Dewsbury (H)

[grumpyoldram]

On 22/07/2024 at 09:18, Blind side johnny said:

I am a longstanding supporter from the Crown Flatt days and have been loyal to the team through thin and thin (including a couple of desperate years playing at Mount Pleasant - not desperate because of the venue but a woeful team). Home and away through the good old winter RL days, getting battered in Cumbria, losing to Highfield, even Bramley.

I didn't go on Sunday simply because our recent performances have been so predictable that they have been rightly described as "Groundhog Days" - the same cycle on permanent repeat - creating a sense of dread in anticipation of the next game. Maybe I missed a half-decent performance for once but I don't feel any sense of loss. I doubt that I will be attending any more away games this season.

Supporting any team nowadays isn't a case of loyalty, or even faith for some, but is transactional. There has to be some sort of reward for the cash and effort that regular fans put in, or they simply stay away. There are alternatives.

Funny how people have different perceptions of the past. For me watching Norman Smiths entertainers at MP probably  gave me my happiest memories of the club as a supporter. Sure they didn't win anything trophy wise, but boy were they worth watching. Can hardly remember anything about the 1973 GF or the 2000 heroics of Ned Kelly's side (that will have been the beer), but I can remember just about every one of Eddie Rombo's Specials. 

[LINNERS]

12 hours ago, nineoil said:

Your assertion is incorrect.

HALIFAX - 10% Asian Culture ( Census)

BRADFORD - 33% Asian Culture (Census)

DEWSBURY/ BATLEY 48% Asian Culture. (according to the latest Dewsbury and Batley Parliamentary Constituency figures)

(Before you mention Oldham or Rochdale 's  Asian culture they are both around the 20% mark !)

Despite many assumptions about other West Yorkshire population centres , the Heavy Woollen area has the most diverse and therefore culturally the most difficult to attract customers !! This is why it is difficult for Batley to get bums on seats at the Mount !

I wonder what percentage of our fan base still live in Batley.

There's surrounding towns which may have potential rugby league fans, Morley, Spen Valley etc.

I guess it's one thing providing free or reduced entry, and another thing advertising it in a way that it is effective. Always a struggle for a club like Batley which doesn't have unlimited resources.

I actually thought the 3k+ we got at home to a poorly supported Sheffield when it was free was a good effort.  How do we tap into getting those 3k to return. The support is obviously there.

[Keep The Faith]

Just now, LINNERS said:

I wonder what percentage of our fan base still live in Batley.

There's surrounding towns which may have potential rugby league fans, Morley, Spen Valley etc.

I guess it's one thing providing free or reduced entry, and another thing advertising it in a way that it is effective. Always a struggle for a club like Batley which doesn't have unlimited resources.

I actually thought the 3k+ we got at home to a poorly supported Sheffield when it was free was a good effort.  How do we tap into getting those 3k to return. The support is obviously there.

We got 2.5 when we got hammered twice by Sheffield 

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, grumpyoldram said:

Funny how people have different perceptions of the past. For me watching Norman Smiths entertainers at MP probably  gave me my happiest memories of the club as a supporter. Sure they didn't win anything trophy wise, but boy were they worth watching. Can hardly remember anything about the 1973 GF or the 2000 heroics of Ned Kelly's side (that will have been the beer), but I can remember just about every one of Eddie Rombo's Specials. 

I think that was the 3rd season GOR - the previous two were much less good.

[Keep The Faith]

46 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

I think that was the 3rd season GOR - the previous two were much less good.

1991-92 & 92-93 you finished above us - you were top of the league at times 

1993-94 you were miles off the promotion hunt 

[grumpyoldram]

On 22/07/2024 at 09:23, Blind side johnny said:

I would suggest that it is the culture and attraction of RL that needs the attention. Demographic influences that you cite don't seem to impact other sports, even in areas where some would say there have been large shifts. Make the prospect of attending games attractive and you will see increases. RL has failed to do that.

Around our ground there have been two large housing developments providing massive potential for a spike in the crowds. Despite attempts to attract our new neighbours there has been no increase. For some, sadly very many, people offering free entry to games at lower league RL matches is not perceived as sufficient temptation on a warm Sunday afternoon.

I would like to know the demographic makeup of the whole development, but I suspect it will eventually be made up of a community with little or no interest in the sport. Many have tried and failed to engage that particular community in the sport, incuding the admirable Ikram Butt, but local amateur rugby is hardly awash with the Ikram Butts of this world, let alone the professional game is it ? I seem to remember a few years back the club running a community project aimed at educating local kids, and introducing them to the sport, which appeared to be quite well attended by the demograph at which it was largely aimed, but which was a failure as a means of getting them through the turnstiles. You can take a horse to water and all that .....   Maybe someone could confirm or deny something I heard from a friend, (so possibly hearsay}, which was that the residents of the new development, presumably with the support of the council, have been able to impose restrictions on the use of the all purpose pitches ? If that is the case, and the club is unable to maximise it's income generating activities off the field, then it doesn't bode well for the club. I think nineoil's assesment hit the nail right on the head.

[LINNERS]

2 hours ago, grumpyoldram said:

I would like to know the demographic makeup of the whole development, but I suspect it will eventually be made up of a community with little or no interest in the sport. Many have tried and failed to engage that particular community in the sport, incuding the admirable Ikram Butt, but local amateur rugby is hardly awash with the Ikram Butts of this world, let alone the professional game is it ? I seem to remember a few years back the club running a community project aimed at educating local kids, and introducing them to the sport, which appeared to be quite well attended by the demograph at which it was largely aimed, but which was a failure as a means of getting them through the turnstiles. You can take a horse to water and all that .....   Maybe someone could confirm or deny something I heard from a friend, (so possibly hearsay}, which was that the residents of the new development, presumably with the support of the council, have been able to impose restrictions on the use of the all purpose pitches ? If that is the case, and the club is unable to maximise it's income generating activities off the field, then it doesn't bode well for the club. I think nineoil's assesment hit the nail right on the head.

You'd struggle to entice a full estate of people next to a premier league football ground to a game, so it would be unrealistic to assume more than 10% (which would be a good return) would fancy going to a championship rugby game across the road.

[LINNERS]

4 hours ago, Keep The Faith said:

We got 2.5 when we got hammered twice by Sheffield 

From memory I think we won the game, but could be wrong. 2.5k still a decent turn out of local folk.

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, grumpyoldram said:

I would like to know the demographic makeup of the whole development, but I suspect it will eventually be made up of a community with little or no interest in the sport. Many have tried and failed to engage that particular community in the sport, incuding the admirable Ikram Butt, but local amateur rugby is hardly awash with the Ikram Butts of this world, let alone the professional game is it ? I seem to remember a few years back the club running a community project aimed at educating local kids, and introducing them to the sport, which appeared to be quite well attended by the demograph at which it was largely aimed, but which was a failure as a means of getting them through the turnstiles. You can take a horse to water and all that .....   Maybe someone could confirm or deny something I heard from a friend, (so possibly hearsay}, which was that the residents of the new development, presumably with the support of the council, have been able to impose restrictions on the use of the all purpose pitches ? If that is the case, and the club is unable to maximise it's income generating activities off the field, then it doesn't bode well for the club. I think nineoil's assesment hit the nail right on the head.

Have you been to the ground recently GOR? Have you seen the scale and type of development to which I referred?

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, Keep The Faith said:

1991-92 & 92-93 you finished above us - you were top of the league at times 

1993-94 you were miles off the promotion hunt 

Being above Batley in the third division without gaining promotion wasn't all that inspiring to be honest. I certainly got little pleasure from it.

[grumpyoldram]

1 hour ago, Blind side johnny said:

Have you been to the ground recently GOR? Have you seen the scale and type of development to which I referred?

I have not been to a match this season (although I still support squad builder) largely through circumstances, but not helped by the prospect of a 200 mile round trip, with a consequent £80 outlay on fuel, admission and refreshments, to watch a division 1 standard team get thumped by mostly better funded teams. Not an issue when the ground was a gentle stroll down the road, but depressing in the extreme when you are faced with the gloomy 100 mile drive home. But yes I have driven through and round the development a couple of times and found it even more soul destroying than the current run of results. Truly frightening. How many of it’s occupants do you reckon might bother to walk across the road to see the action ?

[Keep The Faith]

2 hours ago, LINNERS said:

From memory I think we won the game, but could be wrong. 2.5k still a decent turn out of local folk.

We didn’t win the game in 2018 and 2019 we were beaten in both by Sheffield eagles 

we won the 2017 game and 2023 matches when we allowed people in for free 

i know Wembley was amazing but I thought if we’d of not made it we’d of been in the top four of the league and maybe had a chance at another GF 

 

[phildog]

Womder why the drop goal isn't on the highlights?

[RogerT]

35 minutes ago, phildog said:

Womder why the drop goal isn't on the highlights?

Where's the highlights then.

[bromleybulldog]

13 minutes ago, RogerT said:

Where's the highlights then.

Last item on page 2 of this thread.

[distantdog]

13 minutes ago, RogerT said:

Where's the highlights then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tg_yYLYshw

[RogerT]

1 hour ago, phildog said:

Womder why the drop goal isn't on the highlights?

It looks like it's a Dewsbury highlights as both at the start and finish only the Dewsbury colours and logo's and team sheet are shown.

[RogerT]

Cheers Bromley Bulldog and Distantdog.

[phildog]

....and of course Batley don't do anything like that, some part of Rog's disagreements with the BoD.

[Hugh Jarce]

19 hours ago, grumpyoldram said:

Maybe someone could confirm or deny something I heard from a friend, (so possibly hearsay}, which was that the residents of the new development, presumably with the support of the council, have been able to impose restrictions on the use of the all purpose pitches ? If that is the case, and the club is unable to maximise it's income generating activities off the field, then it doesn't bode well for the club. 

Unfortunately GOR it's true, the 5G pitches have restricted use at the weekend (which is probably when they are most popular) mornings only.

The local residents have also complained to the council about the language of the players and noise they create when training.

And to add insult to injury, they are also complaining about the car boot sale.

As the number of houses increases the residents will have more and more influence.

[Keep The Faith]

19 minutes ago, Hugh Jarce said:

Unfortunately GOR it's true, the 5G pitches have restricted use at the weekend (which is probably when they are most popular) mornings only.

The local residents have also complained to the council about the language of the players and noise they create when training.

And to add insult to injury, they are also complaining about the car boot sale.

As the number of houses increases the residents will have more and more influence.

No training after 7:30pm in the winter as they don’t want the light shining in their windows too… 

[Hugh Jarce]

22 minutes ago, Keep The Faith said:

No training after 7:30pm in the winter as they don’t want the light shining in their windows too… 

Its not in the lights as trees, bushes and fences are between the training pitches and the houses.

[grumpyoldram]

3 hours ago, Hugh Jarce said:

Unfortunately GOR it's true, the 5G pitches have restricted use at the weekend (which is probably when they are most popular) mornings only.

The local residents have also complained to the council about the language of the players and noise they create when training.

And to add insult to injury, they are also complaining about the car boot sale.

As the number of houses increases the residents will have more and more influence.

[Keep The Faith]

8 hours ago, phildog said:

....and of course Batley don't do anything like that, some part of Rog's disagreements with the BoD.

If so then people need to look at themselves 

[Blind side johnny]

On 23/07/2024 at 19:12, grumpyoldram said:

I have not been to a match this season (although I still support squad builder) largely through circumstances, but not helped by the prospect of a 200 mile round trip, with a consequent £80 outlay on fuel, admission and refreshments, to watch a division 1 standard team get thumped by mostly better funded teams. Not an issue when the ground was a gentle stroll down the road, but depressing in the extreme when you are faced with the gloomy 100 mile drive home. But yes I have driven through and round the development a couple of times and found it even more soul destroying than the current run of results. Truly frightening. How many of it’s occupants do you reckon might bother to walk across the road to see the action ?

That is my point - very few seem to be interested even in free tickets.

My criticism isn't of individual clubs but of the sport in general. Nothing has been done in a long time to raise the profile of RL and make it something that the uninitiated might want to see in the flesh. It is all well and good talking about how folk were first taken along by grandads etc but life is very different nowadays - the sport, the spectacle and attending it has to be made desirable. Otherwise our continual decline towards standing around in small groups in crumbling stadiums will continue.