Very poor PR from Vickers.

I'm a season ticket holder and was unable to attend on Friday. I offer my sincere apologies and perhaps I should send vickers a bunch of flowers.

As I said on twitter, the CEO of Tesco didn't blame their recent poor results on their customers.

If Vickers thinks everyone knows that there's a game on he should visit the chippy behind the Unicorn on a match day where the guys in there never know who we're playing. That's the sort of business, in the heart of the local community, that should be targeted for fixture posters. Or he should try getting a taxi from Eccles before a match where the taxi drivers hardly ever know there's a game, let alone who we're playing. He claims that everyone is working really hard, but if that's the case, they appear to be putting their efforts into the wrong thing.

The traffic on Friday (not Thursday as the articles states) was awful. It took me about 50 minutes to get from the East Lancs (Folly Lane) to near the Unicorn. I'm sure plenty may have seen that, and the weather, and turned round.

The flip side simply is the problem with the stadium. I love Salford RLFC, but I generally don't enjoy the matchday experience at Barton. I simply don't look forward to it, I look forward to away games far more. I don't get any kind of buzz, more like the opposite, as I walk towards the ground. There has been more Salford fans at two away games this season than there were at home on Friday night. Things are putting people off, and I'm not really seeing action in trying to improve things.

^^^^totally Agree

Seems like he doesn't know when the game is on himself- and neither do those writing in the MEN -
The best thing that salford can do is gag their embarrassing owner and chairman and get those involved in the rugby to do the talking.

Well Mr Vickers you must be at fault if people don't know the game is on, you must be, not, doing the right sort of advertising. not everyone are on social media.
I very nearly did not go on Friday with the weather being dreadful and the game on TV
People will come when Salford start winning 5,6 games together and are high in the table i.e. doing well.
We have had to many false dawns

That would be the game according to my fixture list would have just finished .
about the sixth fixture so far to be moved ?

how many people actually knew it had been moved?

the stadium itself doesn't actually have ' next fixture is --/--/-- ' for the next Salford game , though I have now an infinite knowledge of the Sale fixtures which are posted copiously about the place .

Salford seem to abandoned their Text - e-mail prompt service for tickets & fixtures to their database , no posters & advertising for the fixture and 1 hour before kick off the priority traffic bollards hadn't been put out on the A57.

Sale had a 6000+ crowd for Mark Cueto's last home game and had 900 bookings for an end of season dinner after the game . I guess they were there because they were told about the event in good time . chances are they didn't fear the end of season event would be cancelled ' because their owner believed had nothing to celebrate ' for not reaching their play offs .

with an important on the road game against Widnes & only 3 home games remaining before the leagues split . they would be better off using the limited opportunities to promote these fixtures positively rather than threatening their customer-base.

You will suffer with poor attendances till you get out of that stadium.It took my daughter 75mins from Duchy Rd to the stadium.Taxi drivers from Eccles only take you as far as the unicorn because of the one lane on the return back to base.Fantastic Stadium built in the wrong place.If ever you do get a big crowd its a problem leaving.

almost 'twice as many fans' at Leigh v Halifax today, bless.

Troll

For me there were three significant factors in the poor crowd. 1) lack of adequate communication in general, but specifically regarding the rearranged fixture date... Even the Cas Tigers match day programme showed the Huddersfield game as being on 10th May at 3pm. 2) the rearrangement of fixtures is a pain. I arrange my commitments around the fixture list and luckily I was able to make changes to my plans in order to attend, but not everyone will be so fortunate. 3) The weather was awful and affected travel - I was like a drowned rat after the walk from the airport & the M56 / M6 for my journey were dreadful.

Was that on Friday? It was extraordinary circumstances on Friday with the East Lancs/M60/M61 Junction closed, but it shows how vulnerable the stadium is to an M60 problem. That's not a unique issue to the stadium though, Prestwich has often come to a standstill because of a problem on the M60.



I don't think it's that black and white, but it's going to take work. Since moving there we've had two challenges - attracting fans and retaining them. The problem has been that on occasions we've attracted new fans and the double whammy of a poor display from the team, and a poor experience visiting the stadium has made it harder to keep those fans. With a full strength team playing good stuff (i.e. the Wigan game) hopefully we can overcome one of those, but work still needs doing on the other.



For afternoon games I'd play the Academy game on the community pitch with a 5pm kick off and have a band on outside the fans bar post match, and maybe the odd post-match drinks promo. That might encourage a few more people decide not to head off straight away, and in turn might help reduce the congestion leaving.

Keeping more people around after the game might also help foster the sort of community spirit you used to get in the variety club at the Willows, and give the next generation of fans more opportunity to meet the players.

he must have been at the wrong game then seen as it was on friday

i must admit i was amazed that salford brought half their home support to ours ( 973 i think) unless these are the regulars who were there on friday it makes you wonder if the stadium effect does keep people away, although saying that it doesn't seem to affect sale supporters.

i know how frustrating it is trying to attract crowds, we have just accepted that the huddersfield public just aren't interested in watching the giants.

I went in St Michaels on Friday before the game and they only found out at about 6.00 pm that there was a Salford game on. Apparently in the Unicorn it was the same.
This is our great Communication and Marketing Drive! If people don't know about the game how can they turn up?
I think Friday was a game for the die hards due to the awful weather, game on Sky, low away turnaout and a worse grid lock than usual.

Fair point. A mate of mine is fairly new fan and a season ticket holder, but doesn't do social media, generally doesn't go looking at the club website, and doesn't have sky. They only knew the game was moved from Sunday because I told them.

£5 per ticket for the Wire game according to the clubs twitter account. At least something good has come from the woeful turnout vs Hudds.

Personally would've done this offer for the Hudds game to boost one of traditionally lower attended games rather than Wire which usually pulls in a decent crowd.

No excuses really now for the Warrington game though.