I take your points Adey, but I've already sent them! I will just hide if they read any of them out and start looking for me....

The "blaming customers" bit though...they have come out and done that. They have criticised fans for not going. So I think the point stands.

And I personally feel short-changed. We bought our season tickets last December in good faith, expecting full investment in the squad. We have not had that.

Not saying you are not justified in holding those views - and you are very much far from alone. And I was shocked to hear the salary cap comment at the forum. Telling the fans the consequences of not going is nothing new - have you read Caisley's Chairman's Statement in the 2003 accounts? (In fairness, Peter Hood's are far more diplomatic and reasonable). I guess its the same point for the club too - its all in how you word the point!

Just saying that if you want your question used, its probably prudent to frame it in a way that makes it easy for the club to use it, and not in a way that just gets it off your chest. That's been my experience, anyway.

Chris Caisley once called the club that embarrassing name "the people's team". His reasoning was fair enough though; there are no financial big hitters in the background and it is the people, the fans, the ones who turn up to watch matches/buy merchandise, who finance the club.

If people who used to be fans no longer want to come, well that is their decision; there is a recession on and there are many other calls on people's cash and we're not playing well either. It's never been compuslory to attend matches, and of course 'gates' always drop in those circumstances, and yes it's up to the club to attract them back, without attaching blame.

The difficulty is, the one thing which might attract them back, is the one thing that their non-attendance is helping to prevent; having a successful side out on the field. We're not paying the cap because the money isn't there to do so, if a sufficient number return that might change, and though it might be an STO (STatement of the chuffing Obvious) I don't actually feel there is anything wrong in pointing that out.

Peter Hood is a long standing fan of the club, he took over as chairman at a time of crisis, and if occasionally statements are of a fan rather than the more diplomatic ones from a chairman, well so be it. As one fan to another I can fully understand his frustrations with the situation. Though, yes it's pointless giving statements which antagonise the very people you want to become a part of the solution, rather than remaining part the problem

I'm not sure I can empathise with the "feeling short changed" to be honest. Sport is a different transaction to any other in life, unlike going to the bank where the interest is very specific or buying in a supermarket where it's weighed to the gramme, in sport we have a 'special relationship' with 'our' club rather than a business one.

Personally, I buy match tickets and goods from the shop, lottery tickets etc because I like watching rugby and the Bulls are my team. There are no guarantees with sport; whether we spend the full cap or don't, win the league and make me very happy or don't make the play-offs and leave me a bit less happy, it really just doesn't matter, and whatever, the Bulls are [istill [/imy team.

I think most fans reading that paragraph will wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expessed!

If you don't have the bad times you will never fully appreciate the good ones, just ask the older Northern fans! The problem with a lot of the stay away fans is that the majority of those came during the "Glory" days and don't have it in them to tough it out like the hardcore fans, these things are cyclical and the good times will come round again, but I agree it's no fun having to grit yer teeth, time and time again, but as a true fan you do!

Amen to that

I agree and I also think the board have taken a longer term view than fans who think we should go out spending money on players we can't afford.

As I've said numerous times - things are bad now and may be for another year or two, but the reward is worth waiting for - we've seen it before with other clubs in the not so distant past.

So long as there is a club left in 2 years.

Exactly. It's all very well saying "You should stick with the club through thick and thin" but the fact remains we are in a recession. People haven't got the disposable income they had 5 years ago so you can't expect them to play SL prices for a Championship product and that's what the Bulls have been producing for the last few years.

Sub-par on field performances will always have a detrimental effect on crowds. You have to give value for money.

I feel the club made a mistake in giving McNamara such a long contract given that he was a rookie manager at the time. IF we'd been bringing someone like Tony Smith or Daniel Anderson to take over from Noble then that sort of contract would be acceptable. But for someone without any head coach experience? Poor choice by the board.

A lot of fans were voicing their dissatisfaction with McNamara yet the board chose not to act. In many ways it could be considered they stuck their head in the sand and hoped the problem would sort itself out. This, combined with the increasingly poor on-field results has left a lot of fans feeling burnt by the club for their lack of action. Yes we may have a shiny new academy with all sorts of potential superstars just waiting in the wings. But I don't think that would have changed by having a different coach in charge. The club has stated that they need to invest in the youth teams. The thing is, we're all aware of it on here but how many of your average fans are? Cos really, we're a small minority of the fans on here. So if your average fan doesn't visit these boards how would they know that we have these great young players on the verge of breaking through? Tbh the club has been a little coy on the front of really pointing at the academy and saying "These are the lads we're going to build the Bulls resurgence on, but you must give them and us the time to get them ready"

A lack of communication between club and fans is, IMO, another contributing factor to our declining crowds. More so now as the fans no longer want to hear what the club has to say after what is perceived as 5 years of failure and virtually no interaction between club and fans. Yes, there's been the fans forums, but how widely are they advertised? Sure they're on the website, but how many people who don't visit this site or the bulls site on a regular basis know that? Or know about or attend the forums? Not many would be my guess.

The club may be rebuilding well in terms of young players, but it's got a hell of a long way to go to rebuild off the field in terms of getting the fans back through the gates.

I think the club has been right to look long term in its planning but I have questioned at times whether the balance has been right. I wonder if we've put too much into the kids when we see the first team go 10 matches without a win due to a lack of cover for key positions.

It's all very well building for the future but sometimes you can take your eye off the present.

Sure we've been unlucky with injuries but to go into the season with only one recognised bona fide halfback was a big risk.

While we have a shiny new training base it's yet to pay dividends on the pitch and it doesn't put bums on seats here and now.

Although there are a couple of points of opinion in there where I'd have prefaced a point with the word "perceived" (by the fans), I have to say that that piece is as good as I have read about where the club stands with the large majority of the fans, and how probably most fans I speak to feel. Sums it up very well, I'd say? Definitely deserves a

And for another reason. A group of us are having a chat with the club tomorrow, with this whole issue of engagement with and motivating the fans high on the agenda. I think you just wrote there the basis of what we need to talk about. Critical but constructive, and highlighting what needs to be addressed. I'm printing it off and taking it with me - hope you don't mind?

I wonder if the Club realises that another perception from some of the Fans still loyal and attending is that the Club is taking advantage of them with their pricing of the concession (beer prices)! Unfortunatly Yorkshire folk are not stupid and I would suggest if they want to make more money from the loyal fans, putting the prices down would be more beneficial.

Another tight Yorkshireman? It might be a bit pedantic but I honestly it's just basic business sense as taught at school. High turnover and small profit equals a good profit. Well it should! Nobody likes to feel they are being ripped off or taken advantage of. Here's a thought buy 2 get 1 free, they sell some beer with that one....