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.

Game aside, have to say the 'experience' was a real let down.
The 'Fanzone' was in a reality a joke, the atmosphere was hostile and it was like being back in the 80's at football.
It was horrendously expensive (2 kids with me), and if I'm honest, if we made it next year I would seriously consider whether we went again.
Ived been to all our Wembley finals, sat with non playing supporters and had a great time. Magic weekend, great (though for my money Cardiff was awesome and the best), so why so different at the GF ??
Looking back it just seemed to me a way that more money could be extracted from us fans, we left deflated and it wasnt just the result.
Will I go again, no, will I go again if Warrington get to the Final again, probably not, rather watch it in the Club with fellow fans and be less likely to be abused by drunken richard heads whose sole purpose was to 'kick off'.
Showcase event.....how ????

A lot of people in your situation (with families etc) have said the same which i find very, very worrying. If this isn't screaming out for the RFL to look at (one of many things really) then I don't know what is. The family game eh? Whoulda thunk it?

Strange thing is we can directly compare the Grand Final to the Challenge Cup Final. Same teams, similar attendance, I would guess similar numbers of Leeds/Wire/Neutral fans, and it would seem just as much alcohol involved yet very little trouble and very few disgruntled fans. Other than the result, which I don't believe made the slightest difference to the bad atmosphere, what is the difference between the two events? The only thing that sticks in my mind is I saw very few Leeds fans in the Warrington end at Wembley (and I assume few Wires in the Leeds end) but a lot of Leeds, or should that be none Wires, in our end at OT.

The more I read on this, the more I'm beginning to think "it isn't just me". Speaking to my brother today, I'm 30 he's 27, and he said pretty much the same as had been said on here. We have pretty much decided that we wouldn't go the GF again, and that depressed me. Until the last two years, (tough times) I've been a season ticket holder since the "Wolfpack" days, and this GF should really have excited me. I live and breathe Wire, but just getting closer to the stadium on Saturday, I didn't feel comfortable, the atmosphere just felt wrong and that spoiled the evening regardless of the result. If I'd had a young family with me, this would have been magnified ten fold. Give me Wembley any day, after one visit, I'm done with Old Trafford.