Surely that's child cruelty lol

Social Services will be in attendance.

Rovers have gone balls out for the Leeds game (again) so credit to them for achieving a 12.5k attendance, regardless of how they've done it. Provided they give Leeds a good seeing-to, there's no downside to it, surely?

The challenge for us the following week (in addition to bang average ticketing arrangements) is that we'll get very few fans from Warrington as they already have the "all must pay" game vs the decided more glamorous St George Illawara the following week, and it's Friday night so there's the readymade M62 excuse. As a game to push it looks pretty difficult, unless we were to win at Huddersfield and Warrington look like resting anyone with the slightest knock in advance of the NRL game.

Rovers got almost 1,500 more than us for the opening home game last season, although our's was against Catalans and on Sky.

It's easy to knock them for giving tickets away and for booking an X Factor act for the prematch but both will help fill the ground. At least they try a few things with the prematch, compared to Hull who stick with teenie dancers and a pub singer who no-one has heard of.

Most of us onlt go for the rugby, of course, but you have to try to attract new fans and families.

The marketing at the club has gone downhill rapidly since rule left. Is james clark in charge of it? One of the contributing factors to our reduction in attendances IMO. If you don;t do facebook and twitter or look at the website there is very little coming out of the club marketing wise

As mentioned on the mediawatch thread, other outlets we could use are the local media. Having a relationship with RH that's cool at best doesn't help. Direct marketing via post for example tends to be expensive with a poor redemption rate.

This is the stand which is sponsored by a local school Wilf, with the provision they are allowed exclusive use three matches a season for the kids and staff etc. I would suggest other R.L. clubs perhaps have similar arrangements, I know your own club, for example, give a quantity of free/cheap tickets to Smith and Nephew every home match for the sponsorship of a stand at the KC which their staff (S&N) are allowed to purchase for a tenner (whether these are used by the purchaser or sold on at a profit to regular hull fans can only be a matter of conjecture).
Partnerships / Sponsorship should be welcomed throughout Rugby League in an effort to bring youngsters into the game and hopefully retain their interest into adult hood.
As an aside, is anyone aware if the 1500 seats purchased for every hull fc home game by the SMC, under their agreement with your club, are included in the attendance figures whether they are actually used or not.
I am aware Rovers marketing department are making great strides in this area and would hope hull's team could do likewise because the more Rugby League fans passing through the turnstiles increase our capacity to compete at the upper end of our game.

Is the school that pays the sponsorship a private one? Not trolling, just wondering how much they pay for 4500 free tickets a year and how it's funded.

fans from both sides of the City have always said this is a RL city and they are right,so why do the Clubs need to spend thousand on advertising?Do we think thousands of people have not heard of either side and there are thousands waiting to be converted? I would like to bet that Rovers will have spent more in adverts then they have taken in raised pass sales,to be fair to Pearson his back us or we fail had a far better effect than any advertising did. A winning side will be bring fans in nothing else. Even a failed x factor singer will demand a decent wad of money and IMO they will probably lose more than they will gain.Both Clubs have lost passholders since city got back in the top flight and that as had a lot to do with it along with mediocre seasons or should be poor.Rovers may well get a record but like last season will not bring fans back,Rovers despite the spinwere down in two thirds of home games last season compared to the previous season only the freebies and discounted tickets made it look better

It's an academy school funded by the Church Of England

Interesting sponsorship model, didn't know religious groups provided financial backing for sports teams. You live and learn. Hope there's no blaspheming.

Although results on the pitch will have the biggest effect on fans and media (even Blunderside will want to cover a good cup run or top push) I agree with the posters that we have missed the influence of Ja Rule and Co on the marketing front.

I agree that Direct marketing is an expensive and provides poor results however, many fans can help the club get the word out, posters in shops, selected sites across the city for large format posters and even out door banners "Next Game is xx on xx save £xx buy buying your ticket now"