Man of Kent Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 3 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said: Opposite you will be a completely empty stand of blue and yellow seats spelling out THE DONS. Behind that, blocks of flats. I thought about posting a photo but I want to leave something to the imagination. Whereas at Ealing you'd be looking at no stand at all, plastic perimeter railing and a sort-of wendyhouse for the coaching staff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 2 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Whereas at Ealing you'd be looking at no stand at all, plastic perimeter railing and a sort-of wendyhouse for the coaching staff... Again, you seem to be confusing Plough Lane with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in terms of its wider appeal. It's functional and fine. A decent enough lower league football ground. That almost certainly is a step up from Ealing. But is it the draw you think its? Not remotely. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 35 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Explain, pls. He's a football fan from Kent. He has little to no interest in RL and knows nothing about it. I just don't see the large crossover. As someone already pointed out - even a 10% conversion is not a lot and they won't do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Gordon Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 1 minute ago, Man of Kent said: Whereas at Ealing you'd be looking at no stand at all, plastic perimeter railing and a sort-of wendyhouse for the coaching staff... Indeed, neither is inspiring. Your point was to make out that one is and one isn't. I don't think you'll manage to. But I have a question: how have AFCW fans reacted to season tickets going on sale? Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 1 minute ago, gingerjon said: Again, you seem to be confusing Plough Lane with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in terms of its wider appeal. It's functional and fine. A decent enough lower league football ground. That almost certainly is a step up from Ealing. But is it the draw you think its? Not remotely. The 6,943 attendance vs Crewe on a freezing Tuesday night this week suggests otherwise. That's around double what it would have been at Kingsmeadow, which was an inadequate ground with poor facilities... Plough Lane will have a similar impact on Broncos crowds re Ealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 6 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: The 6,943 attendance vs Crewe on a freezing Tuesday night this week suggests otherwise. That's around double what it would have been at Kingsmeadow, which was an inadequate ground with poor facilities... Plough Lane will have a similar impact on Broncos crowds re Ealing. i think crowds might improve, from a low base, but I don't see 1500 even. Not with a PT side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 10 minutes ago, Leonard said: He's a football fan from Kent. He has little to no interest in RL and knows nothing about it. I just don't see the large crossover. As someone already pointed out - even a 10% conversion is not a lot and they won't do that. Ah, OK. 9 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said: Indeed, neither is inspiring. Your point was to make out that one is and one isn't. I don't think you'll manage to. But I have a question: how have AFCW fans reacted to season tickets going on sale?  I've seen a few posts saying people are looking forward to the summer games, when there's no football and they can go to Plough Lane and watch live sport with a beer etc. Yet the idea isn't to convert 1000s of Dons fans into Broncos fans. Of course, there will be some who support the venture out of a sense of loyalty, and the numbers may well swell as more people see for themselves what a great sport we have. The key thing is the community aspect. Encouragingly, the Broncos big cheeses seem to get this. The community blocks are exactly what's needed, as is the community work with DLAG - getting the word out and being associated with the area. If the Hughes target of 5,000 in three years is to be reached, reaching out to the people of Merton, Wandsworth and Kingston is vital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Man of Kent said: Plough Lane will have a similar impact on Broncos crowds re Ealing. Doubling the attendance from 200 to 400? Seems to be a lack of ambition. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmon Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 I really think at least this season they should give Dons ST fans free access to all broncos games up to end of July, and then include all Broncos home games from August onwards in the 2022-2023 Dons ST offer. I have no skin in this, as I don't watch football, but it seems to me if there are some Dons fans wanting to watch summer rugby, letting them and family in free if they are Dons ST holders will hopefully encourage them to attend if the performances on the pitch are painful to endure. For me I'd much rather see London 44 - 24 Fev at Ealing (2018 score), rather than the likey battering we will get a PL next year (if we match the 28-48 score from 2021 I'll be amazed, more likely be 6-60 or something). The results on the pitch matter to me, not the place we are playing in. Now if we are in Super League that would be different, but considering the RL Championship is at a similar level to at best the Vandarrama conference in football, I'm really not fussed where we play, as long as we are winning and challenging for promotion   Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Browny Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 1 hour ago, gingerjon said: Again, you seem to be confusing Plough Lane with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in terms of its wider appeal. It's functional and fine. A decent enough lower league football ground. That almost certainly is a step up from Ealing. But is it the draw you think its? Not remotely. A smaller Leigh Sports Village with more expensive beer. I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, £7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a £2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 27 minutes ago, gingerjon said: Doubling the attendance from 200 to 400? Seems to be a lack of ambition. I always said Ealing is a dead end but even I'm surprised how low crowds fell.  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLANTISMAN Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Biggest problem for me is not Wimbledon (Although I would have preferred them to stay at Ealing) its the squad that has been assembled. I can only think that the club is nailed on for a SL 2 place in 2023 as unless there is a miracle 3 wins max is all I can see. Â Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleD Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Is this employee a union fan undercover? I can't find any other explanation for alleged actions...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic XIII Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 3 hours ago, DoubleD said: Is this employee a union fan undercover? I can't find any other explanation for alleged actions...... Incompetence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 7 hours ago, Man of Kent said: I always said Ealing is a dead end but even I'm surprised how low crowds fell.  The Broncos highest attendance at Trailfinders was higher than their highest attendance at Barnet I believe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivarr the Boneless Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 More away fans present at Ealing that day from memory? Barnet was a disaster for the club tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 From Wikipedia today… London Broncos Rugby League On 13 December 2013, it was confirmed that rugby league club London Broncos would move to the Hive for two seasons, commencing with the 2014 season. In round 2 of the 2014 Super League season Broncos played their first match at the Hive, against Salford Red Devils. The record crowd for the Broncos in 2014 was against Super League giants Wigan Warriors where 2,013 were in attendance at the Hive. The Broncos left The Hive at the end of the 2015 season and moved to the Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing for 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 On 20 August 2016, London Broncos hosted 10 times Super League champions Leeds attracting a then record rugby leaguecrowd at the ground ( Trailfinders ) of 1,845. It was also the first ever televised sports match at the ground, with Sky Sportsbroadcasting the game. On 2 September 2019, London Broncos set a new rugby league attendance record at the ground when a crowd of 3,051 watched Broncos host Leeds Rhinos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 The problem for us,or most of us on this forum,  is that we don’t really know what the real financial arrangements were and are at Barnet, Trailfinders or Plough Lane so it’s hard to know what is really driving these decisions. All I can say is that I liked the match experience at Ealing and I don’t think many people will come to watch a team at Wimbledon just because they can look at an new empty stadium on the other side of the ground. To get any sort of momentum going we will need a very successful team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 On 29/01/2021 at 08:56, Archie Gordon said: The point I would re-make here is a strategic one. The Broncos have been at TFSG since 2016 and have incrementally built the fanbase at the same time as incrementally improving the facilities. Alongside that, they've built up a successful academy system and got closer than ever to the community game. This has been an evolutionary process but, on all measures, things have slowly and modestly been getting better. And the idea that TFSG is now at its limit of development just isn't true. A new stand has been built, extra toilets have been added, outdoor bars are now in place, a big screen has been added. Sure, there IS an absolute limit to growth at TFSG but we're not there yet. Nor do the ambitious union tenants feel that the limit has been reached - see the addition of the aforementioned big screen in late 2020. We seem to have found a home at which we're growing year-on-year (utterly, fantastically remarkable in our history - please dont underestimate this), where our vision for the club/ground is apparently matched by the other tenant, where there is a demonstrable record of ongoing ground improvement (not enough toilets - fixed; not enough bars/catering - fixed; not enough seats for a 2.5k crowd - fixed; no big screen - fixed; not enough seats/standing for a 3-5k crowd - fixable). It's really not clear to me how the move to TFSG could have gone any better. We've seen textbook sustainable, linear growth. And yet the club, in all its wisdom, feels that the past 5 years has been a mistake and wants to take us back to 2016 and start from scratch in a different part of London. To top it off, they want this re-boot to happen in the middle of a pandemic. And the justification for rewinding 5 years of development? The claim that in some hypothetical future where the team gets promoted, empty blue seats will look so much better on TV.   Absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Gordon Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 A couple of things about Barnet that chime with now. We moved there with a cobbled together team, were uncompetitive, and were surprised that the crowds were dreadful. In the second year, the Championship team fired occasionally, including vs Leigh in front of 1k. However, once the move to a new venue for 2016 was announced, crowds fell to 300.  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overtheborder Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 12 minutes ago, westlondonfan said: The problem for us,or most of us on this forum,  is that we don’t really know what the real financial arrangements were and are at Barnet, Trailfinders or Plough Lane so it’s hard to know what is really driving these decisions. All I can say is that I liked the match experience at Ealing and I don’t think many people will come to watch a team at Wimbledon just because they can look at an new empty stadium on the other side of the ground. To get any sort of momentum going we will need a very successful team. I'd further that by saying (as an outsider looking in) that staying in one place for a while might help in terms of attendances - for me a team that constantly moves about just looks unsuccessful and unattractive to the casual fan/neutral. That said I like London as a club and genuinely want them to be successful so not a dig at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonfan Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 On 27/11/2021 at 08:58, overtheborder said: I'd further that by saying (as an outsider looking in) that staying in one place for a while might help in terms of attendances - for me a team that constantly moves about just looks unsuccessful and unattractive to the casual fan/neutral. That said I like London as a club and genuinely want them to be successful so not a dig at all. I couldn’t agree more. We need a permanent base where we can put down roots. Why we keep moving is, genuinely, a mystery to me, hence my comments that we don’t really know the real reasons for each move. The Wigan v Catalan match at Millwall shows we could be getting more paying spectators than we are getting at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygilf Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Seen the new kit, exactly as some had Predicted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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