: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:33 am  

Another possible problem to face is that we lose BM in the close season - if the players don't like playing in front of diddley squat, then I doubt if he's any happier. I can't see Steve McNamara still being at Bradford next season and that's Brian's old stamping ground.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:40 am  

The Chronicler of Chiswic wrote:

Another possible problem to face is that we lose BM in the close season - if the players don't like playing in front of diddley squat, then I doubt if he's any happier. I can't see Steve McNamara still being at Bradford next season and that's Brian's old stamping ground.

Thought BM was on contract for the next couple of years??

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:41 am  

Hull Kingston Bronco wrote:

Let's face facts and be realistic, the club had no leadership for the best part of 18 months - including the time any planning for 2009 would have been done. We have to give Paul a chance to get his feet under the table, build relationships with Mark and his team, and also develop the level of trust with David that will be required in order for any additional marketing investment to be supported. The owner pumps in god knows how much of his own money just to get competitive players on the pitch as it is. Give it time, please. All of this woe is me, and worse still "if only they'd listen to me" is starting to do my head in mate.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:46 am  

everyone has their moments of feeling down GF. Don't give up, the game needs people like you. Have a couple of weeks off and relax charge up your batteries and restart the good fight.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:48 am  

poorlytoe wrote:

:thumb:

Yeah.....let's keep stumbling along and hope David Hughes doesn't find a new toy to play with.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:53 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Oh, don't get me wrong. It isn't woe is me or if only they'd listen to me.....it's just if they would actually do something. If someone can point to any activity that the club have carried out to attract new fans this year that has worked, I will be delighted.

2,245 which includes at least 250 kids and parents for the pre-match tournament and 50 odd welsh is a disgrace.
I really do fear for the club, because £20,000 in gate receipts just won't keep us afloat.

As I said, you can put as much positive spin on as you like, but the crowd on Saturday was shocking.

Remember we were playing the side holding everyone else up for G*D's sake. They are not a top draw team (although I hope one day they will be). For crying out load give PB a chance, Rome was not built in a day. Look at many of the crowds lately and they look poor. Cas V Wolves was about 5500 - I bet that in the past would have drawn 7000 to 8000 (and Cas are going well at the moment).


The new bloke needs a chance to set out his stall, make a plan, get DH's backing and motivate the back office (who must be worn to the bone having to prop up everything for over a year). Then crack on. He has been in the job, what three months tops? Most people joining a new company need three to six months to understand the tools, processes, PEOPLE etc.

If PB had gone in all guns blazing he would be a fool, he needs to get the back office's trust first and foremost.

As for the CATS game, yes that is shocking and SKY have not done us any favours at all. But you can't blame the club, DH or PB for that. Of course they could have said to SKY - shove it. But it's not a good idea to bite off the hand that feeds you.


I pity the poor Warriors! All the best in NZ, you will be missed GF.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:56 am  

retirethename wrote:

Remember we were playing the side holding everyone else up for G*D's sake. They are not a top draw team (although I hope one day they will be). For crying out load give PB a chance, Rome was not built in a day. Look at many of the crowds lately and they look poor. Cas V Wolves was about 5500 - I bet that in the past would have drawn 7000 to 8000 (and Cas are going well at the moment).


The new bloke needs a chance to set out his stall, make a plan, get DH's backing and motivate the back office (who must be worn to the bone having to prop up everything for over a year). Then crack on. He has been in the job, what three months tops? Most people joining a new company need three to six months to understand the tools, processes, PEOPLE etc.

If PB had gone in all guns blazing he would be a fool, he needs to get the back office's trust first and foremost.

As for the CATS game, yes that is shocking and SKY have not done us any favours at all. But you can't blame the club, DH or PB for that. Of course they could have said to SKY - shove it. But it's not a good idea to bite off the hand that feeds you.


I pity the poor Warriors! All the best in NZ, you will be missed GF.

The club could do nothing about the Catalans game - SKY say jump you have to say how high. Where the club went wrong IMHO is saying initially that they had objected to the move - it was a PR disaster.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:11 am  

Paddock Punter wrote:

The club could do nothing about the Catalans game - SKY say jump you have to say how high. Where the club went wrong IMHO is saying initially that they had objected to the move - it was a PR disaster.

Correct.
And, if this is an example of how the new man does business, it goes a long way to explaining his colourful list of past jobs over the last 10 years.
NFL Europe, SFA, Southampton, Surrey CC, Hull KR. all in the last 11 years...............Not one of these organisations seem to have tried to keep him when he left. I am sure he is a very capable person, but as CV's go, it does raise a slight amount of concern IMO that is.
6 jobs in 11 years........read into that what you wish.

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:29 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Yeah.....let's keep stumbling along and hope David Hughes doesn't find a new toy to play with.

applauding a common sense posting, it's good to hear that perspective hasn't gone completely out of the window

gutterfax wrote:

the only way to rectify it is to put cash on the table for proper marketing.

DH owns the keys to that budget. If he chooses not to release it, then the club goes down with him, but at what point does that become the GM's fault? As HKB points out, he needs to earn DH's trust. I think you're expressing your angst at the wrong person. Someone who's been in charge for 2 months or 10+ years?

Btw - I suspect the break even for any benefactors at the club is an attendance of circa 10k depending on ticket price. It's prob not going to happen in our lifetime, but we can hope. There have been plenty of incidences of sub 2k audiences in the past 15 years and the club has survived....

: Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:47 am  

poorlytoe wrote:

applauding a common sense posting, it's good to hear that perspective hasn't gone completely out of the window



DH owns the keys to that budget. If he chooses not to release it, then the club goes down with him, but at what point does that become the GM's fault? As HKB points out, he needs to earn DH's trust. I think you're expressing your angst at the wrong person. Someone who's been in charge for 2 months or 10+ years?

Btw - I suspect the break even for any benefactors at the club is an attendance of circa 10k depending on ticket price. It's prob not going to happen in our lifetime, but we can hope. There have been plenty of incidences of sub 2k audiences in the past 15 years and the club has survived....

On the club site it says
"Paul is responsible for the day to day running of Harlequins Rugby League and his top priority is to increase attendances at matches."

On Point 1. The day to day running of the club. Top job so far with the Catalans fiasco give him a pay rise.
On Point 2. We are nearly 1,000 fans down since we left TW8 for TW2. Not his fault at all, but still, since he joined we have had the bring a mate for free campaign and NO FOLLOW UP CONTACT to those people. We have had George Sampson (not cheap I should imagine) with no chance of any of the screaming teens coming back.
So, 60 days into the job and all that has happened is we seem to have lost a Commercial Sales Manager, the head of the volunteers group and pretty much nothing else
Sorry, I know it can't be easy getting funds out of DH for marketing, but I take it that PB would have had to offer some kind of Business plan to DH when he was interviewed for the role. If I was offered a job that required increasing attendance figures, but was told there was no budget to achieve this, I doubt I would take the job on.