Not if it's embarrassing...

What would be classed as embarrassing out of interest ?

What would be embarrassing would be if we had no plan or sales or marketing strategy which is what it looks like from outside? If we have only sold same as last year haven't we just halved our income?

crabtree is your marketing man now..

what would make someone buy a season ticket now before the season starts if they havent already during the early bird discount offer?

sold between 4 and 5k

It doesn't look like that to me, it looks like the club are sticking to the strategy they announced, early Bird ends 24 Dec. It seems like you wish them to follow a DFS style of marketing where one sale is immediately followed by another.

Sticking with the plan has benefits next year and in subsequent years as people will know that the early Bird will not be extended, this means the club will no st numbers well before the season.

Now you may not agree with the strategy, but it is wrong to say there is not one.

A couple of nice signings announced in the last week of the offer too was good marketing.

I recall there was an announcement, which I think Giant Daz linked to, that said there were getting on for 1000 new or lapsed ticket holder had bought, and that was a few weeks ago. So it seems probable that numbers are up by a good margin. We may not have doubled numbers but neither have we halved income. And of course bigger crowds will result in more merchandise sales and more attractive for sponsorship.

The club was a shambles last season, certainly on the pitch and given the mishandling of the Ferres affair it seems off the field too (and that is why Huby has left). This off season things look like they are doing a lot better, not perfect by any means but improved imo (notwithstanding the Grix withdrawal symptoms afflicting a large number of Giant fans )

Some fair points but lets say last season we sold 4000 with the split at

3000 at £200 600000
1000 at £50 50000 total income £650000

This season

3500 at £100 350000
1000 at £50
plus free shirt 25000

Total income 375000

650000 - 375000 - 275000

Obviously i have rounded the figures off slightly based on approx prices both this year and last year but that is a big drop in income. What chance did Eorl have to really get out there 2 weeks and the signings were announced at the 11th hour so what happens now just normal price?

I suspect we sold less than that last season, but I don't know, so not worth arguing figures as I agree income will be down this year, whether that is £100k, £200k, £ 300k we would both be guessing.

We had to do something to address the apathy and discontent. Steps have been taken and I feel decent progress has been made, but want to see that progress maintained, you are hoping for quicker progress but we actually agree the club need to keep moving forwards and the last couple of years have been negative.

Agree with that Dee the approx no of 4000 is based on last years crowds as at £24 we all know that walk up is almost non existent! We are grateful to Ken otherwise we would be Bradford on those numbers.

like most rugby league clubs

Christ on a bike

Season is a few weeks off
The squad is looking damn solid
Season tickets have sold well

And people look for some reason to whinge and moan

Really? Well they were not very effective in looking after Craig Huby's welfare leading to a demotivated player whom has now left the club. Doesn't seem very effective to me.

Yet the club have been effective in looking after the welfare of other players in the past so perhaps this was a case of horses for courses. The best thing for Hubys welfare could well be a move away from a place that has difficult connotations.

not sure what you wanted the club to do?

should we have kept ferres and found huby another club instead?

or got shut of both, the club did the right thing?

his buddy anderson and the rest of castleford crew have now gone too so no wonder he wasnt happy and not happy with the new fitness regime

Craig Huby was overall a disappointment on the field not enough top drawer performances for a 'stand out' signing.

Club were spot on with 'Ferresgate' well handled and most people ever cuckolded or involved in a divorce have to go to work too so where's it different with Huby?

If I was a Wakey fan it's his injury record that would worry me !!