oh great, the final is going to look with top tier section empty,yeah let other fans from other codes laugh at us!

I'm assuming the East Stand Upper is the bit right up in the Gods?

If so, I sat there in 2004. It was . THE most cramped seats I've ever had the misfortune to sit in, a terrible view beaten only by the highest seats at Old Trafford, and the big screen was out of view. The bars were miles away. I genuinely wished I hadn't bothered (even without the result).

That area will barely, if at all, feature on TV coverage. If the rest is packed, that's what will be seen in the background, and that will actually look great.

Seriously people, 31,000 ain't bad.

After a fairly strong start regarding his attitude to international football, Richard Lewis appears to have gone into his shell with this tournament.

The choice of grounds has been, frankly, embarrassing and this news regarding the stadium not being capable of being sold out is pure farce.

Added to that is the fact England/GB have a shocking record at Elland Road for deciding games of all types and you really have to wonder who at the RFL has any idea of the game's history...

if england were going to reach the final against australia it was obviuosly going to be a big crowd. this situation was known 7 days ago so why didnt the rfl / elland road and the poilice have plans in place to open up the top tier of the east stand if this situation arose.. 31000 for australia v new zealand etc but if it was going to be england in the final plans should have been put in place.

the rfl shoots itself in the foot again, the sceptical viewing public/ potential new fans will be watching game on tv and the main stand you will be viewing will be half empty

great advert for the game

What gets me mad is the fact that at Manchester, there is a brand new stadium built with public money, and the RFL are refused access to it.
The stadium is now the home of Man City, millions of tax payers money was poured into building it, the brief was when the Com/games where over it would be used as a football and rugby ground.
Since then it as been aquired by Man City, or should I say given to Man City, the Rugby League should have a number of days a year access to this stadium.

You lot make me laugh with all your ranting and raving as if you don't realise:

[listThere are costs associated with opening the top tier and a decision would have to be made about spending actual (money in the hand) profit against the risk of recovering and exceeding those costs

The RFL has two other partners in the 4 nations who presumably would have a say in making the decision[/list:u

Totally agree. And its easily the best stadium in the north west. The RFL dont realise that its not just the match that sells tickets, its the venue.

I still don't know if I could make it - I probably could but can't risk the money - but it would have nice to have had the opportunity.

anybody elses tickets not arrived?????????, ive not had any access to the internet since tuesday when i booekd the tickets, just found out now the ticketline is closed so i suppose its my own fault but youd expect them to be able to send them out to you within 3 days.

There are 5,000 to be collected today from Elland road. Give them a ring to see if you're one of them

Booked them Moday night on-line and they came Thursday morning. Strange how some make it and others don't

All major sporting events involve police operations, venues and promoters work with emergency services with regard to planning.

Not just elland rd.

This farce proves the incompetence of the RFL. Why close a stand when there was always a chance England could reach the final? Absolute idiots the lot of them.

Hopefully you all now notice what a utter goon lewis is now

Sooner he goes the better

you do all realise that stand is the size of a fair few of our clubs stadiums dont you?

to open it for maybe two thousand people would have cost a fortune

Can't believe the RFL didn't think to phone your mates and their missus up before scheduling the Four Nations to find out when they were available to attend.

The game is run by amatuers.

Top and bottom of it is if people want tickets in future they're gonna have to get them more than 3 days before a game!
Serves people right for there not being the demand.
I've got good seats because I booked weeks and weeks ago, next time more should do the same.

I do agree with the other fella who said we should be allowed to use COM though

It just shows how little ambition Lewis has to actually develop and grow the sport. We using smaller grounds in more stereotypical locations these days, further enforcing the idea that league is such a minor sport.

The England - Australia group game could easily have been played at COM. Sell the tickets from the bottom upwards and they would have sold 30,000 at least there.

The final should be somewhere like OT. Sure we wouldn't fill it, but given the performance last week by England there would have been 40-50,000 people at that game. Instead they choose Elland Road, firmly in the heartlands and close the biggest stand in the stadium. It's just stupid.

I think most people understand this point but when you balance it against the status of this particular game it seems a bit 'small time'. In this case a half full stand would look better than an empty one.

Never mind the top tier what were all those rows of empty seats about? People cant even get a ticket and there are loads of seats available like that. It doesnt show the sport in a good light at all.

I wondered what the 4/5 empty rows at the front were about too, made it look poor on the TV

I know this is hard to understand so I'll keep it simple for you.

Neither Manchester club wanted us near their pitch in the middle of November, they neither need nor want the money, neither do Liverpool or any other Premiership club.

Elland road is only used because it is a owned council stadium.

Looked like it was because the advert boards were in a different (higher) position to where they are for football so the first few rows would have an obstructed view. It used to happen at Old Trafford when they had to use bigger advert boards for Champions League games - though they did cover the closed seats so they looked less conspicuous.

I believe the Champions League was due to there being a set minimum distance between the pitch and seats. At OT the first rows are very close and within that minimum distance, as such they had to close them.