If you'd just been to an all you can eat chinese buffet, would you be hungry for chinese?

Wigan fans have been to all you can eat buffet of trophies, so it's understandable a little apathy would creep in, it's not like wigan haven't won the CC million times before.

There is apathy though out the game at the moment, not just at Wigan.

I've been away from the NW for two years.

Yesterday was my first live (non-SF/F) match in a long while. I was shocked at how subdued the atmosphere was yesterday.

Markedly different to how it was two years ago.

I love the new genteel atmosphere, let's have a string quartet at half time, and some chamber music rather than all that jitterbug stuff, so annoying.
Just let the noisy uncouth visitors get on with it,no manners, just ignore them.

The fact that you seriously, genuinely appear to have no idea why we need the type of fans who are willing to attempt to create some passion (usually by singing) tells me why we have a problem generating even an average atmosphere.

In answer to your question of 'Why did we need some clique with a name like Brigantes do get the crowd going?' - because apart from one or two hardy souls who try, no other *!%&$! can be bothered.

Challenge cup games are always poorly attended and obviously some of the season ticket holders don't go.

Maybe it's worth handing out more freebies to local schools, rugby clubs and business.

Aye.
Just over 5K at Bradford today.

What was at the Wigan v cas game?


If teams have few thousand season ticket holders that don't go, it will greatly effect the attendance. Also the fact all the games have been shown live on tv will have bearing on it.

I think all clubs should adopt the stance that any season ticket holder should get free admission to any / all home CC games. they'd certainly turn up instead of watching it on the box in my opinion.

I'm not even a ST holder, that is just my opinion and also I think part of the reason they don't attend is because, despite, being a ST holder, they feel they are being mugged into paying for another home match should they be drawn in the CC at home.

if wane is going to call out to the fans to ask us to turn up in numbers and show our support then the club (and RL in general) need to understand the reasons why we are still not doing; prices!

i'm sure there are more underlying reasons as to why this doesn't happen but take a step back and its simple really.

The ticket prices for the Cas game were very reasonable.

Disagree, unless the cost of the ST goes up and a portion is specifically carved out for cup games.

Reason being the cash these games generate for clubs - if you're drawn away in the cup, you won't get much cash if the majority of home fans are in for free!

I'm thinking more of the lower league and smaller SL teams.

Absolutely ridiculous. The Challenge Cup is a separate competition, it has nothing to do with the league so why would Wigan allow season ticket holders free admission for every round of the cup. If Wigan and all the other clubs allowed this to happen they would all lose money because only season ticket holders would turn up. Ticket prices for season ticket holders were spot on if you bought them before the game. £15 Adult £10 concession & £5 for Under 16's. What more can the club do?

I don't think allowing season ticket holders to get into CC games for free is the answer. Perhaps some sort of Wembley priority deal for people who attended earlier rounds is the way forward? I can't understand why people don't bother watching to be honest. In 2011 we got nearly 80k for the final at Wembley, but couldn't even sell out the Halliwell Jones for the semi against Saints or QF against Wire (both 12-13k attendances). We could offer even cheaper tickets or group deals I suppose but I'm not sure rugby crowds are particularly responsive to ticket price changes, we seem to get the same crowd whether tickets are £10 or £25

It is a difficult one and I'm not really sure the club can do much more. A priority system for final tickets would work if final tickets were more in demand, but as it stands anybody who wants one is able to get one, either by waiting for general sale through the club or buying off the RFL. Priority ticketing, like what is seen in football for cup games, only really works if there is a risk of missing out on tickets for the bigger games altogether.

The only real excuse for Saturday's attendance was the clash with amateur fixtures, but even taking that in to account a large number of ST holders/regular attendees simply wont have bothered going. There is simply very little interest in the CC until the final, and I'm not really sure there's much the club or the RFL can do about it, it's down to the attitude of the fans. Giving tickets away isn't the answer, that completetly devalues the product and loses revenue for the club, ATEOTD 8000 people paying £15 is better than 12000 paying nothing, regardless of how poor it looks on TV.

my response was in relation to a large number of season ticket holders who did not attend or by the sounds of things did not attend and also in reply to Wanes war-cry about wanting a big turn out.
I still think it is a good idea, I'm sure you had the option in the good old days to attend a free CC match with a season ticket?
and surely for it to work then the ST prices may need to increase slightly, yes, I don't deny that, in which case all the RFL has to do is pump more money into the competition and clubs by way of better sponsorship deals. away teams would still get their cut from the initial ST sales and any additional sales on the day. share and share alike.
I suppose its easy for me to say, much harder if not impossible to apply. just a passing thought!

That was paid for by the RFL (I think) - not sure why it was stopped.
Although, there is a case for some sort of discount for these games (in the same way the RFL subsidise Magic for example) & that might help bump up numbers in general if you knew that shelling out for a ST would get meaningful discounts for CC games (home and away).

Up until about 2/3 years ago, ST holders could get in to a 4R cup match for free. Cup quarters and semis should be seen as some of the biggest games of the season, the attendances for these games clearly show a lot of fans don't view them as such, same with first couple of weeks of the POs.

You can't manufacture atmosphere and that is what that did try and do IMO. It lasted as long as those involved were interested and was seen as a clique or if you prefer some sort of club within a club. It lasted about as long as I expected it would.

I don't know what the answer is but that wasn't it.

ticket prices for the CC games cannot be blamed for poor attendances. We paid £13 adult and £7 concessions. Superb for a game of that quality.

Better still I paid £9 for a concession ST holder and my grand daughter got it for free value for money .

Always right.

Exactly. I dont know what the answer is, I just think its the typical RL fan whinging attitude to be honest. Even if it was free there would be a reason not to go.

Sorry but you're talking utter nonsense, you can't manufacture atmosphere? That's exactly what they did successfully for nearly two years solid. You're exactly what is wrong with our fans, we can't do anything about the atmosphere so get used to it.

What does it matter who and how people go about creating an atmosphere, the atmosphere at games just a few years ago was becoming one of the best in SL. It's what the players want to play in front of, instead of shooting down great efforts of people who try, why don't you come up with some ideas yourself.

"It lasted as long as those involved were interested and was seen as a clique or if you prefer some sort of club within a club."

Thought it was because they were banned for the misbehaviour of a few. Probably by the same people who complained until the Drum was banned. Our rented accommodation is a joke.

When the Brigantes first came about with the colourful flags above the South Stand, the flag waving at the bottom and the banners in the crowd it was fantastic. It was the best atmosphere we had probably ever seen at the DW. Okay, it still wasn't outstanding but it was so much better than nothing.

A club within a club? You seriously need to get over yourselves with that attitude. Some Wigan fans pi$$ and moan about the lack of atmosphere yet condemned one of the best things for generating atmosphere in what was basically a "fans movement".

It is a shame that some morons got involved and spoiled it to a certain extent but I honestly don't see why the movement couldn't have continued to exist despite that.

The people running the original Brigantes with the flags and scarves were clearly sensible and knowledgeable people who are passionate about the club and did all they could in their spare time to have meetings and generate ideas. I thought it was bloody marvellous and before anyone says, no, I wasn't a part of the movement but I admired it from my seat in the East Stand.

It was great and it inspired things like the "Fat Dogs" at Bradford. For a brief spell it became the envy of many fans of opposition Super League clubs based on what was going on at both home and away matches. I'd love to see it return. The movement should be resurrected.

For those who don't like the Brigantes, for those who don't like the drum but continue to moan about the poor atmosphere. What is it that you exactly want? Besides moaning consistently about anything. If you don't like noise, don't go to an event which consistently sees 11,000+ people attend.

Stay at home, draw your curtains and be an armchair fan in the comfort of your own silence.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank those who take their time to put up the flags at the top of the South Stand. It's the one bit of residue left from a really positive and vibrant movement created by the fans.