Stradey Set For Sell-out
Llanelli are just over 2,000 Scarlets short of their first sell-out crowd of the season.
Heineken Cup rugby comes to Stradey Park tonight (Friday 10 January, Kick-off 7.30pm) in the shape of French club Bourgoin and Llanelli are looking for a victory to set up the chance of automatic quarter-final qualification when they travel to Glasgow next week.
And the Scarlet army, which helped fill the 29,849 capacity Nottingham Forrest ground for last year’s European semi-final against Leicester Tigers, will be out in force.
Llanelli have recorded six home gates over the 5,500 mark since the season start and the steady incline looks set to peak tonight, with only 400 seat tickets left on the terraces and standing room only for the remaining few thousand in the 10,500 capacity ground.
Last season’s pool stage victory over Leicester saw Stradey Park full to its rafters, but on that occasion the visitors brought some 3,000 fans of their own to add to the total. This time Bourgoin fans are only 50 strong, so the Scarlets are looking for a full-house all of their own making.
Status as the best club in Wales, reaching two European semi-finals and one quarter-final in the last four years, has helped Llanelli consistently lead the pack in terms of supporters, but this season has surpassed all expectations.
Munster visited Stradey Park to kick of the Celtic league back in August and 5,500 Scarlets showed their intent, that figure was matched against Glasgow in the first Heineken Cup match and two visits from Swansea have brought 6,500 and 7,000 plus crowds. In between those two derby games Sale Sharks where beaten in the Heineken Cup and Newport in the Welsh League, both in front of more than 7,000 fans.
“We hoped for bigger crowds as a direct consequence of the new Scarlets Zone, which provides free entertainment for families outside the ground,” said Llanelli commercial manager Ross Davies.
“And that together with some great performances from the players, and a general feeling of the need to show support in the current climate, has left us with record attendances and crowds that are significantly up on last year already.
“The Scarlets Zone has been a resounding success with the live band and children’s play areas proving particularly popular and the atmosphere has been really buzzing at Stradey whether we are playing Celtic League, Welsh Premiership or Heineken Cup rugby.”
The remaining tickets are available from the Llanelli ticket hotline number 0871 871 8088 or online at www.scarlets.co.uk priced at £15, £10 concession and £3 for a seat in the family stand, £10, £8 and £3 to stand in the enclosure and £8, £6 and £3 to stand in the terraces behind the posts.
