If it as @ the Eithad it has to be after the EPL season has finished. They not gonna do it same weekend as CL final so I was just guessing it would be in July.

1. There is a bloody long time between the middle of May and July.
2. Man City only allowed us to use the pitch because it was being ripped up the next day.
3. If they are replacing the pitch again they will want to do it way before July.

my bad

I meant June.

Are you suggesting that the weather is sentient and deliberately makes itself worse if it knows there is a bank holiday?

For what it's worth, the weather has been really nice on that weekend in Manchester for 5 years. It's the one weekend I can speak with certainty about as it was a mate's daughter's 5th Birthday on Saturday, and every year I've had to go to help out at a party at a local cricket club and then we've ended up basking in the sun afterwards.

if this is to be a stand alone event, there needs to be something extra special about it. derby's, as much as everyone wants to see a close game don't always add up to that. the fairest way i can see is that if competition points are available, then you have to play your nearest rivals in the table. so 1st should play 2nd. 13th play 14th etc. however this is the add on game, its a stand alone, its a special event and therefore should have something extra up for grabs. if you are playing the nearest rivals in the table, how about an extra point which will really make every game worth winning.

Every game to be worth 10 "magic" points.

normal points for win-lose-draw but magic tries worth 8, magic goals worth 4, magic drop-goals worth 2 and gaz hock worth nothing

Yep, there's a window of 3 -4 weeks at the end of the season for City to put on events of this type and rock concerts (Coldplay next week) before the pitch is replaced. There's no chance of Magic Weekend being staged at the Etihad beyond mid June.

Force the people inside and they will not go. Very few fans have the appetite for several hours of non stop rugby. Switch off the big screens and they'll either head for the nearest pub, only turn up for their team's match, or not go in the first place.

Its the nature of the event. Either accept that there will always a large number outside the ground or dont bother with it.

To paraphrase the Chemical Brothers......

HERE WE GO!

They ought to get all the teams kitted up on the Saturday and draw two teams out five minutes before the kick off time of each game, the same on the Sunday. That would be fun.

The only pre planned act should be that Ganson referees the FC game

And how many dressing rooms does the average stadium have?