Totally agree, they are nowhere near Super League standard . Need more experience with us in the championship. Perhaps this season and next if we still in the championship

Fax have been running with poor crowds for a long time, as a yardstick the crowd of 1,347 last Saturday compared with 1,437 against Toulouse last season in a must win game to qualify for the top 6, so not much difference.

We've been a championship club now for over 20 years, with lower average crowds than most in our division so not sure why some fans think we "should" be competing for the best players and "should" be near the top.

Not sure how the BOD can pull the crowds in. That's why I keep banging on about the Shay not working. It's been mentioned the disappointing average crowds in the late 90s despite a great team, and even worse when we got relegated. I remember quite literally empty stadiums when we played London and Sheffield (Keith Senior slaughtered us that day, everyone seemed to be just talking amongst themselves sat on the sp Skircoat terracing).

Maybe entice fans with discounted mini season tickets (covering 3 matches)? The bring a friend for a tenner last (or previous?) season seemed to work just a bit, even though it was unfair on the season ticket holders who ultimately had paid more on average for admission!

What’s the correlation between the Shay and small crowd numbers? If we had a smaller stadium we would still be getting the same crowds. The reason we have small attendances is the product. Being a championship team for 20 years, not being dominant in that league, no chance of promotion (which has existed for the majority of our 20 years in the Championship) and the running of the sport in general are probably main contributors to low attendance (in my opinion). When we left Thrum Hall I know of people who said they would never go and watch us at the Shay and they haven’t. Also when we were relegated from SL I know of folks who said they would never go and watch us in the Championship and they haven’t.
For a team to be attractive to new fans and old fans to return and for huge investment into the club we need to be in the top flight and be competitive. As we know that will never happen due to licensing/IMG or what ever you want to call it and how the RFL run the sport that door is closed. The SL clubs are very happy in their ivory towers getting the majority in f funding while clubs like Fax just get the scraps.

The first season at the Shay, which was obviouly a cracking/entertaining season, saw an average home attendance of 5,668. It dropped by 1,200 the following season but went back up to 5,882 the season after. Even the poor season under Steve Linnane saw crowds maintained at just under 5,000. The big drop came over the next couple of seasons with 2,977 the average in 2003 and then below 2,000 following relegation.

The issue isnt the Shay. It the mess caused by those who run or have run the game. I stopped going around 2004 when it looked like franchising was going to be introduced. And I am sure I wasnt alone.

Just a few of the reasons.
For those who can afford it lots of people simply aren’t interested in rugby and there are lots of other leisure time alternatives and even for those who do like rugby the overhaul costs involved in going to a game still puts them off.

For those who can’t afford it a no starter and there are lots of other things far more important.

The game is being run by nutters who have now handed the keys of the asylum to another set of lunatics.

But a lot of what you say applies to football where attendances have flourished. OK, it obviously has some impact, but the main one is that the game has been ruined.

Can’t do with snakes

On 5/10/2024 at 6:54 PM, Flea said:
Good.
There can not be any softening to let that lot worm there way to get any support. Literally give those lot an inch and they will take a mile (and then say it is all theirs anyway)
They are a danger in that stunts like last seasons playing on the pitch put pressure on our club and put us at risk. They have already had a big hand in killing one football club ,yet some want to try work with them and help them now?
How much have we lost in the past month or two because of this shower? How did playing away impact us for our playoff run/push and the lost income - how much is that going to impact us next season?
They are currently actively hurting our club. There can be no co-existing with people who do everything possible to cause us damage with no remorse.
SQUATTERS OUT. 
I'm now in this camp. I've tried to see things from fax point of view as i used enjoy watching them and there are decent supporters and some good, long members of staff. But they have been let down by liars, scheisters, chances...
Squatters out


Bubba
Posted May 10

Unless something changes there will be fewer and fewer supporters at games as people realise there is nothing to play for now that P&R is gone. That won't just affect the championship but SL too. Matches will be little more value than a friendly without any jeopardy so why bother paying £20+ to see that? Throw in a load of loan players who that fans who don't identify with and you have a recipe for decline.

Looking at where Fax are I like the Shay. If I was a Fax fan I'd have no problem with it. It's got good views, decent parking and is handy for the Three Pigeons. I used to love Thrum Hall for being so close to the actions but the toilets were infamous.

The main problem seems to be that it's a ground share. We had that a lot when were at valley parade. The football club didn't like it (but they liked our money) and some City fans hated the Bulls

My views have somewhat softened since I made that post. But I stand by my comment that decent supporters and long-serving members of staff have been let down by the rent issue just as they were under the Tony Abbott debacle 10 or so years ago. A time incidentally when Town supporters were labelled as Luddites though in the end proven right.

It’s 2024 nearly a decade on from the tony abbot debacle but yet you lot on that forum are still going on about it . Pages and pages of utter nonsense based on a foi , never ending strawmans and false narratives. So the club have a forum to explain the position of the club , shaymen forum - ‘must be lying ‘then they agree to play away from the shay to help with pitch restoration- ‘ they don’t have a choice ‘ apparently.

That forum is a disgrace full of toxic men with little to no information, least have the balls to say what you really want , you won’t be banned don’t worry.

Well I did say “some” of the reasons all of which are valid ( football being one of the alternative sporting options ) and left the main one until last so your point is what exactly?

And coming from a family of sportsmen dominated by footballers it certainly hasn’t flourished here as nowadays none of us would lose a minutes sleep if we never watched another game.

It’s boring most of the time and there are much more important things going on.

Away from home.
Comparing football and rugby league in the UK is hardly worth the time spent to type it out especially with the younger population (where we are year on year struggling) who are from being toddlers to teenagers weened and exposed to football virtually 24/7.