Magic Weekend

[The Blues Ox]

1 minute ago, Gomersall said:

How many are likely to ‘make a fantastic weekend of it’?

At a rough guess probably between 500-5000.

[Griff]

2 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

At a rough guess probably between 500-5000.

More like 50 - 500.

[Jparrish]

All codes here in Australia have taken on this concept. The A league (football) will even have they're inaugural one in January,the AFL will host there 2nd one next year too.

It is a proven boost to the local economy so state governments are prepared to pay to host it. Am I right in saying Cardiff used to pay for it ?

Unless I've missed it, is this a Newcastle decision ? Maybe their new owners arnt so keen anymore so the RFL had to scramble for an alternative.

[Just Browny]

The reason there is quite a lot of space and a big car park around Elland Road is that it is very far from the city centre; ergo you need a big car park for all the people attending the game. That's even more important for a set of fixtures like Magic where many of the visitors won't be travelling from within the City of Leeds. So I'm not sure setting it up as a festival site is going to be as easy as people are making out.

I will probably go for the Wire game but there is no reason to make a weekend of it whatsoever.

[Damien]

21 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Why not? Good stadium, should get a good crowd as its pretty central for everyone. Plenty to do in the area so people can make a fantastic weekend of it and I imagine it would be cheaper than Elland road. I know there is the problem that it is like a home game for Leeds but just do what they did for the Summer Bash in York and class the club whom stadium is getting used as the away team. 

Because the capacity is only 19k. Its pointless. 

[Tommygilf]

22 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

The reason there is quite a lot of space and a big car park around Elland Road is that it is very far from the city centre; ergo you need a big car park for all the people attending the game. That's even more important for a set of fixtures like Magic where many of the visitors won't be travelling from within the City of Leeds. So I'm not sure setting it up as a festival site is going to be as easy as people are making out.

I will probably go for the Wire game but there is no reason to make a weekend of it whatsoever.

That's only Fullerton Park and the Park and Ride (where the Vaccine centre was).

The rest is banqueting suite and non parking appropriate particularly on the East and North Stand side.

The not making a weekend of it bit is personal, plenty will come to Leeds, watch their team, get blind drunk and either stay in a hotel or go home. That's just magic wherever it is its just more pronounced in the M62 venues.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Tommygilf

[Zilla Budgie]

Just scrap it. It's pointless now. And it's definitely not Magic.

[Tommygilf]

Tbf to the RFL, this is their second choice venue.

The TV arc is quite forgiving if there's not loads in there (East Stand lower excepting). The first day is likely to be close to a sell out (of the lower bowl at least) given the teams there and Leeds playing too. The second day is going to rely heavily on particularly Hull KR and Cas to bring the numbers up.

Its obviously not ideal, but it wasn't first choice either.

[Tommygilf]

22 minutes ago, Jparrish said:

All codes here in Australia have taken on this concept. The A league (football) will even have they're inaugural one in January,the AFL will host there 2nd one next year too.

It is a proven boost to the local economy so state governments are prepared to pay to host it. Am I right in saying Cardiff used to pay for it ?

Unless I've missed it, is this a Newcastle decision ? Maybe their new owners arnt so keen anymore so the RFL had to scramble for an alternative.

Its an NUFC decision yes. Newcastle Council were keen on it but a date in August couldn't be agreed on. 

Its unclear whether Leeds City Council/WYCA are involved in the 2024 event.

[Hopie]

27 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

The reason there is quite a lot of space and a big car park around Elland Road is that it is very far from the city centre; ergo you need a big car park for all the people attending the game. That's even more important for a set of fixtures like Magic where many of the visitors won't be travelling from within the City of Leeds. So I'm not sure setting it up as a festival site is going to be as easy as people are making out.

I'd suggest the main problem would be that people wouldn't be able to leave the ground once they have gone in, and even if they could that isn't an attractive option for the refreshment stands inside the ground if there is better food available nearby.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

Don't mind this 

Leeds is a great city....will make the weekend of it

[Barley Mow]

5 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Play it on the cricket ground side for a bit of variety?

Use both sides at once and play all six matches in one day 

[Just Browny]

43 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

That's only Fullerton Park and the Park and Ride (where the Vaccine centre was).

The rest is banqueting suite and non parking appropriate particularly on the East and North Stand side.

The not making a weekend of it bit is personal, plenty will come to Leeds, watch their team, get blind drunk and either stay in a hotel or go home. That's just magic wherever it is its just more pronounced in the M62 venues.

I suppose it was inevitable that the Leeds folk would circle the wagons. By page 20 of this we will be hearing claims Leeds is the 'natural home' of Magic and should be first choice for future events.

Not making a weekend of it is indeed a personal choice. Living 15 miles away, as I do, it's not a very exotic place but Leeds is certainly a great city for those RL fans who have never visited. But as we have said, it is supposed to be a festival of RL and I can't imagine the circumstances in which anyone living along the M62 is going to attend both days: they'll watch their club and go out drinking or go home.

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I suppose it was inevitable that the Leeds folk would circle the wagons. By page 20 of this we will be hearing claims Leeds is the 'natural home' of Magic and should be first choice for future events.

Not making a weekend of it is indeed a personal choice. Living 15 miles away, as I do, it's not a very exotic place but Leeds is certainly a great city for those RL fans who have never visited. But as we have said, it is supposed to be a festival of RL and I can't imagine the circumstances in which anyone living along the M62 is going to attend both days: they'll watch their club and go out drinking or go home.

What a ridiculous statement, read my first post on the topic.

[fieldofclothofgold]

1 hour ago, Just Browny said:

The reason there is quite a lot of space and a big car park around Elland Road is that it is very far from the city centre; ergo you need a big car park for all the people attending the game. That's even more important for a set of fixtures like Magic where many of the visitors won't be travelling from within the City of Leeds. So I'm not sure setting it up as a festival site is going to be as easy as people are making out.

I will probably go for the Wire game but there is no reason to make a weekend of it whatsoever.

After the game if traffic is heavy I'll walk it into town it's not that far . I've done it before only about 3 miles maybe less 

[marklaspalmas]

1 hour ago, Chrispmartha said:

The point being IMG can’t implement any changes.

If they could there wouldn’t have been a magic next year.

Sigh.

[Just Browny]

2 minutes ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

After the game if traffic is heavy I'll walk it into town it's not that far . I've done it before only about 3 miles maybe less 

Yes, a lovely family walk through that red light district.

[fieldofclothofgold]

10 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Yes, a lovely family walk through that red light district.

Is that Beeston ? 

[Chris22]

Magic Weekend tends to split opinions. I see many saw we should scrap it because crowds aren't interested. The figures show that crowds have grown at Magic Weekend year on year since 2019.

By comparison, crowds have fallen year on year for the Grand Final since 2018 (with the exception of 2022, which saw an uplift following Catalans appearance in 2021 but was still only 60,000 for a Saints v Leeds final). We all know which way Challenge Cup Final crowds are heading. We have had disappointing international crowds for the last two years.

Every other major event that our sport has held in England has seen a drop off in crowds in the last few years, yet Magic Weekend is the one we talk of scrapping? The only one that has shown any growth, however modest? That doesn't make sense to me.

Newcastle worked perfectly for Magic. But it can get stale. I'd have liked to have seen something like 3 years at Newcastle and then a year at another venue and then repeat the cycle.

Elland Road isn't the answer though. The reasons are well rehearsed on this thread. Poor legroom, out of the city centre, nothing to do around the stadium, being in the same city as an existing Super League club. Everything that fans report to enjoy about the weekend is taken away by this decision.

We have history for this. Moving the Northern Rail Cup Final from Blackpool to Halifax. Or the Summer Bash from Blackpool to Headingley and then York. They inevitably flopped and were scrapped. And we all know that's what will happen here. With IMG wanting the event scrapped and the clubs not, you almost wonder if there is an element of managed decline.

In 2018, Leeds played Castleford at Elland Road and attracted a crowd of 23,000. Now, we are playing six matches at the same venue at one weekend. This strikes me as a huge scaling back of our ambitions for the sport. Just six years ago, we aimed for one match at this stadium and drawing a huge crowd and now we need every club to pull together to do the same?

If we are to do Magic Weekend (and I am in favour of the concept), we should do it properly. If we are going to do it half-arsed (as we are clearly doing), we might as well not do it at all.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Chris22

[Tommygilf]

1 minute ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

Is that Beeston ? 

Holbeck

[Tommygilf]

13 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Yes, a lovely family walk through that red light district.

Tbf if you're going that way back to the city centre you're going the long way

[Damien]

41 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Don't mind this 

Leeds is a great city....will make the weekend of it

On another thread you spent post after post telling me what a dump Elland Road was for an England international but now you don't mind it for 6 games over 2 days. How strange.

[Pie tries]

I’m going. I’ll give it a go, but won’t stay over.
Perhaps the Etihad next? We do need to show more ambition- and planning, if this was last year NUFC contract should have had a plan b….

[Ackroman]

Las Vegas to Cas Vegas 

[redjonn]

4 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Its not his job to sell the sport. 

nope but I don't expect players to disincentive people to attend.  Most marketing organisations would be looking for key people to help sell, including in a professional sport the players.

Normally players help to sell the sport, even in self interest of being a keeping it a professional sport.