Hull KR are a good pro-active club trying to make BIG improvements to their ground which will pay dividends long term. Franchising has kept dross clubs playing in mediocre outdated Stadia in the closed shop known as SL. I'll believe Salford's new Stadium when I see it being built ( not just the Groundworks! ) As for Cas and Wakey, don't make me laugh, two clubs 10 miles apart and they still can't agree a groundshare, does anyone actually believe either will build a new Stadium?? Headingley is a Tip and Falling to bits, Odsal is very very dated and the club and local authority certainly can't fund a new Stadium.
On a more positve note, Saints, Le Cats and Hull KR all making strides forward in updating or building new Stadia.

So you're fully admitting that it took Huddersfield around 15 years to increase their crowds at their new stadium.

without the new ground it wouldnt have happened at all

crowds were under 3000, now up near 7000/ 8000.

thats massive.

all the clubs with old grounds reached their crowd limit and are now treading water ie cas, wakey, salford.

new ground = bigger crowds.

you cant count leeds or bradford as mediocre clubs purely because of their crowds and leeds finances as well. headingly is slowly being improved as well.

and i believe salford are starting constrcution.

on cas and wakey you are spot on

franchising is going to affect one of three clubs,maybe more,isn't it?.
it was always going to be one or more of these clubs wasn't it?.
so how has franchising worked?

bradfords crowds have fallen from 15,000 to 8000 when the form dried up

that what happens in old stadiums, you are just struggling all the time

throw in the maintenance which eats away at a clubs ability to spend money on football areas and you see why a new stadium is the way to go

then theres the fact its more family friendly, and has much better corporate facilities.

franchising is more than just those 3 clubs but its a start.

get the worst clubs to improve their standard and then hopefully put pressure on clubs higher up

and the turnaround at widnes is also because of franchising

rather than wasting all their money on winning the champ final clubs now realize they have to do much more to get a SL spot

Don't you think Bradford's crowds would have dropped at a new stadium if they were poor on the pitch?

+ when Bradford played at an all-seater stadium (Valley Parade) IIRC the crowds were either the same or slightly lower then at Odsal.

there were perceptions by bulls fans of being 2nd class citizens to a 2nd class soccer team, and problems with stewarding

i think if the bulls had a modern ground the drop off in crowds would be far less.

its hard getting fans to be loyal when the amenities are poor.

and take out all the maintance the bulls are spending on odsal and put that in a better first team and the crowds wouldve been better.

Crowds fell at Valley Parade. Towards the end, pretty significantly.

The Bulls' falling crowds were not primarily because of the ground.

The Bulls' Family Stand holds 5,300, is relatively modern and there are plenty of facilities - apart from integral bars etc it is little different to stands at "new" stadia. Yet of late it has been less than half full.

The Bulls' Coral Stand seats around 800, and is on a par with the corporate facilities at most "modern" stadia.

That is 6,100 covered seats and reasonable facilities.

Bulls spent the salary cap every year apart from last year (strange, but true...) - sorry Dally, but your argument ther is bollox again. Its not the playing staff that extra funds are needed for, its the coaching and support staff and marketing and everything else that you usually need a rich owner to bankroll.

Odsal is far from great; but its far from being the principal reason for the serious decline in Bulls' crowds.

I agree - Odsal is unique and a ground I always look forward to visiting. If the facilities were the primary cause of falling attendances, surely that decline would be most evident in the away teams' support as it's them (us) who suffer most?

www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... 396&type=1 Wigan sold over 8000 Season Tickets in four weeks.

www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... 396&type=1 Wigan sold over 8000 Season Tickets in four weeks.

I understand where you're coming from, however the 8,000 mentioned are all renewals, therefore had season tickets last year before they were Champions.