I like sporting events, big crowds, and value for money, so the rugby league magic weekend is ideal as it combines all three of these elements. Six matches over two days for £75 is a pretty good offer, and this year it was held at St James' Park, a place I've never been to. Having bought the tickets, the next thing to do was to arrange accommodation - something that proved to be next to impossible - certainly in Newcastle. I was surprised to discover that everywhere was fully booked unless I was prepared to pay £400 for one night's stay, which I most certainly was not. This was six months before the event by the way, I don't like to leave things to the last minute.
Well, I managed to get us into a guesthouse in South Shields, which meant we were just a metro ride away from Newcastle. On the Friday we were met by our South Shields landlady who gave us a very warm welcome in a posh Geordie accent. This was so disconcerting that at first I thought she was Polish. Once I'd got over that, our guesthouse was very pleasant indeed. If you ever have to go to Newcastle I can certainly recommend South Shields as a pleasant and unpretentious place to stay. It has lots of restaurants and pubs and they are all very cheap indeed - at least to us Southern folk. The seafront has had a lot of European money spent on it, and is very nice for a walk
Well, I managed to get us into a guesthouse in South Shields, which meant we were just a metro ride away from Newcastle. On the Friday we were met by our South Shields landlady who gave us a very warm welcome in a posh Geordie accent. This was so disconcerting that at first I thought she was Polish. Once I'd got over that, our guesthouse was very pleasant indeed. If you ever have to go to Newcastle I can certainly recommend South Shields as a pleasant and unpretentious place to stay. It has lots of restaurants and pubs and they are all very cheap indeed - at least to us Southern folk. The seafront has had a lot of European money spent on it, and is very nice for a walk
There is a piece of sculpture at the beach called Conversation Piece. It's by Juan Munoz. Apparently the locals call it the Weeblies, although I never heard anyone refer to it at all. It is a set of bronze figures, all arranged in different attitudes - some are having a chat while others are just looking wistfully into the distance. I loved it, and as you can see it is very interactive.
So having sampled the delights of South Shields, we were prepared to immerse ourselves in the splendours of rugby league. This is the showcase event of the year for Sky sports and we were lucky enough to be sitting near to the punditry area, so were able to see at first hand what a slick professional outfit they are. There was a lot of time spent adjusting the lighting very carefully and getting the touch punditry screen set up just right. Brian Carney and Jon Wells then practised their repartee in front of it. At this point they discovered that there was too much sunlight for them to be able to use it and the backroom staff had to scramble around draping pieces of black cloth over it.
This didn't work, so they gave up, and just had to do their punditry with only the aid of their hands waving about. I know we were in the north of England, but it was the end of May, and they have done these events before, so perhaps they might just possibly have predicted that the sun would come out. Still, for us, sitting near the Sky area meant that there was always something to see, even when no match was going on.
Now, I have a question for you - what is the most important thing to do as a spectator at a major sporting event? Should you appreciate the skill of the players? Or maybe applaud some clever tactics? No of course not. First of all you have to contact your friends so that you can sit with them. This can be done by mobile phone, but more often than not it's best to resort to the time honoured method of waving and shouting at the top of your voice. If this doesn't work, get your mum to yell and wave as well. Then after that, drink yourself senseless. That way you know you've had a good time.
You can see from the pictures that the Super League authorities are seeking to broaden the appeal of rugby league and are reaching out to a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan audience. Supposedly it is also a family-oriented sport with no poor behaviour and no bad language. In this supposition they are completely deluded. Over the weekend the police had to move into the crowd several times to break up fighting, not between rival fans but between people purporting to be of the same allegiance. A number of people were arrested because missiles were thrown on the pitch; and the obscene language reached a crescendo in the final match when Leeds were thumped by St Helens. Having waited all day to watch their team many Leeds supporters left early in a deep sulk, after abusing other spectators and pouring alcohol over the floor. I've said it before, but it bears repeating - an obnoxious Leeds fan is an obnoxious Leeds fan no matter what type of game you're watching.
There was actually some good sport to be watched, as well as all the off the field antics, and I tried my best to get some action shots.
There was actually some good sport to be watched, as well as all the off the field antics, and I tried my best to get some action shots.
This is a try conversion by Widnes; and of course there was the obligatory punch up later on.
The magic weekend is an interesting and generally enjoyable experience, although I don't think it's necessary to go more than once - that certainly gives you more than enough of an idea of it. Having been twice
I feel a total expert, and from now on will be watching from the comfort of my front room.
I feel a total expert, and from now on will be watching from the comfort of my front room.