2024 attendance thread

[Forever Trinity]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Got to hope so, add Wakey getting there in the 1895 too and there should hopefully be an upward trend - hopefully the biggest since 2017. 

Wakey sold around 7500 as of Friday and 36 coaches booked 24 by the club and 12 independent so far

[Just Browny]

It was a strange set up today, with half of the crowd crammed into one very, very busy terrace and the other half spread (but not very evenly spread) around the other three sides.

I think they continually kid themselves that they can create a 'premium' audience for these games, when 95% of attendees are the normal away fans who will pay the lowest amount to get into the ground. £20 behind the sticks is very reasonable but few wanted to pay £30 or £40 to sit on the side. Charge everyone £25 and I suspect you get more revenue overall and a better spread of fans around the ground, without the sad sight of the middle seated sections entirely empty.

[Dave T]

4 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

It was a strange set up today, with half of the crowd crammed into one very, very busy terrace and the other half spread (but not very evenly spread) around the other three sides.

I think they continually kid themselves that they can create a 'premium' audience for these games, when 95% of attendees are the normal away fans who will pay the lowest amount to get into the ground. £20 behind the sticks is very reasonable but few wanted to pay £30 or £40 to sit on the side. Charge everyone £25 and I suspect you get more revenue overall and a better spread of fans around the ground, without the sad sight of the middle seated sections entirely empty.

And don't choose an 18k capacity ground for a game that last got 9.4k with both clubs currently pulling in lower crowds than that year. 

Today's crowd wasn't a surprise. 

[Anita Bath]

7 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

Doncaster is perceived to be a long way away for WIgan fans, and a favourable choice of ground for Yorkshire teams. Moreover, people are continuing to budget carefully, and the vast bulk of people put their money into buying season tickets. We have far far more season tickets, and far bigger crowds across SL than we had pre SL, with far more people buying tickets every year. So the support is there, and the fans are there. Everything could be much better of course, but things have been far far worse. 

A long way? 82 miles…..how will they perceive the final being at Wembley?

They should have a stint in league 1 where 82 miles would be a local derby for several clubs.

[Agbrigg]

1 hour ago, Forever Trinity said:

Wakey sold around 7500 as of Friday and 36 coaches booked 24 by the club and 12 independent so far

Talking to someone involved with the club today and that 7500 is only shop sales as you rightly say. Taking into account on line sales etc, the club expect we'll over 12000

[Tommygilf]

22 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Not sure mate 

To be honest I feel a bit cruel like I'm bursting someone's bubble

I hate the fact football rules the waves but I've longer since accepted it does....it doesn't mean RL can't exist and even thrive 

Lets look at Wakefield (just the city) RL clubs, mens amateur and junior, from the RFL site:

Stanley Rangers, Rodill Rebels, Eastmoor Dragons, Ossett Trinity Tigers, Westgate Common, Crigglestone All Blacks, Wakefield Warriors, Wakefield Hawks (the last two might be the same). 8, very respectable.

On the FA equivalent:

I'm up to 31 and counting mens 11 vs 11 options just in Wakefield...

It really isn't even close. Wakefield is a city where Rugby has a very strong presence yes, as is Castleford, but to even pretend its on the same level as football is a joke. Football is larger, by every metric that matters.

[Tommygilf]

8 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

Talking to someone involved with the club today and that 7500 is only shop sales as you rightly say. Taking into account on line sales etc, the club expect we'll over 12000

Fantastic news!

[PREPOSTEROUS]

 

 

 

[dboy]

19 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Lets look at Wakefield (just the city) RL clubs, mens amateur and junior, from the RFL site:

Stanley Rangers, Rodill Rebels, Eastmoor Dragons, Ossett Trinity Tigers, Westgate Common, Crigglestone All Blacks, Wakefield Warriors, Wakefield Hawks (the last two might be the same). 8, very respectable.

On the FA equivalent:

I'm up to 31 and counting mens 11 vs 11 options just in Wakefield...

It really isn't even close. Wakefield is a city where Rugby has a very strong presence yes, as is Castleford, but to even pretend its on the same level as football is a joke. Football is larger, by every metric that matters.

But that wasn't the point I made, was it.

BB said that nowhere is a rugby town under any metric - under any way of measuring it.

I pointed out how that is not true - it depends on the metric.

I even point myself that Thornes Juniors (soccer), probably have more teams playing age group than the whole of the RL teams in the City.

 

[dboy]

4 minutes ago, PREPOSTEROUS said:

 

 

 

I think we can attribute the 68 to the excellent, vocal Swinton support today. Perhaps a few more.

Obviously Wakefield had a big squad rotation today, but I thought Swinton were fantastic.

Their physicality and long kicking game were class.

They may not make the play-offs themselves, but they'll have a big say in who does.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

And don't choose an 18k capacity ground for a game that last got 9.4k with both clubs currently pulling in lower crowds than that year. 

Today's crowd wasn't a surprise. 

To go back on this point. Utilisation is part of the grading for SL. They acknowledge that making grounds look full is important. Yet they choose an 18k ground for a game like this.

Thats incompetence. 

[dboy]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

To go back on this point. Utilisation is part of the grading for SL. They acknowledge that making grounds look full is important. Yet they choose an 18k ground for a game like this.

Thats incompetence. 

So, go for a smaller venue, and create a "hot-ticket" event?

It does feel bad that a semi can't attract 20k though.

I'm in no doubt that having a semi-final just 2 weeks for the final is utter bonkers. It can't help.

 

[bobbruce]

1 hour ago, Anita Bath said:

 

They should have a stint in league 1 

Seconded. 

[Leyther_Matt]

Spacing between the semi and the final has been an issue, and this year they’ve managed to make the worst of the lot.

I had two nights in Watford this weekend for the League One play off final at Wembley (70k on, don’t mention the score). £55 lower tier ticket, down on the train. Ever the optimist, we had our hotel booked since last July. Cleared £900 between me and the wife and that was even with my in-ground spending amounting to the sum total of two bottles of water.

Don’t rely on many neutrals and, to be honest, I expect a lot of regular fans are going to face issues with such a short turnaround. There will absolutely have been an attitude of not going to the semi final because of having one eye on the final. 

[Leyther_Matt]

Will also add that none of these issues are now. It’s 20 years now since there was an outcry that a Wigan v Warrington semi would be played at the then-three sided Widnes ground and it didn’t even sell out. So going smaller doesn’t tend to have the desired effect either. 

[Agbrigg]

1 hour ago, dboy said:

I think we can attribute the 68 to the excellent, vocal Swinton support today. Perhaps a few more.

Obviously Wakefield had a big squad rotation today, but I thought Swinton were fantastic.

Their physicality and long kicking game were class.

They may not make the play-offs themselves, but they'll have a big say in who does.

I agree. However other teams we have played have also shown invention and variation in their tactical kicking. That is one thing I have found refreshing in the championship. All we seem to do is the towering bomb time after time on the last tackle.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Will also add that none of these issues are now. It’s 20 years now since there was an outcry that a Wigan v Warrington semi would be played at the then-three sided Widnes ground and it didn’t even sell out. So going smaller doesn’t tend to have the desired effect either. 

It did however look excellent on tv. 

[up the robins]

Having double headers doesn't help how the crowd looks on the telly.

Our match at Doncaster had quite a few empty areas where the fans of York and St Helens women's teams left after there game had finished.

We sold out of our allocated tickets and could easily of sold more.

I think the Wigan fans are quite complacent Having made so many semi finals over the years that not as many bother travelling for the semi finals at just go to the finals when they reach them.

[Sports Prophet]

On 18/05/2024 at 23:02, ATLANTISMAN said:

Only place in SL that is 100% rugby town is Perpignan:)

Surely Wigan?

[Tommygilf]

31 minutes ago, Dave T said:

To go back on this point. Utilisation is part of the grading for SL. They acknowledge that making grounds look full is important. Yet they choose an 18k ground for a game like this.

Thats incompetence. 

The question then becomes where do you play them?

For appropriate size (ie not more than 5k too big) we're looking at Warrington, the LSV, Salford, Widnes, Doncaster or Hull KR, perhaps even Halifax or Oldham. There's potentially issues with most of those frankly that could impact sales further.

Pricing is also an issue, as well as not really understanding the audience for these games. As others have said, it's essentially an enhanced away support. Consequently most won't mind if they have to stand behind the sticks. Likewise whilst the venues are nice and modern, they aren't premium really, and certainly aren't an attraction in themselves. 

Discounting Leeds, Wigan, Huddersfield and Saints as too big can't really help I guess.

Its really difficult tbh. I think they've tried nearly everything over the past decade! 

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

The question then becomes where do you play them?

For appropriate size (ie not more than 5k too big) we're looking at Warrington, the LSV, Salford, Widnes, Doncaster or Hull KR, perhaps even Halifax or Oldham. There's potentially issues with most of those frankly that could impact sales further.

Pricing is also an issue, as well as not really understanding the audience for these games. As others have said, it's essentially an enhanced away support. Consequently most won't mind if they have to stand behind the sticks. Likewise whilst the venues are nice and modern, they aren't premium really, and certainly aren't an attraction in themselves. 

Discounting Leeds, Wigan, Huddersfield and Saints as too big can't really help I guess.

Its really difficult tbh. I think they've tried nearly everything over the past decade! 

I don't think the semis have been too bad over the years. People crave these games of yesteryear that may have got 15 to 20k, but we now tend to get c10 to 12k, unless you get a classic local battle. And that's OK, so choose an appropriate stadium, or at least the appropriate setup. 

With a bit of tweaking the Wigan v Hill KR one would looked great, the atmosphere was great as they often are for semis. 

The atmosphere came across great at Saints to, but 50% full grounds aren't great for this. 

[Mr Hicks]

Rugby league is dying. 

I remember going to Central Park as a neutral to watch Wigan v Widnes midweek in the 90s in a league winner decider. Full house and thousands locked out.

What sort of crowd figure would that match attract these days.

What a shame such a genuine sport has to play second fiddle to a sport like football with overpaid primerdona foreign players rolling round wasting time which can add 15 to 20 minutes to a game.

IMG are not the solution. Maybe it's too late as the horse has maybe already bolted and these supporters have found other things to do with there time.

I used to plan my year round the challenge cup final because I knew when it was year in year out. I had to ask yesterday when the final was.

[Tommygilf]

55 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I don't think the semis have been too bad over the years. People crave these games of yesteryear that may have got 15 to 20k, but we now tend to get c10 to 12k, unless you get a classic local battle. And that's OK, so choose an appropriate stadium, or at least the appropriate setup. 

With a bit of tweaking the Wigan v Hill KR one would looked great, the atmosphere was great as they often are for semis. 

The atmosphere came across great at Saints to, but 50% full grounds aren't great for this. 

I suppose the problem with "appropriate setup" is that logically that would mean filling the TV arc first, and many fans want to choose where they sit. 

Its a difficult sweet spot to hit, as you can end up just downsizing and downsizing and the event just keeps getting smaller. 

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, Mr Hicks said:

Rugby league is dying. 

I remember going to Central Park as a neutral to watch Wigan v Widnes midweek in the 90s in a league winner decider. Full house and thousands locked out.

What sort of crowd figure would that match attract these days.

Wigan got good crowds that year (1991), but most weeks their crowds looked just like they do now. Their lowest league game that year was 7.5k versus Fev. 

The fixture away at Widnes got 7.4k. 

Crowds are different now, but they weren't amazing every week back then. 

And if I look at my club, Wire, they have doubled crowds since that season. 

[Forever Trinity]

11 hours ago, PREPOSTEROUS said:

 

 

 

A good turn out and a competitive game Swinton had a great game plan but ran out of steam in the last 20