rlRead it hererl

It goes without saying that the club needs to attract those extra people who attended the last match at the Willows in 2011. Half of the extra 6000-6500 people that wanted to attend that day and be part of something historic could make all the difference. I'd be interested to know where they are now?

I put it down to a combination of Salford being an historically struggling team and ticket prices in the current climate. I also believe if Salford were really challenging it would also help attract more away fans from the big clubs.

I'm delighted that happier times seem to be on the horizon for the Reds. It's very important that we have a successful Super League team within Salford - but it's equally important for the amateur game in the area. The amateur game will prosper along with the professional game -and that can only be good for the future.

The young players of today will become, hopefully, the future players of the Reds!

At the last match a the willows,I spoke to people who supported other teams,also there was people representing family members who were supporters, but were no longer with us,then I think there were free tickets that is why in my opinion there was a good attendance.I like the vast majority am over the moon and very relieved that Dr Koukash took over,but I am afraid the crowds will not come until we have a winning team.

I fear you speak the truth, Lance.

Not something I thought I'd ever be saying...

The crowds will come with lower ticket prices and a winning team! I took along two mates to the Wigan game and they paid £20 each on the night I think it was. Getting beat 26-0 with 24 mins to go they wanted to leave because it was rubbish and very cold! their response was ' not paying to watch that s##t again!' and who can blame them???

I agree and thats why I made a reference to half and not all of the extra people in attendance that day.

You are right about the winning team, we aren't going to attract a few thousand more simply because there is talk of a potential bright future. I do believe though that if people can see the club progressing and investing in some very good signings it will create more interest and hopefully the bandwagon will start gaining some momentum.

They should let Koukash do Barker's column, reads much better.

Its a chicken and egg scenario.For this to work the City of Salford has to come out and support the club...but that might only happen if we get a winning team. This season may be the most difficult in our history on the pich but off it the challange is mighty. The ray of hope that Dr Koukash has brought is that we may now be a more attractive proposition for established players to come to Salford and for our good young players to stay and maybe win things. If we can get that combination of players winning games maybe we can dream of better days and bigger crowds.

A big issue throughout RL is that there are tons of kids who play rugby at school and in amateur clubs who don't attend matches. Parents do not take their kids to games. I coach a youth team at Woolston (a question of geography only!) and there are literally hundreds of kids each week who turn up for training in their Warrington shirts but only a handful who actually go to the games every now and then. I think my son who runs around in his Salford shirt to train in, is the only one who has a season ticket for his club and goes every week.
This is a massive issue for the game as a whole and maybe it is down to teachers (I am one of those too) and coaches to start getting these kids to matches by running trips and then hopefully the power of the "kid mither" might just get a few more parents to go too.

Do you think it's a transport/supervision problem or admission prices? or both?

Bit of an indictment of Parents to be honest. If your kid plays any sport regularly, and especially at an amateur Club, it goes without saying that they enjoy their chosen sport. It doesn't take a massive jump on a parents part to see that their kids would love the prospect of seeing their chosen Sport once a fortnight.

I've got two kids and it would be the obvious thing to do for your kids as an extension of their given interests.

being quite involved with a local amatuer club (Langworthy), it's a tough one to put your finger on. as red13pjb has said there are a lot of kids who turn up to train and play but do not attend the games at all clubs i suspect. I think some of it is the parents having an interest in the game as well. If they are not willing to attend then the kids wont. i know this is something i have tried to encourage a lot with the team i coach in getting parents involved more and getting them to come along to games. It has got a couple of extra's along but out of my team, i would say still 40% do not attend.

The game is heavily up against it in the area given that the last 20 years we have had Utd doing what they have done and now city also. we are a city where football is number one sadly and this has not been helped with Salford being as un-succsessful as they have been in that period and realistically we are now down to the hardcore fans returning each week.

Dr. Koukash and Salford need to start at the grass roots. As has been mentioned, they need to get in to schools more and get showing them what a great sport we have. Tig rugby could me massive in the primary and junior schools in the area with links then in to local teams. the young kids i have ushered in to the club, a lot of the parents have been a little apprehensive that their son or daughter are going to get hurt. Once they see though that it's not that bad, they really get in to it.

Salford could do right though by offering insentive deals for the local teams to attend. Discounted tickets for parents perhaps if they bring their son or daughter along who are signed on with a local club. I know this will wrankle with some of cheaper tickets being offered but surely something like this has to be looked at to get that next generation coming through.

Maybe they should register all the kids at local clubs to junior reds and they automatically are entitled to attend home games free with a paying adult.

I know in the past this has not been possible really given the situation we have found ourselves in and i know the lads at the foundation work hard with trying to get the local teams involved but if we are to increase our fan base, then this needs looking at and really pushed. These kids are the next generation of supporters and in the 24 years of me following Salford, we have had relatively little success but this has not stopped me turning up to follow and my interest grew from starting to play the game and on to watching Salford play.