Maybe, maybe not, but if the mechanisms are there in place then why not use them? The RFL must expect that this will crop up from time to time, otherwise it would not be mentioned in their Operational Rules. Aside from London, it's only going to be a problem once or twice a season for most clubs, so I can't see it being a major issue if you do use it.

It'd be interesting to know what, if any, sanctions there are for having a sub-5,000 crowd when you've not flagged up the potential beforehand.

I work for a company in Mcr city centre that AFAIK employs around 10,000 people here at head office. We've got an extremely popular Sports & Social Club that sells/gives away tickets all the time for concerts/sporting events. The company does happen to be the main sponsor of the Championship tho so I can only assume there may be a conflict of interest if they start dishing out a few free SL tickets?

However, what about the likes of BUpa/Barclays/RBS etc that have major offices on the quays or even Media City seeing as they're one of our major sponsors? Surely a few hundred freebies for the Broncos match would be worth a shout? We might even get Paxman over for the game seeing as we're playing a London club!

"at least one month from the fixture" is the killer detail here though. I think it's fair to say we were all hoping for a more impressive influx of newbies even after the Cas game. There'll be precious little hope of that kind remaining now so I guess targetting key games should be a consideration.

I cant believe the club haven’t marketed this game in any way shape or form, no offers nothing I don’t think posting a downloadable poster on facebook for fans to display can classed as marketing.

Firday will see around 2.5k but the club just seem to be happy with that, the first two crowds of the season have been very disappointing with the away fans making the figures look ‘respectable’ so to speak. Having won our last two and Friday being a winnable game lets try and get more fans in and hopefully if we win they will come back.

We should be hitting at least 5k home fans minimum. The club in the off season had a golden opportunity to go out into the new areas surrounding the stadium promoting it, selling it to people etc did they actually do anything apart from get a few more likes on facebook? They had a brand new facility and it was surely the marketing department’s job to go and sell it to potential new supporters and get the place bouncing and yet again they have failed miserably. Nothing has changed since moving and it has been reflected in the past two attendances, we are still approaching things with the same attitude and things need to change and fast. Here we are two home games into the season and we are playing in front of closed stands, even the food stand wasn’t open in the south east corner. Why? It seems to me the club seem happy just to carry on plodding on like we have done for years and relying on the likes of Warrington/Wigan to boost out average attendances which is not good enough. The crowds we have had have been poor but sadly predictable.

As most of us knew the “build it and they will come just look at Hull & Warrington” myth has been blown out of the water and every crowd we get know has to be earned. If they ever honestly thought the 8k mark was going to be achieved by just having a new facility they were sadly deluded and if they didn’t why haven’t they done anything about it?

This is our one chance to make something of ourselves it is a time we should be seeing an increase in attendances a push by our marketing department and yet nothing has changed. With 3k homes fans and as a professional sports club with the rent we have to pay there is no way we are going to be able to sustain SL much longer.

I read on facebook the club will be doing a bit more to be marketing the Leeds game, but not the London game WHY? FFS should we just be happy to get 3k? should we just shut up and get on with it like we have done for years? The leeds game is inevitably going to see a crowd of 5-6k anyway why not try and boost Fridays attendance so it’s less embarrassing and if we win these people will come back against Leeds. Simple. Or should we just write games like London/Catalan off and rely on the big teams to bring a few down again like we have done for years.

Do I think we will do it? Quite simply, no. David Tarry is the man to change it and make things happen and I don’t have a single bit of faith in him to get us out of the sh!it and start pulling us in the right direction. I sincerely hope im wrong but playing in front of half closed stadiums the SMC must be wondering what the hell they have got themselves into.

Im sick of excuses know someone at top needs to take charge and sort things drastically before it’s to late.

That is a very good point. There would have been nothing wrong in being prepared, however. Always have a back-up plan. We seem to have relied far too much on the "new stadium" factor without really pushing it.

Apparently it's not as easy as this.

The company I work for every month have a chosen charity and match any money made, I have nominated the foundation and been excepted. One thing I was hoping to get was cheaper tickets for members of staff to help raise awareness but apparently now the stadium management company have a say in if this can be done or not. Pity as I'd envisage that the foundation will make maybe £2000 and the very real possibility of ongoing help but it does seem to me that the request won't go down well.

Agree word for word what O R D as written,but i would ,anyway imo Tarry and co have made a rod for their own back by quoting 8000 gates,why on earth did`nt he just say something like,we are just hoping to see our gates rising this year as we settle into our new surroundings and more and more people become aware we are here,now we have got the press,radio and opposing fans going on about this 8 thousand break even figure,we know of course its 8k to challenge the top echelons of S.L. This guy is a buffoon,but we just have to put up with him because the Chairman thinks he`s doing a fantastic job.Nothing is going to change anytime soon.

3036 same fixture last season 2 wins on the bounce and new stadium bounce be happy with 4k

Got to be realistic can't expect a 5k+ crowd from the level we are coming from

David Tarry only answered the question that was being asked IE What crowd would we need to enable the club to spend the full salary cap?

That's not making a rod for you own back its answering a question.

With regards the press, radio and the away fans going on about this figure some people have replied putting them right on the matter, but some people don't like being put right.

Jack Dearden accepted that he had got it wrong on Sundays phone in when he was put right by a caller.

Neil Barker has been inundated with people complaining over his take on the situation and he is an embarrassment to his profession and I hope that if he turns up on Friday night that the fans treat him as he deserves as his column is nothing but a joke.

The away fans will make up their own minds but can only go off what is fed to them.

For what its worth the club could and should have promoted the games better than they did especially the London Broncos and the Catalans game on the 1st June lets hope they do.

On the two home games this year there has been a 38% increase on the corresponding ones last year which is not bad but could have been better.

Did anybody on this forum seriously believe we would average 8k this season,well he must of done his home work to figure that one out,he`s had long enough,and yet whats he done to get them extra thousands through the turnstiles,you tell me.

Do you ever read what anyone else has said?

Dave Tarry said that [uIF [/u Salford are to be able to pay up to the [uFULL SALARY CAP[/u then we need to be averaging 8,000 at home matches.

He didn't say we WOULD be averaging 8,000 from day 1

He didn't say we MUST HAVE 8,000

Clearly 8,000 is a target to be aiming for, but the way its being presented is rapidly become an albatross around our necks!

I did`nt say he did,he knew to be up to full cap we need 8000k,i`ll ask again,whats he doing to get us anywhere near that figure,do YOU ever read what anyone else as written who ever dares to criticise the management,We are taking 2 newbies on Friday after weeks of telling them what their missing,yeah i`m doing my bit.