Quote: AJ Viking "Does anyone have our average attendances in the late 80's? I know it's a different game but our last significant successful period in the top division would surely have increased the gate?'"
Some on here
www.redvee.net/viewpage.php?page_id=216
Between 1988 and relegation in 95 we dropped from around 8.5k to 4k
How many of these fans were added by Jiffy's arrival from Union compared with earlier years is worth considering but I've no idea of figures before this. He was a major signing. Remember my Mum telling me it was on the TV news one morning before school. Apparently it was the quickest she'd seen me get out of bed since birth.
The target for super League under franchising was 10,000 average. I can't honestly think we can get anywhere close to that in the near future, maybe back to 8,000 or so when winning trophies. For most of us 7000 or so would be sustainable but for how long.
Let's face it, SL do not want us, Cas, Wakey and possibly KR around long term. We are only in SL because some expansion attempts have failed and we had good money invested to replace them. We're propping up the SL until they can get rid.
One way to avoid this is winning trophies regularly but how can we compete with the income generated by Wigan, Leeds, Saints, Wire, Hull and Cats?
Would love not to be pessimistic but I do not believe small town RL clubs are on SL's agenda long term. Gateshead, Toulouse, London and Wales are all waiting to replace us and if you add in Scotland, Ireland, the Midlands and the South West as targets then we fall way down the desirability stakes.
I think ideally they'd like only 3 NW clubs and change to represent the catchment areas of Merseyside, Central Lancashire and Manchester and they'd expect us to head east or west for a team to follow like we tend to do in soccer.
So I'll see you in ten years time when we all become Dublin Dodgers' away contingent.
All together now.... C'mon you Greens!
