37 replies to this topic

[BBR]

Baseball is anther sport who is more concerned with % full than overall attendance. Most newly built stadiums in baseball are smaller in capacity than the one they are replacing.

Didn't a number of teams play a game on the raod in early SL?

Or did I dream that up?

If so, what sort of crowds/places did that achieve?

[Johnoco]

Didn't a number of teams play a game on the raod in early SL?

Or did I dream that up?

If so, what sort of crowds/places did that achieve?

The 'On the Road' games were in 1998 and whilst not outstanding, the crowds were half decent IIRC. There was the odd OTR game after this but it seemed to fizzle out.

Could be time for another shot?

[Lobbygobbler]

If similar RU GP games can get 50k then there is not reason why this couldn't sell out if marketed as the "big one"

Much more sensible than Saints playing Cas at Anfield (what a dumb idea that was)

This fixture has become much more high profile in the last couple of years

[Futtocks]

The 'On the Road' games were in 1998 and whilst not outstanding, the crowds were half decent IIRC. There was the odd OTR game after this but it seemed to fizzle out.

Could be time for another shot?

I remember a few of those OTR matches, notably Wigan v Saints at Swansea. A decent-sized and very appreciative crowd, but it wasn't followed up at the time.

[Maximus Decimus]

I think this is a great idea, but I think we should be happy with anything over 20,000.

I remember the game at Anfield and I remember it being very well advertised on the radio. Ironically though I remember it being the first time I realised that RL wasn't as big as I'd thought it was. I had no idea of what attendance figures were like at the time and seeing a vastly empty Anfield made RL look really small time.

it is a peculiar thing only seen in british rugby fans, they watch the stadium not the players, always seems odd to me. loads of stadiums in the nrl are hardly ever full, no one says a word, yet here a 30,000 crowd in a 45,000 stadium can make us look bad?

This is just simply not true.

The Aussies are always going on about homebush looking empty for big games. It just happens so often that a bit like Harlequins games people don't really talk about it anymore. Just today I watched a game with 34,000 people there but it looked massively empty, it's not a good image for a sport to portray. It looks like the game isn't popular or well followed which subconsciously makes the sport look like one that is not worth following.

The opposite is also true, I watched my first game of Gaelic football as a kid because I was flicking through and saw that it was watched by a large, passionate crowd so I gave it a chance because I thought there must be something to it if so many people like it.

[Derwent]

Wendall late with the news again, I posted this days ago on the other thread about Saints playing at Widnes...

http://www.totalrl.c...c...t=0&start=0

[Johnoco]

The opposite is also true, I watched my first game of Gaelic football as a kid because I was flicking through and saw that it was watched by a large, passionate crowd so I gave it a chance because I thought there must be something to it if so many people like it.

But I see plenty of GAA games on TV and loads of them have half empty stadiums too.

[Maximus Decimus]

But I see plenty of GAA games on TV and loads of them have half empty stadiums too.

My point was that on one occasion seeing a big crowd made me think that it was worth watching. It might have hooked me, it didn't but I gave it a chance whereas had it been played in a massive bowl I probably wouldn't have.

I personally think the crowd goes a long way to presenting an image of the game. The sport itself isn't enough. a vibrant, packed crowd gives off the impression that it is something worth watching. Personally I think a 15,000 sellout gives a better image of the game than 20,000 in a 40,000 stadium.

[skep155]

We just have to be clever about which parts of Goodison we open, leave the top tier of that big 3 tiered stand closed for starters.

[TheDuke]

could they play in a one off everton style shirt to attract the home fans?

only a thought

[bobbruce]

could they play in a one off everton style shirt to attract the home fans?

only a thought

I don't know about Everton style but Saints current away strip is blue and I think their original kit was blue and White stripes.

[Johnoco]

Personally I think a 15,000 sellout gives a better image of the game than 20,000 in a 40,000 stadium.

Usually I would agree with you but when it comes to OTR games, I think it's more important to get numbers through the gate and hence potential new fans. So whilst 20K in a 40K stadium might look bad in one respect, its several more thousand than would usually watch the game.

[Jerry the Berry]

Well the game will not sell out so there will be loads of empty seats but so what? What's worse, generating a 20K+ crowd and having a lot of spare seats or not bothering and having the usual 10K or whatever? saracens took some games to Wembley last season....did I once hear people slating them for not selling it out? No, only people praising the attendance. So why do we in RL automatically focus on the negative and panic about what someone may or may not think about us?

Spot on.

[Northern Sol]

My point was that on one occasion seeing a big crowd made me think that it was worth watching. It might have hooked me, it didn't but I gave it a chance whereas had it been played in a massive bowl I probably wouldn't have.

I personally think the crowd goes a long way to presenting an image of the game. The sport itself isn't enough. a vibrant, packed crowd gives off the impression that it is something worth watching. Personally I think a 15,000 sellout gives a better image of the game than 20,000 in a 40,000 stadium.

I must admit that GAA does look a pretty good sport to watch (not that I pretend to understand it), I've never given the crowd a moment's consideration.

[foozler]

Between them Saints and Wire should be able to get 20,000 to Goodison which is a good start. Maybe a deal to get Toffee season ticket holders along would help, say discounted rate of £10 per adult st holder and kids go free?

Maybe they could get some of the junior Liverpool clubs on the field at half time to show there is somewhere for kids to go along and play.

With regards to the previous game at Anfield, let's be honest Castleford are hardly going to whet the appetite of die hard Sint Helliners let alone soccer mad Scousers.

[Matt J]

A packed Goodison Park would be an awesome RL atmosphere, thought it before and that England should play a match there.

[Maximus Decimus]

Between them Saints and Wire should be able to get 20,000 to Goodison which is a good start. Maybe a deal to get Toffee season ticket holders along would help, say discounted rate of £10 per adult st holder and kids go free?

Maybe they could get some of the junior Liverpool clubs on the field at half time to show there is somewhere for kids to go along and play.

With regards to the previous game at Anfield, let's be honest Castleford are hardly going to whet the appetite of die hard Sint Helliners let alone soccer mad Scousers.

You'd have thought that a game at Anfield where they were offering cheap tickets would have whet the appetite to the tune of more than 12,000.

They should definitely include the youngsters on the pitch at half time and batter the schools, giving kids £5 tickets or free entry.

[Maximus Decimus]

I must admit that GAA does look a pretty good sport to watch (not that I pretend to understand it), I've never given the crowd a moment's consideration.

The fact that it's usually a big, passionate crowd might subconsciously have something to do with it.

I sort of understand it but I always like watching sports like that when the crowd go mad about some foul play but you're sat there wondering what he did wrong.