: Mon May 04, 2009 8:42 pm  

Just back from Edinburgh.

Love Edinburgh - hated Murrayfield.

Cardiff just works so much better with everything within easy walking distance. New stadium with fantastic facilities.

Murrayfield is too far out of the way and the facilities were rubbish (and the stadium was bloody freezing in the Weststand!)

Won't be going next year unless it is back in Cardiff, I'll stay at home and save my money thanks.

Can't beleive they said they had sold 6,000 tickets to scottish fans!!! doubtful that one! is the person that came up with that figure the same person that has been doing our attendances lately ??!!!??

: Mon May 04, 2009 9:13 pm  

Edinburgh.....

Stadium
not as magnificent as millenium stadium, but on the whole, not a bad venue

Hotel
Edinburgh Central Trav Lodge - scruffy, unorganised, really felt like they took my money and ran for the hills. three examples of this...3 people in 1 room were given 1 bath towel, 1 hand towel, 2 pillows and 1 duvet !!! the second example....£10 a day to park your motor in their car park !!!...the third...the bathroom floor was covered in mud/dirt when we arrived !!!!!

Due to the edinburgh run on the sunday the city centre/access to main bus/taxi routes was hindered and after speaking to a number of fans at the ground there was a lot of unhappy folk

Nightlife
was nowhere near as lively as cardiff - this was quite a biggy considering we were in a group of lads in the 18 - 30 age bracket.

Refreshments
A little over the top price wise, but that comes with event prices i guess!!! and every bottle had its top removed - what if you want to save some of your drink? i know they remove bottle tops so you carnt throw them but if you really wanted to throw something like that...you'd still have your plastic bottle that you could throw, or coins, or little stones that you could easily pick up off the grass/surrounding areas !

The city
First time ive been to edinburgh and it is a really nice place. its easy to get around, taxis are always about! the only gripe was the bus service, a very arrogant bus driver said 'correct change only or get the hell off my bus' when i presented a £2 coin for a £1.20 journey! most unreasonable i thought.

The Rugby
£12.50 for 7 games - fantastic value - couldnt ask for more.

Over all
5/10....Thankfully the group i was with, the fans of other clubs and the games themselves made things enjoyable !!! id prefere to go back to cardiff, but, sadley, weve been there and we have our welsh team in SL so we wont be going back....!

: Mon May 04, 2009 9:36 pm  

I thought edinburgh was good but as everyone says murrayfield is a bit out of the way and Edinburgh is very expensive. Plus side is that we could actually stay in Edinburgh as we couldnt get a hotel in Cardiff last year and had to stay 20 miles away. However in Cardiff all the pubs were very accomodating whereas in Edinburgh they didnt like large groups of people and didnt like people singing and having fun. As for the atmosphere, at times during the game it was like sitting in a morgue, i dont think thats anything to do with the stadium i just think its wakey fans in general. I stayed to watch the Wigan/Saints game and the Wigan fans were fantastic.

Also stayed in the same hotel as the refs and as much as they get abuse were all top people. Especially Bentham, Smith and Ganson

: Mon May 04, 2009 9:39 pm  

Went to Cardiff last year which was great. Edinburgh was great too.

Went as a family with two children. Stayed in Travel Lodge on A1. Dead easy to get to. Straight run up early Sat morning, no traffic to speak of.

Dropped car of at park and ride again just off A1. 10 Min's into Edinburgh Waverley. Lunch and a wonder round. Back on train to 5 Min's to Hay market station. Pleasant walk in sun to ground. Evening meal in Edinburgh.

Sunday Royal Yacht Britannia. Down to Holy Island for walk about. BB in Seahouses.

Monday Bamburgh Castle. Straight run home. Great time.

As a family we are looking for a little more than plenty of pubs and cheep booze! I would like the RFL to keep moving the weekend around as I have visited places this weekend I have never been to before.

: Mon May 04, 2009 10:25 pm  

Been to both Cardiff and Edinburgh and from a rugby poiny of view i would have to say Cardiff was better... That were a lot more bars close buy and there was a real cup final atmosphere... You could go down and watch some of the games but also come away from it all if you didnt and still be close by where as in Edinburgh you really had to make the full day of it at the ground as its virutally in the middle of knowehere !! There was some great sights to be seen in the city centre but Cardiff gets the vote for me... Crowds have been close to the figures of the first year at Cardiff BUT i hope the officials also realise there is now 2 extra sides and cant see attendances increasing much next season if they dont go back to the typical xmas derby maches...