Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:55 pm  

McClennan wrote:

What would happen if we lost that opening fixture? How would it impact on future attendances if we put a lot of marketing into the game only for us to fall flat on our faces?

We wouldn't be marketing the game; we would be marketing the stadium. That stadium is itching for two sets of opposition fans to go at each other. Warrington and Saints fans in there would create a marvellous atmosphere and that is what we would want to announce to the world. A match against Warrington would be guaranteed to be on Sky. A match against other opposition (bar Wigan and Leeds) would not. We would want it to be on Sky surely so as to shout to the RL world what a fantastic new place we have, with an incredible atmosphere, etc, etc?

As for losing, so what? We lost our first game last season too but still ended up at the GF. But to lose against Quins, say, with a flat atmosphere and no Sky cameras would be worse from a marketing POV than to lose against Wire with a terrific atmosphere and Sky cameras present. We always risk losing whenever we play a significant game. That shouldn't be a reason from shying away from making a great big impact though.

That said I think I've talked myself into going with Widnes because we need a win in our first game to build some momentum with supporters.

I don't think we would need momentum with supporters. I reckon supporters will be itching to come to the new stadium for their first match. Any teeth cutting can be done via friendlies - Widnes would be good for that, say for the Karalius Cup as in previous years. But the big bang start of the league should go to a big game I reckon. And that's Warrington for me.

CM - we would have cleared our health and safety certificate by then via friendlies. The club have already said that they are planning at least one friendly for that purpose along with other events to effect the same thing.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:10 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

That shouldn't be a reason from shying away from making a great big impact though.

I don't think we would need momentum with supporters.

It should and we do. I know people are itching to get to the new stadium but we will not have another opportunity like this to launch the club to the surrounding community in our lifetime. This is like being given a new identity and we cannot afford to underestimate how important it is to get this right. It's not irretrievable if we lose but why make it unnecessarily hard with a tough fixture when people are working exceptionally hard to get it right?

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:21 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

CM - we would have cleared our health and safety certificate by then via friendlies. The club have already said that they are planning at least one friendly for that purpose along with other events to effect the same thing.

There is no guarantee we will get a full safety certificate for the first match.

If the Friendly/ open day reveals teathing troubles, then the safety authorities are well within their rights to limit capacity until Saints prove they can handle a large crowd safely.

We dont want to be in a situation as with Wire on their first fixture were fans with tickets were locked out of the ground, and it was a thoroughly unsafe environment. The end result being that Wire have had their capacity cut from 14200 to 13000. This capacity reduction has remained in place since.

Safety certificates these days are earned, not given away. Too many people have died in the past in stadium disasters for this not to be the case.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:13 pm  

McClennan wrote:

It should and we do. I know people are itching to get to the new stadium but we will not have another opportunity like this to launch the club to the surrounding community in our lifetime. This is like being given a new identity and we cannot afford to underestimate how important it is to get this right. It's not irretrievable if we lose but why make it unnecessarily hard with a tough fixture when people are working exceptionally hard to get it right?

From my POV, holding a quality fixture is exactly the way to get this right. A quality fixture is one that attracts big fan numbers and the possibility of a competitive game. Warrington isn't the only fixture that would do that of course but it has a local rivalry flavour to it without the attendant fallout of a fixture with Wigan should we lose. After all, Warrington have years to go yet to catch up on the hoodoo! I just think being cautious, or perhaps over-analysing the what ifs, is not the way to go. We have to return to St Helens with a big bang. The season will feel ordinary enough soon enough without us starting it off on an ordinary basis.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:16 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

If the Friendly/ open day reveals teathing troubles, then the safety authorities are well within their rights to limit capacity until Saints prove they can handle a large crowd safely.

Presumably this is why Saints are planning to run a series of events and not just a single friendly or open day. The friendly may be with a team that has a significant following. I would imagine, though, that we wouldn't actually have to hold a capacity crowd before a safety certificate for a capacity crowd is awarded. Besides, after managing a decaying Knowsley Road for all those years, I'm sure the Saints management are well aware of what pitfalls there may be and are planning accordingly.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:13 pm  

I hope it's Wigan. I was thinking that playing them 8 times a season was just not enough. 9, to me, is the perfect number.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:17 pm  

Carlos Alberto wrote:

I hope it's Wigan. I was thinking that playing them 8 times a season was just not enough. 9, to me, is the perfect number.

I'm pretty sure it won't be the pies.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:17 pm  

St pete wrote:

I'm pretty sure it won't be the pies.

Hope not. I'm sick of us playing them.

Re: Rumours thread. : Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:53 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Hope not. I'm sick of us playing them.

So negative, we've best them in our last two games against them.

Re: Rumours thread. : Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:59 am  

First Home game should be Widnes as it's a big local derby and they would easily sell all there allocation filling the stadium? and we should win with Scott Moore giving away his usual high quota in penalties?