I think it does at certain clubs but for some reason not at Wakefield. You do get a lot of fence-sitters as you put it at some clubs, Leeds is a great example but I've not come across many in Wakefield. Maybe a Wally Lewis type signing might do it but then we'd have to let half the team we already have go, he gets injured we get relegated and any increase in ticket sales is lost. I might have had an effect after say the 2017 season which ended with us in really good form so there is also an element of timing.

In conclusion, any increase in sales imho would be a very short term gain and an expensive error. The trick for me is signing them before they are stars which we do quite well, keeping them used to be he issue. Now we do keep them it just needs time and a bit of luck for that to pay off. Also, we do have a stadium to fund and I have no idea how that will be done.

Big names, and big salaries certainly dont always work out.

What happens if that player on the big salary, spends a while on the sidelines.

Something too has always intrigued me, is if you've say got some players on a certain salary, and you bring in a name who's say, on double that, what is the attitude like in a camp with those on the lower salary, and especially if that player under performs.

I read a piece in Rugby League world I while back, about a championship, or league 1 club, and every player was on identical contracts, to avoid any of that tension.

Going back to new signings, one ones that puts bums on seats, Chester has already said about a top quality NRL player. Were in talks with one, with another quota spot fee too, could either of those be one of them players.

Holding judgement until all recruitment complete

Guess it depends on how the star player conducts themselves. I imagine Hastings will be have on a greater wage than his colleagues, but I doubt any of them would begrudge that.

I'd also say if Tom Johnstone and David Fifita don't put bums on seats there aren't many others that will.

Agreed, 2017 and 2018 saw us play the best RL I've ever seen, two wingers averaging 20+ a season with plenty of high scoring wins. TJ probably scored the Trinity try of the millennium in 2016. Yet ticket sales did not rise by all that much.

The only way we will really up the attendances is two-fold IMO.

1: A better stadium.

2: Consistent success, ie regular top 5 and at least one piece of silverware. We need that parade up Wood street to wake people up, nothing less will really do it IMHO.

Signing names won't do it. Funny when you think that Salford had the Dr's millions thrown at them and did nothing. This year they were toted as relegation fodder or worse and end up at old Trafford. The lucky signing of Hastings helped massively but it's still a team game and look what happened, it probably saved the club.

We have our own Hastings in TJ and Fifita and if we can get them firing again they are better than any name signing and hopefully, they will lead us to success.

I think a better, and much improved stadium will help FC, and would be increased even further with a successful season to go with it. Also with the stadium, you will not only get stay away home fans coming back, but even bigger crowds on the away gates too.

I know of fans from different clubs have stopped coming to BV because of the state its in, but an improvement, I'm sure, will bring fans back in, out of curiosity for a start. especially when its took so long in planning.

Would be good to attack it from a different angle to, with some good marketing in the run up

Fwiw, 'big name' signings really only work when success has already happened. They wont convince the stay-away fans enough to buy a season ticket. Salford under Koukash is a great example of this. Flip it over, and success on the pitch really does put bums on seats. Salford this season is a great example of this. Or at least it was at the back-end of this season.

Be careful in hailing a new ground as the catalyst that draws in lapsed fans like moths to flames. Salford, again, a big example of resting on their laurels when we got a shiny new ground. Success on the pitch is really the only tried and tested way to bring fans back and hold onto them, that then becomes the start for all the other things happening.

I know it's been a tough couple of seasons for Wakey, and believe you me when I say I understand where you are all coming from, as I've been there myself. There isn't really a golden ticket for these things, but graft and good decisions being made at crucial times go a long way into getting the ball rolling in the right direction.

Gree completely but must point out that ours is not going to be a new ground, its hopefully going to be a new stand that will help drag a Victorian ground into the 21st century or at least one part of it. It will give us the ability to entertain the sort of people who we simply can't at the moment. So in its way, it should actually increase attendances and certainly revenue, especially if we have some success.

I stand corrected.

Certainly, any improvement will always help going forward, as long as your CEO doesn't then sit back and expect. It needs to be used as something that gets the fans excited again, and that enthusiasm can then be directed and developed.

Shouldn't be a problem as the last major structure built at BV was a programme shed. Not strictly true but no permanent stand has been built at BV since the 1950s and that was only a foof over an existing stand as far as I understand it. The old West Stand was Victorian, the still with us East stand and the big terrace behind the sticks Edwardian.

It's ironic but your old ground the Willows decrepit though it was, was considerably more modern than the current BV. Toilets that flush, roofs that don't leak and an unobstructed view alone will be enough to attract people, that's how tragic BV is.

I like BV.

I like the fact that it's old fashioned. A close to the action ground. I love the fact it has history. I loved the Willows and still find it sad to this day that it no longer exists. I suppose progress halts for nobody or anything whether we like it or not.

I wish Wakey all the best as you've always been my second side really. Both teams have shared similar trials and tribulations both on and off the pitch. Good luck for next season.

I guess the hope with a revamped BV is two-fold; first and foremost, as FC says, it should provide hospitality facilities that attract a significantly higher value of sponsor and guest than we can currently achieve. In personal experience, when I held a box, I brought some guests who between them had a net worth of over £200 million quid - they found it amusingly quaint, but not something worthy of serious consideration.

Secondly, you'd hope that the hordes of people who show an interest in WT but only from a distance, would come down out of curiosity, and then keep coming because the facilities are significantly improved.

The 2 big levers to pull in terms of income are corporate/sponsors and paying punters - and a properly upgraded stadium *should* have a positive impact on both of those, notwithstanding a big PR effort; they certainly won't come if you don't let them know about it.

Fishermanscap, had we signWestermans 3 year ago would have been happy .But now with is dodge knee that can pop out at any time would not have signed him to much of a gamble to me .Did not know the new signing as had 3 operation on is shoulder .Look what happened last year when we were playing players who ad to play while injured . We did not look good again untill the last 5 games when we had brought 3 new fit players in and we could put 17 fit players on the field. Thought the club would have learnt from this

Sorry but you're just making it up to sort your agenda. Westermans knee doesn't pop out at any time, do you not think we have medical tests before signing players.

More importantly, where does the money come from, are you coughing up? We have half a dozen players on our books who'd get a game at most SL clubs, what do you think we pay them in washers?

No team can sustain a team of stars, despite your pessimism we have a very good collection of top players but there are limits. I think you just have an issue that no signing would help, as pointed out you were having a hissy at the loss of Hampshire and now we have him. You need to get a bit more realistic, as the rest of us seem to be.