Manchester Magic are a local basketball team that play in the John Amaechi Centre in Moss Side/Hulme.

I'd rather drink my beer out of a tramps boot.

This is the athletics stadium next to our ground as it currently is:


This is what is being built just across the road:

I think that's what they actually serve in there! I'm normally in The Townley before City games and town after games.

I hope this happens. Been calling for Eastlands to host the Magic Weekend for a while. Enjoyed Cardiff, but I think they should take it to an area central to most clubs and you can't go wrong with Manchester. Only problem with having at a ground which is home to a soccer club is its hard to find a slot where they'll let you use it, as others have pointed out.

I know the Magic Weekend is about expanding the game and taking Rugby League to new areas, but to that, the event needs to be marketed a whole lot better than it has been. Its all good taking it to new areas, but if you're not really bringing the new comers in, then its not benefiting the sport.

i'm sure there's a couple of people on here that'll go down on the coach with you.

People keep forgetting the primary initial reason for Magic weekend. It wasn't about expansion - that was just a convenient supposed add-on to being in Wales at a time the Crusaders were looking to join SL. Fat lot of good it did!

No, the primary reason was simple - Cardiff had enjoyed hosting the Challenge Cup (not to mention loads of football) whilst Wembley was out of action and they wanted an event to help fill the void. The city paid the RFL to bring an event there, knowing in return they would benefit from hotel bookings and food and drink sales. Nothing wrong with that either - RL is hardly a rich sport, it needs all the encouragement it can get.

Sadly (I've been to them all and enjoyed them all) the highly critical RL fans have not supported it in sufficient numbers to keep it going.

At the end of the day... The real reason for the Magic weekend is it's another payday for the RFL to go with the Play-Offs & the Challenge Cup. There's no doubt in my mind this will attract the most fans compared to previous years (Although not all in the stadium at the same time) so this will generate the most revenue. Not forgetting City probably would have made a bid to host it too I would suspect.

All in all, making more money for the RFL that will hopefully be put to good use.

FWIW I love the concept, and will watch all the games no matter where it's taken in the UK. Maybe it could go to a different city each year? That would certainly be different.

If it's in Manchester I'll probably go for the first time, but I'll turn up five minutes before Warrington kick off and leave immediately after we finish.

If it's local derbies it's well worth staying to watch the other matches. The Hull derby is always well worth it, as is Wigan v Saints and Leeds Bradford. Where else can you get 4 live games for £20?

I love your posts DM - they're always so positive and full of broad minded, open, forward thinking. I bet the nights fly by in your house!



Personally, I think it's worth giving it a go in Manchester, see if the public goes for it more than at Cardiff. Ive really enjoyed these weekends, particularly the various derby atmospheres. As Teeside says, it's great value for money and a pity that more people don't give it a try.

Haha Cheeky. I'd be up for it if one of my friends wanted to go. I may well see you in Manchester.

I'd go wherever it was held to be honest, I haven't missed one yet. My only preference would be to hold it when it's likely to be warmer. And like Alfie, 7 SL games with loads of (Smuggled in) ale is my idea of a great weekend.

Me, Morleys Deckchair and Bobby Digital will all go along with you ...

Agreed there. I'm actually surprised the RFL have stuck with it this long given the attendances it's been getting (I've not been to them all, I didn't go to Scotland). I loved the weekends away in Cardiff.

As long as it makes any money they'll stick with it, if it only made the RFL £50k that's 50k more than not staging it.

That's a fair point.

I've been to all of them and I think moving to Scotland was a mistake. I'm still convinced that had they stayed at Cardiff it would have grown. I was actually surprised that we managed to get 60,000 last year for the 2 days as it was far too early in the year for a 7 game tournament and still very cold even with the roof on.
Manchester on the second May BH weekend could easily be something close to a sellout. I will certainly be going if it is confirmed.

I remember driving along the M4 through the fog to get to Cardiff, but i will say i actually prefer watching games when it's between 4-10 degrees, it just feels 'atmospheric', or probably just nostalgia from being a kid.

I loved the timing

I felt quite cold on both days at Cardiff and if it was on in February 2012 I question whether I would go again, however it wasn't half as cold as being in the 'Gulag' that is Murrayfield in 2010. Murrayfield was a mistake, I certainly wouldn't go again (the DJ throwing a bottle at us on the Saturday night didn't help).

I like the idea of it, but it just puts a slant on the league when you then have teams playing uneven fixtures.

How they can justify (for example) Wire (a title contender) playing Widnes, and two other top sides in Saints + Wigan playing each other?

I'd do something like what they are doing at Wembley with the double header international game, but throw in the final of 7's tournament or some other club based tournaments to appeal to the people who aren't bothered about international games.

I'm all for it being in Manchester though if it's going to happen, cost of going to Wales (and staying overnight) has put me off in the past.

If it is the same concept as last year and at the Millennium, then the season may be starting a week earlier as already being talked about. According to the 'Events' section of the Millennium Stadium website, Wales play Scotland in an international union match on Sun Feb 12th 2012 which is the weekend the Magic weekend took place last year!

whereever it is i wont be going if its end of may as im away but manchester would be ideal and makes sence

And the cheapest ticket is £70 !!