Hi all

I'm fairly new to rugby league, I am trying to acquaint myself with the rules! Been to a couple of matches last few weeks as a neutral went to Castleford v York last weekend, watched quite a few Eagles matches (from last season) on Youtube. I'm primarily a football follower (mainly watch non-league stuff) and always wanted to get in watching R.L, thought why not now! Live out in Derbyshire, but born in Sheffield, so decided to start following the Eagles. I'm in my last year of Uni so got myself a student season-ticket, works out under £3 a game, so even with it costing me £9 to get to Sheffield for home games, its still very good value.

I guess there a lot of fans who are football fans as well given Sheffield is a football city, would that be correct? I am an Owl but I don't get to Hillsborough much, cost is ridiculous.

What are away followings like? I'm hoping to get to a few away matches, starting with York in 2 weeks and can't wait to start watching. Looking at a "Workington weekend" in April, do Workington v Gloucester - football on the Saturday, stop over and watch Workington v Eagles on the Sunday. Should be good fun

What's Owlerton going to be like for watching? I've been there once for dogs about 15 years ago, and I remember of shallow standing under cover down the near side of the ground and not much else! I guess its going to be a case of getting there and getting a good spot. Presume I'll be able to have a beer while I watch the game?

Any other things I should know? I can't wait for the season to start.


Tom

Welcome Tom!

Fair few Wednesday fans (myself and Hillsborough Lad off here for a start) and some of that lot follow Eagles, but it's never really got in the way of anything at games, everyone has a pint with everyone else, probably the best thing about RL!

Away followings to Yorkshire games are usually pretty good, though not as many as Halifax/Featherstone/Leigh take on occasions. When we play further afield they drop like a stone, been to Workington/Whitehaven a few times and there haven't been more than 15/20 or so. We took quite a few to Barrow last season though. Saying that, not sure how many will travel to York with it being pre-season. Hopefully a good number!

I'll have to pass the Owlerton question on to one of the more senior forum members, I wasn't even born when we last played there! And yes, drinking while watching the game is fine, some say essential

Anything you want to know feel free to ask!

Very true when it comes to Sheffield Eagles and Rugby League it all goes out of the window there's only one team

I wouldn't expect football rivalries to come into it with rugby anyway. It is the only proper chance for Sheffield to unite itself. Its a shame outside of Super League clubs aren't better supported and with Sheffield being such a big city, shame rugby league isn't bigger. Sunday afternoons should help with crowds. I don't know if offering ticket incentives to Wednesday/United season ticket holders would help, 500,000 people in Sheffield and what do the Eagles get? Just over 1000?

I've been warned York's stadium is a terrible place to watch Rugby League, lovely city though, hopefully make a day out from it, haven't been there in 4 years when I ticked off York City's Bootham Crescent. I can't resist at a fiver for a student ticket. Hopefully this rain keeps off

Its good that the Eagles are remaining in Sheffield, I can't have imagined DVS was the greatest place to watch rugby nor the greatest crowd puller. Watched football down there once, horrible part of the city and freezing cold too. Are there any plans long-term for the Eagles to have their own stadium?

Hi Tom, I am sure you will enjoy supporting the Eagles we have have a very successful 3 years reaching the Grand Final (Playoffs Final) each year winning the last two seasons.

Featherstone will be the team to beat they have the best support and have won the league leaders shield for the last four years Halifax Leigh and Batley will be competing with ourselves to get into the playoffs last year it was top 8 (the official website shows 4 playoff weeks so I would anticipate it could be the same format)

I am very jealous about your season ticket I had to double check that it was true !! Yes Sheffield is a Football City we have the oldest football club in the world with Sheffield FC and the oldest Football ground with Hallam FC with two well established football league clubs Wed and Utd who both regularly get 15,000 attendances even both teams have been struggling over the last few years

I dont get to away games as often as i like but when you travel to away games you will probably hear the chant "you have come in a taxi" which to be fair could be true especially at Workington !!!

Hopefully we can gain a few disillusioned football fans but unfortunately the eagles have always struggled to get the crowds hopefully with the move to Owlerton the crowds will increase however I do have some doubts about watching rugby league at Owlerton there are no outside seats there is a lack of cover and potentially condemed terracing on the back straight !! Hopefully I will be proved to be wrong

It is a shame and a big problem for all clubs outside the Superleague Featherstone have done well and grown there crowds and we surpassed last years season ticket sales with a month still to go to the start of the season. For me the biggest problems for clubs have been the lack of promotion and relegation (which is being reintroduced in 2015) and a desperate lack of money in the championship's severely hampering any promotional campaigns.

Maybe now is a good time to offer incentives to wednesday/united fans as both are pretty poor at the minute and charging a bomb to go and see it. There has been various offers in the past and seen some small increases in attendance.

Its a bit of bonus starting to watch the Eagles given their current success, it wasn't really a factor. Sheffield born, even though I haven't lived in the city since 2006, still love it. I'm off to Featherstone next Sunday, as I've a mate who is a Hull FC fan and haven't seen him a while, be interesting to see how that goes. I'm guessing there is quite a big gap between Super League and the Championship? I saw Castleford take apart York last weekend, 62-6, never a contest.

Yes, £30 for a student season-ticket, its very good. Compared to football prices, rugby league is a lot cheaper. I know all about the history with the football, did some reporting for Hallam a number of years. Been to Sheffield's ground a few times, be good to have them actually in the city, rather out in Dronfield. Sheffield deserves better football wise, not been a great season for both. Even as an Owl, I wouldn't particularly want United to go down again. Hopefully Sunday afternoon games and Owlerton helps brings people in, its never easy. I know with regards to non-league football, how hard teams try and struggle with crowds.

Its certainly going to be an experience Owlerton, 3 weeks to go. Be interesting if United win their FA Cup Replay at Fulham, one of Wednesday/United will have to be moved to either Friday/Sunday

From being a bit of a football ground-hopper, I've always been careful when people have warned me against visiting grounds. I never judge somewhere before I've been. Looking forward to the York game.

The lack of promotion/relegation seems silly, its never going to help attendances, never going to help finances. I'm glad it is being reintroduced, there seems like such a gulf between Super League and everyone else which I don't think is fair.

Owlerton's a far better part of town, and certainly the best option at the moment. Friday nights are never great either.

There's a gulf between SL and the rest because there is a real restriction on the flow of money into the game and, in order to compete with Australia, the idea was to focus those resources into a subset of clubs who could fulfil key criteria. Promotion was therefore limited to clubs who could prove they had the capability to handle full time professionalism and all that that entails. Australia / NZ are the top two teams in the world at RL and have no P+R.

In football terms, imagine that your TV deal was about 1% of the one that is in place from Sky and that your clubs consisted of 6 or so Premier League sides, a few from League One/Two and the rest from the Conference leagues and below - perhaps 30-40 in total.

Then imagine that the media showed little interest in football and took every opportunity it could to deride it. Imagine if players (up to 1995) who played football were banned from playing other sports for no good reason.

Sadly, just like football, some clubs have overstretched themselves and through poor management have ended up in administration. So, P+R didn't help the likes of Luton, Pompey, Leeds, Coventry, Rangers, Hearts etc.

That's the game the RFL are trying to administer so it's more complex than it may first appear.

Hello Tom. I'm a 'new supporter' too. Lived in Sheffield for 12 years and been meaning to go for a while now. Eventually took the plunge and dragged the kids to the Grand Final in Leigh. They absolutely loved it! So we watched a few World Cup games and they can't wait for the first game of the season!

We're Wednesday season ticket holders too, and a few of my mates have said they'll start going to matches now. Owlerton on a Sunday is a lot more accessible than Friday at DVS or Brammall Lane!

I was thinking of getting a season ticket as it's such good value, especially the free away tickets for kids. Better make my mind up soon!

You won't regret it

Good to see you've enjoyed what you've seen so far welcome to Sheffield Eagles and Rugby League