It's a much more competitive world now than it was years ago.

People have far more choice with what to do with their time and I'm sure that many people pay their Sky Sports subscription and stay at home to watch sport instead of seeing it live.

We can't necessarily conclude that the rugby league product is the sole cause of declining attendances. It's the competition it faces from elsewhere.

It seemed like a poor decision from the RFL to allow television coverage of our league to leave Sky. The end result is that it is the die-hard fans who will pay more yet again, whilst this coverage won't attract any new supporters to the game.

Exposure through the various means, newspapers, radio, tv, etc, is critical and we're not winning the battle on that front.

One of the ways forward, and I hope the RL are listening, is for them to team up with Sky and create a dedicated sports channel for our sport, as they've done with motor racing. They should cover all the leagues and feature the amateur game too.

This would be the best single platform we could have to promote the game. It might seem ambitious but these are the type of initiatives the leaders of the game need to be looking at.

Doing this would help attract a large blue chip company to sponsor the game and in turn it would generate more income to be filtered down from the top.

There are no easy answers. The clubs and the RFL have to work together. Clubs can help shape their own future to a degree but the RFL are the key players in where the games goes to next.

Welcome to the forum...good start!

Cant remember the last time CC semis sold out

The product Is good at the moment the pass for the first try at the weekend was of the highest quality , and Liam Kay's run for his try the other week was brilliant too, grants and kez's tackle is ruthless and let's not for get we have this up and coming kid called Paul Cook in our team . I agree that the match day experience could be better the thing that made me fall in love with the dons was the atmosphere so maybe a few more chants and songs coz on our day we are loud and the song are often very comical (having said that Sunday was pretty good in that respect) . The idea of a rugby league channel is great and could generate real interest and heroes to follow but sadly will never happen. The semis is a good point too would any teams sell Huddersfield out ?? Y choose this venue over smaller ones that could be filled easier? I.e keepmoat (putting money in to lower teams) or as much as I don't like it headingley not full stadiums are a poor advert for us all !!

I;d say in general, the atmosphere, chanting etc etc hasn't been as good this year. The group I normally stand with who start a lot of the stuff off has reduced in size year for various reasons and we have fallen below critical mass making it hard to get stuff going, knowing people will back you up. If we could get a few more who want to do that type of thing clustering around us rather than spreading out it could easily pick back up again.

We have often discussed how we're now all 30+ but starting most of the songs going, we should have had that job taken off us by some rowdy teens by now!

And there you have the death of the sport in a nutshell.
Just as the death of workingmens clubs.
It's the old brigade who are dying off with no replacements.

All teenagers are interested in are mobile phones and antisocial behaviour.

On another note though i do think that playing at the Keepmoat is a big problem. It's too big and souless.

You've just described me there.
lol

I would like to see the club maybe do a trial run game at Castle Park to see how viable it is. The Keepmoat is quite depressing with 500-1000 in, especially when you have to walk past facilities that are not open.

I do realise that once we leave the Keepmoat we will never get back in but to be honest that doesn't bother me. I would rather see the Don's in the current division playing against traditional clubs than go bankrupt trying to get into Sooper Dooper League.

Back to the young 'uns they need someone to look upto a "star" player if you like as a kid I remember Audley being used by the council on a road safety poster.

Just look at football, kids wear shirts of the star players, the goal scorers the creators even sometimes the loveable rogues, but rarely do you see people with the solid 100% player who never does anything special. For me that is what the club is missing and exciting/exotic player.

I have no proof of what I am about to say but I would imagine that any Eagles fan with a replica shirt with a name on it has the one of one of their trio Pacific islanders on it...how many do you think have a Peter Green shirt?

Castle Park would be more akin to the traditional types of ground we associate with rugby league. A move there could perhaps bring a few more people back but the club would have to balance up all the pros and cons, and I suspect there'd be more cons than pros.

I agree that the kids want heroes and that's what attracts them. It takes time for players to become heroes and we haven't had many players stay around for too long over recent years, although the stability is greater now than for a while.

[iHere's a suggestion[/i Immediately after the game has ended, why don't we get Ray Green to interview some of the players whilst still on the pitch? It would stop fans running off after the match if Ray appeared just as the hooter is about to blow. Surely this would help to build a link between the players and fans?

I'm sure there are a few characters amongst the players and their personalities will shine through.

How about it Dons News? Is this a good starter to help bring players and fans closer together? What does everyone else think?

Anyway, who has got a Sheffield Peter Green shirt? I bet Ray has!

Mike

Good idea. They should look into playing the Eagles game at Castle park and try giving it the big sell. I'm sure this would draw a better than average attendance.

Would they want us at Castle Park. I know some fans who wouldn't go there either.

Why would any one not want to go to CP? Good facilities, close to the action, good value quality food and real ale on tap...
I know on the Knights forum they have said they have been in talks with the Dons before but nothing ever came from it, so i don't think they would have a problem with us using their facilities.
I would certainly be a better atmosphere than what we have now. The Keepmoat is like playing on the moon.

Didn't the Dons sign an agreement to play at the keepmoat last year?, can't remember length of deal, 5 years springs to mind, could be wrong .