What Do French Clubs Offer SL - an objective assessment

[Oxford]

16 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Nah, the poster was talking in terms of us (Super League) and them, regarding Catalans. Its us and them when it suits people to be that way and is almost exclusively the reductive way of looking at the world. Ironically they will be the same people crying foul when other clubs take the same approach towards them.

Ducking and diving is the new keeping two contradictory ideas in your 'ed.

[Damien]

4 minutes ago, Steve Slater said:

Toulouse is a very popular annual away trip for many Championship fans while Toronto was too pricey for many, and couldn't easily be done in a weekend. I suspect also that Toronto would have been a place that most travelling away fans visited once, or at best very infrequently. The other thing to consider is whether many fans, either SL, Championship or L1, have replaced their habitual Wembley Weekend with foreign away trips? Is this a good thing or not?

I think that happened a long time ago. Others have also replaced the Challenge Cup final as an outing/meet up with the Grand Final. This is what happens when you continually sell events to the same group of people, it is inevitable that people have to pick and choose.

[Robin Evans]

15 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

Yes , I know it was ' us ' and ' them ' Internationally , but it's still the same , just at different levels , it's like all the Toronto vitriol , France is doable for expansion , Transatlantic probably isn't , but suggest that and you're anti all expansion anywhere and everywhere 

Absolutely 

[Scubby]

16 minutes ago, Steve Slater said:

Toulouse is a very popular annual away trip for many Championship fans while Toronto was too pricey for many, and couldn't easily be done in a weekend. I suspect also that Toronto would have been a place that most travelling away fans visited once, or at best very infrequently. The other thing to consider is whether many fans, either SL, Championship or L1, have replaced their habitual Wembley Weekend with foreign away trips? Is this a good thing or not?

Good points. It also tells us that we need to expand the market or die. We cannot keep expecting to sell to the same shrinking group of M62 supporters again, and again and again. It is not 1988 anymore, the competition for leisure time is huge. 

[Robin Evans]

20 minutes ago, Steve Slater said:

Toulouse is a very popular annual away trip for many Championship fans while Toronto was too pricey for many, and couldn't easily be done in a weekend. I suspect also that Toronto would have been a place that most travelling away fans visited once, or at best very infrequently. The other thing to consider is whether many fans, either SL, Championship or L1, have replaced their habitual Wembley Weekend with foreign away trips? Is this a good thing or not?

Yes. 

Toronto was an excellent weekend enjoyed by everyone I've spoken to about their trip. At well over a grand a go, I couldn't justify that expense more regularly and the impact of jet lag (on me) for just the weekend was significant. I didn't know my elbow from any other part of my anatomy for a week!!

Its perhaps something I would do once every five years.... whereas toulouse is the first fixture I look for when they are released in December. 

[JohnM]

An objective assessment?   

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, JohnM said:

An objective assessment?   

Quite, it really shouldn't have taken 6 pages for this 

[rlfan2020]

20 hours ago, PEANUT HEAD said:

So it needs to be answered and don't give me that every away game is a flight away, fans don't need to go to every away game they don't go to any, I was at Wembley when they played saints there following was abysmal, yet SL teams take on average say about a 1000 fans to cats.

Well said. As some not admit the facts of overseas clubs not having away fans. Happy with the one sided way of things

[Damien]

1 minute ago, rlfan2020 said:

Well said. As some not admit the facts of overseas clubs not having away fans. Happy with the one sided way of things

I've not seen anyone dispute that overseas clubs don't bring many away fans. You are making that up. What people do dispute is whether that should matter in an elite fully professional sports league. If a club getting £1.8 million in central funding cant cope with £10-20k in lost revenue from a single game then I think most question whether they are what Super League really needs.

Also please change your username to rlfan1960, its more fitting.

[Scubby]

9 minutes ago, rlfan2020 said:

Well said. As some not admit the facts of overseas clubs not having away fans. Happy with the one sided way of things

You will be lucky to see 300 away fans at many night televised games that aren't doorstep derbies. The world is changing - supporters are no longer travelling regularly to away games in great numbers.  

[Gooleboy]

51 minutes ago, Scubby said:

You will be lucky to see 300 away fans at many night televised games that aren't doorstep derbies. The world is changing - supporters are no longer travelling regularly to away games in great numbers.  

Agree regarding the night games, some Championship teams have a good away following as the games are on a Sunday afternoon and a day out can be made of the trip. 

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, yipyee said:

Better tell the NFL transatlantic isnt possible as that is what they are building to

So you are comparing SL to the NFL ? , Mmmm ok 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Steve Slater said:

Toulouse is a very popular annual away trip for many Championship fans while Toronto was too pricey for many, and couldn't easily be done in a weekend. I suspect also that Toronto would have been a place that most travelling away fans visited once, or at best very infrequently. The other thing to consider is whether many fans, either SL, Championship or L1, have replaced their habitual Wembley Weekend with foreign away trips? Is this a good thing or not?

I have friends who follow  ( loosely ) Wigan , they made much to my wife and myself that they went to Barcelona to watch them , they had booked to go to Toronto this year ( although the girls in the party said they'd probably not bother with the game ) along with calling into NY on the way , they haven't been to a home game in years 

Real supporters , they don't even have SKY , but watch on a ' dodgy ' 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

Good points. It also tells us that we need to expand the market or die. We cannot keep expecting to sell to the same shrinking group of M62 supporters again, and again and again. It is not 1988 anymore, the competition for leisure time is huge. 

True , but there is no reason the supporters around the M62 should shrink , it needs to grow , and as much effort into that should be done as elsewhere 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Why do people think it’s the job of Toulouse to fill other teams stadiums?

Its the job of the home team to sell tickets and fill their stadium, if they can’t do that they shouldn’t be in Super League.

[GUBRATS]

32 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

Agree regarding the night games, some Championship teams have a good away following as the games are on a Sunday afternoon and a day out can be made of the trip. 

And are not televised , if I was in control of a Championship club I would be doing all I could to encourage away support both from my club and away clubs visiting , to the point of subsidising travel 

It isnt just a numbers game , it is an atmosphere issue as well , which then creates a better match experience for the home fans as well , which is why I am very much against any firm of live broadcasting of regular lower tier matches , even streaming , but am very much in favour of a highlights show 

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Why do people think it’s the job of Toulouse to fill other teams stadiums?

Its the job of the home team to sell tickets and fill their stadium, if they can’t do that they shouldn’t be in Super League.

They don't 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

26 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

I have friends who follow  ( loosely ) Wigan , they made much to my wife and myself that they went to Barcelona to watch them , they had booked to go to Toronto this year ( although the girls in the party said they'd probably not bother with the game ) along with calling into NY on the way , they haven't been to a home game in years 

Real supporters , they don't even have SKY , but watch on a ' dodgy ' 

People want to attend big events, rugby league needs more of them. Hopefully the RLWC2021 can capitalise on this, if it’s only die hard RL fans attending it’ll be an absolute flop. 

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

People want to attend big events, rugby league needs more of them. Hopefully the RLWC2021 can capitalise on this, if it’s only die hard RL fans attending it’ll be an absolute flop. 

Unless Wigan are playing , they won't be going 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

10 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Unless Wigan are playing , they won't be going 

What an insulated small town attitude. Internationals are certainly the way to draw in people who are not usually fans, not just in rugby league in any sport.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

What an insulated small town attitude. Internationals are certainly the way to draw in people who are not usually fans, not just in rugby league in any sport.

As I put earlier , when the Catalans beat Wigan in the Cup semi , for the 1 at new Wembley final , I went on a coach from Wigan , there were a lot who'd booked pre semi , so they went to London on the coach , but didn't go to the game , they went shopping instead 

[Bleep1673]

They can land a decent sized plane at Barton Airport, and play a reformed Irlam Hornets,

[Niels]

33 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

And are not televised , if I was in control of a Championship club I would be doing all I could to encourage away support both from my club and away clubs visiting , to the point of subsidising travel 

It isnt just a numbers game , it is an atmosphere issue as well , which then creates a better match experience for the home fans as well , which is why I am very much against any firm of live broadcasting of regular lower tier matches , even streaming , but am very much in favour of a highlights show 

I agree that the armosphere is so much better with away fans. Both inside the ground and on tv. 

I watch the Scottish football and there the clubs are reliant on the away followings of Celtic and Rangers and even give up home supporters stands to accommodate them. For my favourite side it is either do this or be unable to buy players good enough to stay in the top league.

It's not so much being reliant as being clever to maximise profits from away fans to give the city a competitive team. 

I suspect it may be the same for some rugby sides. 

[Damien]

RL fans shouldn't even be the target audience for this World Cup. They will come and lap it up regardless. Its the new or casual fan should be who the event organisers are going after who want to see and be part of a big event.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, Niels said:

I agree that the armosphere is so much better with away fans. Both inside the ground and on tv. 

I watch the Scottish football and there the clubs are reliant on the away followings of Celtic and Rangers and even give up home supporters stands to accommodate them. For my favourite side it is either do this or be unable to buy players good enough to stay in the top league.

It's not so much being reliant as being clever to maximise profits from away fans to give the city a competitive team. 

I suspect it may be the same for some rugby sides. 

Not many lower tier clubs get anywhere near their stadium capacities , so atmospheres at matches can suffer , add a few hundred noisy ( away fans usually ' work ' harder to compensate ) away supporters can make any match feel more of an event , and therefore a better experience for all