Just one other point to make, France pretty much shuts down on a Sunday and there is hardly a shop open between 12 and 3pm then only the basic super markets seem to be open. With nothing else to do on a Sunday early afternoon would Catalans get better attendances if they went to a 1 or 2pm Sunday afternoon fixture??

The crowds usually tend to be fairly average at the start of the year, and increase as the season goes on. Not sure why this is.

It's just seasonal isn't it? Their crowds seem to improve through the summer, perhaps when the Union team finish playing perhaps?

Think you're right, seem to rememebr thinking a similar thing at the start of last season?

Their average last season was 8316, so they are not far away, but their crowds last term were higher over the first half of the season and they averaged just over 7500 for their last 5 games of the season.

Catalans first four crowds of 2011 were 7156, 7095, 8025, 7500. This tends to suggest that April to August are the peak months for increase in crowds. Perhaps the 6 nations and USAP season does have an effect early on.

Its all the english on holiday at easter and summer taking in a game rather than a day on the beach

Their first 4 games last season were 8413, 8252, 9495, 8471 which means that, for whatever reason they are down over 1000 per game (on average)
If this were to carry on they become the 2nd lowest support in SL ??? this assmes that Widnes dont start to drop too many and that Broncos dont have a surge in supporter numbers.
Of course, the vast majority of their support is home based fans, but does this begin to raise any questions ?
BTW, I think they add great value to SL, so i'm just playing devils advocate.

I think you'll find there is a very good reason why everything in that region stops around noon.

They don't play in Hull you know?

They're expecting their biggest crowd ever at their home stadium for the visit of Wire.

These stats just aren't true, their first 4 games last year were,

Wakefield, 7,500
St Helens, 7,095
Salford, 7,156
Hull 8,025.

Seeing as though you would expect Saints to be a big game this is no problem. They clearly get less when they start the year. It was the same in 2010:

St Helens, 7,825
Castleford, 6,810
Hull KR, 6,513
Leeds, 8,230

Let's remember that last year they were redeveloping Stade Gilbert Brutus.

But you can see that the first 4 attendances were clearly not affected by this.

I just remember them doing the redevelopment, can't remember what the capacity was reduced to.