LINNERS

It might not be the Lingard move to everyone else, but it certainly is to us.

Aye it can't be easy to run a championship club but they don't seem to have learnt a lot from last seasons tribulations. Still, hope they manage to find a way to carry on.

If you have entered the competition then you will have received an update on it today.

Coming home with a wet sail.

Still over 100 left in so at least 161. Think Dewsbury might have a lot to say in who wins it.

61 are out and drawn games are classed as a loss.

London providing the first shock on the opening weekend of fixtures.

Been a joy to watch in a Batley shirt. Hopefully plenty more to come!

Hope it's nothing too serious and you're back up at the Mount soon watching Batley.

From memory I think we won the game, but could be wrong. 2.5k still a decent turn out of local folk.

You'd struggle to entice a full estate of people next to a premier league football ground to a game, so it would be unrealistic to assume more than 10% (which would be a good return) would fancy going to a championship rugby game across the road.

I wonder what percentage of our fan base still live in Batley. There's surrounding towns which may have potential rugby league fans, Morley, Spen Valley etc. I guess it's one thing providing free or reduced entry, and another thing advertising it in a way that it is effective. Always a struggle for a club like Batley which doesn't have unlimited resources. I actually thought the 3k+ we got at home to a poorly supported Sheffield when it was free was a good effort. How do we tap into getting those 3k to return. The support is obviously there.

I've been going 25/30 years and it's always been difficult to attract the casual supporter. You either like rugby league or you don't. Same issues as any other sport that isn't football. The crowds have been constant all throughout that period and you see the same mix of young and old at every game.

Speak for yourself BSJ. I agree it is tough times, but it's been tough times at this level forever and a day. I get as much enjoyment out of it now as the first time I went, and long may that continue.

Could still go either way, but it's looking good at the moment. Certainly not quite the doom and gloom situation that was being painted by some at the beginning of the campaign.