Cup final crowd will be lowest for 80 years

THE Challenge Cup final is set to be the worst attended at Wembley Stadium for more than 80 years. Favourites Warrington Wolves take on Catalans Dragons with the French side set to bring just 4,000 supporters to tomorrow’s final. Officials are expecting swathes of empty seats and a crowd of around 50,000 — which would be the smallest for the final at the venue since 1937. Alongside the presence of the Perpignan-based Dragons, whose fans face an expensive travel nightmare, a number of factors are at play. Many believe that the Super League Grand Final, held at Old Trafford in October, is now the sport’s premier event and that its popularity has impacted on the Challenge Cup. Calls have been made from figures within the game to move the final back to May to create more distance between the two events, although that is unlikely given the timing of the FA Cup final and Football League play-offs. There has also been backing for a switch of venues, although an agreement with Wembley is in place until 2027. And with just 20 days between the semifinal and tomorrow’s final, fans coming from Perpignan have faced prohibitive flight costs. Rail problems in France, at a time when the country tends to shut down for the summer holidays, have also not helped. The fact that Euston Station will be closed may impact on the numbers planning to travel to the capital with the direct service from Warrington unavailable. It is a far cry from previous eras. In the 1970s and 80s crowds in excess of 90,000 were a regular sight for rugby league’s iconic day out. In 1985, 99,801 watched Wigan defeat Hull FC. Last year, the first in which Club Wembley seats were not counted, 68,525 saw Hull reverse that result. Regardless of the numbers crossing the Channel, Catalans are expected to enjoy the bulk of the support, with the vast majority of neutrals cheering on the French side. It is something that is not lost on Warrington playmaker Stefan Ratchford. ‘We’ll have three-quarters of the stadium booing you and all that kind of stuff,’ the England international (left) said. ‘It’s going to be different, but we’re lucky our fans travel really well and they’re vocal. They’ll be giving as good as they get, but it’ll definitely feel different with most people wanting Catalans to win the game.’