Challenge cup attendance

[The Masked Poster]

Just now, Tommygilf said:

Are we losing money hand over fist?

Ok, possibly slightly OTT description and the genuine answer is: I don't know. 

But if the attendance keeps nudging downwards as it is doing then I don't see how it will make anything. Stadium hire is not going to get cheaper.

[Havenlad80]

What exactly is this cataclysmic event that would happen if we took the challenge cup final away from Wembley?

[gingerjon]

16 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Are we losing money hand over fist?

We know that the RFL is, as shown by income falling in accounts leading to staff layoffs and less distribution, and that one of its ways of avoiding that is a payday from the Challenge Cup final.

I don’t think we have the detail anywhere on profit and loss for recent finals.

[Tommygilf]

Just now, The Masked Poster said:

Ok, possibly slightly OTT description and the genuine answer is: I don't know. 

But if the attendance keeps nudging downwards as it is doing then I don't see how it will make anything. Stadium hire is not going to get cheaper.

Whilst I can see your point, I'd balance that with Wembley also still needing to have events on and being commercially competitive.

Equally the setup of Wembley means that it can have, for example, half the top tier closed as we do now, or other arrangements.

In fairness too, it doesn't look ridiculously cheap, for full paying adults anyway.

[Tommygilf]

8 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

We know that the RFL is, as shown by income falling in accounts leading to staff layoffs and less distribution, and that one of its ways of avoiding that is a payday from the Challenge Cup final.

I don’t think we have the detail anywhere on profit and loss for recent finals.

Yes and no. They built up a million £ profit to account for the known insurance hike and one off structural changes that have in effect left them at net zero over a two year period.

A successful Cup Final is critical though I agree. Ultimately, for all its faults I also don't think we will sell more tickets than at any other stadium than Wembley either - so hopefully we can make that work.

[Tommygilf]

18 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

What exactly is this cataclysmic event that would happen if we took the challenge cup final away from Wembley?

I think there is a serious risk the Cup would be gone within 10 years after doing that. Its already getting reformatted because the early rounds don't work how they used to.

Edit, by early rounds, I mean everything up to the quarter/semi finals basically.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Tommygilf

[Leyther_Matt]

27 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

What exactly is this cataclysmic event that would happen if we took the challenge cup final away from Wembley?

Because there’s folk like me who spent their entire lives dreaming of seeing their team play at the most famous stadium in the world.

[Guest]

I have no doubt that if the final wasn't at Wembley, those who never go still wouldn't.

They have internationals and WC's on their doorsteps and don't bother either.

[Havenlad80]

12 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I think there is a serious risk the Cup would be gone within 10 years after doing that. Its already getting reformatted because the early rounds don't work how they used to.

Edit, by early rounds, I mean everything up to the quarter/semi finals basically.

I think it’s dying a slow death at Wembley as it stands.

maybe playing the final in Liverpool or Newcastle or Manchester might breathe some much needed new life into it.

[Havenlad80]

28 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Because there’s folk like me who spent their entire lives dreaming of seeing their team play at the most famous stadium in the world.

And I’m happy for you mate honestly I am but the final attendances are on a worrying downward trajectory and will be surely hitting profit margins.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Havenlad80

[gingerjon]

5 minutes ago, Leonard said:

and WC's on their doorsteps

Filthy animals.

[ATLANTISMAN]

CC is sadly well passed its sell by date there should be ONE FINAL and ONE WINNER just rotate the SLGF 

* London 

* Edinburgh

* Cardiff

* Dublin

* Barcelona 

Put the tickets on sale way before have a 2 week gap between semis and final and hold back 10000 for each finalist.

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by ATLANTISMAN

[The Future is League]

53 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Ok, possibly slightly OTT description and the genuine answer is: I don't know. 

But if the attendance keeps nudging downwards as it is doing then I don't see how it will make anything. Stadium hire is not going to get cheaper.

If we are not careful there will become a point when the cup final being played at Wembley is not financially viable, and for me that will be a sad day

In my opinion the game became a rudderless ship under Big Nige and Rimmer

[Havenlad80]

35 minutes ago, Leonard said:

I have no doubt that if the final wasn't at Wembley, those who never go still wouldn't.

They have internationals and WC's on their doorsteps and don't bother either.

I don’t think people realize the impact of high prices in London has had on the final even before this current cost of living crisis we are all living through.

I attended the last 3 finals to be played at the old Wembley as a young adult with no financial commitments but haven’t been back since simply due to the cost and having to work Saturdays doesn’t help.

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Havenlad80

[Lowdesert]

7 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

CC is sadly well passed its sell by date there should be ONE FINAL and ONE WINNER just rotate the SLGF 

* London 

* Edinburgh

* Cardiff

* Dublin

* Barcelona 

Put the tickets on sale way before have a 2 week gap between semis and final and hold back 10000 for each finalist.

 

 

 

Tell that to all the players. I know what the answer would be!

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

I don’t think people realize the impact of high prices in London has had on the final even before this current cost of living crisis we are all living through.

I attended the last 3 finals to be played at Wembley as a young adult with no financial commitments but haven’t been back since simply due to the cost and having to work Saturdays doesn’t help.

 

To a degree, but halfway line Club Wembley purchased for £50 as an early bird. 

£40 early bird for GF by dugouts. 

So both prime seats and not unreasonable at all.

Of course you can argue travel costs for CC but less so for GF.

In November I knew the dates of both, so as a neutral purchased. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Leonard

[Havenlad80]

18 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

I don’t think people realize the impact of high prices in London has had on the final even before this current cost of living crisis we are all living through.

I attended the last 3 finals to be played at Wembley as a young adult with no financial commitments but haven’t been back since simply due to the cost and having to work Saturdays doesn’t help.

 

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

26 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

CC is sadly well passed its sell by date there should be ONE FINAL and ONE WINNER just rotate the SLGF 

* London 

* Edinburgh

* Cardiff

* Dublin

* Barcelona 

Put the tickets on sale way before have a 2 week gap between semis and final and hold back 10000 for each finalist.

 

 

 

Disagree....the CC is fantastic 

[Guest]

Mind you - the semis were fairly poorly attended with far less recourse to cost being an issue.

 

[Havenlad80]

16 minutes ago, Leonard said:

To a degree, but halfway line Club Wembley purchased for £50 as an early bird. 

£40 early bird for GF by dugouts. 

So both prime seats and not unreasonable at all.

Of course you can argue travel costs for CC but less so for GF.

In November I knew the dates of both, so as a neutral purchased. 

Not so much the ticket prices but Was thinking more about the train tickets and accommodation.

[Guest]

Just now, Havenlad80 said:

Not so much the ticket prices but Was thinking more about the train tickets and accommodation.

That's fair.

Although on the flipside I get that every time I travel North for a game.

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Leonard

[Havenlad80]

5 minutes ago, Leonard said:

Mind you - the semis were fairly poorly attended with far less recourse to cost being an issue.

 

Would playing the semis at home drawn grounds be such a bad thing?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

Would playing the semis at home drawn grounds be such a bad thing?

Not sure that is the issue - the pre-Semi games are not particularly well attended either with home draws.

 

[Josef K]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

We know that the RFL is, as shown by income falling in accounts leading to staff layoffs and less distribution, and that one of its ways of avoiding that is a payday from the Challenge Cup final.

I don’t think we have the detail anywhere on profit and loss for recent finals.

We don’t even know if the CC Winners get a cash prize nowadays because everything is so top secret.
DONT LET THE PAYING PUBLIC FIND OUT, THEY’LL LAUGH AT US. 

[emesssea]

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Because there’s folk like me who spent their entire lives dreaming of seeing their team play at the most famous stadium in the world.

Is a stadium that is less than 20 years old and is regularly criticized for its sight lines and distance from seats to pitch really the most famous stadium in the world? The romance and glamour of Wembley seems to be for the original stadium and that went away when the two towers were knocked down.

It reminds me of Yankee stadium, possibly the most famous stadium in the US. They did major renovations in the 70s, which changed the dynamics of the stadium so much people no longer considered it the same stadium Babe Ruth played in, so there wasnt much up roar when it was demolished a few years ago. Meanwhile there were Detroit Tiger fans openly weeping as their iconic stadium was closed for the final time.

I imagine if the FA decided to demolish the current stadium and start again, no one would really care, certainly not to the degree like with the original stadium.

Edited August 8, 2023 by emesssea