: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:06 pm  

retirethename wrote:

No, just had to deal with to many no it all's straight of the gravey train. It used to bother me, now i am older I just can't be ar$ed to get worked up by it. I have I suppose you might say I have eaten my chip!

mmhmm. God forbid we create a new generation of ambitious graduates. The world as we know it will completely go up the spout!

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:09 pm  

steve@code13 wrote:

I was sure there would be posters/leaflets advertising the Wigan game maybe something along the lines of 'Now you know where we are, why not come back!" or maybe something a little catchy! Was surprised when I saw nothing.

I thought the crowd and day was a great success and congratulations to all involved. However we had 6000k people yesterday of whom at least 4000 may have been newcomers, of whom we know nothing about and no way of contacting. Seems a lost opportunity.

Well we (volunteers) were getting people to fill in a contact form to enter a draw to win a box for the last game of the season. There were a hell of a lot of forms and there were none left to fill in so hopefully we have a mweans of contacting some of them.

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:14 pm  

The Penguin wrote:

mmhmm. God forbid we create a new generation of ambitious graduates. The world as we know it will completely go up the spout!

Nothing to do with ambition, good on them for that I say. It is when they start telling somebody after two minutes how to do a job when they clearly don't understand the job in the first place, bad mouth to a manager the person trying to show them the job (to score brown nose points) and then when it all comes out they end up with egg on the face because they were totally in the wrong.


Give a grad. enough rope and they eventually hang themselves with it. We have all been there - grad or non-grad. Part of lifes great colour scheme.

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:15 pm  

Just getting the brain and body back into order after a long weekend.

Had a great day out, and I am pretty sure two of the guys of the four guys will be back next weekend. Great to see the bar packed post game and the covers band playing some tunes, interesting selection of the 'kylie' girl.

Few things, there were a heap more Aussies/Kiwis at the game then the few I attended last season (my first here in London). Whether we like it or not, TW is a long way out of town for the typical antipodean who lives in central london. This will always go against the club while trying to attract this market, unfortunately there is nothing that can be done. Even though from Clapham Junction, the train ride is quicker and more plesant then crossing town on the tube there is the mentality that if you have to catch an overland train it is 'too far away'. I used to think the same thing when I first arrived here.

I was most dissapointed though though with the lack of information, advertisements and call to action in promoting future Harlequins games. This was compounded at full time with the ground announcer giving out the wrong date and club for next weeks game.

This was a massive opportunity by the club to convert the casual fan to return in the future. I was very suprised there wasnt an information booth/tent at least giving out information on membership/season tickets, fixture lists, how to purchase tickets (call to action). Even the program I am struggling to find out information regarding ticketing/season tickets. There is a half page write up about future games, but still no call to action. Knowing the travelling and social habbits of this market the club could have put together a multi game ticket (voucher) at a discounted rate to purchase on the day or in the days following the game. This getting a commitment to return to a few games without the big commitment of a season ticket. Very concerning the lack of action.

Another thing I found disturbing was the lack of young kids at the games I have atttended. I know yesterdays game was marketed at the antipodeans, but I seriously think there should be a big push at attracting the young ones to the stoop. Is there season ticket that is given out to junior players in london? Why arent the grommets playing on the field at half time? Every kid that comes through the gate drags along dad and or mum, and possibly siblings and friends. We need to get the kids while they are young and convert them for life. If anyone thinks we are crazy for targeting kids you only need to look at the success the gold coast titans have had in attracting young families to their games. This is a club that once struggled to get 5000 through their gates and now average over 20,000. I have also been involved in a sport who saw a significant increase on their gates and merchandise sales through similar promotions.

Re: Delayed Kick Off : Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:23 pm  

Charmless Nerk wrote:

London-based BBC journalist George Reilly reported on Radio Leeds that the delay to the kick off was due not to crowd congestion but to a monumental balls up in sending a "16 seater" to collect the champion Manly team from their hotel.

Jesus wept

The ground announcer said that the delay was due to "Transport difficulties" and I saw some of the Manly team arrive in a small coach. They were pretty late, getting into the ground at about 2.15 p.m.

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:26 pm  

hindyscrack wrote:

Just getting the brain and body back into order after a long weekend.

Had a great day out, and I am pretty sure two of the guys of the four guys will be back next weekend. Great to see the bar packed post game and the covers band playing some tunes, interesting selection of the 'kylie' girl.

Few things, there were a heap more Aussies/Kiwis at the game then the few I attended last season (my first here in London). Whether we like it or not, TW is a long way out of town for the typical antipodean who lives in central london. This will always go against the club while trying to attract this market, unfortunately there is nothing that can be done. Even though from Clapham Junction, the train ride is quicker and more plesant then crossing town on the tube there is the mentality that if you have to catch an overland train it is 'too far away'. I used to think the same thing when I first arrived here.

I was most dissapointed though though with the lack of information, advertisements and call to action in promoting future Harlequins games. This was compounded at full time with the ground announcer giving out the wrong date and club for next weeks game.

This was a massive opportunity by the club to convert the casual fan to return in the future. I was very suprised there wasnt an information booth/tent at least giving out information on membership/season tickets, fixture lists, how to purchase tickets (call to action). Even the program I am struggling to find out information regarding ticketing/season tickets. There is a half page write up about future games, but still no call to action. Knowing the travelling and social habbits of this market the club could have put together a multi game ticket (voucher) at a discounted rate to purchase on the day or in the days following the game. This getting a commitment to return to a few games without the big commitment of a season ticket. Very concerning the lack of action.

Another thing I found disturbing was the lack of young kids at the games I have atttended. I know yesterdays game was marketed at the antipodeans, but I seriously think there should be a big push at attracting the young ones to the stoop. Is there season ticket that is given out to junior players in london? Why arent the grommets playing on the field at half time? Every kid that comes through the gate drags along dad and or mum, and possibly siblings and friends. We need to get the kids while they are young and convert them for life. If anyone thinks we are crazy for targeting kids you only need to look at the success the gold coast titans have had in attracting young families to their games. This is a club that once struggled to get 5000 through their gates and now average over 20,000. I have also been involved in a sport who saw a significant increase on their gates and merchandise sales through similar promotions.

Welcome aboard the HMS QuinsRL......it's like the titanic, but without the captain or ANY lifeboats
Let's not take the gloss of what was a great day. YES things could have been done better, but all in all, it was a 100% complete success.
Next up, the goons. I can't make the game as I am off to the west country, but I am sure we will get 6k for the game...and more importantly 2 points!!

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:28 pm  

Paddock Punter wrote:

Well we (volunteers) were getting people to fill in a contact form to enter a draw to win a box for the last game of the season. There were a hell of a lot of forms and there were none left to fill in so hopefully we have a mweans of contacting some of them.

Good work, just the trick.

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:33 pm  

I can't believe Aussies of all people are chelping about the distance. Granted they wouldn't have got the best impression what with the engineering works mucking up the trains but, from West London where the majority of aussies live, it is an easy journey. I live in Southampton FFS, they have no right to complain!

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:38 pm  

gutterfax wrote:

Welcome aboard the HMS QuinsRL......it's like the titanic, but without the captain or ANY lifeboats
Let's not take the gloss of what was a great day. YES things could have been done better, but all in all, it was a 100% complete success.
Next up, the goons. I can't make the game as I am off to the west country, but I am sure we will get 6k for the game...and more importantly 2 points!!

Gutterfax... Not trying to take the gloss off a great day at all. I must say I am aware that it sounds like the clubs front office is quite under-resourced in terms of staff and budgets so I wont be too critical as I can relate to this scenario. I am sure that the guys/girls in the front office probably work their asses off and go above and beyond what is required of them.

However, yesterday I am sure was about raising the profile of RL in London, opening Quins RL up to a new market and putting more £'s into the club. It looks like this was acheived, however we cannot sit back and wait for them to return as without the clubs help they wont be back. An aspiring club like Quins needs to make it as simple as possible for a fan to get a ticket and I feel yesterday there wasnt enough done to promote this to the fans.

: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:40 pm  

Paddock Punter wrote:

Well we (volunteers) were getting people to fill in a contact form to enter a draw to win a box for the last game of the season. There were a hell of a lot of forms and there were none left to fill in so hopefully we have a mweans of contacting some of them.

........and I understand that Alison may well be data entering these records this week.....just a shame the club have to rely on people like her and the rest of the volunteers to get things done.
The club do need to sort this out. There are a hard core of people who have given far too much to the club for very little appreciation or credit, yet they keep on coming back. These people are in some cases, the reason we even have a club, yet what they do (and they do not look for this) is totally overlooked.
For example, google data entry jobs and you will see that it's a £7 to £9 an hour job.......but we rely on volunteers .
If Alison and the volunteers don't get something other than a fleece for their efforts this year, I will be disgusted
Mini-Rant over