No chance of families (meaning children) therefore further alienating from the true fans & the next generation. I can see it as a possible money earner but that's all. I would bet a fair number attending wont even know where the Bulls finished.

I'd suggest they are looking at the rlopen eveningrl as the family event which has access to the players and is free entry.

No harm in making some money in the current climate.

Good point, maybe the club coud have emphasised that if it was the intention.

What, you're expecting clear unambiguous communication from the club

rlhttps://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_5472351,00.htmlrl

Ambassador role - "Paul said: "They want someone who can communicate with a number of different types of audiences as well as producing the goods on the pitch."

If communication is an issue at the Bulls.....

Pretty lousy idea IMO. The club obviously want to turn every available opportunity into a money spinner - I understand that. I just don't think that everything should have such a massive price tag on it.

I decided to contact the club regarding this event as to me it's been designed as an event to help balance the books and provide for the folk with money to burn! I got the following reply

Perhaps they should read some of the opinions of the fans on this thread then.

A reasonable response. But why isnt it on the web site? so alienatining fans who are only given a snippet of info to make up their minds about attendance.
Communication with fans should be clearly informative and bilateral.
May I suggest that the Bulls make a modest investment in Marty Brownstein's excelent primer "Communicating Effectively for Dummies" which can be bought from Amazon for £12.49 - delivered post free by 1pm friday if ordered now.

Excellent point.

I can understand the club's thinking but if it's not communicated properly people will automatically jump to conclusions. If it's not communicated at all then people will assume the worst.

When the chnage to "black tie" was decided the reasons above should have been clearly stated.

I agree that communicating the change and reasons would have been good but disagree it is the right thing to do.

Whilst the open day for 'mingling' is a great idea, and all due credit etc., it is not the POTY awards, and the POTY awards imho should be reasonably available for the genuine fans, and should not be taken advantage of as a moneyspinner in lieu. Sure they'll fill the tables up with the usual corporates, and sure a few lucky normal fans will get invites, but basically the price tag, and to a lesser extent the black tie format, is excluding a large proportion of the everyday fans, whichever way it is dressed up.

And the fact that other clubs may already be doing so is hardly a ringing endorsement of the principle.

The decision seems to have been taken that POTY is just for well-heeled plus corporate types, and not for those who have already paid many hundreds of pounds to be on the terraces or in the stands, and without whom TY in POTY would never have taken place.

Yes I would agree with all of that.
I would add that we have been seen as trend-setters in super league. We made the format successful by getting whole families down to Odsal and going out into the community to get new people interested.
Now there seems to be far less effort to get new people at the club and events which were once free have gone to the other extreme and now exclude families.
I recently received an invitation to a lunch at the Coral stand before the Catalans match. The £40 "special price" doesn't include match ticket or even a seat in the Coral stand at all. It's just lunch - for forty quid.
It's as if it's just easier to squeeze current supporters for more money rather than go and find new ones.
That can't be a sensible long term strategy can it?

On a similar note, rlTHISrl seems pretty steep to me too.

You get an England shirt (which they claim is free) presented by Burgess or Menzies, a Brunch, ticket to the England/Aus game and ticket to the Final and travel to and from the games. "All" that for £165.

The tickets can be bought for as cheap as £20 a piece, so that means an England shirt presented, brunch and travel for about £125?

If it included the England games against NZ and France, then it might be an ok price, but that seems incredibly steep to me.


I've got tickets for all 3 England games and the Final for £80. If I include my petrol to the games and a meal, it probably won't come to £165. Even if I was to buy another England shirt, it may not come to that, and that's supposedly "free".

I didn't think that one was too bad. At least you have plenty to show for your money. The travel can be expensive and the presentation of the shirt is a nice touch.
The tight deadline for booking makes it a tough one in the holiday season though.