Attendances

[town4me]

Paper gives yesterdays attendance as 509.  It was worse up the road who had 375! You have to give credit to the people running these club's on these crowd's.  Ok yesterdays two visiting clubs aren't  top opposition  but is worrying to see crowds like this. Just how do the clubs improve them?

[DavidM]

Huge huge issue for the clubs and one that's been coming to a head for many years. 

[Guest]

What a sad state of affairs, no club can continue with a crowd below 500, local amateur clubs in local derby's will attract bigger crowds than 375, and the NCL clubs will treble that number, so both Coventry and Hemel games will be played at a loss if they don't look to attract more spectators, think its a long term problem for championship clubs that they have to keep working at.

[town4me]

1 hour ago, DavidM said:

Huge huge issue for the clubs and one that's been coming to a head for many years. 

It certainly is going to come to a head at this rate David. 

[townie88]

Surely mothers day will have had a big effect on yesterday's gate? I'd like to think we will average the 700+ mark this year

[Town Army]

40 minutes ago, townie88 said:

Surely mothers day will have had a big effect on yesterday's gate? I'd like to think we will average the 700+ mark this year

Apart from Haven, Barrow and Toronto home games I'd be very suprised if we get a crowd anywhere near that figure.

[Town Army]

2 hours ago, BIG MAC said:

What a sad state of affairs, no club can continue with a crowd below 500, local amateur clubs in local derby's will attract bigger crowds than 375, and the NCL clubs will treble that number, so both Coventry and Hemel games will be played at a loss if they don't look to attract more spectators, think its a long term problem for championship clubs that they have to keep working at.

None of the 3 NCL clubs get anywhere near 1k crowds unless they are playing each other 

[Guest]

that's what I meant. but they easley get over 350 at normal games,

[moorside roughyed]

I'm under the impression that crowd numbers are a concern throughout the game.With the exception of a couple of clubs in the championship the crowd numbers make for grim reading so in league 1 I'd assume it must be worse.Why are people walking away from the game?.I wish I knew.This is a rugby league problem.

[Ginock1]

9 hours ago, Town Army said:

Apart from Haven, Barrow and Toronto home games I'd be very suprised if we get a crowd anywhere near that figure.

Newcastle crowd was 600+, Gloucester on mother's day 500 or so so it's possible,all I try to do is just keep spreading the word to friends,try get them to go to a game,some have come and enjoyed it too,but more for the crack than anything else.

No point just preaching to the converted though,

How other than the press how do town market the club GMcK ? Was a review of marketing part of the 20 point plan ? 

[itsonly6year]

Simple cut the price, Super League tickets are near enough the same

[town4me]

2 hours ago, itsonly6year said:

Simple cut the price, Super League tickets are near enough the same

I think clubs budget on a set crowd figure so cutting the prices would be difficult.

[Derwent]

Clubs can't rely just on gate money anymore, that's why it's important for them to try and generate income outside of the game. Things like the pop concert they are putting on can generate good money if well supported.

[Guest]

Get the local schools and amateur clubs to put teams together to play prior to the games and at half time, generate interest from the bottom up from these youngsters, give them a day to remember, they are the future players and supporters of the clubs,

[Guest]

And if the parents want to accompany the kids let them in for half price, hopefully this will also encourage them to attend, more money the better.

[DavidM]

3 hours ago, itsonly6year said:

Simple cut the price, Super League tickets are near enough the same

Is it an old chestnut that lower prices means higher crowds ? I don't know 

[itsonly6year]

56 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Is it an old chestnut that lower prices means higher crowds ? I don't know 

it is an old chestnut yeah... I understand that the club needs money but a lot of people don't justify paying 15quid to watch Semi Professional rugby... but I agree with big mac too, get the youngsters a curtain raiser or a half time game this therefore will get there parents through the gate also encouraging the youngsters to follow town if there well looked after

[miaow]

from experience the youth teams and the board are doing their best to look at this, the problem lies with getting the fixtures lined up seaton u16 only have 1 date in the whole season that would be do able and that's if they get a home draw in a cup fixture

 

so its not through lack of trying the board and some of the youth clubs are working on it

[Guest]

Think they should be looking at younger age groups like u9s 7s ect,

[moorside roughyed]

I think we need to refind the community spirit. Not just in sport,you hear so many stories of people not knowing their next-door neighbor. Rugby league was founded on the community spirit.

[Scaryport lad]

Send 50 tickets to every School in the area from Junior up to Comprehensive with free admission for the Kids if accompanied by an adult.Also maybe a reduced price for Students or some sort of promotion at the college and also Gen 2 as that is also an age group the club need to encourage to get down to Derwent Park.

Free Kids generate a crowd which in turn generates an atmosphere,it makes a big difference to the Reds when they run a promotion or invite a School along and they end up spending money in the club shop and  on Refreshment's which provides an income stream.Rugby League is a great day out we just need to sell it better.

[Worky]

So Rugby League fans (not just Town) say

• League 1 is a waste of time. Half the clubs aren't real clubs. Relegation to League 1 will be the death of the club. etc etc 
• It's only fair that every club joins the bottom semi-pro division. Meaning that Toronto and last year Toulouse with miles more resources than most of the other clubs are pretty much nailed on to grab the top spot before the ball is kicked.
• Everything the RFL do is a farce.

And then wonder why no-one bothers to turn up!?!

I used to live in the Midlands and regularly made the trip to Telford Raiders and Coventry Bears. So I'm quite excited about seeing some of the Conference teams make it up into the semi-pro division. I already have June 25th penciled on the calendar and a few non-Rugby League ex-colleagues have said they might come and see the famous Town play. I also liked the All Golds brand of Rugby League on Sunday even if they weren't quite at the same level as the more established clubs yet.

I also support Toronto joining us (providing the financial risk is with Toronto) but wonder why what looks like a mid-table Championship Club has to start in League 1.

----

Purely related to Town.

Whats the craic with the kick off time? I dashed back from Glasgow on Sunday by Train. If Northern Rail had been on time I would have had 3 minutes to walk between the station and Derwent Park. As it was we were 10 minutes late.

Have we looked at how this affects casual Town fans from along the coast to Carlisle or away fans who no longer live in their home town to get the supporters bus? If we volunteer to change kick off times to say 15:20 would Northern place an advert in the local paper of the away club? 

 

[Route66]

Haven't been to watch town for years but still look out for their results, to be honest at £15 don't think I'll be going either,on the more positive note crowds will turn out to see a winning team I remember watching town at Salford when Ray Ashton was coach at the start of the season with probably less than 50 town fans by the end of that season a couple of thousand went to the same venue  with around 6000 at home for the replay 

[town4me]

40 minutes ago, Route66 said:

Haven't been to watch town for years but still look out for their results, to be honest at £15 don't think I'll be going either,on the more positive note crowds will turn out to see a winning team I remember watching town at Salford when Ray Ashton was coach at the start of the season with probably less than 50 town fans by the end of that season a couple of thousand went to the same venue  with around 6000 at home for the replay 

Yes a winning team would bring fans back  but that would take real investment. So the whole thing becomes a chicken and egg situation.  

[Seaton Sandy]

1 hour ago, Worky said:

So Rugby League fans (not just Town) say

• League 1 is a waste of time. Half the clubs aren't real clubs. Relegation to League 1 will be the death of the club. etc etc 
• It's only fair that every club joins the bottom semi-pro division. Meaning that Toronto and last year Toulouse with miles more resources than most of the other clubs are pretty much nailed on to grab the top spot before the ball is kicked.
• Everything the RFL do is a farce.

And then wonder why no-one bothers to turn up!?!

I used to live in the Midlands and regularly made the trip to Telford Raiders and Coventry Bears. So I'm quite excited about seeing some of the Conference teams make it up into the semi-pro division. I already have June 25th penciled on the calendar and a few non-Rugby League ex-colleagues have said they might come and see the famous Town play. I also liked the All Golds brand of Rugby League on Sunday even if they weren't quite at the same level as the more established clubs yet.

I also support Toronto joining us (providing the financial risk is with Toronto) but wonder why what looks like a mid-table Championship Club has to start in League 1.

----

Purely related to Town.

Whats the craic with the kick off time? I dashed back from Glasgow on Sunday by Train. If Northern Rail had been on time I would have had 3 minutes to walk between the station and Derwent Park. As it was we were 10 minutes late.

Have we looked at how this affects casual Town fans from along the coast to Carlisle or away fans who no longer live in their home town to get the supporters bus? If we volunteer to change kick off times to say 15:20 would Northern place an advert in the local paper of the away club? 

 

Always good to acquire a fan from outside the so-called hot- bed of Rugby League but I am struggling to embrace some of your theories. The R.F.L. are a basket case and make Sep Blatter look like a model of good practice. Rugby league, at all levels ,prevails in spite of the hierarchy and not because of it. I was born and bred a couple of miles from D.P. but during the 4 years I spent in Newcastle and subsequently the 40 odd years living north of Carlisle I always made it to the game somehow .Tinkering with kick off times won't bring the punters back. Despite gloomy predictions our local amateurs consistently turn over sides in the " heartlands" and this is our strength.  I recall a quote from the inimitable Boxer Walker back in the day when he lamented the prospect of Town surviving on gates of less than 3000 !  Well we're still hanging in there ,just,but we need to engage with those locals-- players and the community in general to translate West Cumbrian excellence into a Town side that can reclaim it's place in the higher level of Rugby League