Mon 6th Mar: Ch: Featherstone Rovers v Bradford Bulls KO 19:45 (Viaplay)

[Vyvyan]

POR is a nice smart ground nowadays.  Miles better than Odsal but where isn't?  

Monday night games aren't exactly a big draw in cold temperatures when it's on TV.  Add to that various chips on supporter shoulders and the fact that Bradford have been on a downward spiral until this season and you'll get a disappointing crowd.

I actually expect it will be a bigger crowd for the return fixture at Odsal.

[Fevrover]

32 minutes ago, Vyvyan said:

POR is a nice smart ground nowadays.  Miles better than Odsal but where isn't?  

Monday night games aren't exactly a big draw in cold temperatures when it's on TV.  Add to that various chips on supporter shoulders and the fact that Bradford have been on a downward spiral until this season and you'll get a disappointing crowd.

I actually expect it will be a bigger crowd for the return fixture at Odsal.

Summed up nicely.

[The Blues Ox]

The obsession with away fans is all a bit weird if you ask me. If a championship club is relying on away fans to make up the figures then there is probably a big flaw in the plan. I also saw some figures banded about as to how many fans Bradford took and I'm wondering how Fev monitor that as I would imagine the majority of fans still don't pre book tickets unless its a necessity which it isn't at Fev.

[sentoffagain2]

3 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

The obsession with away fans is all a bit weird if you ask me. If a championship club is relying on away fans to make up the figures then there is probably a big flaw in the plan. I also saw some figures banded about as to how many fans Bradford took and I'm wondering how Fev monitor that as I would imagine the majority of fans still don't pre book tickets unless its a necessity which it isn't at Fev.

  I would like cheaper tickets for away fans and at least 20% of the total attendance to be made up of them.Not for the extra revenue but it adds to the atmosphere in the ground.We don't get that many because most teams know they are going to get beat and the cost of travelling pius tickets they would more likely spend Sunday afternoon at the Garden Centre.When i go to away matches i never pre book tickets just turn up and pay at the gate.

[Harry Stottle]

13 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  I would like cheaper tickets for away fans and at least 20% of the total attendance to be made up of them.Not for the extra revenue but it adds to the atmosphere in the ground.We don't get that many because most teams know they are going to get beat and the cost of travelling pius tickets they would more likely spend Sunday afternoon at the Garden Centre.When i go to away matches i never pre book tickets just turn up and pay at the gate.

I know you said "not for the extra revenue" but I know at Leigh if you buy your 'away' tickets through them that the club recieves some revenue for doing so, and also if you are a seaso ticket holder it is also discounted, do Fev not do this?

[sentoffagain2]

5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I know you said "not for the extra revenue" but I know at Leigh if you buy your 'away' tickets through them that the club recieves some revenue for doing so, and also if you are a seaso ticket holder it is also discounted, do Fev not do this?

  I will say one thing about Leigh when we were the top two teams in The Championship they turned up in numbers often filling the new stand behind the sticks.Another team who always brought good support was Hull KR and some of their fans said how much they liked knowing that the game was on Sunday afternoon and not spread over the weekend as in SL.And unlike Hull FC and Huddersfield they did get into SL the right way and not through the back door.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, The Blues Ox said:

The obsession with away fans is all a bit weird if you ask me. If a championship club is relying on away fans to make up the figures then there is probably a big flaw in the plan. I also saw some figures banded about as to how many fans Bradford took and I'm wondering how Fev monitor that as I would imagine the majority of fans still don't pre book tickets unless its a necessity which it isn't at Fev.

I agree with this up to a point but if attendances are going to be a significant part of the IMG grading then for me it does become a factor, because the teams that take big away followings are going to boost other teams' average home gate whilst not necessarily getting that same boost to their own average home gate.

[Harry Stottle]

35 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  I will say one thing about Leigh when we were the top two teams in The Championship they turned up in numbers often filling the new stand behind the sticks.Another team who always brought good support was Hull KR and some of their fans said how much they liked knowing that the game was on Sunday afternoon and not spread over the weekend as in SL.And unlike Hull FC and Huddersfield they did get into SL the right way and not through the back door.

The massive miss of not being in the Championship is regular 3.00pm Sunday afternoon kick offs for both home and away games, I had an office in Leeds for a good number of years and had to traverse the M62 a few times a week, OK getting home from the games is not a problem for nighttime SL fixtures cross pennine but games finishing at 10:00 PM is for me, so I will be very selective which fixtures to attending Yorkshire, one I will be going to is Hull FC on the 23rd March 3:00 PM kick off Saturday afternoons.

I do not understand why more SL games are not played on Sunday afternoons save for those selected by Sky for Thursday and Friday evenings I am sure there would be more home and away fans in attendance if it was so.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Tubby]

2 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Because biggest association football games are now on Sunday and Most sports don’t want to compete with that.

And if a team is playing on a Thursday night, they won't want to play Sunday the previous week.  Thursday night games, moreso than Friday night even, impact the games both before and after for the teams involved (and those they play before and after).

[Harry Stottle]

21 minutes ago, Tubby said:

And if a team is playing on a Thursday night, they won't want to play Sunday the previous week.  Thursday night games, moreso than Friday night even, impact the games both before and after for the teams involved (and those they play before and after).

OK that is understandable, I am going to play my personal preference card here though I know it will not happen, get rid of the Thursday and Friday games and get much improved attendances and atmosphere with increased attendances at the grounds with regular weekend afternoon kick offs, maybe if Sky get really piffed off and abandon RL Channel 4 and BBC can step in on the weekends. 

[Harry Stottle]

13 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

At least you are finally admitting you want a part time sport because no fta provider is paying like sky. 

Oh contraire Rodney,

No I don't want a part time sport, I want to see the best we can put on the field and that costs, but as I said it is a personnel preference and as a 'live' supporter I love the atmosphere when there are many fans representative of both teams in attendance, it really does add to the occasion and the enjoyment.

[The Phantom Horseman]

After taking into account hospitality attendees and juniors, the crowd for the Fev/Bradford game has been revised to 4809.

[Madrileño]

5 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

The obsession with away fans is all a bit weird if you ask me. If a championship club is relying on away fans to make up the figures then there is probably a big flaw in the plan. 

This. Exactly. 

A big travelling support suggests that the visiting team is performing well and winning games.

So rugby league clubs are effectively basing their business model on their competitors performing better than they are.

A ridiculous way to run professional sports. 

[Bulls2487]

On 08/03/2023 at 08:54, The Blues Ox said:

The obsession with away fans is all a bit weird if you ask me. If a championship club is relying on away fans to make up the figures then there is probably a big flaw in the plan. I also saw some figures banded about as to how many fans Bradford took and I'm wondering how Fev monitor that as I would imagine the majority of fans still don't pre book tickets unless its a necessity which it isn't at Fev.

The Majority of the Bulls fans purchased tickets from Odsal as the club got 20% on any pre-booked tickets.