Manchester Magic are a local basketball team that play in the John Amaechi Centre in Moss Side/Hulme.

I'd rather drink my beer out of a tramps boot.

This is the athletics stadium next to our ground as it currently is:


This is what is being built just across the road:

I think that's what they actually serve in there! I'm normally in The Townley before City games and town after games.

I hope this happens. Been calling for Eastlands to host the Magic Weekend for a while. Enjoyed Cardiff, but I think they should take it to an area central to most clubs and you can't go wrong with Manchester. Only problem with having at a ground which is home to a soccer club is its hard to find a slot where they'll let you use it, as others have pointed out.

I know the Magic Weekend is about expanding the game and taking Rugby League to new areas, but to that, the event needs to be marketed a whole lot better than it has been. Its all good taking it to new areas, but if you're not really bringing the new comers in, then its not benefiting the sport.

i'm sure there's a couple of people on here that'll go down on the coach with you.

People keep forgetting the primary initial reason for Magic weekend. It wasn't about expansion - that was just a convenient supposed add-on to being in Wales at a time the Crusaders were looking to join SL. Fat lot of good it did!

No, the primary reason was simple - Cardiff had enjoyed hosting the Challenge Cup (not to mention loads of football) whilst Wembley was out of action and they wanted an event to help fill the void. The city paid the RFL to bring an event there, knowing in return they would benefit from hotel bookings and food and drink sales. Nothing wrong with that either - RL is hardly a rich sport, it needs all the encouragement it can get.

Sadly (I've been to them all and enjoyed them all) the highly critical RL fans have not supported it in sufficient numbers to keep it going.

At the end of the day... The real reason for the Magic weekend is it's another payday for the RFL to go with the Play-Offs & the Challenge Cup. There's no doubt in my mind this will attract the most fans compared to previous years (Although not all in the stadium at the same time) so this will generate the most revenue. Not forgetting City probably would have made a bid to host it too I would suspect.

All in all, making more money for the RFL that will hopefully be put to good use.

FWIW I love the concept, and will watch all the games no matter where it's taken in the UK. Maybe it could go to a different city each year? That would certainly be different.

If it's in Manchester I'll probably go for the first time, but I'll turn up five minutes before Warrington kick off and leave immediately after we finish.

If it's local derbies it's well worth staying to watch the other matches. The Hull derby is always well worth it, as is Wigan v Saints and Leeds Bradford. Where else can you get 4 live games for £20?

I love your posts DM - they're always so positive and full of broad minded, open, forward thinking. I bet the nights fly by in your house!



Personally, I think it's worth giving it a go in Manchester, see if the public goes for it more than at Cardiff. Ive really enjoyed these weekends, particularly the various derby atmospheres. As Teeside says, it's great value for money and a pity that more people don't give it a try.