i go to wire matches with a group of people, varies between 6 and a dozen. but there are regulars who also stand in our proximity, most of which we've got a good rapport with, we're not on first name basis but its a knowing nod and wink acknowledgement if you see them at away games, or in the street on not match days.

that said, during the world cup, the game between fiji and samoa at the HJ, stood next to us was a complete stranger with 3 kids with him. They were Bury football fans who had heard about the competition, and got some tickets for the match at Rochdale, then Salford, and then WArrington, as he'd really enjoyed the cameraderie of the fans at the games, so we spent a fair bit of time explaining the backgrounds, players, refs (he really liked the banter towards the refs as well) and told him also about season tickets with free entry on away tickets for kids, and the magic weekend. From a football background he was seriously impressed with being able to stand amongst strangers, and not feel out of place, also the magic concept sounded unbelieveable again, in terms of being able to sit unsegregated all day.

Don't get what your saying? I'm from a working class hessle road fishing family, first one to go to uni, now an exec manager on decent wage. Not once in my 35 years of following rl have I ever felt out of place or not fitting in. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than buy a RU ticket! Apart from the boring nature of the game and it looking like a 3rd grade league game with lack of skills and action the snobbery of its fans would put me right off. At our club we have hull blokes backing the club that have done extremely well in business and earnt a lot of money, I've never heard one fan say anything negative about them or their success and hard earned wealth.

100%. P.G. Woodhouse wrote of it never being difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine; his line would have worked better still for rugby league fans.

Padded seat, you need a padded cell mate

In my experience most fans don't care where you sit or how much money you earn. You might get the odd prawn sandwich comment but who cares about that. Football is exactly the same. At Salford I'm suprised there's anyone sat close enough for you to hear them (joke Salford fans).

Besides, other than being sat in a padded seat how would anyone know how much you earned or what your social status is? When you say "council house boy done good," do you mean you pull in 50k a year or do you mean your chauffeur drives you to the game and you sit there wearing a cravat and a monacle?

I've been to the AJ Bell. If you live within 1 mile of it you're not doing that good.

I sometimes go on my own, sometimes go with my brother, sometimes i take a friend, sometimes i meet people in the ground, i don't have a pattern.
At home games i flirt between all 4 stands depending on who we play and how i feel.

So from someone with no fixed routine or pattern one thing i have NEVER noticed is the OP's 'class' problem.

I attend Wire and Bronco games too, so i experience the same with all 5 of London's fans.

Just listened to a very good interview on talk sport with will greenwood. Talking about the ruwc but he went into learning from league. How the wc in 02 would never have been won without learning defence from league and how they need to learn attack in the same way. His parting comet was all about how we need to big each other up as both are great in there own way. Full interview was very balanced and made a lot of sense

Your situation isn't unusual at all as I know others who go on their own because their relatives won't go with them for whatever reason. Would you prefer it if you went to the games with someone or are you just content to be mingling with strangers?

Personally I'm happy keeping in touch with the games on TV or Radio. Not many of my friends really like sport, never mind rugby so my interest has waned in recent years.

Appalling language comes as a culture shock to me these days but I guess you get used to it from experience.

Hmm
Not sure what to make of the opening (and, to date, the only on here) post from this lad.
He's been invited to sit with me (thanks Barton Flyer) at Salford and can (if he can get a spare seat: for some reason, it's crowded where I sit: not anywhere else but near me).
Wonder if we can talk re this comment and the ones on Turkey:I can make no claim to be posh. Hamer in Rochdale is true terraced house territory (with much poverty) But I did go to a Grammar School and a classmate was a captain of Ireland RU. So trying to find common ground may lead to mix-ups.

Troll or not: should be interesting.

less direct rudeness, more lack of reaching out.

Taking a date to the game?

That's going to keep her around

As a multi-millionaire from Henley-on-Thames, one has always felt only adulation and respect when one has attended games. Why, the hoi polloi even get their little ones to wave at my helicopter.

Totally agree with that.

I too am interested in attending a rugby league match. Could anyone please tell me where the posh seats at Belle View are situated?

Well if he is a troll, he certainly got me. But some of the responses to his post do comply with the miserable rugby league fan cliche. And though I live in terribly bourgeois Chiswick ( can't wait for the boat race, donch'a know) I can never be posh: I was born in the People's Republic of Wigan