I wonder if "The Trafford Pub" on Warwick Road charges £2.00 on United's home games to get in. When the "Premier Inn" was free entry & you could stand outside.
Much prefer Wembley even though London stinks.

I wouldnt go to the GF as a natural but go every year to the CC.

Before the game had a few pints in Manchester but it was off the train and into the ground. The game was great but I wasnt as gutted as I thought I would be about losing maybe because I not a fan of the play off system. Was more up for it when we beat hull away last year.

The kick off time wont change even though its Saturday night prime tv it pulls in the biggest figures of the year. It would only change if they made it a super Sunday grand final day with a 3pm kick off.

KO time for drinking doesnt really effect anything. Anyone thats been to Wembley will see people supping on coaches from 7am and pubs in London full of people from 10am if not earlier.

The Wembley experience is there because it's not a regular occurence and it's quite an effort to get there, when you go Old Trafford two or three times a month the Grand Final doesn't have a WOW factor.

natural.....strange

Didn't like the event and definitely didn't like the stadium. No enjoyment from me but would have been helped by;

A) Winning

B) Not being sat in the proximity of a load of bell-ends

The Etihad was better but is a bit shy on capacity. The Millenium Stadium was hugely better as was Wembley.

NRL Grand Final: 14:00 ko
Challenge Cup Final: 14:30 ko
Aviva RU play-off final: 15:00 ko
FA Cup final: 15:00 ko
Footy Championship and below Play-off finals: 15:00 ko's
FL Cup final: 16:00 ko
The Heineken Cup final has a 17:00 ko but I don't see a bunch of Ra Ra's thinking they're part of the Football Factory.

The only other 18:00 ko is the UEFA Champions League final, but people will be flying in from anywhere in Europe to anywhere in Europe for that. Plus there's segregation, as there are at many of the above (all?).

Less drinking time for the lightweights who can't handle their drink would be a positive.


Also at 6'5", Old Trafford isn't a good ground for me. To say it's 'cramped' is being kind.

I had that sinking feeling queing up at the post office for my tickets...then onto Padgate station where Northern Rail gods hadn't a clue about the potential numbers coming from Warrington to Manchester on that day and having to Drive in.

So onto the Venue ....the speaker system did not seem to be working so could not hear much of what was going at our end for a start. It is the surrounding area that doesn't do it for me and pre match build up.

Wembley or Millenium for me any day of the week complete anti-climax.

The game itself was brilliant I have to say but the atmosphere didn't do it.
I frequent Old Trafford from time to for the football and enjoy every minute of it so can't put my finger on why this was not enjoyable. Probably as it was a day out in my mind, going the footy is more like going to a league match at the HJ I suppose.

no united taunts please ....

What stadium would you have it in? Anfield? Reebok? Get a grip. Old Trafford is an amazing stadium with an fantastic capacity. It looks Modern and Up market also with easy access to all SL teams albeit Catalans and Bronchos

No it is n't an amazing stadium
It's big that's all
Try siting in the north stand upper tier
You would not know there was big screen

Much prefer a smaller stadium with less tanked up neutrals
Ask yourself what do they bring to the occasion.

A smaller stadium would probably see the same ratio of neutrals to finalist supporters. Just less people would get in.

wembley anyday for me from the minute i left the coach at around 2pm totally over charged everywhere , from paying to get in the surrounding pubs certain ones anyway then £3 70 a pint or £2 50 for a can of luke warm fosters , outside the stadium 2 hotdogs 1 chips and a soft drink best part of £17 inside the stadium sat with roudy leeds fans in the warrington end of the ground sat with the 2 young children listening to vile language and felt intimidated , then it was £3 90 for a small bottle of digusting singh lager imo the whole expirience was one expensive joke , yes wembley is expensive but you expect that with it being in the capital . rant over

It's a fantastic day not too expensive cracking atmosphere and a wonderful event to win.

Perhaps as it involves Leeds most seasons why not move it to Elland Road !

Regards venues in the UK, Old Trafford is the 4th biggest stadium the top 3 all being in London.

The crowd at the weekend was 70k and only 5 stadiums hold that much and the closest to the majority of the clubs is Old Trafford, the venue won't change unless Liverpool, Leeds or Man City seriously increase their ground capacity.

What struck me about the event was the way that the match & presentation were neatly done & dusted in time for the next programme with clinical precision...Oh ! And that cheesy advertising board that the winners were made to jump up & down behind after the presentation...i saw an identical scene on Sky sportsnews last night when the Windies won the cricket ,it must be a Sky thing.
I really did enjoy the game though but not the behaviour of some of the drunken louts in the vicinity of where i was sat. The RFL need to muscle up & get this game moved to an afternoon match to stop a lot of the drink problems & prevent the image of the game being tarnished just to suit Sky schedules.