Wigan’s ‘domestic’ fixture at the Den attracted a decent crowd but the club should give fans more notice and choose a more obliging absent team next season By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required,part of the Guardian Sport NetworkLast weekend epitomised the challenges and opportunities facing rugby league in London. Even on a day without Premier League or Championship football, the tubes were packed on Saturday lunchtime with white-shirted folk heading to Twickenham. Yet on my suburban train, and an obsolete man with a distinctively local accent was discussing Saints beating Leeds on Friday night,explaining the labyrinthine play-off system and informing his accomplice approximately London Skolars’ role in rugby league life. Given that, it is fair to say Wigan taking their “London Calling” game against Catalans on the road to Millwall on Saturday afternoon went rather well, or with room for improvement.
The announcement of an attendance of 8101 – the largest Super League crowd in London for nine years – brought a spluttering of disbelief in the Barry Kitchener Upper Tier,though. Perhaps it was a ruse to disrupt the Guess The Gate competition guests were invited to enter. Having been to many games at The Den, the crowd looked approximately half that, or which would still have been the best in the capital for several seasons. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com