Oh dear.

Did you know that Wigan's home attendances are currently 7.85% down on last season?

but roughly 30% up on where they were in 1984/85?

Did you know Wigan's home attendances are currently up 46% on the 1984/85 season? Don't forget this is the same magical season you referenced that attracted 99,801 to the challenge cup final.

See, anybody can make up dodgy stats!

No I was comparing the 5 major club events that existed in 1985 to the 4 major club events that exist in 2013. Plus I was comparing the average attendance of the top division in 1985 to the average attendance of the top division in 2013.

If you'd rather we could strip out the events that didnt/don't exist in either time period. Which would give us:

1984/85
Premiership Final - 15,518
Challenge Cup Final - 99,801

Total - 115,319

2013
Grand Final - let's even say a dip from last year, say 65,000
Challenge Cup Final - 78,137

Total - 143,137

That's nearly 30,000 extra people watching the major events.
Isn't a dip of 20k in Challenge Cup Final crowds worth it in return for 50k extra at the Playoff final?
Even though, as pointed out earlier in the thread, the 78k is above average for a Wembley Cup Final.

Did you know that this morning we had won the Challenge Cup 18 times .... we have now won it 19 times .... that's an increase of just over 5% !

Did you also know me and mates (that's 100% of us in my house at the moment ... all of us 2000% over the drink drive limit) find your negativity very boring ?

Ah but the last time you won it was an increase of nearly 6%, proof that Wigan are in decline!

A fair point ...... Wane out !

A busy nights trolling.....

Who's to blame though?

[uChallenge Cup Total Attendances from Round 4 onwards[/u
=#FF00002013: Total = 192,472 from 31 games = Avg: 6,209
2012: Total = 211,113 from 31 games = Avg: 6,810
2011: Total = 230,447 from 31 games = Avg: 7,434
2010: Total = 227,550 from 31 games = Avg: 7,340
2009: Total = 225,962 from 31 games = Avg: 7,289

CC attendances are down by 8.83% on last year, down by 16.48% on 2011 figures, down by 15.42% on 2010 figures and down by 14.82% on 2009 figures.

It's a dying competition.

I'd be happy if they scrapped it but theres too much history.

Huddersfield, probably.

Going over some of the forums, there are a lot of so-called 'fans' this sport could do without. The number of miserable, glass half empty whingers and doomsayers is embarrassing to the sport. If you don't like it, do one...

[uChallenge Cup Semi Final Attendances - Pre & Post SL era comparison[/u

[uSL ERA (18 seasons)[/u
=#FF00002013 = 16,895
2012 = 22,333
2011 = 25,871
2010 = 27,532
2009 = 23,613
2008 = 34,558
2007 = 24,534
2006 = 25,442
2005 = 26,716
2004 = 24,309
2003 = 34,477
2002 = 27,855
2001 = 30,272
2000 = 29,962
1999 = 30,999
1998 = 18,019
1997 = 30,773
1996 = 30,563
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL = 484,723 from 36 CC Semi Finals = Avg: 13,465
----------------------------------------------------------------------

[uPRE-SL ERA (18 seasons)[/u
1995 = 34,234
1994 = 37,820
1993 = 33,908
1992 = 32,663
1991 = 35,166
1990 = 42,120
1989 = 43,648
1988 = 66,435* Includes CC Semi Final Replay
1987 = 29,169
1986 = 68,781* Includes CC Semi Final Replay
1985 = 61,225* Includes CC Semi Final Replay
1984 = 31,202
1983 = 36,815
1982 = 34,282
1981 = 29,697
1980 = 36,257
1979 = 26,717
1978 = 28,991
--------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL = 709,130 from 39 CC Semi Finals = Avg: 18,183
--------------------------------------------------------------------
% decrease in CC Semi Final Total Attendance = -31.65%
--------------------------------------------------------------------
% decrease in CC Semi Final Avg Attendance = -25.95%
--------------------------------------------------------------------

^ I mean it's not like those games contain different teams every year. Nice that you took the time to compile the stats though

Jeff - so you lost the argument at overall attendances so now you are trying to prove an ageing competition which has been superseded by a newer more vibrant concept i.e. the GF is in decline - everybody knows the CC is a second rate comp what are trying suggest? The point here is people these days would rather go and watch the league competition than a cup - a bit like soccer - maybe it is a society/cultural thing? Overall as has been proved more people are watching RL than in your halcyon days of the 1980's.

The average respect for William Eve declines -4.7% every time he posts.

Sat here with a cup of coffee, newspaper ready to read and literally laughing out loud at William Eve getting served.

My favourite bit is where he suddenly drags up Semi Final attendances because he's lost the fight on Final attendances.

PS as a could of the Wigans fans said, the attendance & the quality of the game means nothing now to them as their name is once again etched into history.

So we have opted for a stat about semi finals as the figures for the finals did not suit unless you picked a one off year.

I think the exposure as a fifth columnist is now complete.

Posting any stat as long as it gives a negAtive spin.

Why not go with the certain fact that there are more people dead than alive. So rl have already missed out on billions of potential fans that they can never get to watch rl again.

I've seen a fair few very good trolls during my time lurking around RL message boards, but they usually give themselves away in the end, in much the same way William Eve has.

I know there are some real idiots on these forums but you take the bonbon.

You are not factoring the high unemployment, the cost of the event, the cost of travel etc?

yep, and smaller communities which made a local sports team of the world etc, less entertainment choices...

Comparing that era with this is beyond pointless.

2003 71,212
2004 73,734
2005 74,213
2006 65,187
2007 84,241
2008 82,821
2009 76,560
2010 85,217
2011 78,482
2012 79,180
2013 78,137

Seriously, anyone criticising the crowd is an idiot. There really is nothing else to say.

I think they used the rug union calculator to count the crowd or does Wembley hold 120,000?