With the country (and city's) financial problems becoming knowledge at least a year ago he'd have been stupid not to. Surely it's common sense - when you have so many people in the city been hit by redundancies and hour reductions it's going to result in less disposable income for people, meaning luxeries like RL (which, as much as we love the game, it is) have to be put on hold.
Luckily I've not been hit by it (though it has meant less away games), but know plenty of people who have.
ATEOTD Hudgell should be pleased with our current state - in 3 years we've gone from averaging about 3000 to 8500, don't see how anyone can fault that personally.

And there's your answer, so he wont have budgeted for it then!!

Hull moved to the KC Stadium in January 2003

Average Attendances (Year, With Derby, Without Derby)
2000 5933 5933
2001 6368 6368
2002 6928 6928
2003 11598 11598
2004 11458 11458
2005 10604 10604
2006 10865 10865
2007 14606 13079
2008 13586 12944
2009 13313 12402 (to date)

Looks pretty healthy, and would you believe it, attendances for us look linked to success on the pitch, who'd have thunk it.

I agree with the post Hull have done well to keep the gates over the 10k mark for the full season considering the on the pitch problems.

As for our gates, I would expect if we improved our facilties the crowd would improve, we'd get more away support and a few added onto the home crowd.

Historically we've always had lower crowds than Hull, in the mid eighties we were averaging around the 9,500 with Hull having about another 1000 on and I would expect it to stay that way unless there is a major event that affected it.

Just a question, do you think that your adult season pass sales will reduce this year. My thinking is that as the KC is not in danger of selling out for any game other than the derby match, and even then tickets are reasonably easy to come by, will that make more fans think of 'seeing how it goes' next year and not commiting themselves to every game.

We are in a slightly different position with our pass sales as to get an East stand guaranteed we more or less have to get a pass.

4 1/2 thousand jumped on the KC Bandwagon I see.

Its sad how people obviously prefer to look at the shiny stadium rather than the product on the pitch.

I disagree. People demand decent facilities these days - especially those with children. As much as I loved The Boulevard it was a long way from what is required.

Whilst you're obviously trying to make some sort of dig there, that was precisely the point of this part of the thread. In my opinion, the quality of the facilities has attracted more people - no smelly outside loos, no stanchions in the way of your view, etc etc (I'd like to say better food and beer but....). I might be wrong but I think the attendance figures support that. So I was suggesting that I thought Rovers' support would very probably increase by a similar percentage if it was possible to upgrade the NCP facilities to a similar standard. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Saint Helens' gates after they upgrade.

Fair point. I'll revert to reasonable debate mode for the time being!

Rovers need to sort out both ends of the stadium, everyone knows that. From what I'm hearing the priority may have switched from North to South, with the East extension a done deal for the off season. There's no magic wand, just a lot of graft ahead.

Hudge is having to work overtime to pay it off?

More to do with families being attracted to the new stadium than bandwaggoners. Facilities to normal die hard rugby fans don't really matter that much but it's when the wives and kids want to come along that it becomes significant. After that it's the product on the field that will ultimately keep them there or not.

The finger could easily be pointed at Rovers gates suddenly improving when you get promotion, that is much more like bandwaggoning.

What happened in 2006 to make your gates jump so dramatically the year after?

grand final.