita Bath said:

Warrington would be favourites I expect

It's their year.

[fighting irish]

8 hours ago, Griff said:

Why stop at third and fourth?  We could play all the places out.  Then there'd be no blank weekends and we could include cup games in the season ticket.

Drifting slightly off topic, a mate told me that he'd played in a five-a-side soccer tournament a few years ago where the first round losers went into a "plate" competition where, unusually, the winners were eliminated and losers stayed on to compete for the title of "Worst Team in the Competeition".  He said that those games were some of the most fiercely competitive that he'd ever seen.

I love this idea.