There seems to be a lot of talk about people going in having already consumed a large amount of alcohol beforehand.
I spent 10 minutes arguing with a door steward as he wasn't going to let my 12 year old daughter take her "vuvuzela" into the ground.
The sign behind him clearly shown a picture of an air horn (compressed air type).
I told him I would leave it in the bag I was carrying which he didn't even bother to look in to see what was in it.
He said "yeah !!! and you'll take it out once you get in, I'm not daft"
I said if it was in the bag you wouldn't have seen it anyway.
He still didn't search my bag.
Only when his supervisor came was I allowed to enter and when I reached my seat there was a crescendo of horns all around us.

Rant over.

Considering the ground is so 'big' I felt hemmed in and claustrophobic and had to sit forward just to get a decent view. And we were not in the cheaper seats either.

There's a picture in todays Guardian of a bloodied and battered Wire fan.

I had a great time at thenGF and never saw any trouble, loved the atmosphere and leeds out played us for the win.

I used to go the GF as a neutral until about 3 years ago. There's just so much tension built up around the last game of the season and that resonates around the ground and the fans. Previously I've found it very intimidating and won't go unless we get there, as I like to wear my wire top but this just attracts trouble.

Personally I don't think that the GF is a day for the Rl family to go and support this great game, that is the challenge cup. The GF creates a unique tension and I have seen more violence at GF's than any other game.

Forget the booze and segregation debate as we don't get that level of trouble at other games where beer is in full supply.

The showcase event for portraying RL is the challenge cup..... If you want intensity and tension then go to the GF

There are plenty of JCL's at Grand finals, and the fact that people have been drinking longer also makes a difference. I know a lad who is a Leeds United regular and he said the attendance was was down for the game against Barnsley, that suggests that there was quote a few of the football lost at the game. I also saw Man City/Wire fans I know who seemed intent on defacing the home of England's most succesful club with stickers.