at the moment,the cost of a season pass for me and my 12 yo costs enough,considering we are all tightning our financial outlays.

The problem is not everyone is the same or thinks the same as you. Tesco are the most successful retailer in the country and one of the most successful in the world. Do you think they do these things as some kind of corporate responsibility thing? How much market share would they have lost without their membership card? They do it because it works. If it didn't they'd bin it in a flash

Hopefully the people responsible for marketing at the club will have a more lateral view of the situation than you

WalMart are the biggest retailer in the world and don't have a loyalty card. Customer research indicates that in the last year, Tesco have lost share to the likes of Asda as customers are demanding lower real prices every day rather than paying 5% extra to get it back on a quarterly basis through points. If it was such a "no-brainer" everyone would be doing it. The fact is the cost of implementation and administration is prohibitive unless you already have scale.

Food retailing is a far more promiscuous sector than rugby league hence the loyalty card mechanic to stop people going elsewhere. Hull FC realistically have up to 16,000 supporters, but are already averaging gates of 13,000+ despite a shocking season. I guess what I'm struggling to understand is what you think the benefits will be to the club and the supporters that they don't already get. The package offered by Rovers, for example, is really just a way of trying to mask a +23% increase in season ticket prices with a couple of shirt discounts (which we get anyway as season passholders) plus a derby ticket promotion. If we offered something similar, I don't think I'd find it compelling.

Why would any business want to do that?

Doh!!!!!

If the club offered you a card for free or little cost you'd take it. You'd like the fact you had a Hull FC card in your handbag. It would give you a warm glow inside.

You'd also like the fact that you'd get the odd "special" offer and money off in the shop every once in a while. Without knowing it you'd be even more in love with the club than you are.

Schemes like this are successful because it makes people feel closer to the club and it ties them in longer term.

If you've never studied marketing then it's probably a difficult concept to grasp but they do work

Aaaah, question fully answered. Thanks.

I find that hard to believe. I get money off in the shop with my season pass. I get communications from the club on a regular basis through a variety of media. I'm not sure whether I would get a warm glow inside from having a card. Unless the "special offer" was Dowesy as my personal slave for the day or something similar.

Too subtle for you?

I think most of your own fans will be laughing at your response.

You really think there are so many shallow brainless sheep.... oh hang on

Seriously, though, the Tesco et al loyalty schemes are free. The rugby "market leader's" (ha ha) is £60. Paying to donate your loyalty is an oxymoron. Loyalty is earned and given freely - to encroach on that gift from the consumer by extracting cash will eventually turn it sour so it dies.

You can't buy love. And to try to kills it.

Rovers scheme is a short term solution to their financial problems - admitted by most fans. But as soon as those fans get disgruntled aboyt their club - for whatever reason - they will start to think they "aren't getting their moneys worth for their extra sixty quid" and it will turn round and bite Rovers on the bum.

Making faithful customers pay for a membership scheme is a dangerous game for the distributor in the long run.