At least with the FA cup, even with the scandal of semi finals at Wembley, we still manage to all trudge to Wembley for them if our club gets there.

I'm yet to see an embarrassing attendance at an FA cup semi.

If it was free entry to all what do people think the attendance would be?

Marketing of the semis is non existent as far as I know- would promotion of the semis make a difference?

Great idea!

It has been poorly advertised/marketed, especially as they have had the (ridiculously) long break between the quarters and semis to get something sorted. But at £18 a ticket minimal marketing should be required anyway. Hudds is a decent stadium, everyone gets a seat, everyone is covered if it rains, there's decent parking, it's a decent kick off time - that eliminates a lot of excuses you hear. Can anyone enlighten me as to any other reasons people might have, because quite frankly I am baffled why this looks like it's going to be so poorly attended. I know we put 50 in to Leeds the other week, but Leeds have got better and we still have key injuries, plus form goes out the window for a game like this anyway.

I do think it has a lot to do with the current state of the economy, but it is pretty sad really that the few times our great game is shown on national TV it's in front of empty stadia.

Should have them both played on the same day at the same place. Should be sortable!





Rock 'n' Roll.

I like the double-header idea, but what about the Etihad?

It's in the off-season for football, good ground, centrally located, already proven as a good venue for RL.

I think that a lot of the issue over poor atendences is because RL fans in general dont travel.

Yes, I know we have one of the largest, if not the largest, away set of fans, but even we only take a fraction of the fans who attend home games.

Other teams away support is absolutely laughable.

I reckon the fans that like going to away games will always go, some extras will go to a semi, but the majority only watch home games plus finals.

Sadly pal i think that it being on TV is a big contribution as to why fans give the semi a miss

and i do buy into the fact that people dont like spending over the cost of the season ticket, i certainly see it at Wigan, all those that regularly go to away games will agree that its always the same faces... a lot has changed since the days of the Regal trophy/Lancs cup et al and its just the way it is.

Be prepared for around 11k on saturday

Put it this way, they could have given us the 4139 on the touchline. and that still wouldnt be sold now. Top tier of the stand behind the sticks has not been opened at the minute.

We'll have around 6k at the game. Behind the sticks will be full.

We will not outnumber Leeds 5-1.

I'm pretty pleased with 6k considering we took a similar amount to wire for the semi last year. Had this game been at Langtree I think it would have seen a cracking crowd to be honest.

Maybe it's the fact you put so many passed us last time and some of our fans genuinely believe it's going to happen again?!
Holidays maybe?
Finances?
As much as the Keepmoat was awful last year I do think taking this game there may of been better.
At the moment we haven't sold the upper tier behind the sticks and I don't think they are bothering opening it.
Safe journey across.

I don't think you'll be far off though mate.

I can't see why Leeds fans wouldn't go just because they feared a beating. They surely know better then most that in big games their side shows up and theyll give us a cracking game.

As for our fans I'd be suprised if we took more then 5k. As much as it's a semi final a lot of people still seem to see them as regular away games and therefore won't travel.

Not even close.

The reason for the low gate IMO is the gap from the 1/4 final to the semi-final. It is just too much. Also the lack of marketing from the RFL.

A double-header is the way forward in my opinion. Etihad stadium push the tickets and I reckon 30k+ will go.

That's exactly what I've been saying for a good few weeks.
We've started to play a lot better in recent weeks I'd say, especially since the last time we played you at least.

Waiting nearly 3 weeks before putting the tickets on sale can't have helped either.

Thought it was crazy at the time.

If we have to start doing a double header for the semis then the cup's finished IMO. 30k at the Etihad still leaves 15k empty seats, and everyone wouldn't sit through both games anyway. The long gap between the rounds is stupid, but that surely shouldn't affect ticket sales?

We get this every year the gap is too long/too short between the rounds its not going to change so get on with it and support your team and get to Huddersfield on Saturday,the only way is if it went back to the 1st bank holiday in May but that wont change under the current tv deal.I cant wait for Saturday to come and a chance to win the cup back to back.

Let me just slap this down as total garbage. Outselling us 5 to 1 would over sell the entire ground for starters!

Put it this way.....if we don't get a 5 figure attendance on Saturday, we've sold more than Leeds.

As its on their doorstep, i see no reason for not getting a big Leeds turnout. But there i go using logic again!!

There is a lot of talk about poor ticket sales for both semi finals is there any official figures been realised from any club yet

Why? It would add another event to the RL calandar. The current semi-finals are total non-events, they actually make the sport look bad.

The only empty seats would be on the top tier IMO. If Wigan played in the first semi-final, would people not stay on to see who we will meet in the final? Especially if the other game involved big teams.

For the earlier rounds I would like to see all games involving a team from a lower league being played at the home of the lower placed team. The crowds at super league grounds are generally poor and the revenue and exposure for the smaller clubs would be great to see.

Wigan will have around 6k at the game while Leeds will have less than that. It is poor from Leeds considering they are only 26mins away from the stadium while Wigan is 56mins according to google maps.

We would have taken close to 10k had this game been at Langtree park IMO. This is the kind of game which should sell-out a stadium like that, but because of the planning from the RFL and the lack of marketing... this game will have a worse crowd than a regular league game between the two teams.

The fact that we have only been given tickets for the lower tier behind the sticks and what 3 blocks in the side stand suggests we won't be bringing many?!

Wigan's stand behind the sticks holds just short of 4k (I think) then you've got the 3 blocks in the side stand.

EVERY time we've had a semi-final at the Galpharm we've been able to sell the upper tier as well as the lower. I spoke to loads on Friday night who aren't going because they don't want to sit in the lower section as the view is terrible.

It's going to be interesting to see if they open it on the day for the walk ups.