Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:38 am  

Urmston Wire wrote:

70,000 people were there, whether 70,000 actually paid for their tickets is another question!

you can say that about most big sporting events nowadays so it's not fair to single out one event IMO

Catalancs wrote:

The Twickenham crowd was indeed impressive but the Wembley crowd was anything but. £10 adults and £25 for a family of four and yet under 40,000 on.

don't think it's a disasterous crowd when you consider the weather conditions plus of course the Tube Strike especially on the northern lines which must have reduced the crowd by many thousands - my mate,a Sarries season ticket holder is near High Wycombe and couldn't even get his car out of his street because of the snow etc - Boxing Day is,I think i'm right in saying,the busiest shopping day in London - imagine the traffic chaos - he did like many thousands of other fans,watched it on the telly...

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:01 pm  

sanjunien wrote:

you can say that about most big sporting events nowadays so it's not fair to single out one event IMOdon't think it's a disasterous crowd when you consider the weather conditions plus of course the Tube Strike especially on the northern lines which must have reduced the crowd by many thousands - my mate,a Sarries season ticket holder is near High Wycombe and couldn't even get his car out of his street because of the snow etc - Boxing Day is,I think i'm right in saying,the busiest shopping day in London - imagine the traffic chaos - he did like many thousands of other fans,watched it on the telly...

Truly awful planning then.
The 38,000 crowd was the number of tickets sold not the number who actually turned up.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:16 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Truly awful planning then.
The 38,000 crowd was the number of tickets sold not the number who actually turned up.

the Tube Strike was almost a last minute decision and hung on a judges decision regading its legality - if the judge had deemed the strike unlawful then most of the strikers would have been on duty operating a near normal situation.
Saying that,Wembley always has been a tricky place to get to

'awful planning',don't think so - there would have been a lot of neutral fans at Twickers and money is tight in most households nowadays and if you gave me the choice of a match to watch between Twickers & Wembley,I would choose the former anyday,Tube Strike or not.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:20 pm  

Putting a game on on the busiest shopping day in London isn't bad planning? Just imagine the traffic chaos!

Anyroad, merry christmas

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:54 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Putting a game on on the busiest shopping day in London isn't bad planning? Just imagine the traffic chaos!

Anyroad, merry christmas

no different to a local derby footie match - but ok,you win,it was a bad planning

all the best for 2011 - will you be at the TO v Catalans game ? - it usually draws a decent crowd

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:07 pm  

sanjunien wrote:

no different to a local derby footie match - but ok,you win,it was a bad planning

all the best for 2011 - will you be at the TO v Catalans game ? - it usually draws a decent crowd

Go back next Tuesday but with work and other things looks like I'll only get to the Wigan game and maybe one other in June/July.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:33 am  

just had to announce to the RU lovers the tragedy at Welford Road he other day in the Tigers v Saints game - something never seen at a RU venue - GEORDAN MURPHY ACTUALLY MADE AN ERROR !!! he actually dropped the ball which lead to a Saints score ! - is nothing sacred ?

that's tantamount to Paul Wellens walking on water !

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Jan 10, 2011 1:00 pm  

Charlie Hodgson off to Saracens. Going to be interesting to see how it affects Sale next season.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:53 pm  

Seeing as though this has been quickly locked in the Virtual Terrace, I will post this here... (personally, I think that the opportunity to bring the son of a former RL national captain into the RL fold is a RL topic, I thought we were a family sport!) Post.... This is Rugby Union news but bear with me http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 352005.stm Charlie Hodgson is joining Saracens from Sale on a three year deal. Owen Farrell has been playing stand off (I cannot bring myself to say fly half... sounds rubbish) for Saracens for the past several games so obviously this is a barrier to his progress Is it worth a RL team going for him... good publicity?

Seeing as though this has been quickly locked in the Virtual Terrace, I will post this here... (personally, I think that the opportunity to bring the son of a former RL national captain into the RL fold is a RL topic, I thought we were a family sport!) Post.... This is Rugby Union news but bear with me http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 352005.stm Charlie Hodgson is joining Saracens from Sale on a three year deal. Owen Farrell has been playing stand off (I cannot bring myself to say fly half... sounds rubbish) for Saracens for the past several games so obviously this is a barrier to his progress Is it worth a RL team going for him... good publicity?

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:12 pm  

Dunbar wrote:

Charlie Hodgson is joining Saracens from Sale on a three year deal. Owen Farrell has been playing stand off (I cannot bring myself to say fly half... sounds rubbish) for Saracens for the past several games so obviously this is a barrier to his progress

Is it worth a RL team going for him... good publicity?

I know he's still learning his trade, but when I've seen him playing for Sarries this season he's looked very, very limited in the aspects of his game that would be under most scrutiny in League - pace, elusiveness, passing and tackling.

Got a good kicking game and an old head on his shoulders, but I'm not sure where you'd play him in a League side. Bit like a young Kevin Sinfield in some respects - not really quick enough for the halves but not big enough to be a ball carrying back rower.

There's also the appeal to him of staying at Sarries and learning from Hodgson while continuing to work with his old man that any other side would need to get over.