I couldn't care less.

In fact I hope no Victorian teams make the GF.

Mate, I thought that. 1996 was frigging embarrassing But the atmosphere at last year's game was absolutely excellent. Lots of chanting from both sets of fans. Club members all in allocated bays. I was really surprised how well organised it was to be honest.


Compare that to the NRL who sell half their GF tickets half way through the year so as not to risk having empty seats on game day. If we have Melbourne & Brisbane in the GF, watch for seats to be able to be bought on the day of the match. Or the World Cup who sold 94% of tickets to frgging sponsors!

How to solve the problem. Limit tickets to MCG Members & don't give tickets to any of the clubs not involved in the game.

JF
PS:-No passion at the AFL 2005 GF? Check this pic out!

Well that gets my vote for dumbest post ever.

Yes JF but the majority of the sponsors tickets (although wrongfully) eventfully evend in the hands of fans.

I;ve been to 3 NRL Grand Finals and there is an element of this about. Yet through various means, the two competing clubs still have a presence greater than the 10,000 saved for the final week when the competitiors know who is playing. This is because of several factors

1) When tickets first go on sale mid season, a lot of people who follow the high performing teams will buy tickets thinking that their team has a good chance of making it.

2) Many discretionary tickets (members and sponsors) are taken up by people who follow the competing teams. Eg. a TS member that follows the Saints would have stayed away last year and a Wests Tigers fan that is a member would have gone instead. Or the Saints member would have taken friends that followed the Cowboys or Wests as guests. Ditto for sponsors.

3) People in 1) whose side doesn't make the big one sell their tickets to friends that follow a club that is competing.

In saying that there can still be a problem on GF day. I think the final 10,000 allocation is too small considering the some home crowds that clubs get these days. The allocation should rise to 20,000 at least.

I remember at the Knights-Eels GF at Homebush they allocated the ends to each side. Parra had the northern end to themselves and the Knights had the Southern End. Made the atmos and colour that much better than the years where the neutrals and committed are mixed in together.

That's a good idea as well Simmo.

The RL Challenge Cup attracts loads of neutrals as well but that is a long dtanding tradition. 10,000 is allocated to each finalist and the rest is taken up by RL fans. The Wembley pilgrimage was, and will be, a part of RL habits for a long time to come. Many neutrals get there and follow the underdogs. It's not toally quiet.

This weekend's final sees Huddersfield play St Helens. I'm going for Hudds and so will most people there.

Stain Helens by 45.

That's because you're not a Victorian!

Mate, one thing you fail to realise was that the atmosphere was crap was that Arsenal were playing. To be outsung by the soft-as-f**k Barca Boixos Nois is one of the biggest insults you could have in football. But Arsenal's curva was virtually non-existant. Then again, watch a game from Highbury the Library & see how the away fans outsing the locals.

JF

Yeah Highbury sucked, I really have seen more atmosphere for school footy than you hear on coverage from that place.
The arse had better learn to create an atmosphere at Emirates, cause it's just embarrasing for the league.

The way the NRL does it is release the tickets in late July early August to season ticket holders only for a few days then issue them to the general public. They reserve sets of tickets behind the goals which are released the week leading up to the Grand Final.
Stupid system IMO. IMO Season ticket holders should have a longer time for priority tickets and first picks on tickets the week before the Grand Final.
This way your rewarding loyalty over Tig um *cough* Bandwagon hoppers.[/b]