Reading the Leeds forum and it's a real shame that quite a few posters are put off by the Barton experience and won't be attending tonight. Excuses ranging from the M62, standard of opposition, an hour to get off the carpark and not being able to pay on the turnstile. Equals lost revenue!!!

Hopefully the new road for 2014 will help and a stronger Salford team but with attendances being so poor this year I feel the the stadium management company/ caterers have do their part to really help the club. Why can't people pay on the turnstile and why are hospitality prices so expensive? It's crazy by the SMC to insist people purchase a ticket from the ticket office it just makes things more difficult for the paying supporter. Personally I think the club have to get tough with them and threaten to play elsewhere if they aren't prepared to make things easier for the club. You have to make the experience as easy as possible for the paying spectator, this isn't premier league football and Manchester United with demand for capacity crowds and waiting lists.

Just how much has our club lost this year in matchday revenue? I'd rather us move to the LSV than have these people indirectly ruining the welfare of our club. I'm told meal prices per head at Leigh to the club are half the price which would allow the club to offer cheaper packages, sell more and make more profit. Hospitality revenue at the Willows was a vital income stream but since the move to Barton the numbers have really tailed off.

Doctor Koukash if you want to move the club to the LSV or elsewhere for the benefit of the club you have my vote 100%.

I travelled across from Leeds as I do for each home game. The M62 is indeed a nightmare but getting in and out of the stadium is a doddle.

I am surprised that the Stadium Company set the corporate fee for boxes, if it's anything like LSV the club will hire the stadium for a fee and will be given prices for meals,after that it is down to the club to market it.
I know from first hand experience running Ian Watsons testimonial that LSV operate that way.

The countless people stood waiting for 45mins+ at the bus stop towards Manchester might disagree (to be fair the fat bird with a derriere the size of the Pacific jumping the queue might have made it harder to get on) as getting home tonight was sheer murder, it's about time that First put transport on direct too at the very least Eccles after the game.

Can see the benefit to drivers with the new link road but the people who want to come to the game for a beer and get home this side of Christmas need improved public transport.

Of course Leeds fans didn't have to use the M62 to get to the Willows did they FFS!!! Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't they have to use the same road to get to LSV too?
The quality of opposition??? In my experience Leeds fans like nothing better than to watch a Leeds training session with little opposition.
I think the title of this thread hits it on the head, Excuses!!!!

Don't know where this thread is coming from, if you are coming from Yorkshire it is harder to get to Leigh than Salford. As for Corporate Boxes, the Club set the prices, you will find that Sale charge significantly more than Salford. The cost to Salford for renting the Stadium includes the boxes. The current problem we have is that a lot of the boxes were sold on 3 year deals, and sadly the 3 years revenue was set against last years income, so we were faced with 2 years of no income for those particular boxes. I agree the stadium is not in the ideal location, but I would rather be delayed a little and have my car in one piece, unlike at Weaste where away fans constantly moaned about vandalised cars. A lot of people are now forgetting all the problems we had at The Willows and looking to blame all our ills on the new stadium. All I would say is wait until we have some success, see what our fan base is like, and see if we can generate an atmosphere like we used to. I also recall Leigh fans bemoaning the problems with the Sports Village when they first moved there. Let us all have a little patience and work with the club to be successful.

I think that fact we haven't beat Leeds at home since the Regal Trophy comp was around and we play on a Friday evening bear more relevence than The actual geography of the ground.
Until we get better than p poor crowds public transport won't pay any attention. A better team next season cash turnstiles, and the new link road will fix a lot of that.

Friday nights do play a big part here. I have to set off really early but am still faced with the prospect of being stuck between J25&26 for an hour or so or, alternately, an occasional clear run and being stuck in the club corridor (aka the 'Fans Bar')

I know the whole Sunday/Friday is a circular argument that's been done to death but I do think it suppresses away support and causes undue stress to some home fans.

Very annoying having to queue to buy a ticket to then queue again to get in the ground. Other than that had no problems either with the car park or the 62.

Heh. You nearly had me there. Well done, good effort.

He has got half a point though. The 'stadium experience' is getting worse rather than better and Marwan does need to get tough over this if the club is to grow.

If that means threatening to shift us elsewhere then so be it.

As someone who depends on public transport, the stadium is a serious issue: I either leave half way through the second half to do the 30 + minute walk to Patricroft station fro the 10 pm train OR chance the 11 pm train will link to the last train to Rochdale and not leave me stranded.

A bus link to Eccles would be wonderful. Trams run to Rochdale.

I am considering giving up my physical support.

Transport is one of a number of issues that hasn't been adequately addressed. My Leeds supporting mates wanted to pop into the club shop on Friday and couldn't believe it when I directed them towards the jumble sale by the reception.

Aren't we supposed to be a professional club?

I agree that something needs to be done about the experience around the ground. I spoke to someone I've not bumped into since we moved from the Willows on Friday and she was absolutely fuming about the "shop" and a lot of other things around the club. When someone who isn't in your usual circle of match-going mates is saying that, then you know something is definitely wrong.

The access to the ground is a huge problem. If there was an option of moving somewhere else within the City of Salford, with a proper access plan implemented from the start, then I'd be happy with that. If the option is to move the club outside of the City of Salford then, sorry, but to me that will be more detrimental than staying where we are and trying to solve the problems. A lot of the problems aren't necessarily down to where the ground is.

I don't want to see us move out of Salford but the threat of us doing that (if needs be) has to be there if we're to get anywhere in negotiations.

The Doc's acquisition of Oldham Athletic (and Boundary Park) will certainly up the ante in his bid to buy the Stadium.