Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Mon Jul 29, 2019 3:03 pm  

Moe syslak wrote:

Wakefield were allocated the smaller end for that semi final and they didn't even fill that.

Look again.
One end full of trinity fans, one stand 1/3 full of Trinity fans plus many in the main stand and we're only a small club with mickey poor crowds.
The point being that Wire with an average crowd, well over double that of Trinity and with the game barely a spit away from home, weren't exactly filling the place but, they managed the 200 mile trip to Wembley for the Glory.

As I said, 3 of the current top 5 supported clubs in the country and on the doorstep for 2 of those clubs and yet, less people there than last season, when it was a "poor" crowd.
As the Yanks say, you do the math.

You'll be blaming Halifax for the small crowd or, perhaps the low numbers of supporters for the Women's final

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:35 pm  

Call Me God wrote:

1,722 few fans than last year and one less French side?
2nd (31 minutes by car away from Bolton), 4th (90 minutes)and 5th (34 minutes) best supported sides in the SL comp and one of the better supported sides in the 2nd tier (42 mintutes) and yet we AGAIN have a scenario where fans leave after the first game and make the game look Mickey Mouse on National FTA TV.

In a bold move, the RFL should play the Semi's on a Saturday and Sunday at somewhere like Leigh, where fans will fill the ground on both days, creating the image of a well supported game and not a game played in half (or more) empty stadiums

Now now, you know thats going to infuriate the resident trolls.

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Mon Jul 29, 2019 10:03 pm  

Does anyone know, either officially or approximately how many tickets each of the 4 clubs sold.?

It was really hard from watching on tv to work out which teams were allocated which parts of the ground

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Mon Jul 29, 2019 10:31 pm  

RagingBull wrote:

Does anyone know, either officially or approximately how many tickets each of the 4 clubs sold.?

It was really hard from watching on tv to work out which teams were allocated which parts of the ground

Fax didn't sell all their allocation, but still had a good (and noisy) showing given our position and a very lacklustre performance in the Championship this year. We had a few Hull fans in our section, which suggests that they'd sold all their tickets and bought via the Fax website.

Glad we didn't have to sit in our allocated seats or we'd have left as the proverbial "drowned rats". Row F but just 3 seats from the touchline. How does that work?

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Tue Jul 30, 2019 8:39 am  

I've been to every semi final Wires have been in (both CC and SL play off semis) since the 2004 Challenge Cup semi V Wigan in Widnes, and every final we've been in since the 1995 Regal Trophy. I've also done our day at Magic Weekend a handful of times in Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool.

As "events" go I reckon the CC double headers in Bolton the last couple of years have been okay, so sorry to go against the grain. Bolton's ground is only about 5,000 or so bigger than Huddersfield's, which is where the last Wires V Hull semi was in 2013 so it's not as if it would have been a sell out had it been played there again, and fans had the option of watching two other games if they wanted to. I was on the 16.14 train from Horwich to Manchester by the time the Saints game kicked off but it was a nice option to stay and watch for those who like full days like that, and I did deliberately make an effort to get there two hours earlier than I otherwise would have so I could watch most of the women's CCF so you can call that a success of sorts.

I say stick with it and keep it in the same place so people know what to expect, and give it 5-10 years to grow and see how it does rather than just drop the idea like a stone after two years. I can understand the Yorkshire clubs - especially Hull fans - saying it's hardly neutral when they have to travel a lot further than us to get there. I do appreciate that. The most obvious "centralish" location is Huddersfield though, and if you want to stick with a consistent venue, it won't by very neutral if Hudds themselves get there one year! Saying things like take it to Middlesbrough or Coventry is just daft because you all know full well crowds there would be half what they were in Bolton no matter how much you whinge about growth or people not supporting the game. Just be realistic. Bolton was fine.

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Tue Jul 30, 2019 8:53 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

I've been to every semi final Wires have been in (both CC and SL play off semis) since the 2004 Challenge Cup semi V Wigan in Widnes, and every final we've been in since the 1995 Regal Trophy. I've also done our day at Magic Weekend a handful of times in Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool.

As "events" go I reckon the CC double headers in Bolton the last couple of years have been okay, so sorry to go against the grain. Bolton's ground is only about 5,000 or so bigger than Huddersfield's, which is where the last Wires V Hull semi was in 2013 so it's not as if it would have been a sell out had it been played there again, and fans had the option of watching two other games if they wanted to. I was on the 16.14 train from Horwich to Manchester by the time the Saints game kicked off but it was a nice option to stay and watch for those who like full days like that, and I did deliberately make an effort to get there two hours earlier than I otherwise would have so I could watch most of the women's CCF so you can call that a success of sorts.

I say stick with it and keep it in the same place so people know what to expect, and give it 5-10 years to grow and see how it does rather than just drop the idea like a stone after two years. I can understand the Yorkshire clubs - especially Hull fans - saying it's hardly neutral when they have to travel a lot further than us to get there. I do appreciate that. The most obvious "centralish" location is Huddersfield though, and if you want to stick with a consistent venue, it won't by very neutral if Hudds themselves get there one year! Saying things like take it to Middlesbrough or Coventry is just daft because you all know full well crowds there would be half what they were in Bolton no matter how much you whinge about growth or people not supporting the game. Just be realistic. Bolton was fine.

Agree with a lot of this. Also think that Huddersfield is a lot more neutral than Bolton but location wise it makes more sense than trying to weave through town centres.

The problem with this sport is the chopping and changing of decisions, rules... Etc. Just stick with it long term five-ten years and it becomes the norm.

The first Grand Final in 1998 was only attended by just over 40k, the crowds increased as Old Trafford was renovated and now near capacity crowds of 70k. It paid off by just sticking to the one location.

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Tue Jul 30, 2019 11:56 am  

As a Wire fan I've been to Bolton two years running. Last year I arrived to watch all the Saints v Cats game before our own semi - when I stayed to the end,of course. This year I got there in time to see 2nd half of the women's final, watched the Wire semi then stayed until 20 mins from the end of the Saints/Fax game. It is a shame that many fans don't show/go home before the other semi. The worst aspect of Bolton is the terrible catering ( I know there are money issues ). However, badly trained staff both taking money and pouring drinks, beer pumps full of air making the average pint-pour into a five minute process, ran out of milk for teas/coffees at half time in 2nd match. Get it sorted.

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Tue Jul 30, 2019 12:55 pm  

Maybe the problem is that it is the top 5 clubs that seem to contest the semi's and finals every year. As the saying goes familiarity breeds contempt. We've had a Wakey fan saying that when they were in the semi they had a great turnout. Unfortunately we need more competition in CC and SL. After twenty odd years of SL we have only had 4 different champions and one of those is currently languishing in the Championship and last one the SL 14 years ago.

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Tue Jul 30, 2019 1:03 pm  

Asgardian13 wrote:

As a Wire fan I've been to Bolton two years running. Last year I arrived to watch all the Saints v Cats game before our own semi - when I stayed to the end,of course. This year I got there in time to see 2nd half of the women's final, watched the Wire semi then stayed until 20 mins from the end of the Saints/Fax game. It is a shame that many fans don't show/go home before the other semi. The worst aspect of Bolton is the terrible catering ( I know there are money issues ). However, badly trained staff both taking money and pouring drinks, beer pumps full of air making the average pint-pour into a five minute process, ran out of milk for teas/coffees at half time in 2nd match. Get it sorted.

We went to Bolton last year as neutrals and thoroughly enjoyed the day, watching both games in full and it was an excellent day out and cheap as chips
There is definitely an issue with fans not turning up until late into the first game and others going early, after watching the first game and having watched on TV this time, the place looked empty for much of both games (plus the women's game beforehand).
Maybe those in charge of the game, plus our broadcasting partner are happy but, the crowd looked really poor on TV.

Totally agree about the competency of the bar staff, who among the slowest ever seen and clearly couldn't cope with the numbers.

Huddersfield is clearly more central, especially if either of the Hull sides make the semi finals.
There is something wrong when they are travelling around 100 miles and Wire/Saints/Wigan are on the doorstep ??

Mind you Catalan travelled way further than all of them last year and they seemed pretty happy

Re: Semi Finals as a Double Header : Tue Jul 30, 2019 1:59 pm  

rugbyreddog wrote:

Maybe the problem is that it is the top 5 clubs that seem to contest the semi's and finals every year. As the saying goes familiarity breeds contempt. We've had a Wakey fan saying that when they were in the semi they had a great turnout. Unfortunately we need more competition in CC and SL. After twenty odd years of SL we have only had 4 different champions and one of those is currently languishing in the Championship and last one the SL 14 years ago.

*Cough* Loop Fixtures *Cough*

When teams are playing each other for the fourth, fifth or sixth time in a season, is it any wonder people are getting bored?

But it's OK, we "absolutely need" loop fixtures according to some clubs.