Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 11:39 am  

ThePrinter wrote:

The NZ series, venue and dates were decided in November 2017. The Premiership fixtures for this season will have only been decided late May/June. Actually think this one is on Merseyside Police, Everton and FA’s fault. Why didn’t they make it clear that Everton couldn’t play that Saturday (presumably Liverpool informed then of their ground none availability for that date) and then why won’t they move it to the Sunday, doesn’t seem that much of an ask for a football league game to switch to a Sunday and why has it only been decided now when the football fixtures came out 2/3 months ago. Don’t think the RFL have done mich wrong on this occasion and have been screwed over/messed about by those aforementioned parties.

Maybe they the RFL are not at fault, but if I was running the RFL I would have a put out a strongly worded statement blaming the parties that are at fault.
Also the RFL should IMO refuse to take any future matches/events to the city of Liverpool unless cast iron contracts are signed in advance.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 12:13 pm  

Everton should have been made to move not the test match, if Merseyside police cant cope then move the whole game to somewhere else on principle, people are already inconvenienced but if the game is still on a Saturday it's better. I will not go now on principle and I fancied a trip to anfield.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:19 pm  

Its a bit short sighted from the RFL not to consider the possibility that Everton would be playing the saturday. I went to the final a couple of years back that was on the Sunday, and arrived on the saturday for that and liverpool was packed solid with just the everton game being played that day so i can understand the need for one to shift days but its bad for those that have already made plans.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 2:45 pm  

Fieldheadrhino wrote:

Maybe they the RFL are not at fault, but if I was running the RFL I would have a put out a strongly worded statement blaming the parties that are at fault.
Also the RFL should IMO refuse to take any future matches/events to the city of Liverpool unless cast iron contracts are signed in advance.

I agree with that latter part, should definitely consider not returning in the future. As for the first bit, if you’re still trying to sell tickets to locals and get them interested then coming out criticising Everton FC and Merseyside police might not be the best move as Scousers can be pretty sensitive to any criticism as they think they and their city is the centre of the universe.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 2:50 pm  

Biff Tannen wrote:

Its a bit short sighted from the RFL not to consider the possibility that Everton would be playing the saturday.

If they booked it for Sunday it could’ve easily ended up with Everton being booked for the Super Sunday game.

Everton and Liverpool never play at home on the same day/time so when the FA knew Liverpool’s stadium was booked for the Saturday they shouldn’t have booked Everton at home. Maybe they thought because it was another sport that Merseyside police would be ok with it. Either way it’s a lack of communication/common sense between football and the police.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 3:37 pm  

I wrote a complaint email yesterday, got this reply this morning.

RFL email wrote:

Good afternoon,



Thank you for your email.



Understandably, we are currently receiving a large amount of emails in regards to the fixture changes made to the England V New Zealand game a Anfield. We are working our way through these emails to resolve all queries that are customers have.



We will be in touch within 10 days.

Either they sold a lot of tickets, or they don't employ customer service staff...

I thought I would get to decide if it was understandable that they are in no rush to sort things out, I wonder if they read it before they sent it to me?

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:01 pm  

ThePrinter wrote:

If they booked it for Sunday it could’ve easily ended up with Everton being booked for the Super Sunday game.

Everton and Liverpool never play at home on the same day/time so when the FA knew Liverpool’s stadium was booked for the Saturday they shouldn’t have booked Everton at home. Maybe they thought because it was another sport that Merseyside police would be ok with it. Either way it’s a lack of communication/common sense between football and the police.

If the RFL were in the ear of the FA when the football fixtures came out in June to emphasise the need to keep the everton fixture for that weekend away from that saturday ( which they should have been) then i agree it should fall at the door of football if not which is probably the case, then RL is always going to have to play second fiddle to a premier league side. Lets just be thankful liverpool were not due to be at home on the sunday too, that would have posed a real problem.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:12 pm  

ThePrinter wrote:

I agree with that latter part, should definitely consider not returning in the future. As for the first bit, if you’re still trying to sell tickets to locals and get them interested then coming out criticising Everton FC and Merseyside police might not be the best move as Scousers can be pretty sensitive to any criticism as they think they and their city is the centre of the universe.

I don't blame Everton FC. I 100% blame the Merseyside police and also the local council.

I agree Scousers are pretty sensitive souls, just remember "It's never their fault"

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 5:01 pm  

Biff Tannen wrote:

If the RFL were in the ear of the FA when the football fixtures came out in June to emphasise the need to keep the everton fixture for that weekend away from that saturday ( which they should have been) then i agree it should fall at the door of football if not which is probably the case, then RL is always going to have to play second fiddle to a premier league side. Lets just be thankful liverpool were not due to be at home on the sunday too, that would have posed a real problem.

It’s not the RFL’s job to coordinate with the FA. Once Liverpool agreed to host the game it’s on them to inform THIER governing body of any potential non availability of THEIR stadium. Given the FA have been doing Liverpool & Everton fixtures for decades and know that they don’t have games scheduled at home on the same day they should’ve worked out not to schedule the Everton game for Saturday. They’ve scheduled their following league game away to Chelsea on Sunday so not that difficult. It won’t have been luck that Liverpool weren’t scheduled at home for the Sunday, they’ll have asked to be away that weekend as they wouldn’t won’t to play 24 hours after a rugby match that could chew up their turf depending on weather, just like they were scheduled away in 2016 when the 4 nations was on and how Man Utd are never at home on GF weekend.

Re: Only Rugby League bends over for other sports..... : Thu Aug 30, 2018 6:17 pm  

I don’t know why they couldn’t have made the Everton game an early kick off say 12-30 and the England game a later kick off say 6-30. That would have given supporters from both sports a 2 hour window to come and go.

Would have been a nice little earner for the Merseyside police and the rugby game isn’t going to be much of a challenge compared to the soccer crowd.