Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:23 pm  

In 1990 a crowd of 26,000 saw the semi final game between Saints and Wigan at Old Trafford - would it be too unrealistic to suggest a similar crowd should a venue be found or has the Cups popularity really diminished so much in 20 years that the RFL have no other choice but to use smaller venues?

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:31 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

Would you be saying that if you were playing, say, Harlequins or Catalans in the semi final?

Initially I would hope the RFL would ask both clubs how many they want/expect and work in accordance with that, if anyone has over estimated any unsold tickets could be reallocated if there was demand, which I believe is what happens generally, admittedly the short turnaround would make that a little more complicated. (Last year they were 10 weeks apart not 2!!!!!)

I don't mind the slight difference given the level of season tickets per club but I'm sure I have read somewhere on here that Wigan failed to sell out their tickets for their last cup semi final with an allocation less than what they have for this one (surprising given their recent lack of success at that point) do they really need so many more all of a sudden?

I know Saints fans have had 11 of these semi finals in a row and the casuals are not coming like they did at first but there are still enough fans to sell about half the capacity, if we don't it is a pretty poor turnout.

It is the biggest derby in RL & the first time we've met in the serious latter stages of the Cup since 2004 (2005 was the qf), I like many others are overly excited already but we're all going to look a bit daft bickering over tickets if it doesn't sell out!

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:42 pm  

Phil-P wrote:

In 1990 a crowd of 26,000 saw the semi final game between Saints and Wigan at Old Trafford - would it be too unrealistic to suggest a similar crowd should a venue be found or has the Cups popularity really diminished so much in 20 years that the RFL have no other choice but to use smaller venues?

It is a real shame its not like that but sadly at the moment there is no chance of that type of attendance for a cup semi final, they have been in steady decline for years and the RFL don't appear keen to do much to arrest the slide.

It is alike a throw back semi final to me back to when I first started going in 1992, I've been to all but two of our previous 12 (missing 2003/4) and there are none I've been as excited about, we are clearly underdogs and its our biggest rivals, there should be huge demand for a game like this.

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:48 pm  

I disagree. This is WIGAN V ST HELENS in a cup semi. I agree that for most semis, the HJ would suffice, but for Wigan & Saints, with both sides being quite evenly matched, I'd imagine a 25/30k crowd is do-able.

Wigan & Saints, in any competitive fixture, is one hell of a draw.

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:54 pm  

Mr. Messy wrote:

Furthermore Saints have said we've been allocated LESS than the number of Season Ticket holders we have.
IMO I think we've only been given what we normally have for an away game at the HJ, The West Stand and first block of the North Stand.

The head of redvee has posted the stand capacities to be something approx it can't be perfect as it totals 12,600, and some other sites suggest West holds 3,500

North stand - 3,000
East Stand - 2,400
South Stand - 4,000
West Stand - 3,200

Wigan have 6,400 + North
Saints have 3,500 + North
RFL - portion of the North??

For Saints to tweet that it is about equal that would suggest we have more of the North than normal but we have to easily sell out to feel under sold.

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:55 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

According to Saints on Twitter, Wigan and Saints fans will have about equal allocations.

Both have 5000

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:57 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

I disagree. This is WIGAN V ST HELENS in a cup semi. I agree that for most semis, the HJ would suffice, but for Wigan & Saints, with both sides being quite evenly matched, I'd imagine a 25/30k crowd is do-able.

Wigan & Saints, in any competitive fixture, is one hell of a draw.

In a longer time frame, I would agree with you - but with less than 2 weeks to get it all sorted, there just isnt the time to introduce a full on marketing campaign and aim for a complete sell out at a bigger stadium. Given a month and some proper promotion, they could have got 25/30k for this game.

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:04 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

I disagree. This is WIGAN V ST HELENS in a cup semi. I agree that for most semis, the HJ would suffice, but for Wigan & Saints, with both sides being quite evenly matched, I'd imagine a 25/30k crowd is do-able.

Wigan & Saints, in any competitive fixture, is one hell of a draw.

I agree it should be.

As I've posted before I've never been as excited for a cup semi as I am for this one and if everyone felt the same as us we could easily match the good friday gate in the right venue, the problem is both clubs have too many apathetic fans for the cup and for semi finals (Saints admittedly more so at the moment)

Look at the 2009 semi finals - Wigan hadn't been to the final in 5 years and never to the new Wembley and they couldn't sell out 13,300 against Warrington who also hadn't been to a final in years. Saints had won 3 cups in a row and sold no more than about 6000!

I certainly think 13,000 shouldn't be enough, but the only way we can show they undersold the game is by selling out in record time, not that it would make a difference to the RFL!

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:06 pm  

Chris Saint wrote:

The head of redvee has posted the stand capacities to be something approx it can't be perfect as it totals 12,600, and some other sites suggest West holds 3,500

Wigan have 6,400 + North
Saints have 3,500 + North
RFL - portion of the North??

For Saints to tweet that it is about equal that would suggest we have more of the North than normal but we have to easily sell out to feel under sold.

We've only got part of the East. When we played at the HJ vs Catalans, we were allocated the South and East, but the RFL retained an allocation in both stands to sell.

Re: It is DEFINITELY the HJ : Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:08 pm  

Smart money is to buy from the RFL then.