FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 7:53 am  

Perhaps as the venue is interesting to say the least and the event is pretty controversial for many this merits a separate thread.

And it's all a bit of a 'curates egg' really I guess, but for me Leeds Elland Road is a last throw of the Magic Weekend dice. Ive never liked the concept anyway simply because of the fixtures contrived as they have been in the past to create a good crowd. Of late there has been a formula to it but it's still artificial made for TV sort of fixture. Although the NRL as usual have followed suite and thought there was something in it.

On the plus side Leeds is easily accessible for most fans in the Super League set up and should get more folks attending and (possibly the only reason for it continuing) it satisfies Sky and gives the clubs an additional games income. It will look full at times and saves a lot of folks a bit of money.

But on the other side of things, during a recent visit I thought it was a tired stadium that is not exactly surrounded by a buzzing infrastructure of bars pubs etc, to retain the fans and there will certainly not be the staying over the weekend appeal there is for some people in a trip to the vibrant city of Newcastle.

As always all games will be televised and so a lot won't go anyway but nothing new there, however in addition although its capacity will make it look buzzing, will as many people stay on for more than their own game (or treat it as a usual league game),and if it takes off and captures the imagination of the fans (which is hard to see) and many want to stay all day for all the matches), will everyone who wants to get in do so (particularly on the day Leeds play when one set of fans could easily buy half the tickets)? Under Ground licensing regulations, the Leeds United Club will only be able to sell one ticket for the whole day so individual ticketing for each game is out.

The RFL will major on the making it more accessible for the long suffering fans bit but again for me the clubs should have grasped the nettle and either gone with the playing the game away from the heartlands for one last time with a big sell from IMG who could then assess its possible merits, and thus created the usual weekend away for fans, or they should have agreed with what many fans thought and scrapped it altogether. Discuss ........

[Chris71]

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:23 am  

The Dentist Wilf wrote:

Perhaps as the venue is interesting to say the least and the event is pretty controversial for many this merits a separate thread.

And it's all a bit of a 'curates egg' really I guess, but for me Leeds Elland Road is a last throw of the Magic Weekend dice. Ive never liked the concept anyway simply because of the fixtures contrived as they have been in the past to create a good crowd. Of late there has been a formula to it but it's still artificial made for TV sort of fixture. Although the NRL as usual have followed suite and thought there was something in it.

On the plus side Leeds is easily accessible for most fans in the Super League set up and should get more folks attending and (possibly the only reason for it continuing) it satisfies Sky and gives the clubs an additional games income. It will look full at times and saves a lot of folks a bit of money.

But on the other side of things, during a recent visit I thought it was a tired stadium that is not exactly surrounded by a buzzing infrastructure of bars pubs etc, to retain the fans and there will certainly not be the staying over the weekend appeal there is for some people in a trip to the vibrant city of Newcastle.

As always all games will be televised and so a lot won't go anyway but nothing new there, however in addition although its capacity will make it look buzzing, will as many people stay on for more than their own game (or treat it as a usual league game),and if it takes off and captures the imagination of the fans (which is hard to see) and many want to stay all day for all the matches), will everyone who wants to get in do so (particularly on the day Leeds play when one set of fans could easily buy half the tickets)? Under Ground licensing regulations, the Leeds United Club will only be able to sell one ticket for the whole day so individual ticketing for each game is out.

The RFL will major on the making it more accessible for the long suffering fans bit but again for me the clubs should have grasped the nettle and either gone with the playing the game away from the heartlands for one last time with a big sell from IMG who could then assess its possible merits, and thus created the usual weekend away for fans, or they should have agreed with what many fans thought and scrapped it altogether. Discuss ........

As I put on the 2024 fixtures thread my thoughts on the decision by the sport to go with Elland Rd as the venue is massive own goal even by the low standards set by the sport.
As you rightly say Elland Rd Stadium as a venue is quite a tired stadium and one that is out on a limb with very little in and around the immediate area. Sitting through one game will be torturous enough sat in such cramped seating that is throughout Elland Rd so that alone will be enough to stop many from staying any longer than one game.
The decision to use Elland Rd for me goes against everything the Magic Weekend was/is about in terms of the Festival of SL and Rugby League and it supposedly being a fan event.

I initially quite enjoyed the Magic weekends especially in Cardiff but as you mention Pete the way the fixtures ended up getting put together it kind of took the shine off it as an event for me. That said, the Magic weekend and concept has proven to be a rare success by the sport but the decision of Elland Rd just shows why the sport is in such big trouble when its the maker of its own downfall.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:29 am  

Terrible decision once again by people who seem determined to ruin our game. I'd have gladly gone up to Newcastle for the weekend, it's great there's plenty to do near the groud and it's a great weekend. Won't be going to Leeds, Elland Rd is crap, there's nothing near the ground. Least I've saved a few hundred quid.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:30 am  

Has anyone seen any post that think it's a good idea, maybe Leeds fans, looks a really backwards move IMO.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:46 am  

I’m a Leeds United fan as well but it’s a terrible decision to host magic at elland road. On the flip side FC have some great memories there from the 80’s.
Will probably go for a day out.

Sheffield Uniteds Bramhall lane ground would have been better location. Short walk from train station plenty of bars around the area. Ideal ground capacity size too.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:51 am  

It actually feels like the sport is being sabotaged the management is so poor.

IMG said don't have a Magic weekend, SL chairman ignored that...they then move the CC Final but seemingly didn't consider that hosting a Magic Weekend in August cuts down the stadium options??

Elland Road is run down and out of town and I'll most likely just go there and back for Hull's game, instead of making a weekend of it.

The Championship tried moving it's Summer Bash from Blackpool to Headingley and York and it didn't work, fans want a weekend somewhere different

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 10:14 am  

UllFC wrote:

It actually feels like the sport is being sabotaged the management is so poor.

IMG said don't have a Magic weekend, SL chairman ignored that...they then move the CC Final but seemingly didn't consider that hosting a Magic Weekend in August cuts down the stadium options??

Elland Road is run down and out of town and I'll most likely just go there and back for Hull's game, instead of making a weekend of it.

The Championship tried moving it's Summer Bash from Blackpool to Headingley and York and it didn't work, fans want a weekend somewhere different

Good post that for me, and it raises an interesting point on IMG. First we make the decision to bring in one of the worlds top sporting consultancy firms which had to be applauded all round. We did it as a game, we said, for them to have an over view of the whole sport and make global sporting management decisions to hopefully rejuvenate our game, which the clubs said they would buy into wholeheartedly. Of course they would!!!!

However, then as soon as IMG make decisions that are for the most part eminently sensible to the fans, but that don't suit the owners, the club chairmen (worrying about being marginalised in the decision making process and losing the sovereignty they have enjoyed for so long; not to mention some income) go against the body they have paid to recommend a way forward!!

It's typical of the parochial way our game is run. The SL Clubs almost all approved the no relegation bit that cut the championship clubs adrift, cos lets face it, secretly which owner beneath say the top three Clubs is going to want it. They all talk about the benifits of relegation and promotion and how good it is for the game, providing of course it isn't them that's involved in it. That decision suited them, this one didn't.

Sadly there will be much bigger and more unpalatable decisions to make if our game is to regain the status it deserves and I wonder to be honest how long IMG will stick around having their independent globally accepted initiatives for the game knocked back by the owners when it doesn't suit them. (for as long as we keep giving them shed loads of money to make decisions that the game turns down, I expect many of you will say)

Elland Road is a poor decision all round really, as it cranks the profile of our game down another notch as far as national recognition and exposure for the sport is concerned. Magic as an almost unique concept, being held far away from the heartland with the raised profile that gives was attractive to the uninitiated and casual viewer, but it saves the clubs travelling expenses and might attract a few more ticket sales however, for me, the weekend will go the same way as the Summer bash for the reasons outlined above.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 10:55 am  

Im also expecting us to be shoved on first to fill the ground up, given the short travel disrance and London will only take a car full regardless. 1st on Saturday would be better than last on Sunday yet again though.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 11:18 am  

First game on the Saturday feels a given. Will be watching our game and heading straight back to Leeds City Centre.

It will be poorly attended and rightly so, will give RFL/IMG the excuse to cancel MW as an event and that will be the end of it.

Re: FC at Magic Weekend 2024 : Tue Nov 21, 2023 11:25 am  

Saturday:

Hull FC v London
Wigan v Saints
Warrington v Leeds

Sunday

Leigh v Salford
Catalan v Rovers
Huddersfield v Cas