I don't think any Hull FC fan enjoys seeing the team struggle, it's just that people are probably more realistic about our situation than perhaps they have been in the past. Personally, I defended the coach quite a lot last season because we never really had our halfbacks on the field. However, this season there are no excuses and the reality is that we've won three games from eight and are already practically out of the race for the top six.

Given that the club bang on about improvement, I'm assuming that if we don't better our outstanding sixth place finish of last season then the campaign will be regarded as one of failure by everyone. Merely making the top eight and having a token gesture tilt at the play-offs is not good enough. The likes of Leeds, Wigan, Saints and Warrington simply wouldn't settle for that which is why they're the top four clubs in the game. Talk of us breaking into that top four is laughable to be honest - it's just never going to happen under the current regime.

silly me, there was I using my commercial knowledge and experience to inform my comments, when will I learn eh!!!

That is a very blinkered view, financial constraints are probably the main reason but if a club is playing poorly, crowds are down and exposure is limited then potential sponsors arent going to be rushing to Kaths office with bags of cash.

The thing that worries me is not our on field form per se but the effect it is having on the club. I can put up with poor displays and will go whatever but I understand that many do not feel the same, especially those who maybe dont have the spare cash to be spending week in week out. I worry about the long term impact on the club if things dont change.

Been thinking the same too. Long to achieve, quick to loose.

actually already negotiating the next deal !!!
good news huh , given all the doom and gloom and "knowledgables " things still seem like they are moving forwards for the commercial side of the business, if a faceless & nameless sponsor decides not to deal another year its deemed like players , they come they go as is nature of the game...

but actually it seems that sponsorship contractees are very happy with the large gates we still produce when compared to many other SL clubs, you see my point and also if you want to advertise to a large captive audience in the Hull area then FC is still the number one attraction when it comes to a rugby crowd

3 year deal, signed in 2008 when we made it to Wembley?

Descending into the realms of fantasy for a moment and assuming that you actually know what's happening with our major sponsors, does it not occur to you that part of those negotiations might include a reduction in sponsorship payments due to the fact that gates are dropping and we're rarely on Sky these days?

Each team has their allocated amounts of Sky games from the begining of the season. We have extended highlights of this weeks game, then our Derby is on Sky, then our Saints match 10 days after that.

It's this week's fad to cite the number of times we're on Sky for some reason.

Indeed, the early season is shared out fairly evenly, but expect to see us less and less if we don't climb the league.

TV/ Sky showings has nothing to do with place or performance in the league

No, this week's fad is telling people to 'keep the faith'.

I only mentioned the number of Sky games because the top teams, rightly, are featured more frequently than the bottom/middle teams.

Every club will get a set minimum number of games, but some clubs get more than this minimum - usually the higher placed teams.

you decend into what ever you wish however the reality of it is that performance and place in the league has nothing to do with sky and sky has nothing to do with sponsorship deals, all clubs at the end of the year will have had an equal share of live TV , thats a fact!
P&O will be with us a while yet! sure your happy with that !