What is this hard work you speak of?

Even minor league baseball teams do this in the States with free gifts for people who turn up early & themed nights such as chili cook offs.

It must work as most of these outfits, which are essentially youth teams, have crowds in the region of 7-8,000.

H'mm, but aren't they mostly based in small towns, each miles from the next one, where there's nothing else to do in summer (carnal desires aside) from going to the ball game?

Hardly the London scenario, but maybe we should turn to baseball.

Mostly.

But when I was in New York I saw the Brooklyn Cyclones play.

They regularly sell out a 7,000 seat stadium.

That's impressive but baseball has a national profile in the States that RL can only dream about.

[Please reply so that I can take another look at your avatar.]

Baseball is a sport that is actually in comparative decline.

Especially with regards to the juggernaut that is the NFL.

& bear in mind the example that I quoted would be the equivalent of a Conference RL side over here.

They get decent crowds because they market heavily & treat every game as an event.

"Comparative decline" maybe, but still has a huge profile. There isn't the equivalent of a Conference RL side because RL and baseball have no equivalence.

I guess that they market to a local audience, much of it hankering for the great days of the Dodgers. We have nothing remotely like that.

We've had these discussions many times, about whether our club should be "London Whatevers" or take on a local identity which it's never had since we were Fulham. "Richmond Broncos", "Leyton Broncos", ... you name it, none of them would work until we had real roots based on at least a couple of generations.

Local audience undoubtedly but you'd be pushing 70 to remember the Dodgers in Brooklyn.

Rugby League has been played in London for over 30 years.

The Dodgers had only been in LA for just over 20 years at that point.

Willesden and Acton fans will have your Hyde for such blasphemy

Don't forget London Highfield!

Dunno why autocorrect changed it to Hyde?

On the point of individual events, this was discussed between various "parties" about 2006 or 2007.

It was suggested that the moment the fixture list was released, 13 "events" would be planned around the dates of these games....paddy's weekend, St Georges day, Mothers day, Fathers day, Anzac day etc.....a simple scan of google would give you ideas. Then, after checking the "other sports" calendars, the club would announce to both its own fans, as well as to the visiting ones the theme for each particular game.......

It's not hard work...it takes a bit of planning and brainstorming (mindshowering apparently)......but it would offer some hope of getting a better crowd at games featuring Catalans, Saldord or Wakey.....

example....June 9th 1934 Donald Duck makes his first appearance on Film..

Call Euro Disney, say we'd like to do a themed day and would they be intrested in putting up a couple of prizes for a family of 4....best kids costume, best adults costume etc......you get the idea.

Bet you Widnes fans would have ben up for it if they''d been informed about it back in January......

You'd have to be pushing 100 to remember those teams.

But mea culpa for not stressing rugby league being played in London on a continuous basis for 30+ years.

Although it's actually quite amazing when you think of the resulting lack of legacy.

We've not got there yet Gutters