The irony of this is unbelievable

Ha ha, amazing post. How could he type that 'you are just making stuff up' BRILLIANT. Nice one Chorley Boy !

No, many people attended the 2007 CC Final because it was the first one back at Wembley and wanted to be a part of the occasion, myself included. The fact that we happened to support the French as the underdogs is irrelevant. Should Catalans get there this year it will be a disaster for the RFL with one half of Wembley practically empty.

It's certainly a problem and with Toulouse and Toronto wanting to join the "big boys", it isnt going away and probably, Catalan's being in the semi final, will have cemented the idea of a double header, which, should be a great afternoon of RL.

It certainly makes the idea of the double header the best option.

It depends what we want for the sport. Empty stadiums but "potentially" better sponsorship and TV deals, or fuller stadiums but the foxy-bingo superleague?

Toronto on their own won't deliver the TV deal or the sponsors.....there are currently more Roller Derby leagues and clubs in North America than Rugby League.......and there's no assurances that NYC/BOSTON/HAMILTON/FLORIDA will prove any more interesting to Broadcasters/Sponsors than Roller Derby.....but fantasists and idiots like chorley John and his pseudonyms would have us believe that for the game to survive it must embrace North America at pace......whilst the reality is that Catalans after a dozen years in SL and a rich RL heritage haven't progressed themselves nor the game in France, London after 20 years produced a handful of players but were of no interest to the public and Crusaders in wales were just a fiasco......and there is absolutely nothing to suggest that Toronto or anywhere else you choose to drop a pin on a map will be any different, but like all great magicians, it's easier to deflect your audiences attention whilst performing the trick and the RFL/SL Chairmen will have you concentrate on this new shiny thing whilst they hope you'll ignore the utter straits the game finds itself in......

There were quite a few Catalans fans in the upper South section (opposite the tunnel/entrance), we were sat with them, there was also a few thousand sat in the lower South section toward the West stand, there's a photo of them online before kick off and there's already a load sat in their colours. I would say at least double the 3000 being bandied around were there.

But a great day for Wire or Leeds

Any neutrals planning on making the trip over?

Will be a Leeds vs Saints final with a Leeds win.

Nah it will be the cutting-edge Catalans beating the lacklustre Leeds Rhinos or the woeful Warrington Wolves

Wigan thought that in 1998

Catalans would take just as many fans as Salford, Huddersfield or Wakefield. They have been in a Challenge Cup Final before and the attendance was massive.

It’s only a short journey for Wigan fans.
Who would they support?
Obviously Catalans against Saints, but would they then back Warrington or Leeds?

I was behind the sticks and there where a lot of French fans in the upper level behind me.

As we told your other ID, Catalans made the first CCF back at Wembley and brought 3/4,000 at most. Catalan v Leeds/Wire would be lucky to get 65,000 this year......the last time Salford, Huddersfield or Wakefield played at Wembley they attracted 97,939, 81,623 and 94,218 respectively......and these were just regular finals, not the first in a new stadium.
HTH

Salford V Castleford 1969 the third highest attendance for a Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

I think any final these days will be lucky to get much above 70k.

St Helens v Wire/Leeds 70K+
Catalans v Wire/Leeds 60K if we're lucky....
....but you're right, we need the RFL to do more to try and fill Wembley Stadium.

I don’t have another ID as has been stated numerous times Gutterfacts.

Catalans have already played at Wembley in front of 84,241

Hello pot......have you met kettle?

How many times does this need saying?? 2007 was the first Wembley final in the new stadium, there were thousands of neutrals there which simply doesn't happen anymore.

Also the Club Wembley seats are now only counted if actually sold, previous years you could easily add 10,000 to the attendance for seats that were, in fact, empty.

Who cares how many fans a club takes, if they win the right to play in the CCF then that is all that matters.

Thousands of neutrals attend every Challenge Cup Final

Agreed. Some fans seem to think the league table should be based on attendance, or number of away fans.

a league table isnt far wrong when you put it in average attendance order....