538 replies to this topic

[The Parksider]

The ground has only been open for one season and the attendances at Salford have gone up for three straight years. Perhaps there is still some mileage in the new ground effect.

Perhaps? I think you get the point.

No.... forget "last 3 years" it was a trick you fell for.

One year had that 10K last crowd in it to skew it.

Up to the ground closing attendances steadily fell/stagnated.

[Ant]

Why hasn't it stopped all the other clubs that have grown support and played Friday nights.

Friday night may not suit you, but it suits me fine. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it doesn't suit everyone.

Which other teams play almost exclusively on a Friday night?

I'd suggest the ones with best crowds are the ones with most success, the success meaning people will come no matter the time.

Id suggest it really only suits a small demographic of the RL world, but people will make exceptions to follow a successful club or they a die hard supporters anyway.

Floating fans won't make those accommodations so without success you won't gain major crowd increases...

[shrek]

Which other teams play almost exclusively on a Friday night?

I'd suggest the ones with best crowds are the ones with most success, the success meaning people will come no matter the time.

Id suggest it really only suits a small demographic of the RL world, but people will make exceptions to follow a successful club or they a die hard supporters anyway.

Floating fans won't make those accommodations so without success you won't gain major crowd increases...

There's pros and cons on both sides, for me there's a valid debate to be had around kick off times and the final decision should be taken out of the clubs hands as to what day they play on and should be a strategic decision made by the governing body. There's a whole host of considerations such as media coverage (paper deadlines are pretty tight on Fridays for inclusion on Saturday), robbing TV matches of potential viewers by going head to head with them, risking losing Sunday afternoon local radio coverage due to a lack of things to cover are just a few off the top of my head.

On the flip side you've player welfare and the fact crowds are growing, obviously we'll never know if or how quickly they'd have grown if we'd only moved TV games from the Sunday slots, not unless any of you have a crystal ball!

[Griff]

....paper deadlines are pretty tight on Fridays for inclusion on Saturday......

Funny. I have no problem finding reports of the previous evening's soccer games.

[Bulliac]

Yes they did, you nicely missed off the purchase of the lease for "iconic" Odsal and the 'cough' "market value" rental terms.

An asset they still hold incidentally, which they wouldn't (as in refused to) sell on to the new management.

As the original sale of the lease was ostensibly to prevent people who didn't have the best interests of RL at heart from gaining control , I suppose in a couple of years they will hopefully feel able to sell the the lease to OK Bulls. As they have already turned down the price they paid for it, plus received rent, it seems like the RFL have actually got a decent deal. Still, carry on as you are and don't let the facts spoil a good rant.

[shrek]

Funny. I have no problem finding reports of the previous evening's soccer games.

Lucky them, not sure what the deadlines are for written copy but some Nationals won't take pictures after 8.30pm.

[JohnM]

Problem solved. See here

[Segovia Carpet]

I`d go with Salford Butlers at a pinch JM - can you fix it?

[JohnM]

You may be wrongly confusing me with Jim wot fixes it. Did you know by the way that the Met have now arrested the whole of the 1970s?

[TheMancunianCandidate]

There isn't enough young talent to go round.

Believe me, there is.

Salford & Manchester have a combined population of approaching 3/4 Million people. There is lots of talent here. It's just a matter of looking in the correct places.

Wythenshawe, in the south of the city, has a population of approx 85k, which is bigger than most traditional 'rugby league towns'.

The phrase about leading a horse to water and not drinking when referring to the Reds springs to mind.

[The Parksider]

Believe me, there is.

Salford & Manchester have a combined population of approaching 3/4 Million people. There is lots of talent here. It's just a matter of looking in the correct places.

Wythenshawe, in the south of the city, has a population of approx 85k, which is bigger than most traditional 'rugby league towns'.

I don’t understand your post in any practical way whatsoever?

You may mean that if everyone played Rugby League and all other sports and pastimes were banned we’d beat the Australians all the time and have 200 professional clubs.

But I don’t know of anyone from Wythenshaw playing RL and going on to turn professional.

I do know from a lifetime of experience that in a free country that RL is the choice of a minority of people. The games too tough to ever spread with any popularity, even the historically geographically spread union sees massive drops in numbers playing at the clubs, with “fourhs” and “thirds” closing.

Only where the game is successful historically and successful in Superleague can any club turn out a professional quality local born first XV11. That’s in places like Hull, Wigan, St.Helens, and Leeds. Even the Bulls massive success post 1995 hasn’t seen participation levels rocket that much, and where a club is in decline like Widnes post 1994 the local junior scene can decline just as alarmingly.

That is the situation in practice, that any club even with an army of volunteers can change en masse the mindset of the mass of kids who don’t want to favour high contact sport over soccer in particular is positive thinking yes, but…

As for Salford even in their early seventies hey day the players were all but Sammy Turnbull shipped in from here there and everywhere. Building a winning side like that necessitated a club not just to spend money, but the biggest money. Today no SL club can outspend another. No SL club that cannot match the salary cap can obtain quality talent, no club at all that cannot pay £1.6M in wages a year can hold onto the talent that is in short supply and always will be.

[The Future is League]

Wilco hopeful of new owners within 1 week
http://www.thesun.co...team-alive.html

[Trojan]

2010, Wakey in trouble, 2011 Crusaders drop out, 2012, Bulls almost fold, 2013 Salford on the brink. Who's next? Cas? Hull KR? More of the wonderful success stories of Super League since licensing!

[roughyedspud]

its not the licensing process that has caused clubs to be badly managed......

[41hound]

"Inside a week we may have something in place. The business plan and budget for 2013 are robust. I’m very confident we can make a profit.”

We have had this sort of thing since September ( and for years to be honest! ) and still nothing actually in place. Since our "home" game at Leigh debacle v Wakefield its been speculation and hints.I think I will reserve my opinion until we see some names to these backers - until then its all talk ...

[ArmchairRhino]

Bradford have raided crisis club Salford to complete their latest acquisition for Super League XVIII.


Oof!

http://www.sportingl...woop-for-sidlow

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

its not the licensing process that has caused clubs to be badly managed......

No - they always were.

[TwoBlues]

its not the licensing process that has caused clubs to be badly managed......

I don't think lasting 30 years as owner of a rugby league club would give much credence to suggesting John Wilkinson has badly managed a rugby league club,despite poor attendances.Perhaps the requirement of a new stadia during a doube-dip recession,banking crisis and job losses in construction played a small part.
Of course,some clubs with/using an iconic stadium like Bradford were exempt from the requirement.
Always nice to see owners who abdicate their responsibilities - from Wrexham to Bradford walk away without even the slightest admonishment.
Strange how the person who introduced the licensing has been chief executive at two liquidated clubs.He does seem to have a propensity for 'restricting trade'.

[The Parksider]

2010, Wakey in trouble, 2011 Crusaders drop out, 2012, Bulls almost fold, 2013 Salford on the brink. Who's next? Cas? Hull KR? More of the wonderful success stories of Super League since licensing!

Leigh in trouble, Bramley Blackpool and Huyton gone, rochdale and york closed, swinton and hunslet shadows of their former selves. Oldham disaster.

More of the wonderful breathtaking success stories of semi professional Rugby

Edited by The Parksider, 14 December 2012 - 01:26 PM.

[The Parksider]

I don't think lasting 30 years as owner of a rugby league club would give much credence to suggesting John Wilkinson has badly managed a rugby league club,

Really ????

How else do you explain their struggles then??

Did you not know that when a club does well it's "well managed" and when a club does badly it's "badly managed".

Could not be simpler could it.

Just manage all your problems away.