Magners League Official Website : Scarlets ready for 'Super Saturday'

Scarlets ready for 'Super Saturday'

6 May 2005, 7:37 pm

By Graham Jenkins

Police escorts, overflow car parks and early opening are just some of the contingency plans laid down by the Scarlets to cope with an anticipated last minute rush for Saturday’s game.

It’s Super Saturday for the club as its semi professional team heads off to Cardiff to contest the final of the Konica Minolta Welsh Cup at lunchtime. Later in the afternoon local rivals The Ospreys arrive at Stradey Park to take on the regional Scarlets side in a Celtic Cup Semi Final showdown.

The double header has given club bosses a headache but, as Chief Executive, Stuart Gallacher admitted: “It’s a nice problem to have and it will be one hell of a day”.

The problem was exacerbated as the regional side only qualified for the home semi final last weekend at Newport.

“It’s been a mad few days” says Ticket Office supervisor, Ann de Filippo. “We’ve brought extra staff in to man the phones but still can’t cope with the demand. We’ve also had people working late into the evening processing internet orders.”

Also, with all gate receipts from the game going to the Celtic Cup, it is an all-to-pay match so the 4,000-odd members have also had to purchase tickets and a valuable day was lost due to the Bank Holiday.

The club, in conjunction with the WRU, has laid on free buses to Cardiff for the Konica Minolta final to enable supporters to take in both matches and some 18 coaches have now been filled.

Cardiff and Llanelli police have been consulted and are cooperating in helping the Scarlet convoy move back as quickly as possible. Even so they are unlikely to be back at Stradey Park until shortly before kick-off in the Celtic Cup Semi – swelling what is expected to be a late walk-up crowd all wanting admission.

Last year when the two sides played at Stradey, kick-off had to be delayed 20 minutes to allow the last minute crowds into the stadium. The club is doing all it can to avoid it this time round, opening the ticket office at 8am on Saturday and arranging overflow car parks at a nearby school.

“We’re advising all our supporters who can do so to call in during the day to purchase their ticket rather than leaving it to the last moment,” says Gallacher. “And everyone else is advised to arrive earlier than usual to avoid unnecessary last minute problems.”

Club staff are hoping that they’ll have to do it all over again next week selling Cup Final tickets and arranging transport to Dublin for the final