Whoever arranged our fixtures this year needs shooting.

that's 6 home games now that we've gone head to head with the major sporting event. 2 RU internationals, the Grand National, Man U in FA cup semis and two England soccer internationals.
not to mention the two away games sky has moved for us too.

Im a big fan of the Sat ko's but would gladly play anytime other than at the EXACT SAME TIME!!!! as the biggest sporting event in the country at that time.

I know I am in the other camp where match day is concerned but ALL of these would have been irrelevant if we played on a Sunday

One of the main reasons for Saturday being preferred was the fact that travelling fans would be more likely to travel on a Saturday. Well it seems that travelling support is down this year and its bonkers to even think we can compete with events such as this

Although of course I have been told that if I was a fan I would be there whatever the circumstances so that logic says that events such as these should make no difference. Fact is they do.

There is no proof at all that crowds would be better on a Sunday but it feels like they certainly couldn't be any worse. Maybe its time for a rethink

The facts this year are that Saturday games against Wigan, Hull, Warrington and Celtic have averaged 3231 (accepted that two were on SKY). Having said that the two Saturday 3pm kickoffs have amassed an average of 2725 and this is the preferred kick off !!!

Sunday games against Hull KR and Wakefield averaged 3552. Also the biggest crowd of the season was against Manly on a Sunday (although this is a bit different)

The facts suggest that Saturday is not the great saviour is was expected to be

Fact is that unless the club do something it actually makes no difference what the matchday is because crowds will continue to be crap

Ok - it's late, but Fri's and Sun's didn't seem to serve the club too badly in 1997. Quite a lot of variance which would point to either a lot of travelling support (London being a novelty then) or certain games being heavily marketed (I believe there was a full time team of 3, who went at the end of the season, poss why 1998 and 1999 are terrible in comparison?) The final Bradford figure is quite remarkable, if true. I make the average to be - 5,125. Not bad..... www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seaso ... sults.html Sun Mar 16th London 24 St Helens 28 R. Smith The Stoop 6,949 Fri Mar 28th London 28 Paris St Germain 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 5,293 Fri Apr 18th London 48 Salford 12 D. Campbell The Stoop 4,495 Sun Apr 27th London 40 Leeds 16 D. Campbell The Stoop 5,919 Fri May 23rd London 30 Warrington 6 R. Connolly The Stoop 4,893 Fri May 30th London 32 Sheffield Eagles 12 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,539 Sun Jun 29th London 17 Castleford 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 2,500 Fri Jul 4th London 38 Wigan 12 R. Smith The Stoop 7,118 Tue Aug 5th London 36 Oldham 28 S. Cummings The Stoop 3,107 Mon Aug 25th London 28 Halifax 28 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,400 Sun Aug 31st London 28 Bradford 24 J. Connolly The Stoop 9,166

Ok - it's late, but Fri's and Sun's didn't seem to serve the club too badly in 1997. Quite a lot of variance which would point to either a lot of travelling support (London being a novelty then) or certain games being heavily marketed (I believe there was a full time team of 3, who went at the end of the season, poss why 1998 and 1999 are terrible in comparison?) The final Bradford figure is quite remarkable, if true. I make the average to be - 5,125. Not bad..... www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seaso ... sults.html Sun Mar 16th London 24 St Helens 28 R. Smith The Stoop 6,949 Fri Mar 28th London 28 Paris St Germain 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 5,293 Fri Apr 18th London 48 Salford 12 D. Campbell The Stoop 4,495 Sun Apr 27th London 40 Leeds 16 D. Campbell The Stoop 5,919 Fri May 23rd London 30 Warrington 6 R. Connolly The Stoop 4,893 Fri May 30th London 32 Sheffield Eagles 12 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,539 Sun Jun 29th London 17 Castleford 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 2,500 Fri Jul 4th London 38 Wigan 12 R. Smith The Stoop 7,118 Tue Aug 5th London 36 Oldham 28 S. Cummings The Stoop 3,107 Mon Aug 25th London 28 Halifax 28 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,400 Sun Aug 31st London 28 Bradford 24 J. Connolly The Stoop 9,166

Quote ="poorlytoe"Ok - it's late, but Fri's and Sun's didn't seem to serve the club too badly in 1997. Quite a lot of variance which would point to either a lot of travelling support (London being a novelty then) or certain games being heavily marketed (I believe there was a full time team of 3, who went at the end of the season, poss why 1998 and 1999 are terrible in comparison?) The final Bradford figure is quite remarkable, if true. I make the average to be - 5,125. Not bad..... www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seaso ... sults.html Sun Mar 16th London 24 St Helens 28 R. Smith The Stoop 6,949 Fri Mar 28th London 28 Paris St Germain 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 5,293 Fri Apr 18th London 48 Salford 12 D. Campbell The Stoop 4,495 Sun Apr 27th London 40 Leeds 16 D. Campbell The Stoop 5,919 Fri May 23rd London 30 Warrington 6 R. Connolly The Stoop 4,893 Fri May 30th London 32 Sheffield Eagles 12 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,539 Sun Jun 29th London 17 Castleford 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 2,500 Fri Jul 4th London 38 Wigan 12 R. Smith The Stoop 7,118 Tue Aug 5th London 36 Oldham 28 S. Cummings The Stoop 3,107 Mon Aug 25th London 28 Halifax 28 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,400 Sun Aug 31st London 28 Bradford 24 J. Connolly The Stoop 9,166'" 1st v 2nd in a year we did well and the fair weather fans turned up. From memory that game was also the only major sporting event in the whole of the UK that day! Princess Diana died overnight before and Branson told people she would have wanted it to go on. You're also missing the World Club Challenge games that year.

Quote ="poorlytoe"Ok - it's late, but Fri's and Sun's didn't seem to serve the club too badly in 1997. Quite a lot of variance which would point to either a lot of travelling support (London being a novelty then) or certain games being heavily marketed (I believe there was a full time team of 3, who went at the end of the season, poss why 1998 and 1999 are terrible in comparison?) The final Bradford figure is quite remarkable, if true. I make the average to be - 5,125. Not bad..... www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seaso ... sults.html Sun Mar 16th London 24 St Helens 28 R. Smith The Stoop 6,949 Fri Mar 28th London 28 Paris St Germain 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 5,293 Fri Apr 18th London 48 Salford 12 D. Campbell The Stoop 4,495 Sun Apr 27th London 40 Leeds 16 D. Campbell The Stoop 5,919 Fri May 23rd London 30 Warrington 6 R. Connolly The Stoop 4,893 Fri May 30th London 32 Sheffield Eagles 12 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,539 Sun Jun 29th London 17 Castleford 10 S. Cummings The Stoop 2,500 Fri Jul 4th London 38 Wigan 12 R. Smith The Stoop 7,118 Tue Aug 5th London 36 Oldham 28 S. Cummings The Stoop 3,107 Mon Aug 25th London 28 Halifax 28 S. Ganson The Stoop 3,400 Sun Aug 31st London 28 Bradford 24 J. Connolly The Stoop 9,166'" 1st v 2nd in a year we did well and the fair weather fans turned up. From memory that game was also the only major sporting event in the whole of the UK that day! Princess Diana died overnight before and Branson told people she would have wanted it to go on. You're also missing the World Club Challenge games that year.

I'm sorry.
Mon 21 July 1997 London Broncos def. Canberra Raiders 38-18 The Stoop London 7,819
Sun 27 July 1997 Brisbane Broncos def. London Broncos 34-16 The Stoop London 9,846
Fri 1 August 1997 Canterbury Bulldogs def. London Broncos 44-22 The Stoop London 6,923
Mon 6 October 1997 Cronulla Sharks def. London Broncos 40-16 The Stoop London 6,239

It was the newly crowned champions v the second place team, Bradford brought a load and we didn't do too bad either.

Bulls supporters completely took over the place that night, even on our normal hardcore of 2k I struggled to find any of our mob anywhere

Shame we beat them

I haven't posted for a while, but a couple of things.


Gates may be down but we have now had the same location for four consecutive years. I think our nomadic years are behind us. I know we have turned a corner when I, an RL fan through and through exciled from the heartlands can shout "Quins", without throwing up and thinking of that old Scottish idiot banging on about some posh school north of the border getting all jiggy at a garyowen.


The lack of any management from last summer to roughly Easter this year has not helped. It was shambolic, but hopefully now the club can get their act together and market the hell out of the end of this season and during the off-season. No business can move forward without management.

Regardless of IL's dosh, yes top priority is a new sugar daddy.

On the pitch a core group of players for the past three years are now starting to reward us with wins when we play well, wins when we don't, the ability to stay in matches. With the execption of Hudds away we have been in the mix (2nd half v HKR, yes I know - but I blame my mate Marcus a newbie - a bit of a Jona

).



Last but not least, from a die hard - see above. I have no interest in Quins RU results, I have no interest in going to watch RU - however I thank the club for allowing us their name, ground, etc. I have always been hopeful that it would work out. I remain hopeful that with a consistent management team in place we can kick on.


Now lets knock over the Robins - who looked rather clueless against Hudds as much as Eddie and Stevo tried to talk up their first half. Shutdown Dobson & his kicking and Galea running out wide they become rather ordinary.

I know we disagree on what days are best to play on, and I still think Saturdays are best, but I would much prefer we played on Sunday than go head to head with the biggest international event at that time.
(I'm guessing you would think similarly if our games clashed with major internationals on a Sunday)

I would prefer making "doubleheaders" out of them.
Watch the internationals on a giant screen and then watch our game etc.
but Sunday is better then the EXACT same time...

Whilst we can all dream of a new sugar daddy or winning the lottery, let's face facts.
Fact 1.
3,232 is our average gate this year. Regardless of who tries to put any positive spin on this, this is an unacceptable figure and the only way to rectify it is to put cash on the table for proper marketing.
Fact 2.
The coach has gone on record as saying that the players aren't happy running out in front of 3,000 odd fans and this would point to us maybe losing players to so called bigger clubs.
Fact 3.
The ticketing (office, website and pricing) are a farce.
Fact 4.
I was under the impression that PB would be available at the Volunteer table to answer questions about the Catalans fiasco. As it is, because I didn't buy lunch, I missed his appearance in the Jesters. Another glorious moment in the clubs week of shame.
Fact 5.
Regardless of what we are called, nobody knows we exist. Put simply, the cabbage patch bar has signed shirts from Union clubs and soccer clubs, but nothing from us. If the nearest pub to the ground has nothing, then how in fux name are we supposed to attract "local" support?
Fact 6.
The Kids tournament before Saturdays game was good to see. I hope (but already know the answer) that all of the parents who came along were given free tickets to the rhinos game and we have all their data

.
Fact 7. I have given up caring......I offered to help out the club on many occassions, have forwarded Ideas and done everything I can. I am leaving the UK this year to go to New Zeealand and will start to badger the warriors and NZRL as soon as I land. I will attend Quins RL games and I will run the Wakey bus, but thereafter, nada...no more.
Fact 8.
The treatment of fans by the club is nothing short of shocking! Since we left Brentford, the club has lost its "family" appeal and instead of having a beer with Rusty and a rabbit about the game, the main topic of conversation in the bars after the game is 99% negative. The club need to do something about this, as I spoke to a few fans on Saturday who said they feel like just giving up.

It is frustrating that I posted a half term report a few weeks back that was positive, but now I can honestly say, I have never felt so depressed or down about the club since I first watched them in 2002. Sad really.

Here, here !!!!

It really makes me feel sad to read this.There's nothing in your post that I disagree with and all I can think is if this is what one of our most vociferous and committed supporters thinks what hope can there be for the club in future? And GF isn't the only one what with Alison giving up her volunteer co-ordinator post! Very sad to see this, especially so as the team looks poised to really push for a good finish. And none of this can be blamed on that old chestnut of our nomadic existence any more surely? We've been at the Stoop since '06, perhaps our most period of existence for some time!

Really need to keep some sense of perspective here GF. Yes, the club well and truly stuffed up the Catalans debacle, but do you really think anything else has materially changed in the last 2 weeks? Let's look at the whole "better or worse than previous years?" question in a wider context: We now have a competitive side, which to be honest is the main thing I have been hoping for since joining this merry train in 2002. That makes going to games much more fun, and will give us a fighting chance of building an audience over time. I remember bringing a gang of mates to see Broncos ship the best part of 40 against the Bulls in the first half once, not an easy sell to come back after that sample I can tell you. That problem has been overcome (and it was the hardest challenge).

Let's face facts and be realistic, the club had no leadership for the best part of 18 months - including the time any planning for 2009 would have been done. We have to give Paul a chance to get his feet under the table, build relationships with Mark and his team, and also develop the level of trust with David that will be required in order for any additional marketing investment to be supported. The owner pumps in god knows how much of his own money just to get competitive players on the pitch as it is. Give it time, please. All of this woe is me, and worse still "if only they'd listen to me" is starting to do my head in mate.

Well done Gutterfax the hammer and the head of the nail have just met, but unfortunately as we all know it wont make a blind bit of difference as the admin at the club doesn't care about us. From my point of view I was a season ticket holder whilst I lived down south (doing 120mile round trip to the Valley) but even I am getting down about going to the away games and will seriously consider supporting my local club (Keighley Cougars) who are far more helpful and community minded

Oh, don't get me wrong. It isn't woe is me or if only they'd listen to me.....it's just if they would actually do something. If someone can point to any activity that the club have carried out to attract new fans this year that has worked, I will be delighted.

2,245 which includes at least 250 kids and parents for the pre-match tournament and 50 odd welsh is a disgrace.
I really do fear for the club, because £20,000 in gate receipts just won't keep us afloat.

As I said, you can put as much positive spin on as you like, but the crowd on Saturday was shocking.

Another possible problem to face is that we lose BM in the close season - if the players don't like playing in front of diddley squat, then I doubt if he's any happier. I can't see Steve McNamara still being at Bradford next season and that's Brian's old stamping ground.

Thought BM was on contract for the next couple of years??

everyone has their moments of feeling down GF. Don't give up, the game needs people like you. Have a couple of weeks off and relax charge up your batteries and restart the good fight.

Yeah.....let's keep stumbling along and hope David Hughes doesn't find a new toy to play with.

Remember we were playing the side holding everyone else up for G*D's sake. They are not a top draw team (although I hope one day they will be). For crying out load give PB a chance, Rome was not built in a day. Look at many of the crowds lately and they look poor. Cas V Wolves was about 5500 - I bet that in the past would have drawn 7000 to 8000 (and Cas are going well at the moment).


The new bloke needs a chance to set out his stall, make a plan, get DH's backing and motivate the back office (who must be worn to the bone having to prop up everything for over a year). Then crack on. He has been in the job, what three months tops? Most people joining a new company need three to six months to understand the tools, processes, PEOPLE etc.

If PB had gone in all guns blazing he would be a fool, he needs to get the back office's trust first and foremost.

As for the CATS game, yes that is shocking and SKY have not done us any favours at all. But you can't blame the club, DH or PB for that. Of course they could have said to SKY - shove it. But it's not a good idea to bite off the hand that feeds you.


I pity the poor Warriors!



All the best in NZ, you will be missed GF.

The club could do nothing about the Catalans game - SKY say jump you have to say how high. Where the club went wrong IMHO is saying initially that they had objected to the move - it was a PR disaster.

Correct.
And, if this is an example of how the new man does business, it goes a long way to explaining his colourful list of past jobs over the last 10 years.
NFL Europe, SFA, Southampton, Surrey CC, Hull KR. all in the last 11 years...............Not one of these organisations seem to have tried to keep him when he left. I am sure he is a very capable person, but as CV's go, it does raise a slight amount of concern IMO that is.
6 jobs in 11 years........read into that what you wish.

applauding a common sense posting, it's good to hear that perspective hasn't gone completely out of the window



DH owns the keys to that budget. If he chooses not to release it, then the club goes down with him, but at what point does that become the GM's fault? As HKB points out, he needs to earn DH's trust. I think you're expressing your angst at the wrong person. Someone who's been in charge for 2 months or 10+ years?



Btw - I suspect the break even for any benefactors at the club is an attendance of circa 10k depending on ticket price. It's prob not going to happen in our lifetime, but we can hope. There have been plenty of incidences of sub 2k audiences in the past 15 years and the club has survived....

On the club site it says
"Paul is responsible for the day to day running of Harlequins Rugby League and his top priority is to increase attendances at matches."

On Point 1. The day to day running of the club. Top job so far with the Catalans fiasco

give him a pay rise.
On Point 2. We are nearly 1,000 fans down since we left TW8 for TW2. Not his fault at all, but still, since he joined we have had the bring a mate for free campaign and NO FOLLOW UP CONTACT to those people. We have had George Sampson (not cheap I should imagine) with no chance of any of the screaming teens coming back.
So, 60 days into the job and all that has happened is we seem to have lost a Commercial Sales Manager, the head of the volunteers group and pretty much nothing else


Sorry, I know it can't be easy getting funds out of DH for marketing, but I take it that PB would have had to offer some kind of Business plan to DH when he was interviewed for the role. If I was offered a job that required increasing attendance figures, but was told there was no budget to achieve this, I doubt I would take the job on.