How that ignorant idiot can post on this thread when he clearly didn't or have any intention of going is beyond me.

Still back to the thread. It took us a while to get going. Despite training and having played on it previously they weren't sure how the ball would bounce so it led to some hesitancy. The first half started well with some strong defense but we lost our way a little and throwing a number of forward passes didn't help. The ref only seemed to penalise us and not them. We tried to play the game at a fast tempo but it seemed to backfire.

We came out for the second half and played a lot more positively and eventually it became one way traffic. Clearly that is the way to play on this pitch and quite possibly we will blow some teams away as we get used to playing games on it. I'm guessing that training on it and playing a game are quite different. Having seen the videos of the guy from PNG I think it will suit him down to the ground.

As for the experience, there were clearly some teething troubles with people with tickets for unreserved seating sitting in reserved seats. I won't talk about the public address which made the announcer sound if he was doing his best Norman Collier impression. Also not sure how they will cope in the event of a larger away following than today. Only time will tell.

A five hour round trip for me stopping off in Ealing Broadway for lunch which means that I will be selective which games I attend when I have to use public transport.

How you can read my posts when you've got me on ignore is beyond me.

& anyone else who isn't a hypocrite or got X ray vision.

I thought match admin was appalling, a desk under a gazebo to take/sell tickets with one person on it, will be interesting for a bigger crowd. Personally I would have given out info about the ground/facilities and a welcome message so you didn't have to guess where everything was. We never found the programme seller. Announcer was the worst I have heard, not even any explanation of who Mr Genders was just that he had died and there was to be a 1 minute silence. I've still no idea where my season ticket seat was/might be but as I had taken a guest we went elsewhere to sit (far side) and stand in the 2nd half. Work to do with the team but no suprise there. Heaven knows what it will be like with a bigger crowd - anyone know how much the car parking was?

There doesn't appear to be parking restrictions around the ground so easy to park on the street. I'd agree about the set up, as there is still a lot to address. Not sure a programme is being produced, more of a monthly publication which is complimentary. No nothing to clarify where or how you got hold of it. If you were lucky enough to go in the bar you might have found the right person.

Think the idea of setting out where things happen would help. Halifax should be an interesting challenge off the field as well as on.

What was the view like in that stand behind the goal?

Clearer leadership? Sounds like Hendo needs to get his boots on - like last season!

Tend to agree Roger, but the key is give the club feedback on all these points - if enough of us do, they may feel compelled to sort it out.

The entry was a little slicker that when I have been to union games there, but there is miles and miles or improvement required before Halifax arrive. That said I just waved my season ticket card at the steward and he let me through.

Decent atmosphere in the CCH bar which was well populated and I mooched over to hospitality, here again, well attended and very impressively laid out.

Decent atmosphere in the ground - once we started to win the arm wrestle !!!

Well done the LBSA for doing the Try Time draw, looked to be going great guns.

No idea what was going on at half time - some random entertainment on the pitch - I've said it before, invite local community clubs to play a game at half time, low effort involved, and does entertain rather than Scott Leatherbarrow kicking bombs to 2 kids to catch.

Announcer was hopeless, enough said.

Steward on the back access to the Grandstand Bar, stopping interlopers up there - well done ! Beer and toilet available in the Grandstand Bar, so thats very positive.

Seats very compact and have to say CN I would estimate 95+% full. Simlarly ther low level stand. I think 650 is pretty fair reflection of the crowd.

I stood in the second half and by goodness it was cold in the wind on the far side of the pitch. I had to offer the ref(Mr Bloem) my views on life to keep warm.

Knowing where everything was - needs to be sorted, no idea, the merchandise was going down a treat, but one person selling and based in the foyer, bit of a blockage for sales and coming and going punters.

Limited hot food availalbe at half time.

Players changing rooms were in the main Olympic Pavillion and this removed the shared toilet issue so a big plus point - and there were a decent spread of 'hi vis stewards' around, not sure what they were doing but ....

On to the game. We were hesitant, especially in the halves. We didnt manage the game in the first half, we were in control and let that control slip away, bot helped by in my opinion, inconsistent refereeing. We lost Stapleton early on so the balance of the team was effected, Foster to centre. Second half we seemed to be more fluid but again we made mistakes, bombed chances, at times seemed overwhelmed by Swintons endeavour, but we stuck with it and scored some late tries to make it look comfortable - it wasnt. I am sorry Mickyb but Bloem is the worst referee we have to witness, his inconsistency is beyond belief, his leaning towards the underdog, obvious.

I didnt stick around for post match as I had become and icicle.

Off pitch 5/10, on pitch 5.5/10

Good OP WQ, would be great to see you and your gang and the likes of PP back in the fold.

Enjoyed it. No season ticket or tee-shirt. Car park, free, or it was for me!!!

In main stand, row two, view seemed fine. Bar good. Pitch good, though bounce seemed to cause us as much problems as them. We seemed to get very heavily penalised by very inconsistent referring. Should have been clear in first half, but bombed chances. Second half much better and comfortable win in the end.

Got there with 10 mins before KO - so I did not even try to claim my ST seat, opted for a seat behind goal. Great view. Very poor that there is no programme, disrespectful of the visiting team as no one could tell who their players were unless you have an idectic memory. Set up reminds me of a lower non-league football club or a Champ 1 side. On the plus side there is a chance to build relationships with the fans and the community that was lacking at Barnet. On the pitch, we were taken aback by the Swinton spirit and grunt and they barely made a mistake I the first half. Impressed with Walker, Foster and Iaone looks a good signing, if a bit small for a prop. Harrison had a bad day as Swinton seemed to target him. The PA was awful. Given that the Bulls and Sheffield have hit the ground running it could be quite a season.

Even non-league clubs (with similar low attendances) manage to issue programmes.

Broncos truly are a farce of a club.

Comments like that make it all the more puzzling why you haven't washed your hands of this sorry affair of a club and moved on.

Maybe because I'm stunned that Hughes still has some people willing to go along for the ride.

I take it you think it's acceptable for a pro sports club to dispense with issuing programmes?

Like all of the other (un)acceptable things the club does.

CN, you like free things, well having dispensed with the programme , which to be fair at the Hive was not all that. We now have a complimentary high quality monthly magazine, with plenty of advertising in it. Freely available in the foyer before the game.

Have to say that the PA needs sorting out urgently, the guy doing it was no Chris Warren.