northernbloke wrote:
Can’t disagree with that at all, a winning team is always going to get more fans.
But a winning team playing against known RL names eg, Leeds wigan Warrington are always going to draw more than winning against Batley dewsbury and workington
When Wigan, St Helens or Leeds came to town, there was maybe 2 or 3 extra coaches......so 200 more fans than say Wakefield or Wire that came down by coach. Yet, the attendances were significantly higher, (2,000)which points to either more fans making their way south, or expat northern monkeys living in the smoke rocking up to see their "home" town play.
I for one subscribe to the latter scenario and have always said that this is our target audience.......not ANZACS, who to a man will be seen wearing a Wallabies or All Blacks shirt and very rarely the RL equivalent.......neither those who play the amateur game....but expat northerners, who make up the vast majority of our current ST holders are the ones who bring mates.....just Like I was brought by a northerner!
We need to build a match day experience......I remember after match parties at the Stoop and Griffin Park with a decent covers band and 600 or so folk happy to party.....that's the stuff that get's people to come back......not some flat capped northerner shouting "forward" at every set........even losing sides in London have attracted 3,500 averages in SL (2004)...4 home wins and yet we still pulled them in........kind of dumps on your "winning side" scenario that does.....3,500 people at 16 home games paying a score each is a million......not enough to cover Hughes's investment, but it would give us a fair crack at self sufficiency.......but if we vanish back to the 2nd tier this season, we will be lucky to get 500 in 2020......these are the harsh realities of life with our current owner.