City of Manchester Stadium or would you say it's not big enough?

47,000? Nowhere near big enough.

Now I couldnt give a monkeys where the next GF is....I wont be going.
Was in the NW upper tier, surrounded by Leeds fans, which to start with didnt bother me as always had some good banter....wrong....
Was like being back in the 80's a football, hate to say it but segregation has to happen - shame but at occasions like this you get too many NON RL fans who dont know how to behave.
Cardiff as a venue...brilliant - why?? IMHO you get RL fans there.

As the 'Showcase' of the RL season, afraid it was complete poop.

How can a stadium generate an unpleasant atmosphere? Surely it's the people inside it.

Yes, you're right about the unpleasant atmosphere, it is the people rather than the building.


I may be making some assumtions here which may well be wrong, but I wonder how many of the supposed Leeds fans at the Western end of the stadium where full time Rhinos fans (there were a few - I noticed some 'dads and lads' in Rhinos jerseys) and how many were part time/full time Leeds United fans. I have had the misfortune to sit with Leeds Utd fans watching a couple of football matches in the past and they do come across as a little 'different' to your typical league fan.

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.