Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:08 pm  

I see the neutral venue has a Wigan post code!
Leigh Sports Stadium Sale Way, Leigh WN7 4JY

Stinks

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:42 pm  

Being a Leigh fan, it's horrid that the Pies will be playing (currently beating Widnes 42-4) at Leigh. But we are one of the largest town's in Europe with out a train station. Surely St.Helens/Warrington/Widnes (now they are not involved) or even Salford would have made more sense. You guys will be impressed with the stadia (for a championship club using it) BUT maybe the LSV charged less for using it, than the other's. But it looks like it's been done to ensure as many Pies as possible will be there, being only a 7 mile trip for them, or a short walk for Leigh 'Wiganners' ! Anyway....ALL THE BEST V PIES !!!

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:49 pm  

It should be at a more accessible venue than Leigh, which is ridiculous. But no one has answered my point: should 10000 Wiganers travel 200 miles or should 500 Broncos fans?

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:50 pm  

Pathetic

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:55 pm  

Euclid wrote:

It should be at a more accessible venue than Leigh, which is ridiculous. But no one has answered my point: should 10000 Wiganers travel 200 miles or should 500 Broncos fans?

How about both travelling nearer the same. Crazy idea I know.

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:56 pm  

Euclid wrote:

It should be at a more accessible venue than Leigh, which is ridiculous. But no one has answered my point: should 10000 Wiganers travel 200 miles or should 500 Broncos fans?

the only ground was gonna be a northern venue surely ?
It's not like footie, where maybe Birmingham/Coventry or even Nottingham would have been an option.

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:02 pm  

Euclid wrote:

It should be at a more accessible venue than Leigh, which is ridiculous. But no one has answered my point: should 10000 Wiganers travel 200 miles or should 500 Broncos fans?

Firstly, I doubt 500 Londoners will bother, nor 10,000 Wiganers either for that matter.

Next up, you miss the point totally......the playing of a game at a neutral venue is designed to ensure that no one team experiences the bonus of additional "home" support. Leigh sports village is 12 miles away from the DW Stadium and has a Wigan post code....regardless of the Vespa-load normally accompanying the Broncos, this choice of venue is against the spirit of the game and the competition!

Doncaster would have been a better option....as it is, those Wigan fans who bother will be able to catch the 598 bus there and back

The RFL, in fear of a mickey poor turn out for one of the semi-finals, have bottled it and handed Wigan a home tie in the hope that they get a decent crowd. 11,000 Capacity stadium for a Challenge Cup Semi-final smacks of desperation tempered with realization that outside of a Season Ticket, very few fans can be arsed forking out for tickets when games are available live on TV.

So, to answer your point, Wigan fans could have done 85 miles, London 190 miles...that would have been more neutral than what the RFL have decided.

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:19 pm  

Money talks, and sadly the Broncos don't provide any. I haven't suggested it would be fair or in any spirit of the game to play up north, as that is not how any professional sport works these days.
I think it's sad the game is being played at Leigh, and I would have felt the same way at Doncaster. If you look at my posts I am against rugby league parochialism, but I feel in this case, and as someone who has been to every Broncos home game over the last two seasons it is rather romantic, not to say naive, to expect a game like this to be played in the south. Life is not fair.

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:35 pm  

well if you do beat wigan I do hope you will be complaining to the rfl about playing the final in London where you are based!

Re: Wigan or Widnes it is : Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:36 pm  

The problem is this, Wigan will get to go through their exact game day prep for a HOME game whilst London will go through their AWAY game prep (hotels, travel etc). Wigan don't need the extra help from the RFL but unfortunately there is no integrity at Red Hall. They will claim its in the best interests of the sport to put on a full house for TV but then what use is that when Wigan rattle up a cricket score (in probability, sorry London fans).
We have an outstanding product on the pitch and a 'pop up store' mentality running it off the field.

The RFL will be happy to see London go now and claim they have helped you over the years but in reality they should have thrown a shed load of money at London (and no I don't think they have) to give you a chance but then again Brian McDermott said the same on his return to Leeds and the powers that be just don't get it.

Best of luck in the semi from a KR fan.