Quote: bewareshadows "In other industries there is nothing comparable to fans either.
Fans are different to customers. In the real world customers shop around for the best deall. In RL fans come and go but over a longer term and tend not to change who they support.
Also in other businesses the bottom line is key, not staffing performance awards.
Do I care as a shopper if ASDA staff win the equivalent of the challenge cup, will I turn up and cheer them to the town hall?
Will ASDA propose spending more on staff to increase customer attendances.
No.
Sport and business are not the same.
Sport is more akin to the arts.'"
Fans are exactly like customers. Fans don't change who they support, but they to decide whether to go to the game or not.
Each club only has a few thousand hardcore supporters who will turn up no matter what. The rest go because they enjoy the sport. If the sport is boring because there is no intensity or the product is poor, they will stop going. They will stop buying season tickets, merchandise which then has a knock on effect on TV deals, sponsorship etc
The challenge for clubs is to get families to decide to come to a game of rugby league, rather than take their family to the park, cinema etc
2 years a go Bradford got over 20k against Leeds. Last Sunday 5k watched them against Catalans. Them 15k fans haven't gone to watch another club. They have just become disillusioned with how the club has been incompetently mismanaged for last few years. The challenge for Bradford is to try get those fans back while paying the normal price.