Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:02 am  

jeffb wrote:

But them Sky RL tv fans, do they go to Harlequins and help support them?

How many Man Utd fans living in London went to watch West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, QPR, Charlton, Wimbledon, etc It is not as easy as saying figures have shown there have on occasions been more fans watching SL fixtures in the South than in the North, and therefore Harlequins should have the highest gate, but they should attempt to tempt them to games by offering free tickets through Sky Rewards and show them, or remind them that SL is something that is worth attending live in London.

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:50 am  

jeffb wrote:

I think, Harlequins/Broncos should be put down gracefully and with dignity, its not worked, even in the early 80's there was Invicta at Maidstone, that never worked, so we have to be realistic and say that there ia a North/South divide as regards to Rugby, North is League and South is Union. I may sound like a flatcapper, i think i'm a realist.

Jeff

Then do we do the same with Salford, Wakefield perhaps even Hull KR the list goes on! I bet there is only Wigan and Leeds that pay their way, so it is not just London that is a get out it is the game in general, should it ever have gone full time? why was the Sky money wasted from day one on purely players wages and nothing else! yes some players yes did deserve better pay but there were far too many average players on high salaries lots more than the average worker!

Have you seen some of the attendances in The Championship? real heartland clubs can't get higher attendances than Sheffield now get?

Finally if you really are a True Realist and not a closeted Flat Capper, what a certain team called Wigan Warriors who no longer own their own ground, what would happen if Mr Whelan pulled the exit door open (not as if he could afford to do it currently 16,000 in the Premiership a Joke) and kick the Rugby League team out? could you afford a ground, Yes You do get amazing crowds and I praise your marketing team highly for what they do but I bet even you need the Sky money! who are the Governors of our game, without them we are once again semi pro! that is realism!

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:05 pm  

Whelan, can't kick us out just yet. Think we have a contract for 25 yrs. Wigan Athletic need us in that stadium. I agree with you, all SL teams need Sky money. Granted you have done wonders with the kids down there, but again are they attending matches or they off watching footie instead.

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:01 pm  

jeffb wrote:

Whelan, can't kick us out just yet. Think we have a contract for 25 yrs. Wigan Athletic need us in that stadium. I agree with you, all SL teams need Sky money. Granted you have done wonders with the kids down there, but again are they attending matches or they off watching footie instead.

Who says Whelan can't get rid of you! don't make me laugh! there is no contract these days that is water tight and if he ever decided you were ruining his special football team's chance you would be out on your backsides before you can say PIES!
that
Even St Helens with all it's great success can pull in the crowds that you do at Wigan and I'm not just talking about this season! there are about FOUR TEAMS! that can bring in weekly 10,000 plus attendances which is a disgrace all the money that has come into the game! I don't bury my head in the sand yes we have problems in London, but it is going to take a winning team and some stability for us to then start to really market the game as it should have been done since the start, that is as much a fault of the RFL as the owners we have had.

* 19,169 at Wigan tonight for The Big One, again their marketing works!

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:24 pm  

jeffb wrote:

Whelan, can't kick us out just yet. Think we have a contract for 25 yrs. Wigan Athletic need us in that stadium. I agree with you, all SL teams need Sky money. Granted you have done wonders with the kids down there, but again are they attending matches or they off watching footie instead.

No the kids are often playing RLthe same time as Quins, and if games do finish before 2.00 given the distance many have to travel cannot get to the Stoop for 3.--pm kick offs.

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:41 pm  

daftdad wrote:

No the kids are often playing RLthe same time as Quins, and if games do finish before 2.00 given the distance many have to travel cannot get to the Stoop for 3.--pm kick offs.

Has the club considered changing the days and times of matches, eg Friday night or Sunday afternoon. At least the kids will have a chance of seeing games.

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:45 pm  

jeffb wrote:

Has the club considered changing the days and times of matches, eg Friday night or Sunday afternoon. At least the kids will have a chance of seeing games.

Yes many times. All sorts of surveys, game day changes etc. Just check where the posters on this site come from (personally I'm from Hampshire) and you'll see that no one day will be good for all. (I have missed a handful of games in 13 years as a season ticket holder, one was this season as I couldn't make it after work on a Friday evening.) Basically we need to pick to one day and time and stick to it. Chopping and changing days just upsets people to be honest.

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:53 pm  

poplar panther wrote:

Blimey, I hated the change to Quins and said in the Guardian that it would not work and got lambasted for it, I got fully behind it but I hate to say I told you so...................

I'm going from memory here so could be wrong but I don't think you were lambasted for saying it wouldn't work. I think what upset many people was you turned it into a class thing. Personally I'm from Wolverhampton but from a middle class family. The two people to my left in the stand are from Scotland RL / Westcombe Park RU. I have no idea about their background but both would be middle class by their current employment. To my right is the Barnes RUFC proggie editor. Again no idea as to his upbringing but a middle class job. To his right is a bloke from Basingstoke RUFC. Probably retired, no idea as to is background but I suspect middle class. So five people in a row, four RU fans, personally I'm a football fan. From previous postings on this site I'm comfortable we ain't the only middle class RL fans in southern England. At a time the club was attempting to win over Quins RU fans to turn to class war wasn't great news.

As it happens I play cricket with a family of Quins RU fans. The parents are working class but have no interest in RL. Their oldest son is about to graduate, who knows what class he will end up as.........

By the way Poplar if you want to debate this point off line I'm happy to do so. I'm the one who you used to talk about Prescot Panthers to.

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:04 am  

Halfdan of t'wide embrace wrote:

I hope David Hughes isn't reading this. He blows

Careful........if it can be edited it will be

Re: Story in Guardian today : Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:53 am  

Saturday afternoons are probably the best for the club IMO, not having access to all the data that the club does.

A three o'clock kickoff allows opposition fans to come down for the day. The top 4 will double our attendences.

Friday evenings require them to take time off work, and Sundays puts pressure on families with kids going to school on Monday mornings.