You can have all the bells and whistles you want but ultimately value for money will be perceived by one teams performance and result, IMO the "matchday" experience only enhances a "good" day when you have seen your team play well and win, it does not compensate for a piss poor performance and a drubbing
Get it right on the pitch and everything else will fall into place
Isn't the whole point of the "match day experience" watching a good game of rugby league and seeing your team play well and hopefully win. The rest is just flummery. You could have some form of entertainment, which will suit some and not others. Some fans will make their own pre and post game entertainment by going for a drink or a meal. Could the bar areas be improved and made more welcoming.
I think the suggestion of an amateur or schools game before kick-off is probably a good suggestion - perhaps as some kind of local competition/league. This would improve links with local clubs/schools and perhaps generate local interest in the game.
At the end of the day, if we have a winning team, playing an entertaining game, fans will come to watch. The Championship will be a competitive league next year and, if we are in the mix, there should be some really entertaining games.
Fans were lost following relegation from SL and the revelations of the mismanagement of the club. The whole town got behind the club to save it from possible liquidation, but then we had a disappointing 2019 season, albeit not helped with a 12 point deduction; and another poor season in 2021, with a few decent games and more abysmal performances, finishing a disappointing 8th place. Fans are also disillusioned with the game as a whole and walking away, with the Toronto fiasco and the game being hijacked by a few clubs for their own benefit. I believe the impact of covid had an effect on crowds in 2021 and will probably do so in 2022 hopefully to a lesser extent.
Hopefully, we will still be amongst the best supported teams in the Championship in 2022, but a winning team would certainly help.
Actually getting a pint at the game would enhance the day for many instead we get a warm bottle of beer. We must be one of the few grounds you cannot actually get a pint of draught beer at which is pathetic plus nothing food/sweet wise for the kids. Before anyone asks does it matter yes it does it is a basic gimmie that anyone would expect at a modern sporting venue.
It literally is as simple as get it right on the pitch and the rest will follow ...I say that tounge in cheek because we seem to get it so wrong....if your constantly putting a pile of dross on the pitch people lose interest pretty quickly...nobody wants to watch their team getting battered down the middle every week ....
I do think the Council need to up their game in terms of the provisions in the stadium.
As for match day experience, I can't really remember a time where we had any massive thing apart from cheerleaders before the match and then junior touch rugby at Half Time. Occasionally, heaven help us, we would have Johnny Rocco et al.
In terms of what can be done going forward, winning a few games at the start of the season would help....
Well I for one only attended the last 2 home games & the away game at Swinton. I am a die hard fan every season for 63 years & I would not attend until the very end. I did have a season ticket & I do not think I am the only elderly supporter who stayed away for so long. I intend to be back next year & hopefully others will be too.
Only the club know how many season tickets were sold last year but no doubt they have partly based their financial estimates for next year on the last one.
I would expect 2,000 - 2,300 home supporters for the first home game. If we start winning consistently it will increase hopefully to 2, 800 -3,000. It will depend on performances.
As regards cost I personally do not think £22 is too much for a game. With a season ticket that amounts to £15.38 each. I think the early phased attending times last year & the bars closing at half time were a disaster affecting attendances.The club hopefully will have spoken to those responsible to ensure similar things are not repeated. As regards making the afternoon a spectacle I am content with the game alone. I am not aware other championship clubs doing much extra either. A junior match at half time & something game related like a goal kicking competition prior to the game may help if can be organised.
There are 3 corners of the ground where 'Fan Zones' could be set up, so you can meet your mates/families etc, before and after the game. There is plenty of room to set up a moderate stage platform, where one of numerous local bands could play for buttons. At the minute, I have a pint or three in Leggies, I leave at 2.55 and take my seat in the South Stand (west) as the teams line up for the handshakes/Knee. I could quite easily go straight into the stadium and socialise in a fan zone (something you can't really do in your seating position).
I would imagine one of the North Stand corners would have to be left vacant should there be an emergency incident, for vehicle access.
It's not rocket science, even HKR have done something akin to what Toronto did. Ask yourselves, why do we enjoy our awayday at Batley?
Paulie xx
There are 3 corners of the ground where 'Fan Zones' could be set up, so you can meet your mates/families etc, before and after the game. There is plenty of room to set up a moderate stage platform, where one of numerous local bands could play for buttons. At the minute, I have a pint or three in Leggies, I leave at 2.55 and take my seat in the South Stand (west) as the teams line up for the handshakes/Knee. I could quite easily go straight into the stadium and socialise in a fan zone (something you can't really do in your seating position).
I would imagine one of the North Stand corners would have to be left vacant should there be an emergency incident, for vehicle access.
It's not rocket science, even HKR have done something akin to what Toronto did. Ask yourselves, why do we enjoy our awayday at Batley?
Paulie xx
Is the space behind the East stand used?
Always thought that would be a good area for a fan zone.
I just go to watch a game of rugbyleague and hopefully a home win, that's my matchday experience. Were the club responsible for the lack of food and drink or the get there early rule, no they weren't, that was the councils cock up and I've no doubt that cost the club bums on seats.
I can’t disagree with any of the previous posts, indeed the reduction in attendances will be a mixture of all of the above. Yes, we might have reasonably expected our crowds to have reduced by the same proportion as other teams, but in a season which we knew we would not reach play-offs the season was a bit of a “dead rubber” so on the balance of risk it’s easy to see why many fans chose to stay home and not risk Covid.
We can easily over analyse this and paint a black picture. Maybe the average age of our fan base is older, or maybe our local NHS did a better job than others convincing people to stay home? So many variables!
The match day experience is the “match’. The quality of the “match’ is poor across all divisions.
You can dress it up with tents selling beer and ‘fan zones’ and dancing girls and local bands but it makes no difference. If the quality of the match continues to decline so will the number of people who pay to get in. Seeing as how the quality of the game and playing skills has been in decline for 30 odd years (since we decided to try and copy the Aussies rather than play our own game) imho the future of the game does not look healthy.
The match day experience is the “match’. The quality of the “match’ is poor across all divisions.
You can dress it up with tents selling beer and ‘fan zones’ and dancing girls and local bands but it makes no difference. If the quality of the match continues to decline so will the number of people who pay to get in. Seeing as how the quality of the game and playing skills has been in decline for 30 odd years (since we decided to try and copy the Aussies rather than play our own game) imho the future of the game does not look healthy.
Like Paulie said the reason we all love Batley is because of the bars/fanzone, emulate that and its a win win. would not be hard to do in our ground.
The match day experience is the “match’. The quality of the “match’ is poor across all divisions.
You can dress it up with tents selling beer and ‘fan zones’ and dancing girls and local bands but it makes no difference.
Exactly. How many clubs put a local band on? If it's such a winner they'd all be doing it.Anyone wanting to see a band can do so at a pub or social club.A band at the game is just incidental.
I believe match day entertainment at the club is completely inept and insufficient to attract an atmosphere that is needed at the game.
However, it is pointless to try promote matches and provide match day entertainment when the on-field performances and results are abysmally poor. Fans buy into a winning team not the price of a ticket.
Well I for one only attended the last 2 home games & the away game at Swinton. I am a die hard fan every season for 63 years & I would not attend until the very end. I did have a season ticket & I do not think I am the only elderly supporter who stayed away for so long. I intend to be back next year & hopefully others will be too.
Only the club know how many season tickets were sold last year but no doubt they have partly based their financial estimates for next year on the last one.
I would expect 2,000 - 2,300 home supporters for the first home game. If we start winning consistently it will increase hopefully to 2, 800 -3,000. It will depend on performances.
As regards cost I personally do not think £22 is too much for a game. With a season ticket that amounts to £15.38 each. I think the early phased attending times last year & the bars closing at half time were a disaster affecting attendances.The club hopefully will have spoken to those responsible to ensure similar things are not repeated. As regards making the afternoon a spectacle I am content with the game alone. I am not aware other championship clubs doing much extra either. A junior match at half time & something game related like a goal kicking competition prior to the game may help if can be organised.
These conditions were not set by the club but by Government decree and local Council ruling. They could not be aavoided.