Pain in the backside yesterday. We stood waiting for the train at Oxford Road, as it pulled in we were told there was no chance of getting on as it was rammed. We ended up in a taxi to the ground which only worked out at £2 each so not that bad. Coming back into the centre the train was fine, but trying to get back to Warrington was a joke.

Agree with an earlier poster, platform staff at Manchester Piccadilly are some of the rudest people in the world.

We missed out on one train there due to a train coming from Hull, going through Leeds and Huddersfield, being busy on World Cup Final day.

Coming back was a nightmare. Trains moving platforms, very unhelpful manager on the platform blaming the government, crushing on the platform due to moving platforms, crushing to get on (my leg ended up in the gap between train and platform due to pushing) and a train rammed full.

Why they didn't get some replacement coaches on to help out I have no idea. Had to get a taxi home as missed the connecting train. Sure many, many others were in the same boat.

In short, First Transpennine Express - shambles.

10.22 NLW to Vic, 2 carriages - shambles, few lads couldn't get on at Atherton because trains were full so ended up in a taxi.
Markets and a WC final, so lets reduce carriages - I walked back into town also

Sounds like the Jubilee line every morning and afternoon!

OT must work as Man Utd get full houses every week. How come it goes so wrong in RL!

Because people think it's like going to Castleford on a wet Wednesday - just turn up at the last minute. If you get there early and grab a drink and some chips near the ground it's just about the easiest big stadium in the country to get to and from. Much easier than anywhere else I can think of.

I'm suprised that, after 15 or so grand finals, suddenly the seating is crap.

Getting there was quite bad
Wakey to Hudds fine...
11:00 at Hudds missed three trains to manchester due to them all being full / so many on the platform.
On 4th attempt managed to squeeze on and stood up to piccadilly not too bad, then taxi to OT was fine.

Getting back managed to get on a bus from the stadium that dropped us at piccadilly gardens and got on a train and sat down at platform 1.. only to be told now there swapping trains to another one which we all had to get off and scrum to get on..

First trans-pennine """express""" total joke.. not enough carriages and all the staff underprepared.

Travel was hard work.

Train Not as bad as grand final day coming but close managing to squeeze on but left a good 50+ on the platform and after our stop they didnt let anyone on. 2 carriages.

I then got the tram at eccles to exchange quay much easier than from the city.

On the seating I was in the north stand yesterday and i`ve been to few grand finals in the southstand when I was 6 stone heavier and they did seem cramped compared to the DW 2 weeks ago.

Ater the game I walked to salford quays over the bridge and sat and had a bev round there til 7.

Trams to manchester where empty then.

Victoria was another matter 10:30 train bedlam again the cancelling , changing platforms on trains fiasco.

But thankfully they had to put on a lot more carriages or they would have had a riot.

As long as you are there for the train and have a ticket they have to get you home. Must cost em a fortune.

I think the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff is arguably the easiest, it's right in the city centre and I've never had any issues when I've been.

I didn't have any issues yesterday. Went over in the car, got parked up at 1pm or so and didn't have any issues in the journey (saw a traffic alert that the M60 was congested J18-J12 so just went the other way around it). Easy walk up to the ground, got in in plenty of time. No bother.

There was the obvious traffic congestion after the match but that was to be expected.

I've been sat in worse but it wasn't brilliant. Being 6'3, I've gotten used to having very tight legroom at matches but I was in the Stretford End yesterday and the legroom was less than what I've experienced at the last two grounds I've been to (the KC Stadium and the Stadium of Light). It wasn't unbearable but I can understand how some people bigger than myself would have cause for complaint.

The bigger problem for me, and no doubt many others, was that I had the shoes of the girl sitting behind me right in my back throughout the game due to the small gap in the seat being at exactly the same level as the floor of the row behind.

Incidentally, it sounded like most of her group were at their first ever game of rugby league and enjoyed it, so it's good to see the World Cup bringing in new support - it's exactly what a lot of us want.

I dread to think what it was like earlier straight after the game in Piccadilly.
We decided we were going to get the 20:13. After queing at Burger king and waiting 10 minutes to be told it will be another 10 minutes, I asked for my money back. Within seconds my food was there. (I should never have eaten it) I don't know why I bothered making a dash to the platform as when I got there, i was only met by every other man and his dog trying to get to the platform.

After been told to go to platform 3, the train arrived and half the platform didn't get on. People were making abusive gestures at others who felt those inside the carriages could move down alittle, and it didn't look long until something would kick off, and I at least 3 women crying.

I went up the escalators on platform 3 to cut through the mayhem on the stairs at platform 13/14. When I arrived, it was quiet. By the time the train came at 21:13, it was abit unsavory. Police had to jump in more than once, people were taking cheap shots and more women were crying. Most of them were going to Stalybridge and didn't know why it was so busy.

Oh, and lastly, I've been throwing up all day due to that Burger. It was either that or not been able to move for 1 hour on a stupidly hot train that made me worse for wear.

I think I will jump on a skateboard next time

Until the last GF I went to last year, the trains on GF day haven't been too bad (busy, but not dangerous). Last time (2012 final), I was surprised that someone wasn't seriously injured the way that BTP and First Transpennine carried on.

Reading FTPE's Twitter feed, their view is that yesterday's failings were the fault of the RLWC organisers for organising a match in a city that they run services to. I really don't understand how, on a day when they know that there is a major event at Old Trafford and on a day when they know 7,000 Leeds United fans are travelling to Blackburn, they can't make arrangements.

As mentioned earlier, Manchester hosts a major football match every week with either City or United. Surely they can't get it this wrong every week?

That's their problem. They are rigid with their timetables and don't make any effort to increase capacity hiding behind the same tired excuses.

My fav moment on a northern train was travelling from Manchester to Preston on a Saturday morning. The train was overcrowded although there was no particular event on. When the tannoy announcer said "we apologise for the overcrowding. This is due to ....." many passengers paused to hear the reason. " the high volume of passengers". Kind of sums up the attitude of rail companies.

Used the metrolink from crumpsall and it was hectic, went for the tram at 12 and 2 went past full. this is a few stops before even getting to the centre. We eventually managed to squash onto one which was packed, it then stopped at victoria and had people running and jumping to squash in which was downright idiotic. then every other station there was no chance.

We left the ground just after the trophy was presented and got our skates on, probably queued for about 25 minutes for a tram which wasn't too bad, a couple went past full because obviously people where just going to altrincham then swapping over but eventually some empty carriages where sent.

I've never seen Manchester so busy, stayed over and today was just as bad because of the markets. It seems that they just couldn't be bothered adding extra services/carriages to cope with the demand, Certainly wouldn't be blaming the RFL.

Never had a problem going to football at Old Trafford. Maybe it's drunken RL fans that are the problem?