The admission fee to a match never used to be an issue, it used to be small change. But there was a spell of several years where the fee kept being bumped up a quid every year which in monetary terms didn't seem alot but in percentage terms it was. Even a quid increase on today's £19 is an inflation busting 5%.

So a huge hole has been dug where sporting clubs are gradually pricing themselves out of the entertainment market (even empty seats are starting to appear at premiership soccer matches). It's a huge ask to expect new fans to pay £19 when there's so many cheaper alternatives, so the only way to stop the rot is to drastically reduce the entrance fee and unfortunately ask the players to take a lot less money, but hopefully the resultant increased gates will bring about some compensation. Can't do this unilaterally of course, has to be across the board which I know won't happen.

A sorry state of affairs but you can see the writing on the wall. I'm sure I'm not the only one who turns up at the Shay and glances round at the ground before kick off despairing at the sp areas in the South Stand and the empty seats in the East Stand, Not to mention the empty North Stand and Skircoat Stand (that might as well be knocked down and replace by an ozzie tpe grassy knoll). The whole of Rugby League appears to be sleep walking into eventual oblivion.

Unfortunately, standards go up - pushed up by government, councils, health and safety regs and the like.

Clubs have to contribute to players' pensions these days. There's VAT on admissions so your £20 a head is actually only £16.67. There are more doctors and physios. I'm not against all this, apart from the VAT, obviously, but it's a different landscape to 50 years ago.

greg speaking to the new board they are rightly proud of the transformation they have made with the shop income. They are very transparent now as to how it is run and managed .No doubt at the financial year end they will be able to provide profit figures compared with previous years. They have nothing to fear because it's not hard to beat Zero. So whatever marketing decisions they have taken its working better than before. The main thing is though so long as the club benefits that's all supporters now need to know as the sign in the window says proceeds go to the club Even speaking to the fax volunteer ladies running the shop there was an air of optimism around the place that more sales = more money to the club and the bloke infront of me bought a shirt saying exactly that .The staff were also clearly proud to be helping the club progress. I take my hat off to them so should all of us particularly if it could help strengthen the team even more in the forthcoming weeks. Keep up the good work all supporters , players , LS 28 et.al.the club feels to be coming back to life. The Phoenix is rising at long last!!

Greg No problem with mistakes so long as an individual has responsibility for identifying and rectifying them as they go along not at the end of a season when it's too late. Shop costs are very low due to the fact The club has always paid the shop rent because the club just receives 1 monthly bill from CMBC for its use of the all stadium facilities, notably the staff are volunteers so unlike most businesses ,wages are minimal, anyone with a little business knowledge should be able to steer the shop into profit Ie stock-cost and expenses v takings and stock . I would have thought it was right up MMs and Simon oxbys street to be honest even wearing a pink tutu! Maybe it's time for a ball park update from the new board to encourage sales ?then supporters can do their bit to assisting any way they can .Personally I remain very positive regarding the changes made by MM for which he should take some credit.

Your mood may change very shortly.......

Maybe .........but whatever happens embrace change and improve would be my moto because standing still means, soon you will be a dead duck. So I am thankful for MM getting Halifax rlfc out of a great big frustrating rut to nowhere, Created by the last board and a culture of blame anyone but themselves for their own financial mess............ I know one thing it certainly feels better being a Halifax fan currently Up the fax for Sunday !!

Even more positive about the clubs future after Sunday's match As I said it feels a whole lot better supporting the new energised Fax than the old boring one . Excellent video interview by Ben Kaye sums it all up really. Things have moved up a couple of steps off field this season and you can feel it.

As long as we get these kids on contracts so they don't move on for naff all after all the effort put in on their development. I expect Butler to move on for a decent fee in the close season because we tied him up.

He might want to stay with us in SL!

Personally I would like to see Martin G publically thanked for his work developing these kids Ie like cov and Neil and co. He has given much to the club and taken little in the way of monetary reward which I know isn't the motivating factor for him, the motivation for him appears to be making a success for young players which Is a very selfless attitude . A thank you never does anyone any harm but we have over recent years been poor on the thank yous to the people who matter and the people who give the most .

Spot on.

Agree with the team and bringing Morris in for Flemming. Flemming keeps slowing down into impact when particularly with his size he should be accelerating into it. Maybe this will give him the message . Daft when Salty is making more yards after impact than your heaviest forward. It's a bit like a boxer always aim through your target not stop on it. The best example of a forward running through a target despite not being all that big was if you remember him that mad Geoff Robinson . Always remember speaking to Brian noble the day after he played against Robinson . Is he just mad!!was the question Nobby asked.

A decision made because of the conditions down here that is all.