Probably a bit late now but unsold blocks of seats should be offered free to local schools - they may not know much about the game but what kid would turn down a free trip to Wembley?

I'm going to the game (its only tube travel for me) and taking a couple of mates from work - an NZ yawnionite and someone that has never been to a live Rugby game of either code.

I know you're messing mate, I have an Aus mate flying over staying at mine and I roped in a few guys from work, some of which have never seen a game of RL. Should be fun.

As others have said, it's not a cheap day out and we've had four weeks of 'all pay' games around the country - with one more big one to come.

I'm going to Wembley with the other half for the weekend and even with free rail tickets (using East Coast reward points), it's still probably going to end up costing me around £300 in food and two nights of accomodation - and that's before she hits the shops on Sunday!....

Anyone criticising this crowd should think back and try and remember the last time we had a 63k crowd and a 75k crowd in consecutive weeks for RL internationals. I've not looked, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't in my life time.

I've no doubt the cost has an impact. No doubt at all. One look at the sorry state of my bank account/credit card bill for this world cup already and i can understand why some people might not be able to make it, especially with Christmas just around the corner.

This weekend will be another £100-150 event for me, followed up by another expensive day next Saturday. I can just about afford it, but there are plenty of others who cant.

It would be great to get a full house, but realistically, getting 65-70k would be a fantastic achievement, and above most expectations.

While I get the OP point to an extent, we should remember just what a state international game was in pre-2008. We have come a long way. Even in WC year if you had have told me we would sell the final out and get 65k+ at wembley I would have laughed in your face as we only just managed to sell the DW out for the Aussies!

The point you make about the NFL is a fair one, but Considering football is out national sport, at least half the top tier was empty of England/Chile the other day.

I'd absolutely love to be able to go to Wembley on Saturday, but unfortunately at this time over the year my financial priorities lie else where, it would easily cost me £200+ on Saturday, and that is the cheapest option of driving for at least 7 hours. This along with the rest of the WC games attended and the cost of next week, its a firm no, that is the reason why Wembley is not sold out.

I am off with a car full, but we decided not to stopover due to hotel prices and not to go on the train as £600+ was a rip off from the north west
Similar problems to Cardiff so we drove there and back in the day
We need a huge last minute push in London over the next two days, £5 a ticket kids free as there will be little last minute rush from up here- that could get 20000 back packers in the ground

I booked the train a few months ago return from Wire including a London travel card for only £28.

Would encourage anyone who regularly travels by rail using advance tickets to always keep an eye out for the £10 vouchers which Red Spotted Hankey release every so often!

I think comparing it to the NFL is a little unfair. The NFL has a lot of support over here and they play 1 or 2 games a year at Wembley which are big events with teams who are famous worldwide in some respect.

We've had a number of games already, big attendances at all the England games and a close to sell out final. I've had to book a day off work to go to the final. It was the choice between either going to the final or the semi final. I'm sure the choice between matches is a predicament a lot of people will face due to cost. Add in the cost of getting to wembley, food and accommodation it's an expensive do, when you also consider people have already been to a number of games in the last month and will be going to old trafford a week later.

Cheap tickets are fine if you are local but without adding on cheaper transport it's a waste of time.

Either way getting 65,000 into Wembley was beyond a lot of peoples expectations a few weeks ago, Mostly people expected it to be a similar turnout to the last double header, which has been blown out of the water. It just goes to show how successful this tournament has been that we are now seeing people unhappy with 65,000 in wembley.

When test rugby league returned to Wembley two years ago many were pessimistic, myself included. I decided not to go then with about a week to go decided to try and find transport, by which point it was too late. I was gutted not to be there as I watched on telly, so when the fixture was announced I was determined to get there. No doubt others will have been the same. Hopefully Wembley will now become a regular test venue and within a few years it will be selling out and highly regarded.

Can't agree with that TBH, the cheap tickets make the day cheaper for everybody (near and far) surely? Hardly a waste of time.

The fixtures were announced in July I think, so plenty of time to get advance train tickets for people who want to attend on a budget.

I sympathise with cost being an issue and of course it is, but it's a bit irritating when people cite cost of beer and food in Wembley as a deterrent (nobody is forcing you to buy overpriced fare inside the stadium) and overnight accommodation (it's easily feasible to get there and back in a day).

I've just looked and a train from Wigan (for example) is 2 hours into Euston, then about another half an hour on the tube to Wembley Park - hardly a marathon journey for such a big event - I've previously had work commutes of 2 hours which I've done every day!

Bring a load of food with you on the train for lunch, then have your dinner on the train on the way back - done.

If anybody on here can afford it, get it booked!

(None of the above is aimed specifically at you Robbo by the way)

I live roughly 4 miles from Wembley, I regularly drive to Warrington on the same day and drive same day back ( not always but I have loads of times) I've also done away games too in which I've drove up and back same day.

It really is no big deal.

Yep during my numerous disappointing trips to Wembley (thanks to you lot and those Wigan b*stards ) I've always either driven or gone on the train. I reckon I've been to Wembley 11 times and not once had the need to book accommodation, it's easy to drive back or get the train on the same day.

The travel does add extra costs that people often don't think about when they see a £15 or £20 match ticket, but there's no need for accommodation or excessive food & drink costs.

If we'd spent as much as NFL has to develop American football in London then the figure would be a lot more disappointing. Things like sponsoring the regent street Christmas lights would cost a lot more than the entire budget for the rlwc and whilst yes it has a massive effect on how many people consider going, the money has been better spent elsewhere.

American football also has the commodity factor of being something new and shiny that people would be interested in trying out as a 1 off where as rugby league is a lot more established.

The numbers for this World Cup have been great, the semi is the first game I can get to see and I can't wait, there's no need to be negative about not selling out or comparing to other sports!

Saying cheap tickets are a waste of time is a bit ott but I still think that transport costs is something that a lot of people take into consideration when it comes to going to somewhere like wembley.

I'm not saying you can't do it in just a day btw, I've done it myself many a times. Accommodation is something more of an optional extra but the transport is still expensive, Unless you know that you are going straight from the off and lucky enough to get a £12 train ticket 3 months in advance. For people who can't plan that far in advance and want to go on the spur of the moment unless you can drive it becomes a more expensive. Especially for people travelling as a family for instance it soon adds up if travelling by coach or train.