HALIFAX PANTHERS are hoping progress on the pitch will lead to more fans coming through the turnstiles.
Having beaten Swinton 30-22 at home on Sunday, Kyle Eastmond’s side have trips to Oldham (this Sunday), Dewsbury (Sunday 19) and Sheffield (Sunday, August 2) before they are back on home turf to face Barrow on Sunday, August 9.
And having wiped out the twelve-point deduction which followed their return to action after the liquidation of the former club, director Adam Butterfield is hoping the second-bottom Panthers are closer to the clubs above them in the table by the time the Cumbrians come to town.
While the best gate since the launch of the current club is 2,123 for the April visit of Oldham, 1,603 saw the recent 50-12 defeat by Doncaster and 1,429 came to watch the Swinton tie.
“We are running on a tight budget, and this year was always going to be hard, so we need the fans,” Butterfield told the Halifax Courier.
“It is far better for the players when they are playing in front of 2,000 rather than 1,000.
“Let’s hope the team can deliver some quality on the pitch and the fans come down.”