Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:49 am  

I like Wembley. London is far easier to get to from across the north by train than Cardiff is. I also liked having my pick of seats in the upper tier. I sat on row one, which wasn't where the ticket was for, and is a brilliant view. It's traditional and there's nothing wrong with it, so keep it there.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 10:03 am  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

Has anyone seen as108 or lebrunne this weekend?

Like the rest of the Saints fans, they seem to afraid to speak or support their side dont want to wake them

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 10:03 am  

Dropkick Murphy wrote:

I like Wembley. London is far easier to get to from across the north by train than Cardiff is. I also liked having my pick of seats in the upper tier. I sat on row one, which wasn't where the ticket was for, and is a brilliant view. It's traditional and there's nothing wrong with it, so keep it there.

Yes keep it their but do not put it back to August I have been to Wembley 28 times for challenge cup and England Great Britain games but most were in May when it was the challenge cup final moving next year to July helps

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 10:33 am  

Really enjoyed the game ,a change to put one over on Saints.
As for Wembley , lovely stadium , but you would have thought it would have been given better access in the construction. The building work isn't helping as far as road access is concerned & the increased traffic generally adds to the woes of going by road when you can sit at home & watch in glorious colour without the need to travel for hours. The stadium should have at least been given proper access roads from the North Circular & Western Avenue for fans from all towns north of Watford & even from the M4. Wembley is a London stadium that wants custom but is basically only user friendly to Londoners ,with the underground, who get about on their oyster cards, & good rail links to the city from southern & Home Counties for the more local people to get to the stadium for the usual football fix. It really is a stadium designed to serve the south east corner of the UK. Even our rail links to the capital can't be relied upon because there is so much disruption with rail repairs somewhere at weekend especially August BH weekend,which is unusually conspicuous by its absence this year.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:04 am  

Cba quoting who said it, but you can't get rid of abide with me.

Regardless of the results thats always the highlight singing that, arm in arm with the family i watch my rugby league with.

Evet crumbling terrace, every away end that lets you get vexed wet through, this is the pay off for me

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:23 am  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

Has anyone seen as108 or lebrunne this weekend?

Or Jonno.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:25 pm  

PopTart wrote:

Don't agree on either point.
Abide With Me is a tradition very worth keeping.
Sung loud and proud around me.

Wembley is the pinnacle. Let's just work on filling it.

bewareshadows wrote:

I think if you aim low you just get lower. Playing semi finals in smaller and smaller stadia in the early 2000s did not boost attendances.

Rugby Union makes its traditions part of its appeal, you don't attract new fans by ripping up your history. It's a bit like the church of England trying to grow its congregations by installing helter skelters.

I've always been opposed to leaving Wembley before, it is the biggest ground in the country and has a status in itself, which I think is important in the status of the Challenge Cup, but at the same time, it does make for an awful experience in comparison to other venues. Maybe moving to July will help, but I'm not convinced. I was chatting to a friend last week (non RL fan) who lives down there and was asking whether it was still a big day out to come down to London, and I just don't think it is in the way it used to be years ago. People travel more, they're more worldly what with the internet and all, a trip down to London isn't exactly a big thing these days, I think that's half the appeal of the final gone. I'd still hold it in London, otherwise the neutral media will totally give up on it, but I think the Emirates in particular could work, the London media is centred around Arsenal, and would embrace it if they could say it is something Arsenal does in a way they won't be fussed about at Wembley. It's a pity that it doesn't hold a bit more than 60k. I think they are looking at changing some things to increase the capacity up to 62-63k. If they get rid of those big seats they have in the lower tiers behind the goals for safe standing, I think it's been said that could push them up to about 68k with the other improvements. It's a pity there isn't a venue that holds about 75k.

RE: Abide With Me. I used to love it, it just felt out of date yesterday. If it is to be kept, at least wait until the players are out on the pitch and the ground isn't half empty. Sing that instead of the national anthem.

Also, let's not to be afraid to make new traditions.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:31 pm  

The Lineham no try was bemusing. Thaler was convinced he hadn’t touched him and the went quiet for about 5 seconds as if someone had a word in his ear and then started talking about the no try call on the field. Then he looked at the same angle he’d already looked at and magically spotted an issue.

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:57 pm  

Wigg'n wrote:

The Lineham no try was bemusing. Thaler was convinced he hadn’t touched him and the went quiet for about 5 seconds as if someone had a word in his ear and then started talking about the no try call on the field. Then he looked at the same angle he’d already looked at and magically spotted an issue.

Personally I think Thaler wanted to allow that try because the contact was so minimal but obviously there’s been a decision made by someone somewhere that if the acting half touches the player playing the ball it’s a penalty.

A daft decision that doesn’t exist in the rules and doesn’t need to exist and would have ruled out half of Kieran Cunninghams tries over the years!

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Challenge Cup Final : Sun Aug 25, 2019 1:11 pm  

Im just watching that exact bit, its a shocking decision, as shocking as the try we got ruled out for obstruction against wakey earlier this year.