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.

One of the questions I sent in asked about this, suspect I'm not the only one!

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....

Brian Noble pointed out one of Yorkshire folks' favourite sayings last night on the RL coverage.



I know it's a slight mickey take on our tightness, but when you're being asked to pay that much for a pint of crap lager, it's kind of accurate.

It's also self defeating, especially in Yorkshire. Prices go up and sales go down. Put prices up more to counter drop in sales and sales go down. People either bring their own or drink before and after the match. It's not rocket science.

Nail on the head

Unfortunately, there are seemingly not enough of the "hardcore" fans to pay the bills. Hence the Catch-22.

But don't you think that times have very greatly changed, in that nowadays there is so much stuff going off all over the place, that the number of young fans who might potentially become "diehards" is far smaller than in the past? As with most things, it is a gradual falling off, but I just think that across the board, the average speccy is significantly less "committed" to the team than even 20 years ago, and many fewer have that real attachment that would make them attend come hell or high water - they just choose to watch something on Sky or go on Facebook or whatever, and would look at you pityingly if you asked why they weren't going to the match. "Duh?!"

Probably won't be answered, but on top of the 5 obvious (ish) questions I have sent in, i've now sent one in regarding Glenn Hall's fitness. He's a professional player yet he can't even manage 20 minutes on the pitch.