Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Sun May 26, 2019 11:31 am  

puroresu_boy wrote:

30k for a Saturday seemed low too me. Anfield is closer for the m62 'heartlands' clubs yet the crowd hasn't gone up.

I think the real question should be has magic weekend had its time now? Maybe the fans are now just tired of it and after so many just aren't interested in this concept anymore. Personally I think we need change. I would keep the weekend but go with a 9's tournament. Try something different and new as the current format has become tired and old.

Unlike the Millenium, the Etihad and St James’; Anfield has got absolutely nothing going on around the ground or isn’t near/in the centre of its city.

It’s also still got a lot of restricted views even with the new stand (which took out many restricted views). The Anfield Road end (where Wire were last night) is where there are numerous white poles hold up the tier above, if you’re behind any of them you can see nothing of any game. Also at the back of that first tier in the Anfield Road end you can’t see the other end of the stadium and can see a letterbox view of the bit of the pitch you can see. Over in the Kop, if you’re at the back (where the Wigan fans were singing last night) you can’t see the sides of the pitch.

It’s a poor choice of venue for Magic.

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Sun May 26, 2019 2:10 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

30000 does not seem to out of step.

Alot will depend on the attendance tomorrow. Recently Saturday has been the bigger day, but if that trend is changed then this weekend will be equivalent to any other magic weekend.

The first Newcastle event holds the record so far I believe.

Aggregate attendance 67,788,
single-day crowd of 40,871

So a big Sunday crowd would push that number.

The difference between Liverpool and Newcastle maybe that because it is close why would fans buy a weekend ticket. Wigan and Warrington fans would be home earlier than if they had played a home game due to the earlier kick off.

So it may lose the fans who may have made a weekend of it.

Being a bank holiday weekend should help keep the crowd in til the end, other years the ground has emptied early on the Sunday.

Still cant beleive they missed an easy trick to get the crowd up by letting Widnes play there as a warmup, would have added at least 3k on. Real issue is however not attracting any Scousers in.

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Sun May 26, 2019 5:31 pm  

scouse pie was decent, never knew they existed

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Sun May 26, 2019 5:36 pm  

Psychedelic Casual wrote:

Unlike the Millenium, the Etihad and St James’; Anfield has got absolutely nothing going on around the ground or isn’t near/in the centre of its city.

It’s also still got a lot of restricted views even with the new stand (which took out many restricted views). The Anfield Road end (where Wire were last night) is where there are numerous white poles hold up the tier above, if you’re behind any of them you can see nothing of any game. Also at the back of that first tier in the Anfield Road end you can’t see the other end of the stadium and can see a letterbox view of the bit of the pitch you can see. Over in the Kop, if you’re at the back (where the Wigan fans were singing last night) you can’t see the sides of the pitch.

It’s a poor choice of venue for Magic.

Yeah but Elstone pocketed an extra few quid from going to Anfield. Biggest problem is clubs don’t raise to the occasion like you’d hope for an event fixture (and never really have). Only Hudds have upped their game this weekend and even that was helped by Hull being utterly dreadful.

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Mon May 27, 2019 5:48 am  

Anfield was a poor choice from day one . For one it is far away from the City Centre , and the lack of public houses & eateries around Anfield didnt help .
It wasnt even promoted around Liverpool City Centre . Cardiff is first choice for me followed by Newcastle .

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Mon May 27, 2019 7:54 am  

30,057 came through the turnstiles to watch day one at Anfield, 26,812 were in attendance today for an overall total of 56,869.
The crowd at Anfield this weekend is still significantly down on the 64,319 who attended St James’ Park last year.
The crowd is the lowest since the 2010 event in Edinburgh

2007 in Cardiff.
Day one: 32,384
Day two: 26,447
Total: 58,831

2008 in Cardiff.
Day one: 30,628
Day two: 32,516
Total: 63,144

2009 in Edinburgh.
Day one: 29,627
Day two: 30,122
Total: 59,749

2010 in Edinburgh.
Day one: 26,642
Day two: 25,401
Total: 52, 043 (lowest crowd)

2011 in Cardiff.
Day one: 30,891
Day two: 29,323
Total: 60,214

2012 in Manchester
Day one: 30,763
Day two: 32, 953
Total: 63,716

2013 in Manchester.
Day one: 30,793
Day two: 31,249
Total: 62,042

2014 in Manchester.
Day one: 36,339
Day two: 28,213
Total: 64,552

2015 in Newcastle.
Day one: 40,871
Day two: 26,970
Total: 67,841

2016 in Newcastle.
Day one: 39,331
Day two: 28,945
Total: 68,276 (highest crowd)

2017 in Newcastle.
Day one: 35,361
Day two: 30,046
Total: 65,407

2018 in Newcastle.
Day one: 38,881
Day two: 25,438
Total: 64,319

2019 in Liverpool
Day one: 30,057
Day two: 26,812
Total: 56,869

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Mon May 27, 2019 8:56 am  

My Mate Ronnie wrote:

30,057 came through the turnstiles to watch day one at Anfield, 26,812 were in attendance today for an overall total of 56,869.
The crowd at Anfield this weekend is still significantly down on the 64,319 who attended St James’ Park last year.
The crowd is the lowest since the 2010 event in Edinburgh

2007 in Cardiff.
Day one: 32,384
Day two: 26,447
Total: 58,831

2008 in Cardiff.
Day one: 30,628
Day two: 32,516
Total: 63,144

2009 in Edinburgh.
Day one: 29,627
Day two: 30,122
Total: 59,749

2010 in Edinburgh.
Day one: 26,642
Day two: 25,401
Total: 52, 043 (lowest crowd)

2011 in Cardiff.
Day one: 30,891
Day two: 29,323
Total: 60,214

2012 in Manchester
Day one: 30,763
Day two: 32, 953
Total: 63,716

2013 in Manchester.
Day one: 30,793
Day two: 31,249
Total: 62,042

2014 in Manchester.
Day one: 36,339
Day two: 28,213
Total: 64,552

2015 in Newcastle.
Day one: 40,871
Day two: 26,970
Total: 67,841

2016 in Newcastle.
Day one: 39,331
Day two: 28,945
Total: 68,276 (highest crowd)

2017 in Newcastle.
Day one: 35,361
Day two: 30,046
Total: 65,407

2018 in Newcastle.
Day one: 38,881
Day two: 25,438
Total: 64,319

2019 in Liverpool
Day one: 30,057
Day two: 26,812
Total: 56,869

Just to give balance to the attendance figures, how many of the Magic events have been made up of derby fixtures and how many with more "random" games.
If you put a Hull derby and Wigan v Saints into the fixtures, plus Leeds v Cas, the attendance figures would increase significantly, regardless of where the event is staged.

It's time for the RFL to seriously think what Magic should be about.
Where should it be played, which types of games should feature and what do we expect to come afterwards.

The concept of "spreading the game to new areas" seems a great reason to stage Magic but, we've gone a long way from this.
Liverpool and Manchester are not exactly breaking any new ground and having the event so close to the heartlands, whilst making it easier for fans to attend, actually takes all the "magic" away.

There was something really different when we played down in Cardiff and Newcastle but, Liverpool and Manchester

Maybe we should scrap Magic as part of the league and maybe have one of the Challenge Cup rounds as an "on the road" event or, be really ambitious and go for Dublin or Paris.

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Mon May 27, 2019 9:14 am  

The concept of magic has died. It was about the rugby- it seems reading the comments on here most are bothered about where the pubs are

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Mon May 27, 2019 9:46 am  

56k over two days isn't great. I expect next year will be Derby games to boost the crowd.

Serious questions need to be asked about magic weekend?

Re: What is Magic About Next Weekend? : Mon May 27, 2019 11:41 am  

we already have enough derbies they lose their magic no pun intended if we have them all the time, keep them to twice a season!