on a seperate note it says a lot about Huddersfield Giants (and the RFL) that a large number of budding sports journalists on their doorstep remain "untouched". IMO they should be doing everything they can to convert these lads and lasses into being Giants (and RL) fans.

There were around 14 of us. Two of us are massive rugby league fans (myself included). There are some with a vague interest in the game, but no real solid foundations, and then there are the rest who have never even been to a rugby league game before.

Yes, we cannot afford to pigeonhole ourselves into these sorts of sports. But you have got to remember people are always going to favour sports they are familiar with. Like you said, it's a new experience for them, and hopefully they will now read up on it, do their homework, and goto another game.

Or maybe it's a sensible comment by someone who actually understands football?

I do feel there's a lot of bitterness towards football from some RL fans, a lot of it unjustified. And a lot of it by people who don't actually understand the game.

Face it some people prefer one or the other, some enjoy watching both. There's no point getting so worked up about it. Relax and enjoy whatever sport you choose to watch.

I too have converted from football, in 2002. But it wasn't after my first rugby game (think I had seen 3 games in the previous 6 years before). I know tons of football fans who have gone to, or seen a rugby game and haven't converted though

I can think of an obvious reason why

I don't think for a lot of people its a case of getting wound up just frustrated by the way some things happen in the sport. Personally I have tried football it wasn't for me, but for millions of people its their sport of choice so they are obviously doing something right.

The way football is money driven is the only think about the sport I really dislike though the rest of it doesn't bother me one way or the other.

In what way? We can't put guns to their heads and make them come and that aside the club can't do much more to attract students to the games. In short they ARE doing everything they can with help from the Uni of Huddersfield. What about every other club in SL eh?

At least once per season the students get a set of free tickets subsidised by the Uni and they get discounted tickets when they want to come. They've obviously visited for the Saints game as the article clearly indicates. If anything the club should be getting a bit of credit as they're obviously making an effort to attract more fans, whether students or not.


And no doubt we will get criticism when we do let the students in on discount. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't with some posters.

Most footy fans will never convert to rugby they love football too much, but there are many who just always complain about the poor quality and money and things and I think they would prefer rugby.

Do people honestly not have enough time to follow two sports? It always seems like either/or with many fans.

I dont think following two sports is a problem for most people, but for a lot to actively follow would be - more from a financial point of view than anything else.

, I despised the way Liverpool used to play with thier constant passing back to the goalie , which in the end resulted in the sport changing the rules to stop it

What I dont like now is the constant cheating that every team does , the fact I have to sit down , and then stand up , and then sit down , and then stand up , and then sit down

The pundits and thier ' he should have done this , or he shouldn't have done that ' bull and thier crusifying of the refferee's all this after they have spent several hours studying several camera angles

I very rarely can watch more than 20 minutes these days until I get totally either bored or frustrated at the blatant cheating

It's basically crap

Maybe one round of SL should be designated the 'Bring a friend' round - all season ticket holders get one free ticket and two free kids tickets, perhaps.

I think that RL fans are more likely to also follow football and be general sports fans than the other way round. I tend to find that football fans are very insular when it comes to sport and don't want to be interested in anything else, especially here in Liverpool and I would guess that it would be the same in Birmingham , London, Manchester etc.

I used to be really into football but now I generally can't be bothered with it, as I became fed up with the saturation coverage that the sport gets in the media, the ridiculous salaries that players earn and how cynical, negative tactics have become the norm. I also don't like you are expected to be a football fan and seemingly aren't allowed to be a fan of anything else. Whilst working in Liverpool I have always been seen as the weird one for preferring rugby to football and there have been a few times when my Hull KR shirts have been mistaken for Liverpool ones

.

Here the thought that anyone can follow anything other than football just doesn't compute and trying to persuade anyone I know to go to an RL match would be virtually impossible, and even if I managed to they would probably resist any attempt to like it.

Lets get real. Why would someone in the Midlands turn to RL instead of watching Aston Villa, Birmingham etc, when THERE IS NO TEAM FOR THEM TO GO TO?As much as they may know , or have heard of Wigan, St Helens et all what has it to do with them or there area?Can you really see a Villa fan cheering a Leeds team?(no disrespect to Leeds BTW. Just using as an example.)
Untill there are top class clubs in those areas intrest will be minimum at best.Then of course,Well get prats like Rufus Robin slating them of out of "Principle" and Widnes fans Winging about them taking away their God given right to be in Super League.

Towards your first point I think thats because an awful lot of league fans DO come from footie backgrounds and because they can easily go to a game or pick up a season ticket for their family for their local team reasonably cheaper they do that. Unlike the god knows how many years waiting list at utd or liverpool on top of god knows how much a ticket costs.

I have enough time to follow both sports, my wife disagrees, RL wins.

When Premier League football isnt on FTA TV in the UK I think you have more chance of Pi$$ing in the queens handbag than seeing SL on terrestrial TV in the UK.

That annoys me more than anything in the world.

When have Liverpool ever played in pink shirts???

Smooooth