.

I think you are missing my point, which was in the context of we don't know everything the BOD are doing behind the scenes concerning marketing so why comment negatively when that is the case, surely better to look at the positives that can be seen.

I wasn't putting forward the "best way forward for a sports team or business".

How do you or anyone else know what the Halifax BOD are doing.
How do you or anyone else know what they have budgeted for or what income streams they are trying to generate. How do you or anyone else know they aren't doing the "real work".
How do you or anyone else know they have "coughed up the last penny".
How do you arrive at the conclusion that a proven businessmen would not be aware of the business side of things and not want to do the "boring business stuff".

I find it difficult as to why or how anyone would want to come to those conclusions.

I also disagree with your " "The" most important statement.

It's too blinkered to what the reality is in the real world away from the "best model way forward for a sports team or business".

Reality is.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NO JOBS OR ARE ON LOW INCOME AND ARE SKINT, HOW DO YOU MARKET FOR THAT.

Even those that aren't struggling to make ends meet.

Take marketing for example and you target the local population if you haven't got a competitive winning side that is in the hunt for the available prizes at whatever level you are at you can market all you like but people will not come to watch losers and as a consequence your budget will be less.

Less gate receipts, less prize money, less exposure, less of a profile.

Away from the paying public to attract new sponsors, investors or benefactors you need marketing but again you also need a competitive team with a decent stadium and facilities, if you can offer something across the board then the more chance they will like what they see.

There is a lot of competition for their participation, they like the paying public would rather back a winner than a loser.

Then you are stuffed

My own personal experience is that it all comes down to money and life. I used to stand in a group of 15/20 people. The other week there was only three of us left. We have lost about half due to them getting married and starting families. These are long time Halifax fans not come and go fans. I imagine they are now lost to the club as they simply cant afford to bring the family to the Shay, its going on £80 to bring and feed two adults and two children. I imagine they would consider it if they were watching us being competitive in SL, but who reasonably expects them to pay that money at present? No amount of marketing budget is going to bring them back. And no amount of marketing budget is going to stop people from being put off by the price. I have said it many many times, surely 2.5k at a tenner is better than 1.5k at £18? How many did we get for the "New York" match that was probably the best marketed game in Halifax's modern history, about 3k? I would imagine at a cost of 10k at least in the holiday and advertising.

It is also vital to remember that a club like Fax is not operating in a vacuum. There is a huge amount of choices on how people can spend their income. For the club to attract anyone it has to make them want to spend the £15-£18 per adult on them more than they want to spend it on anything else.
A lot of people tell me that they would rather spend the money on food and essentials for the family.

I aren't anything, the club may, but.

Even in the "you are stuffed scenario" it's not necessarily the end.

Why not.

Because many if not all of the clubs we are competing against are in exactly the same situation so the status quo is preserved unfortunately due to the difficulties for a Rugby league club to be run as a profitable business best marketing strategy or not.

Every now and then one will stand out from the pack and make progress before hitting a wall and slipping back, everything goes in cycles but when you are a rugby league club it's always a long hard road to move forward and stay at the top.

Are they ' lost ' to the club Nat? , or are they just not currently coming? ,so you are correct, no amount of marketing will bring them in next week, but if asked they would most likely still call themselves Fax fans, and at some point some if not all will return accaisionally as well as some more regularily

If anybody thinks there is some magic wand waving process that will see instant results then they are crazy

What you are looking to achieve is a larger number of people who when asked " who do you follow/support " , the answer is Fax

And they are right in that Howard , but a simple question, in fax and the surrounding area's , how many under 16 s have never set foot in the Shay to watch a RL match ?

Again you are missing the point, you ( Halifax RLFC ) are not competing against Leigh,Fev and Batley, your players and coach are , your club is competing against Bradford,Leeds and Huddersfield for the hearts and minds of the Calderdale public, that is your challenge, but ' Stealth ' marketing certainly wont hack it

Absolute rubbish mate.

Your back to the marketing again and as previously the hearts and minds of many potential fans in this area are on other more important matters nearer to home.

Of the clubs you have mentioned we are competing against in your view I want to laugh out loud.

If Leeds were never to play a game of rugby again there's no way their current supporters would choose Fax to follow in large numbers or if any.

Huddersfield have struggled for years to raise interest in the residents of Kirklees never mind Calderdale.

Many of those on the Bradford boarder who went from Fax to Bradford years ago have stopped going to games for a number of reasons like those mentioned, the others are Bradford or Fax through and through or nothing.

I could never support another Rugby League club if Fax folded, I might watch an odd game now and then but would be more likely to watch the local amateur teams.

Before Fax can even think of gaining any support from home territory or other clubs they have to have a winning team against their opponents in their league and that comes down to skill, blood and guts and a bit of luck on the field in plain view and even then there's nothing guaranteed.

Just as an after thought using your reasoning Paul Rowley will be saying to your team don't bother about winning at Halifax on Sunday because we are really competing against Wigan, Warrington, Widnes and Saints and we have really kicked their buts on marketing so the results don't matter.

I assume you are mid fifties in age faxcar, obviously as are all current Halifax fans, by your reckoning only by being the best club in the country can you entice any new fans

Sorry you are wrong about myself and all current Fax fans.

Age has nothing to do with it unless you want to discriminate.

I never mentioned or "reckoned" at being the best in the country.

Simply you need to have a winning or competitive side playing rugby that's good to watch against your current opposition to have the best chance of maintaining or increasing your support and making progress, that includes fan base and corporate base.

You can market all you like but without the above you will be severely hampered on two of the most important income streams.

I don't think marketing is the single most important factor.

If you look at Bradford as a model of progress from the rest of the pack on and off the field and back down again if I had to choose one thing at the root of the cause it would be miss management.

They failed to manage what they had across the board.

Same at all the other clubs who get into difficulties.

Same as the game as a whole for that matter from Red Hall down.

Probably the single most important factor is proper management.

If you don't agree fair enough, keep taking cheap shots but it only shows you have nothing constructive left to say.

To conclude.

My original posting was nothing to do with marketing or the business side of things.

I was simply saying in view of how much negative commentary had been said about one of our directors and main benefactors it would not be good for the club if we joined in and contributed to him walking away and it may be better to focus on what we know for a fact he has done rather than what we don't know about.

Just as a side note, sunday's tv game Hudds v Saints att was reported in the rugby papers yesterday as 5,500 ish. Two top drawer teams, yes, live on tv but with severe competition from other sporting events also on tv that day BUT tickets/marketing well in advance for a tenner !!!!
I haven't watched the game back on record yet to make my own judgement on the att given, but 5,500 ish...... that's not healthy.