I was up at Newcastle on Saturday for the first day of rugby league's Magic Weekend and while I'm not a great fan of rugby league it's a really good event, which football could learn a lot from.
For those who don't know, it's all 12 Super League teams playing back to back at one venue, with three games on Saturday and three on Sunday with tickets from £25 for one day and £40 for both days. So I saw Hull KR v Salford, Wigan v Catalans and Leeds v Castleford for £25. There's lots going on around the event and a pass out system so you can come and go as you please and you get the impression that it's an event that's designed solely to give fans a good day out without breaking the bank.
What's particularly noticeable is the atmosphere. Supporters of 12 teams all mixed in together, beer flowing and everyone just having a good time without a hint of trouble. It makes me wonder why football supporters act as they do. If you put the supporters of 12 Premier League clubs together with beer in hand there'd be carnage.
For those who don't know, it's all 12 Super League teams playing back to back at one venue, with three games on Saturday and three on Sunday with tickets from £25 for one day and £40 for both days. So I saw Hull KR v Salford, Wigan v Catalans and Leeds v Castleford for £25. There's lots going on around the event and a pass out system so you can come and go as you please and you get the impression that it's an event that's designed solely to give fans a good day out without breaking the bank.
What's particularly noticeable is the atmosphere. Supporters of 12 teams all mixed in together, beer flowing and everyone just having a good time without a hint of trouble. It makes me wonder why football supporters act as they do. If you put the supporters of 12 Premier League clubs together with beer in hand there'd be carnage.
