Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:01 am  

To make it attractive for fans got to be a Saturday afternoon game anything other will severely restrict the numbers travelling down form the North West

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:50 am  

Really dont see the problem with this, what harm can it do?

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:36 am  

A would like it to be Catalans, apart from a couple of clubs the rest can't be bothered coming to the DW, oh and as usual it's given the RV board something to talk about!

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:59 am  

This reduces the promoted advantage of getting a season ticket. We were told this season that there would be three 'play-off' home games, plus possibly another one. That plus possibility is now being removed, it seems. I know that none of our group (five adult season ticket holders) would go to a 'home' game in London. We just don't see the point, given the massive time and cost required. And if we were to lose the 'London' game? What if that made the difference between reaching the semi-final or not?

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:48 am  

[Gareth] wrote:

Really dont see the problem with this, what harm can it do?

the complete opposite of what IL is attempting to achieve. An near empty stadium for this could be the final nail in the coffin for RL in the south. i for one hope it works but i cant see it.

What we need is a one round of Super league played on the SAT/SUN in the same city in the same stadium.... wait a minute....

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:10 pm  

How many did you usually take down to London when you played the Broncos/Quins when they were in SL?

It can't be too big an opponent like Saints, Leeds or Warrington, because firstly you wouldn't want to lose home field advantage for those games and secondly Sky would want to show those matches so that would effect how many would go travel to see it if it was on TV instead.

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:25 pm  

jackdog wrote:

This reduces the promoted advantage of getting a season ticket. We were told this season that there would be three 'play-off' home games, plus possibly another one. That plus possibility is now being removed, it seems. I know that none of our group (five adult season ticket holders) would go to a 'home' game in London. We just don't see the point, given the massive time and cost required. And if we were to lose the 'London' game? What if that made the difference between reaching the semi-final or not?

That's not true though is it. The season tickets were priced for a 14 home game season, and as was explained at the time Wigan may take the 15th game "on the road" if they make the top four. IL stated on Wigan t.v last month that it will not be Saints, Wire or Leeds but as yet we don't know what the fixtures will be.
Personally I would love it to be Catalan at Fulham.

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:33 pm  

The London experiment has been tried by the RFL for almost 30 years and the result is a nomad side with crowds of around 400. I hope IL is only putting his own money into this venture, and not the clubs', as its a barking mad idea. If he wants to expand, then start at Chester across to Stoke, Stockport and Sheffield before reaching Lincoln. Maybe after that try Birmingham.

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:34 pm  

"Massive time and cost"? Is it massive time and cost to go to, say, Hull, too? Wigan is just off the motorway, and well served by the rail network: London is hardly inaccessible. For one game a year...

Re: Wigan in London : Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:52 pm  

RoguesGallery,
It definitely IS true that they dangled the prospect of an extra home game before we paid for the season tickets. The key word was 'may' (take a 15th game on the road). Not 'WILL', which now seems the case. And there was no mention of London, the most expensive city in the UK.
Would anyone like to forecast the attendance at any such London fixture? Given that we drew a lot less than 9,000 for a HOME play-off match last season. And that our away game v London last year attracted barely over 2,000... Even if they gave free tickets and free transport for all, I don't believe we could get anywhere near a reasonable turnout for a London play-off, with the prospect of empty spaces on tv unlikely to impress these apparently eager new sponsors/supporters.