Thought it is worth a thread on it's own to allow people to put forward ideas for pre match activities to draw in punters.

I've said in another thread that when they had the bands on after the final game it was a good idea and would think it would go down well if they got a band or two on before the game on the artifical pitches.
Also as I say elsewhere maybe getting some of the players not taking part and some of the academy players doing some skills coahing for the youngsters, that's the real way to get the kids interested in Salford when they get to meet players and learn from proper players.
Also in town yesterday there was a recruitment drive from the armed forces with all kinds of activites pretty certain that they'd jump at the chance to put on a proper event rather than a few squaddies stood under a gazebo on Willows Rd.
The club BBQ went down well in the height of summer maybe trying the same thing.

Would hope that the club make use of some of the ideas we might come up with rather than sticking with the old tired cack they served up at the Willows.

how about having two local young teams playing at half time. It's new ,it's radical.But to add some spice don't tell 'em how long they've got so when the superleague teams return watch them run around frantically trying to get the cones in !!!

Some good ideas, but they all run up against the decision to play on a Friday night. For example, what time would parents have to get their kids to the stadium to take part in a pre-match training session?

Kind of limited for pre-match stuff on Friday nights. Not very practical for youth/amateur sides who have parents/work issues coupled with traffic (Especially early Friday finish traffic) to get to the ground. Then you have the issue of fans actually turning-up early to take advantage of pre-match stuff. TBH, and it pains me to be so negative, I can only see a mad rush for everyone to either get to the ground on time, or get out of the pubs just before KO. Time will tell I suppose and I'd love to be proved wrong.

I'm looking forward to pre match now we are so close to the Trafford centre!

Hopefully the club and a few restaurants will get heads together and put together offers for fans on the night of a match, with a couple of bars in there then the club have already announced there will be a shuttle bus running from there to the ground. So need to park at the ground.

Also maybe do something in the orient before a match i.e the Ignito games or something for the kids?

Think (with the right planning) it could make for a far more better family experience than any other ground!

How about a beer festival a couple of times a season from 4pm. Proper food rather than just re-heated pies (curry/chilli and rice?).

Let's hope that if they do have any bands on it's not Hanky Park. They ruined the final day at the Willows celebrations with the lead singers foul mouthed antics. Our party had 4 kids under 6 there and we were thoroughly disgusted!!!!

As for pre match entertainment or half time entertainment a good old fashioned brass band does it for me, as long as we are allowed to hear them play without constant announcements. I also think half time has been far too busy. We have kids games on we have cheerleaders at the same time, we have people kicking balls into bins and legends paraded without anyone noticing. I say get some kids out there with a brass band or a singer in the background and that's it.

If you want owt else then you knock one of them on the head as a one off so as not to bombard the fans who generally want a drink and a moan about the first half/ ref/ both!!!!!!

I started this for constructive comments about what the club can do to improve the match day experience, can we please keep the critisism of the choice of Friday to other threads as it really serves no purpose on this one other than to derail it.

Id kind of hope any pre-match activites would start around 6pm, with all the space and facilities around the complex if done correctly it might be amazing, im hoping the club just dont resort to somebody kicking a ball into a wheely bin at half time, im sure the stadium management team will have ideas when it comes to half time entertinment as for them its about making the whole day enjoyable not just watching the rugby.

Id like to see Goal kicking for cars
Mascot races like back in the day
groups/solo artists singing salford related songs
cheerleading
interviews with former players on the microphone

Back it up with good music and witty banter from a master of ceremonies with the microphone and we might have created a event people will want to come back to again and again.

Personally I can do without most the the stuff that comes under the banner of pre match entertainment on the pitch.I can live with pa turned on at 7.40 announcing team line ups and birthdays etc , Flames on at 7.50, that should just about do it for me.
Everything else should be done outside on the facilities around the staduim.I do like the idea of ball skills and other attractions for youngsters on the artificial pitches definatley a good idea.All that sort of thing should be finishing around 7.20.

Pointing out that playing on a Friday night restricts what you can offer as pre-match entertainment isn't necessarily a criticism of that decision. Whatever people suggest, they have to bear in mind that for the first what? quarter? third? of the season, they'll be taking place in the dark and in the cold and people have limited time after work to get to the stadium, so you don't want to go suggesting a beach party and a paddling pool. For example, someone has suggested a barbecue, but are people going to turn out for one when it's still dark?

That said, it's a feckin stupid decision.

After giving it another thought, especially seeing as the first quarter of the season will be cold and dark on Fridays, it makes far more sense to have pre-match stuff going on at the Trafford Centre. As long as there is shuttle buses to the ground. Hosting pre-match stuff at the TC would serve two purposes. One, indoor facilities and access is ideal. Two, it would expose non-fans to Salford RL and possibly bring in the curious. What the pre-match stuff would be I don't know, but it should be more focused towards kids and Families as the environment is ideal.

Your average Joe Male Salford fan is really only interested in the game so Pre-match stuff shouldn't really be aimed at this demographic. On the flip side of that though, if the Club could arrange deals with TC bars/Eateries to provide discounted drinks/meal deals etc if you show your season ticket/match ticket it could make the TC the best place for fans to go before the match.

Just a few ideas.

I was personally going to suggest an organise snowball fight and snowman building contest mid August and beach party with some imported sand at the end of Febuary.

The negativity doesn't help one jot, start a thread to vent your disgust at the club wanting to maximise the revenue from the corporate sector or better still write to the club to make them aware of your frustrations.

This is meant for nothing more than sensible suggestions to help the club, we'd all complain if from the get go it's the SSDD we put up with for years at the Willows.

You do wonder why the club even both reading some of the comments on here.

It's OK. Wind your neck in. No-one's trying to hurt you. I'm just pointing out that some of the suggestions already offered (like the pre-match training session) are less likely to be successful because of the club's decision to play on a Friday night. That's all.

get rid of the guy with the Mic. In the shed i could not hear a word he was saying, talking to fast and his mouth over the mic and does not get the crowd goinggh he does a lot from the club but please leave the entertaiment to some one else.