I love the idea.

But I didnt go this year as I could find a semi decent hotel for a semi decent price and this was 6 months before the event. Although looking on late rooms on friday everywhere was full. It doesnt help having this edinburgh run on a sunday morning.

Cardiff I woudl take it back to. But it depends if they wish to hold it there.

But one thing I notice is why do a huge amount of people just turn up for the one game?

In other places to hold it -

no football club want it - If its the same date they might be still playing or wanting to give the pitch a break.

COM - Can't hold it due to the amount of non football events they can have per year.

Dublin - Waste a time. Now it's crazy price time.

This why it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do the CC semi's. If the 4 biggest clubs were all in the semi's then the attendance might not be bad but what happens if a few of the bigger sides get knocked out early? I can't imagine a semi final day would have any attraction to fans of club who are not taking part. I can understand when people say there are too many games, but IMO if you don't appeal to everyone then you're limiting the appeal to existing RL fans. I know the idea of these events is to spread the game and get new fans going but does anyone honestly think many non RL fans go to these events?

The idea of using it as a round of the Challenge Cup would fall down on the TV rights. BBC do the cup and I cant see them giving the event wall to wall coverage.


Are we too obsessed with the size of the crowd.

If the people who go enjoy it and the TV and advertising cover the costs then let it carry on.

My favourite venue is Cardiff, but it could be worth trying Wembley for a couple of years, it still new and so far only five sets of fans have been so may encourage people to give it a go.

It would also be good to take it to the France for a year, Catalan seem to have a lot of enthusiastic home supporters and I'm sure many other French RL fans would turn up for it.

How does the combined attendance compare to a normal week end - I would suspect it is there or there abouts?

I reckon for a normal weekend you could probably get around 70-72K, so in comparison around 20 000 fans have missed out on watching the game this weekend, a proportion of those forced to watch it on SKY. For me who can't afford the expense of going to Murrayfield or a SKY monthly subscription, I'll probably see 2 mins of my team on the Superleague Show.

Nigel Wood however has been quoted as seeing the event of being a total success despite reducing numbers year after year.

It's a great concept for raising the profile of the game. Semi finals
of the cc would not work as the transition of supporters feeling elated down at the result of the first game would mean not many fans watching both games. Also I doubt you would get many neutrals.

First round of the season has merits but the weather would be an issue on the pitch unless at a stadium with a roof, in which case you're tied to Cardiff. Cardiff is a great place but if they're not going to make it financially viable for the league there's no point doing it. I also remember fans complaining about cost of hotels there and I'm not sure it has the infastructure to support the rl fans who tens to stay for the weekend at these flagship events.

Ouchee, of course I didn't mean the Scotland coach. But England's Steve McNamara.

Too many empty seats and poor atmosphere.

I just dont think its working.

Been to all four of these and enjoyed them.
However.
They'd jacked the prices up this year for beer and food.
The ticket office was a shambles; 25 mins queue to spend 30 seconds collecting tickets.
Murrayfield is just too bloody cold at this time of year if you're watching 4 games on the bounce.

Originally this was brought in to provide a weekend away when the CC went back to Wembley. Maybe the idea has had it's time.

Surely no one has an issue with the ticketing costs! Is £20 for 7 matches too much? If it is RL will be dead in 5 years. Pathetic argument.

I've not seen any posts arguing about the ticket costs, have you?

1st page someone suggests discounting season tickets holders as an enticement to attract more.

And yes I have seen it elsewhere in the build up to this weekend

Jesus wept. £30 for the weekend works out at just over £4 a game. Which was the price of a pint!
The season ticket holders did get a discount anyway.

My point exactly. The only problem I had this weekend was the low temperatures. The weekend would be fantastic with another 15,000 fans a day with warm balmy weather.

Hey, it was snowing a few miles north so be thankful it didn't rain

being in a tent when it's 2 degrees is not good!

Being in the ground when it was 2 degrees wasn't much better.

Ah, it wasn't that cold.

I have never been to Magic weekend, because my team is not involved. However, the idea is a good one. We have few big events in the game these days, with so many of the old trophies scrapped. All we really have is the Grand Final and the Challenge Cup Final. The Magic weekend is potentially another great event for the sport.

It also got two full days coverage, with every game shown live on Sky Sports!

This has to be great for the sport?

It’s a pity about the poor turn out but, I suppose, with all the extra travel costs involved in following SL these days, something had to give.

Perhaps it just needs marketing better?

Perhaps a smaller venue closer to the heartlands, but where fans wouldn’t mind staying for a weekend is the answer?

The derby format certainly needs to be brought back imo.

Possibly not but it certainly didn't make double figures for the first game on Saturday.

Overheard a man on the bus saying to a relative that he was amazed at how many different shirts were on show, walking together, drinking together and that there is no chance of seeing that in football etc. He also commented on the amount of women wearing rugby colours then said these events can only be good for the city.

Btw the campsite was packed with rugby fans.

I think Newcastle has to be considered as an option, its in a city centre location, full of bars, easier to get to from the heartlands etc and I also think the public would take to it there (outside of the football season)

St James' Park's 52k capacity is more appropriate for the crowds the weekend gets. And it has the advantage that the camera's face the smallest stand (i.e. they could shut off the upper tiers and make it look full for the TV)

the big question is if Newcastle City Council, One North East or whoever would pay to attract the game there. And if Newcastle would let 7 games of RL take place (although if they plan to re-lay the pitch anyway, its a non-issue)

I would also move the weekend forward a few weeks for the better weather. If it was nearer the heartlands we woulden't really need the bank holiday anyway.

I think the biggest issue the RFL faces is convincing Edinburgh, Cardiff or in fact any councils to part with the cash in the recession. When the event first started they could claim they expected crowds to grow to say 40k each day...now that crowds have dipped by about 10% i'm not sure many councils will see it as a guaranteed money spinner.

They havn't even held concerts there since the new stand opened and the current pitch has been down close on five years after a couple of seasons of poor conditions. Now one game won't wreck it but seven in two days could, throw in some rain too and it is a chance I don't think they'll take.

No matter how much some bang on about the pitch wear not being an issue it keeps being brought up by football fans as an excuse, see [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-511255/Fergie-wants-awful-Old-Trafford-pitch-dug-relaid-time-Manchester-derby.htmlFerguson's whinge about OT[/url, [url=http://www.football.co.uk/wigan_athletic/wigan_to_relay_dw_stadium_pitch_rss456657.shtmlWigan about the DW[/url, [url=http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/sport/football/footballnews/5055948.Pitch_will_not_be_relaid_this_summer/Watfords issues[/url and [url=http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/pictures/The-Wembley-pitch-is-relaid-again-article400339.htmlall the hassle with Wembley[/url would you take the risk?

He did suggest that the Magic weekend could be moved back a few weeks. In which case the Soccer season would be over anyway.