Pop Tart those are good numbers for Wakey and long may it continue. How have they driven the crowds up over the last couple of years - is it down to discounted tickets or are there other factors?
I think the Giants have suffered this year because the ST's went back up to "normal" levels and there seems to be a reduction in the numbers of away supporters (in general though one or two may have maintained their level). add to this very poor marketing within the area and the team hasn't got the support it deserves - winning is not enough it seems!

Watching gutters lose it after being shown up for a union troll he is is highly amusing. You stated sports were riding the wave of Olympics and getting bigger crowds, suggesting rl is even worse than it appears, I merely pointed out one sport that clearly isn't. I could have chosen soccer where most comps except the epl are down on attendances but I choose to use union to show you up as I knew you would get a tizz on. You didn't let me down!

Well there is of course a lot of debate about the "how".

There is no doubt, the ST deals have helped.
This year standing tickets have ranged from £100 to £180 I think, depending on when you bought it.
They are already selling for next year at the starting bargain rate of £150 going up after this week. So we'll see if the numbers drop off but I bought mine and a lot seem to be doing the same.

Personally I think it is much improved marketing. Getting people in cheaply only helps if it drags others in.
By getting a decent crowd going, and a better atmosphere with the new tin roof (it makes the crowd sound much louder) it is much more a place to be than it used to be. People are bringing mates now when they used to be embarassed about a small crowd and poor toilets!
It helps that we are more competitive but whether it is social media, forums, our own page or community activities....the Wildcats name is seen a lot more and talked about in a much more positive way.
That for me is purely down to the new owner and his team.

Still lots to improve but we heading in a good direction. Cash flow, same as everyone is a problem, but the big crowds are helping that. Board very happy to get to the Leeds game and catch up on the big home crowd.

Well, maybe if you hadn't.....

.....I wouldn't have had to point out your glaring error.




Do you want to further define "sport" to try and narrow down the statement I made that sport was riding on the wave of the Olympics? Participation? Professional? Team? Individual?

I mean to say, it's not like the RFL would have used the "imaginary" Olympic wave to market their RLWC's is it...?Oh...hang on Premier Sports lost their flagship soccer content to BT.....6,500 subscribers??? 6,500 as a crowd at a game in SL gets lambasted on these boards

Then there's the sponsors...or as they are referred to by the RFL, PARTNERS: Basically, there was little if any interest in the naming rights of the premier RL comp in the NH......so bits were syphoned off for minimal income to foxy bingo et al....£4.25 million a year is the current AVIVA deal, whilst the Dutch brewer Heineken estimates it has pumped £100,000,000 into Union in the last 20 years.
Tetley" were announced as CC sponsors with no reference to amounts...a worrying trend given prior delight at releasing financial figures.

Crowds are down. You will debate with me about increased prices, but the fact remains that crowds are down across the board (Leeds accepted). The majority of clubs are not on a secure financial footing (nothing new in PRO team sports) and the league is looking to reduce the number of clubs to try and offer another route to stability. HKR and London Broncos are to lose their benefactors at the end of this season, Salford new owner is in reality looking to short term success to build crowds...a method that has never worked in the short term (Melbourne are up 33% since 1998.....33% on the back of a few GF's etc....33% for Salford will have them still under 5k).

Clubs like Huddersfield are 100% reliant on their benefactor and it can't be good business practice to rely on the health of one man. Leeds and Wigan are showing the rest how it is done, but there is still ingrained an attitude for immediate gratification in League....I believe the good Dr at Salford sees himself as a sort of Abramovich of the north

The RFL seem content to continue to reward failure....the exiles id a broken concept, last autumns internationals were a farce (1,500 in Wales???) and the RLWC ticket sales are never announced without spin, smoke and mirrors and a fair amount of truth bending. The previous RLWC in Britain had a £1,000,000 naming rights sponsor...this one has an official hire car supplier and an official hotel partner......hardly good news central is it?

On the pitch, the game continues to be streets ahead of all other team sports on offer in the UK, but it is off the park that the woes are dragging the sport backwards.

If all goes the way most expect it to, by 2015 RL in Britain will be yet again an M62 hobby with a French team from the south west of France. Sky will be 3 years into their current 5 year deal and will be hard pressed to convince advertisers as to their "mythical" southern audience. The English media, for whatever reason, will report negative stories about RL and the demise of London (a totally different topic BTW) will be pounced upon and reported as proof that League is a northern pastime.

there are some Rugby League fans who will be happy once GB have managed to beat the Aussies in a series or a World cup, but in reality, the sport has a fragile framework holding it up professionally with little or no "plan B" if SKY were to walk away...the 100% reliance on the TV partnership is a horrific way to run a professional sports business, but increasingly, with each passing year, the revenue stream comes from SKY first with everything else tagged on. Take away TV coverage of RL and you run the risk of a return to semi-professional RL....and no chance of GB beating Australia in a series (unless the team is crammed with NRL based players)

Nigel is one of very many stealing a wage at the RFL.

Some people are never happy unless they're moaning!

Not for long though. He's got a new job in Australia to go to at the end of the world cup this year.

Its available on the RFL website.

HTH

Their "strategic aims" areyou think they're doing against these? Marks out of ten.

Doing what !?!