Attendances (Multiple Merged Threads)

[Dave T]

24 minutes ago, Scubby said:

How many home games did they actually have last year? Their last two were sell outs with the league leaders on the line. 

We aren't comparing to 2021

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

10 hours ago, meast said:

Super League average home attendance for 2022 according to RL project

(2019 figures according to Wikipedia)

Castleford 7,649 (7,253)

Catalans 7,708 (10,560)

Huddersfield 5,085 (5,222)

Hull FC 10,542 (11,748)

Hull KR 7,222 (8,185)

Leeds 12,141 (11,838)

Salford 4,754 (3,676)

St Helens 12,281 (11,910)

Toulouse 4,618 (N/A)

Wakefield 4,595 (5,468)

Warrington 8,367 (10,970)

Wigan 11,000 (11,432)

London N/A (2,021)

 

There's no real comparison with 2021 as there was still Covid restrictions but the comparisons can be made with 2019, the last regular, pre covid season.

 

 

 

I am loathed to comment on attendance figures but....

I suspect the cost of living crisis is a factor 

Especially people who have to travel in cars etc as petrol is very expensive ATM. Especially for us down here it is the biggest cost when it comes to watching games . I am weighing up whether to go to KR Vs Leeds when back on Friday......it's a substantial petrol cost that I wouldn't have thought to much about previously 

[whatmichaelsays]

Weren't restrictions in force in France for a few weeks into the season? I seem to recall Toulouse being affected by this for their first game. 

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

We aren't comparing to 2021

But having the least number of home games than any other SL club in 2020 and 2021 is a habit breaker that will potentially take more time right? 

This is what we are finding with Toulouse also. Basically no regular league fixtures for 2 years and trying to ignite a habit that is broken.

2022 also had restriction during first few weeks.

[Dave T]

40 minutes ago, Scubby said:

But having the least number of home games than any other SL club in 2020 and 2021 is a habit breaker that will potentially take more time right? 

This is what we are finding with Toulouse also. Basically no regular league fixtures for 2 years and trying to ignite a habit that is broken.

2022 also had restriction during first few weeks.

Yep, fair points.

I think overall the crowds have held up pretty well, Catalans have dropped, partly explained by the Barca game, Wire dropped partly explained by being absolutely gash on and off the field, Hull have seen a drop, which should bounce back when they stage their derby. 

We are there or there abouts. It'll be interesting to see next season as a tough winter hits home.

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Yep, fair points.

I think overall the crowds have held up pretty well, Catalans have dropped, partly explained by the Barca game, Wire dropped partly explained by being absolutely gash on and off the field, Hull have seen a drop, which should bounce back when they stage their derby. 

We are there or there abouts. It'll be interesting to see next season as a tough winter hits home.

The Leeds-Salford crowd was interesting. Was the first clash when both clubs were on form - circa 14,660 was a great crowd

Shows that really competitive fixtures will get crowds. Wigan hosting Toulouse for a second time however is an absolute crowd killer. What is the point of spending weeks marketing a novel fixture like Toulouse, getting 14.5k and then just playing them again randomly in a loop fixture a few weeks later. We have to figure this out. Scarcity creates demand in my book!

[Eddie]

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

 

We are there or there abouts. It'll be interesting to see next season as a tough winter hits home.

Football crowds are booming, even in non league, I don’t think the cost of living crisis is having an effect on them yet, so in theory it shouldn’t be having an effect on RL crowds either. 

[daz39]

6 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

It is frowned upon to use a places per capita situation to align the crowd numbers, and I am surprised you are doing so with a 2021 population of 220K Huddersfield's average home numbers would be far down the list percentage wise.

I haven't used population, I used percentage of current home crowds, nothing to do with how many people live there, read it again. 

[daz39]

6 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

It is frowned upon to use a places per capita situation to align the crowd numbers, and I am surprised you are doing so with a 2021 population of 220K Huddersfield's average home numbers would be far down the list percentage wise.

I haven't used population, I used percentage of current home crowds, nothing to do with how many people live there, read it again. 

[meast]

7 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

British fans also have a choice of two French clubs to visit this year.

Many will be doing Catalans or Toulouse rather than both.

Which is what I did, I go to Perpignan every year, I'd never been to Toulouse, so gave Catalans a miss this time to go to Toulouse.

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, meast said:

Which is what I did, I go to Perpignan every year, I'd never been to Toulouse, so gave Catalans a miss this time to go to Toulouse.

Which was your favourite mate? 

[meast]

I love Perpignan, I love the vibe and atmosphere of a Catalans home game, although I'm not happy that the bar on the junction across from the ground has closed!

I thought Toulouse was a great city, obviously far bigger and more cosmopolitan than Perpignan and shame we didn't have that much time to explore it.

As for the experience, sadly, Toulouse was probably the worst experience I've had in SL apart from Hull FC, not really through much fault of their own, but with Covid restrictions going on, the lack of atmosphere, the lack of fans and the lack of anything just made it a cold, soulless experience, it should have been a night of celebration and history yet it felt like a reserves or warm up fixture.

Hopefully I'll get back one day to experience the real TOXIII experience, but I do love Perpignan, less the drunks that get shipped in from over the border from Blackpool-del-mar etc  

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, daz39 said:

I haven't used population, I used percentage of current home crowds, nothing to do with how many people live there, read it again. 

Yes but it has to be a percentage of a figure, and whichever way you want to dress it up from a population of 220,000 less than 5,000 home fans is a pretty dismal return especially for a top 4 side, or put it another way RL is not very popular in Huddersfield, even your 150% quote for a cup final, I will say that again FOR A CUP FINAL which will be about 7,000 is nothing to be proud of which you obviously must be to quote it.

[Eddie]

17 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

Far be it to defend Giants but crowds arent great but ok.  The problem is their terrible ground that makes it unbroadcastable and soulless.  If they got out of the box I think it would look better and paradoxically they would get more in as it wouldnt be soulless. 

Your perspective is purely one of a tv viewer who wants to see full seats (it certainly isn’t unbroadcastable btw) and I think everybody agrees they’d be better off in a smaller stadium, but the fact is there isn’t a suitable alternative available. 

[Eddie]

25 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Yes,  but it is also the perspective of sky who fund the sport and commercial sponsors.  When Wakey and Cas sort out their grounds it is Huddersfield and Salford who should be in firing line.  If Salford do get aj Bell properly then Huddersfield will be the problem side. 

How do you know Sky are bothered? Serious question btw, have they ever said they don’t like showing Huddersfield games or are you assuming? They’re happy to show other sports in mainly empty stadiums. 

[Guest]

On 10/08/2022 at 12:55, Scubby said:

The Leeds-Salford crowd was interesting. Was the first clash when both clubs were on form - circa 14,660 was a great crowd

Shows that really competitive fixtures will get crowds. Wigan hosting Toulouse for a second time however is an absolute crowd killer. What is the point of spending weeks marketing a novel fixture like Toulouse, getting 14.5k and then just playing them again randomly in a loop fixture a few weeks later. We have to figure this out. Scarcity creates demand in my book!

Ditch the loop fixtures. That means increasing to 14 or just having 23 rounds. Or copy the Scottish Prem and split the the league into 2 pools of 6. Top 6 play eachother once and same for the bottom 6. So Toulouse would only play Wakefield, Warrington, FC, KR, and Salford.

[meast]

4 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

Yes,  but it is also the perspective of sky who fund the sport and commercial sponsors.  When Wakey and Cas sort out their grounds it is Huddersfield and Salford who should be in firing line.  If Salford do get aj Bell properly then Huddersfield will be the problem side. 

Imagine the team 3rd in the table, with a good young British coach and with the best crop of youngsters outside of Wigan and Saints being seen as a problem because like every other club in rugby league they don't fill their ground.

You really are a bitter bull aren't you

 

 

[daz39]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

How do you know Sky are bothered? Serious question btw, have they ever said they don’t like showing Huddersfield games or are you assuming? They’re happy to show other sports in mainly empty stadiums. 

He doesn't he just despises Huddersfield..

[Ragingbull]

3 hours ago, meast said:

Imagine the team 3rd in the table, with a good young British coach and with the best crop of youngsters outside of Wigan and Saints being seen as a problem because like every other club in rugby league they don't fill their ground.

You really are a bitter bull aren't you

 

 

Imagine the team 3rd in the table, with a good young British coach and with the best crop of youngsters outside of Wigan and Saints, with really cheap season tickets, still having attendances with only around 4k home fans

[Guest]

7 hours ago, meast said:

Imagine the team 3rd in the table, with a good young British coach and with the best crop of youngsters outside of Wigan and Saints being seen as a problem because like every other club in rugby league they don't fill their ground.

You really are a bitter bull aren't you

 

 

Their attendances are still poor but Huddersfield aren't the only club with that problem.

[Eddie]

20 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Not going to repeat how username is just a name and being outside heartlands adopt a team because they suck now.

So even when its a serious problem to discuss that having a fantastic season Giants cant get above 5000 and why basing comercial future of the sport on such a low base, its back to you being a child. 

The numbers arent like every other club though are they? They are some of the lowest in the league despite being one of the best teams.  That is a concern for anyone who cares about the sport. 

 

I’m sure HG are more concerned than anyone. How would you propose that Huddersfield increase their attendances though? Meast and Daz have explained why they are low, so what would you do about it? 

[Eddie]

16 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Because they slashed funding to the sport so obviously arent happy. Ignoring that they gave the product several million pounds less is probably a good indicator no?  Theres alot of people in denial it seems. 

Second look at the games they choose to televise. 

They televise all club’s games, Wigan’s games these days look as bad as Huddersfield’s too.  And it’s a weak link between the reduced funding and Sky not liking to show HG matches. 

[daz39]

12 hours ago, Ragingbull said:

Imagine the team 3rd in the table, with a good young British coach and with the best crop of youngsters outside of Wigan and Saints, with really cheap season tickets, still having attendances with only around 4k home fans

I'm sure the sport as a whole will be more happy to concentrate on the positives Meast mentioned, having 40,000, 4,000 or 400 fans doesn't take away from the real positive stuff Huddersfield offer to the sport, clearly to some people on social media forums though they aren't as important as how many seats are filled. 

[daz39]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

They televise all club’s games, Wigan’s games these days look as bad as Huddersfield’s too.  And it’s a weak link between the reduced funding and Sky not liking to show HG matches. 

Exactly, the only 2 that look anywhere near full are the 2 dilapidated death traps in the Wakefield District, maybe these people think we should knock down the modern, comfortable stadiums and all replace them with crumbling health hazards that look like they've got a good crowd in them? 

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, daz39 said:

Exactly, the only 2 that look anywhere near full are the 2 dilapidated death traps in the Wakefield District, maybe these people think we should knock down the modern, comfortable stadiums and all replace them with crumbling health hazards that look like they've got a good crowd in them? 

I do like the asbestos roof on Cas’ main stand tbf, it brings a touch of glamour to the televised game that premier league football can’t offer.