Re: C C final venue

[moto748]

Much as a Cardiff final suits me (it's much nearer to me than London) and I loved seeing it there, the answer has to be no. We already have something we can move around the country: the Magic Weekend. Wembley is the home of the Challenge Cup, and I'm not too worried about a few empty rows in what looked like a pretty packed and passionate crowd.

[fozzieskem]

In truth there was surely no more than 50,000 there,so many empty seats,for our games supposed showpeice event it was a shambles,time to accept its importance and downgrade the venue to say Cardiff of manchesters etihad stadium as wembley,like it or not is too big.

[Nezza Faz]

The attendance given officially as 76,325 so that leaves approximately 13,000 empty seats. This will include the Club Wembley seats that are all owned by football fans, many of whom will have no interest in the cup final. Unfortunately, the RFL are not able to sell these seats, and so because of their position in the centre do nothing to enhance the spectacle.

This has been the same for our games there and in all honesty I've seen loads of empty seats there for big soccer play-off fixtures and even Internationals. They are like debenture seats which can last for a decade or more so holders of these seats can pick and choose their fixtures, so there's not a lot we can do to improve this aspect, unless we move venues, which \I'd be dead against.

[Owd Codger]

The simple truth is that the final no longer attracts supporters both from other clubs in our game and elsewhere like it use to do a few seasons ago due to the cost of going to London as pay for many has been dragged down to a level that other things are more important.

How many went from Wigan like they used to do a few seasons ago?

People now no longer have the money to spend on a Final, 200 miles away which does not involve their own club and where everything is so expensive like in London.

Perhaps the time has come to move the Final to Manchester like the Grand Final which has no trouble in attracting supporters of other clubs and is now getting attendances as good if not better than Wembley.

Manchester has enough Hotels, Attractions and Entertainment for people to have weekend for the Final and far cheaper than rip off London.

[BriH]

The simple truth is that the final no longer attracts supporters both from other clubs in our game and elsewhere like it use to do a few seasons ago due to the cost of going to London as pay for many has been dragged down to a level that other things are more important.

How many went from Wigan like they used to do a few seasons ago?

People now no longer have the money to spend on a Final, 200 miles away which does not involve their own club and where everything is so expensive like in London.

Perhaps the time has come to move the Final to Manchester like the Grand Final which has no trouble in attracting supporters of other clubs and is now getting attendances as good if not better than Wembley.

Manchester has enough Hotels, Attractions and Entertainment for people to have weekend for the Final and far cheaper than rip off London.

Or maybe Birmingham, if there is good enough venue. Problem is, at this time of year, the Footy season is in full swing.
I think it's awful to see all those empty seats at Wembley for the Challenge Cup.

[thegimble]

The simple truth is that the final no longer attracts supporters both from other clubs in our game and elsewhere like it use to do a few seasons ago due to the cost of going to London as pay for many has been dragged down to a level that other things are more important.

How many went from Wigan like they used to do a few seasons ago?

People now no longer have the money to spend on a Final, 200 miles away which does not involve their own club and where everything is so expensive like in London.

Perhaps the time has come to move the Final to Manchester like the Grand Final which has no trouble in attracting supporters of other clubs and is now getting attendances as good if not better than Wembley.

Manchester has enough Hotels, Attractions and Entertainment for people to have weekend for the Final and far cheaper than rip off London.

More interesting for me would be for Anfield to be give the CC final if the international game goes well there.

Wembley and its traditions is all well and good but a game for 60-63k fans in an 85k stadium looks bad for the game to the televised people.

Tradition is what will kill RL in the end.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

The attendance given officially as 76,325 so that leaves approximately 13,000 empty seats. This will include the Club Wembley seats that are all owned by football fans, many of whom will have no interest in the cup final. Unfortunately, the RFL are not able to sell these seats, and so because of their position in the centre do nothing to enhance the spectacle.

This has been the same for our games there and in all honesty I've seen loads of empty seats there for big soccer play-off fixtures and even Internationals. They are like debenture seats which can last for a decade or more so holders of these seats can pick and choose their fixtures, so there's not a lot we can do to improve this aspect, unless we move venues, which \I'd be dead against.

Club Wembley tickets are included in the total so the actual number of fans attending would be much lower.

[butt monkey]

The attendance given officially as 76,325 so that leaves approximately 13,000 empty seats. This will include the Club Wembley seats that are all owned by football fans, many of whom will have no interest in the cup final. Unfortunately, the RFL are not able to sell these seats, and so because of their position in the centre do nothing to enhance the spectacle.

This has been the same for our games there and in all honesty I've seen loads of empty seats there for big soccer play-off fixtures and even Internationals. They are like debenture seats which can last for a decade or more so holders of these seats can pick and choose their fixtures, so there's not a lot we can do to improve this aspect, unless we move venues, which \I'd be dead against.

Club Wembley tickets are included in the total so the actual number of fans attending would be much lower.

That a valid point. Additionally coach firms tend to bulk buy plenty of tickets in the hope they can sell them as part of a package, maybe making a weekend out of the event.

However how well they sell is dependent on who actually gets to Wembley. Sometimes leaving firms with plenty of unsold tickets and packages. Their tickets are also included in the attendance

For me, the problem was never the venue but the downgrading of the importance of the Challenge Cup. Used to be the "end of season" thriller for all the fans. Now it is nothing more than a mid-season interference to SKY's convoluted "Super League Premiership Play Off"

[mickh]

That is a valid point "Buttmonkey", "Sky" involvement again! They push their all, into the Premiership matches, then, the great crescendo which is the Final. In my book the pinnacle to the season has always been the Wembley Final, the Premiership Final 2nd.
On another point, Daily Newspapers show less and less features of our game much to my annoyance, all bowing to the great God "football".

Mick

[Owd Codger]

The new Wembley now is all about Football, Rugby Union and American Football and as people now find it more expensive to go to London and also now have alternative interests in life, the time has come to look for a venue with a less capacity, better facilities around the Stadium and more reasonable prices.

If however, the Final has to remain in London, than in my opinion, it should be moved to the Olympic Stadium with its soon to be 66,000 capacity where there are better facilities than what there is now around the built up area of Wembley.

The new Wembley may be a magnificent Stadium, but the area around it now leaves a lot to be desired.