Really? Was it that which stopped a couple of thousand of season ticket holders turning up despite the free ticket?

I'd be interested to hear from any regulars who didn't go yesterday and to know why.

I don't mean so we can turn this into a loyalty issue. I have pals who never normally miss but weren't there yesterday. But given that it was free entry for season ticket-holders, I'm interested to know why some folk just didn't bother.

If, as others have suggested, it was because of the substandard opposition, then that's quite worrying - because these David v Goliath matches used to be at the very heat of what was once regarded as the Cup's romance, and this would suggest that such thinking is now fundamentally a thing of the past.

Remembering back to the mid-1970s, when Wigan were pretty hopeless, I found the CC very exciting because it was possible we might find our way to glory by some fortuitous route. That appeal may still exist at certain levels within the game, but I think the immense overall difference now between the top of SL and anyone in the lower leagues has meant that no-one in the upper echelons thinks there any realistic chance of big upset (though I know they do occasionally occur).

Perhaps we're all jsut too cynical these days?

people just dont like free things,
i bet if we had to pay we have had a bigger crowd

About 1 hour before ko, it was glorious weather. Maybe the fact that it was free put people off at the last minute. "The weather's lovely. I haven't forked out for a ticket, so I'll stay at home in the garden with the family rather than going to watch what will turn out to be a low intensity training session". The thought certainly crossed my mind. Luckily I went to the game and stayed relatively dry, if a little bored.

I'm a season ticket holder and go to a fair few away, like HKR a couple of weeks ago. I didn't go yesterday.

Reason being the match was not something I wanted to watch.
Barrow were never going to win and it was not a contest.
When comparison is made to the 70s it's fair enough but all teams then were part time. In a previous post I mentioned about p/t v p/t and with the mid winter weather an upset was always likely to happen and often did. That won't happen with fulltime players v p/t. There's no pitches ankle deep in mud anymore they're more like bowling greens.

On a personal note there's the 50 mins travelling the 30 miles to the DW and same going home. The game plus that had no appeal what so ever so I didn't go. Being a free event was of no consideration.

i live 35 miles away i still made it,
i think theres alot of hypocrites on hre,
not pointing at anyone in particular but i just think there are

Well done you. I live 6 miles away and made it but you're the better fan

That's an excellent summing up. I'd add that televised sport has changed, but the BBC hasn't, as well. Much as we all moan about the SKY muppets, they put the Beeb to shame.

I only went because it was free. (I live in Wigan). I wouldn’t have paid. My Dad’s on holiday and I couldn’t give his ticket away. It was pretty boring tbh (apart from the pigeons). The lack of competitiveness was the reason.

I still love the excitement of the cup though. I rushed home to turn the TV on and watched the draw. I guess nowadays shocks are far and few between, which is sad but true and thus the ‘romance’ is in decline.

Don’t know if the cup is ‘dying’. It would be interesting to see if say we play Saints in the quarters at home (if we both win) what the crowd would be. Would it sell out like the league game on Good Friday – probably not, but I reckon we’d be pushing 18-20k, or is that overly optimistic?