Re: Challenge Cup Final : Fri Aug 23, 2019 3:28 pm  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

I reckon tomorrow will be the lowest following from Warrington for any of our recent finals (2009 onwards). I'm going but I don't want to and I'm not looking forward to it in the slightest.

Form and past performance doesn't matter you could play your best game of the season and we play like we did against the Catalans semi final last season. Its who turns up on the day and wants it the most.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Fri Aug 23, 2019 3:54 pm  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

It definitely felt as good as that in 2009. Now though with six major final defeats in a row behind us and a seventh on the way tomorrow it's kinda lost it's magic.

Go whenever you can. I little thought in 1975 that it would be 15 years before we'd get to the final again. Or in 1990 that it would 19 more years. We've had a very good run but in a sudden- death comp it only takes a few years being drawn away to Leeds ( normal Leeds) Saints or Wigan away in the first round and another gap opens.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Fri Aug 23, 2019 4:25 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Bank holiday weekend is a bad time to hold it. The number of floating / neutral fans I get along to the final has dipped dramatically as it is a weekend for family.

Have it on a normal weekend and have regular season games over the August bank holiday.

It is also Leeds and Creamfields festivals on bank holiday weekend, which are slap bang in the middle of our heartlands and get about 100k each, even of only a few hundred of our Teenagers and 20somethings are going there rather than Wembley it still has an effect.

Could always do something else with the league games up North on Bank Holiday in August like an on the road round, double headers in bigger grounds etc, SKY would be up for back to back games that keeps the TV audience watching

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Fri Aug 23, 2019 5:06 pm  

Just looking back through the attendence history.

Throughout the late 80's and 90' a sun 80k attendance was standard.

Even the memorable saints bradford clashes at the start of superleague were 75-78k, for the last fixtures at the old stadium.


It only really crept over the 80k+ figure on the return to Wembley and I wonder how many of those years included the club Wembley seats.

If it hits over 70k it will be a good attendance.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Fri Aug 23, 2019 6:03 pm  

[quote="bewareshadows"]Just looking back through the attendence history.

Throughout the late 80's and 90' a sun 80k attendance was standard.

Even the memorable saints bradford clashes at the start of superleague were 75-78k, for the last fixtures at the old stadium.


It only really crept over the 80k+ figure on the return to Wembley and I wonder how many of those years included the club Wembley seats.

If it hits over 70k it will be a good attendance.[/quote
Late 80’s early 90’s Wembley went fully all seated which was phased in over 3-4 years capacity reduced to just under 80k up untill rebuild so most finals up to around 98-99 where just about sell outs. Sheffield Wigan was probably first poor attended final as it was perceived as a walk over for Wigan.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Fri Aug 23, 2019 6:22 pm  

So we play the CC final on August BH weekend. Is this through choice by the clubs & RFL ;a quirk of fate ; or has it been foisted on us because no other sport is interested in this weekend & the BBC has nothing else planned ?

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:48 am  

Well I've just got on the train so here goes absolutely nothing.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sat Aug 24, 2019 8:43 am  

homme vaste wrote:

But why should it be down to the BBC to promote it ? IMO the challenge cup final sells itself, apart from last years obvious fail with Catalan getting to the final can anyone think of a drastically poor attendance or viewing figures for the final?

Just as it does for ALL of it's other major sporting events, the BBC should be advertising the event and something significantly better than the cringeworthy graphic copied from the SL show would help slightly but, as the sports broadcasting partner, they should be helping with the build up to what is supposed to be a major sporting event.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sat Aug 24, 2019 10:12 am  

Have a sneaky feeling for Wire today. Can understand their fans pessimism but cup finals are a different beast.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sat Aug 24, 2019 10:30 am  

Biff Tannen wrote:

but cup finals are a different beast.

That's true. Even when we're favourites, we still lose them.