Where are the Eagles going?

[Mandamus]

Writing as a concerned Eagles fan, I'm a little worried where the club is going and wondered what others thoughts were.

Aspirations: What are these? Obviously Superleague, but we all know this is out of the clubs hands and lies soley with the RFL, so if no Superleage then what? Other clubs have expressed their desire to be in Superleague, and if not then they will continue to aspire to be the biggest club outside Superleague, what about the Eagles?

Fans: We all know this one, we don't have enough. What are the club doing to ensure we make maximum use of Bramall Lane? I haven't heard anything regards the fact todays game falls on Mothers Day, why aren't I allowed to bring my mum to the game for a quid? The message board is become a morgue, very rarely does anything happen, when it does it generally decends into a squabble. Nothing has been written in the build up to what is a massive game today, no predictions, no speculations of squad selections, does anyone care? I can't see much in the way of advertisement about the Bramall Lane switch, and if we don't get the big crowds in will we be able to stay there?

Marketing: Been said time and time again, but are the club marketing the game as they should? Are they investing in the right areas to ensure that the game increases? I realise it's all chicken and egg, if we get the fans in then there's money to invest in marketing, and if we invest in marketing we'll get the fans in etc etc but 10 years in I would have hoped for a much increased fan base. I'm sure someone has the Average Gate stats over the last years, but of these how many are home fans?

No one can knock the club with their commitment to community and scholarship programmes which they were rightly rewarded for last year, but turning up to games time and time again where we are outnumbered by away fans has to make other people worry too. Bramall Lane could be our saviour, or it could be the same people just sat in a different place.

I am expecting the usual response of 'getting off my backside to help', but at the end of the day I'm a fan, not an employee. I work hard during the week and like to chill out by going along to watch some rugby, and I don't think that stops me being a fan. I like to go for a meal every now and then, but I don't expect to have to go and cook the thing myself to help them out in the kitchens.

It's a geniune worry that if we don't see crowds increase, and the club grow, will the same people who put the money into the club continue to do so? We're lucky as a club to have such a great corporate backing, but can this alone sustain the club??

Thoughts?! I'm sure there'll be plenty!

[West Country Eagle]

Haven't got time to go through and answer all your concerns, but quickly:

1. Yes, we need to do more marketing, but budgets are VERY tight. We are one of the only clubs in the Championship who live within our means and we need to keep it that way. A lot is spent on development and community work, but that money is raised separately/ringfenced. I know for certain that the club are doing a lot to market the first game at Brammall Lane (v Fev).

2. The club's reason for being is to develop RL in Sheffield. We're doing that

[Grey Beard]

Yesterday was I feel a marketing opportunity missed. As it was Mother's Day, why couldn't we have taken our ladies along for a nominal admission fee? If nothing else, given the noise that my wife, daughter and granddaughter and indeed most ladies make then the noise levels would have been a few decibels higher lol.