agreed,but a major factor seems to be the lack of progression within the M62 corridor, witness the reduction on crowds generally within the english RL heartlands,especially in the lower leagues.Hunslet being just one example.If the sport has problems within it's traditional catchment areas then it needs to expand further afield.If this wasn't the case the RFL wouldn't be perservering with the french,welsh or southern clubs.
The french LER has either stabilised or has shown increases in attendances in it's respective heartland areas.
This doesn't imply the quality is any better or worse between english & french RL simply that there are lots of positives down here with apparent reticence in the engllsih system for whatever reason.

Re the Union jack flag in the Fax colours behind the posts at the clubhouse end.It was left in the Melting Pot if you want to reclaim it pm me and i will see if i can get it to you

??? I think you mean "Danke Schön/Schoen"!

it's all double dutch to me mate ! I blame the red wine

As one of the few people actually at the game, if there was 500 there it was on the top side, it was a very disappointing night apart from having a few drinks with fellow fans!
In reply to you Haighy, this was a [ivery average Toulouse [/iteam even missing one of their best players too, it was a game we were never going to win after they got their noses in front, you could just tell. Heads went down and as always we just cannot cope with teams that work hard.

I believe that belongs to "Fax4Life" may be wrong though.

Poppycock mate, firstly I was in Toulouse on Saturday and the crowd, or lack of was a shock, there was NEVER over 1000 there, I mean never as I counted the fans in the stands and got to 'around' 400 plus the few in the bar and just in front I would say the crowd was 500, yer okay we only took about 50 this time (we took more the first year I went it was around 500) but its March and as was proved , still poor for weather, so not as appealing for people to go, my family did not go this time plus the 'novelty' has worn off.

The game has to build from where it is strong or more 'was' strong as due to the RFL the game is sadly dying in placs it used to be well supported 'in their day' places like Oldham, Workington, Keighley, Hunslet even Rochdale used to get fairky decent crowds back in the 80's. Even in Leigh, Halifax and Fev there is not the support for the game there was in the 80's and early 90's which is a huge worry.
You saying forget these and go for places where they do not and never will be fans of RL in big numb ers???
It just won't work.

No way as I have put elsewhere was there that many, no way.
We got in the ground with about 20 mins to ko and there was about 50 people there, by ko there were a few in the stands as it was chucking it down plus us in front of the pavilion and some stayed in the bar, 500 tops!

So is 500 in Toulouse!

You sound just like your coach,a bad loser - your lads expected to turn up and take the three points and totally disregarded the opposition - I don't think i've seen such a deflated coach at a press conference.For some reason the swagger and confidence at the corresponding game last year has disappeared ! Visiting Toulouse was great when you were winning then wasn't it ? All of a sudden it's "not so appealing",I wonder why ?
Regarding the crowd - I didn't bother to count them personally,silly me ! I asked in the club office after the game when MC was trying to get a dvd copy and this was the figure announced to me - don't whinge at me if the figure is correct or not,ok ? To say there were 500 is a complete joke - stop with the sour grapes please.
If our great game game is dying in the english heartlands then what else can we do ? I'm sure the RFL would love to survive with the game in it's traditional areas if only to save money on ventures like france etc but the truth is it isn't doing very well so you have to look for business elsewhere.If you people in the heartlands don't want the game then what is the RFL supposed to do ?

How come, the French League teams are well supported, getting large attendances reportedly, yet TO are only getting a crowd of at most around 1500?

Not a dig, just a question.

you're quite right mate - I don't know either.

many of the LER games get between 1000- 2000 crowds regularly especially in the non-RU areas with the games played on the sunday - even at Carcassonne the LER crowd is often higher than the RU - witness 7000 for the visit of Limoux the other week.
Stade TO played on saturday afternoon and are really well supported plus the international on the telly etc plus the weather,which wasn't hospitable,certainly not good enough to tempt the fair weather fans.Plus,times are pretty hard for the average french person also nowadays with a higher cost of living in france than in the uk and people just don't have the money available. I have just been made redundant after 15 years with the same company so I don't see how I can go to many more games this season
An important factor is the way the system works over here - in france,saturday is classed as an official working day within the 35 hour (39 for many) hour week plus the vast majority of shops are closed on the sunday so most families do their shopping o the saturday.It's a different culture.

The LER games (99%) are played on the sunday so TO13 would attract more paying customers if the matches were played on the sunday.This however,would be more difficult or the visiting teams I suppose with the travelling & general logistics etc.

I am very dubious about the 1021 official crowd reported.But that was the official figure announced to me post-match.

This was our third year at Toulouse, the first year was great, it was a novelty, we won, the weather was ok and we had hundreds of supporters. What a great weekend.

Last year the weather was fantastic, not as many supporters, we won. What a great weekend.

This year, the weather was poor, the rugby was poor very few supporters. What a great weekend.

Next year?

But the fact remains, there were barely 400 Toulouse supporters there, same as the first year, same as the second year. And I say exactly the same now as I did after the first year.
What is the point of having Toulouse in the league?

PLEASE,this is scandalous ! I was also at these games including saturday

the official average for 2010 was 1900

2010 - the official crowd was 902 v Fax (clashed with a Stade Toulousain fixture also shown on national telly)
2009 - the official crowd was 2697 - the following day many of the Fax fans were at Perpignan - with great respect there is a slight difference between your estimation of 400 and 2679 is there not ? I suggest sir,you are a prize p*****k !

last saturday the Fax performance was poor - give some credit to TO13 please !!! they outplayed them in every department - I though Holroyd was excellent and tried to inspire a very lacklustre bunch of team mates with only Dylan Nash showing any real fight - the Fax fans were almost silent - didn't hear a peep from them except at the post-match p**s up with a few drowning their sorrows following the catastrophic loss ! Plus of course all the usual whinging about the ref etc etc.
The team,along with staff & other hangers on just down for a freebie beano no doubt left early,most of them without even bothering with the post-match meal etc which was the height of bad manners IMO.I can't ever recall a visiting team bus leaving so quickly.
All in all a bunch of bad losers all round.

Good luck for the rest of the season though - you will still be up at the top despite this small hiccup.

You write. "2009 - the official crowd was 2697 - the following day many of the Fax fans were at Perpignan - with great respect there is a slight difference between your estimation of 400 and 2679 is there not ? I suggest sir,you are a prize p*****k !"

Firstly I see no reason to be so rude and ill mannered,

Secondly there were NEVER 2679 at the 2010 game.

Toulous support is dwindling.

Quote ="halifaxjohn"icon_motor.gif You write. "2009 - the official crowd was 2697 - the following day many of the Fax fans were at Perpignan - with great respect there is a slight difference between your estimation of 400 and 2679 is there not ? I suggest sir,you are a prize p*****k !" Firstly I see no reason to be so rude and ill mannered, Secondly there were NEVER 2679 at the 2010 game. Toulous support is dwindling. '" yes,TO13 support IS dwindling - congratulations,you got something right - problem is I can't see things improving much at TO13.Even a table topping team would be lucky to get 2000 at the moment with many french feling the pinch,just like you lot no doubt.The ticktes aren't cheap in france. if you care to read correctly,you will ee sI noted 2009 as the year with 2679 NOT 2010 ok ? saturday 18th july 2009 www.cooperativechampionship.co.u ... php?s=2009 which looks pretty good against the official figure of 2128 (same page) for the return at The Shay on the 5th september or don't you believe that either ? by the way I didn't intend to be rude - 'p*****k' is a term of endearment - no offence meant.

Quote ="halifaxjohn"icon_motor.gif You write. "2009 - the official crowd was 2697 - the following day many of the Fax fans were at Perpignan - with great respect there is a slight difference between your estimation of 400 and 2679 is there not ? I suggest sir,you are a prize p*****k !" Firstly I see no reason to be so rude and ill mannered, Secondly there were NEVER 2679 at the 2010 game. Toulous support is dwindling. '" yes,TO13 support IS dwindling - congratulations,you got something right - problem is I can't see things improving much at TO13.Even a table topping team would be lucky to get 2000 at the moment with many french feling the pinch,just like you lot no doubt.The ticktes aren't cheap in france. if you care to read correctly,you will ee sI noted 2009 as the year with 2679 NOT 2010 ok ? saturday 18th july 2009 www.cooperativechampionship.co.u ... php?s=2009 which looks pretty good against the official figure of 2128 (same page) for the return at The Shay on the 5th september or don't you believe that either ? by the way I didn't intend to be rude - 'p*****k' is a term of endearment - no offence meant.

WRONG! The official average for 2010 was 1,438, NOT 1,900.

Quote ="sanjunien"yes,TO13 support IS dwindling - congratulations,you got something right - problem is I can't see things improving much at TO13.Even a table topping team would be lucky to get 2000 at the moment with many french feling the pinch,just like you lot no doubt.The ticktes aren't cheap in france. if you care to read correctly,you will ee sI noted 2009 as the year with 2679 NOT 2010 ok ? saturday 18th july 2009 www.cooperativechampionship.co.u ... php?s=2009 which looks pretty good against the official figure of 2128 (same page) for the return at The Shay on the 5th september or don't you believe that either ? by the way I didn't intend to be rude - 'p*****k' is a term of endearment - no offence meant.'" May i suggest you lay of the Garlic and Cheap red wine. Also spout your drivel on the french site as you can tell most people on here are not interested in you arguing that french rugby is going from strength to strength and dont give a rats rectum. Listen very carefully, I vill say zis only vonce. - Tolouse do not deserve to be in this league and should be in the Championship 1, Poor results for the last 3 years, Poor crowds, poor spectators, Except you of course sir who travels 700 miles per game. Cause you do. Anyway i will leave you to plough your fields and feed your horses. au revoir

Quote ="sanjunien"yes,TO13 support IS dwindling - congratulations,you got something right - problem is I can't see things improving much at TO13.Even a table topping team would be lucky to get 2000 at the moment with many french feling the pinch,just like you lot no doubt.The ticktes aren't cheap in france. if you care to read correctly,you will ee sI noted 2009 as the year with 2679 NOT 2010 ok ? saturday 18th july 2009 www.cooperativechampionship.co.u ... php?s=2009 which looks pretty good against the official figure of 2128 (same page) for the return at The Shay on the 5th september or don't you believe that either ? by the way I didn't intend to be rude - 'p*****k' is a term of endearment - no offence meant.'" May i suggest you lay of the Garlic and Cheap red wine. Also spout your drivel on the french site as you can tell most people on here are not interested in you arguing that french rugby is going from strength to strength and dont give a rats rectum. Listen very carefully, I vill say zis only vonce. - Tolouse do not deserve to be in this league and should be in the Championship 1, Poor results for the last 3 years, Poor crowds, poor spectators, Except you of course sir who travels 700 miles per game. Cause you do. Anyway i will leave you to plough your fields and feed your horses. au revoir

sanjunien wrote

"by the way I didn't intend to be rude - 'p*****k' is a term of endearment - no offence meant."

No offence taken, and so I send you our term of endearment.

On second thoughts, best not.

Garlic is good for you or haven't you heard ? It helps reduce the problems associated with heart disease.Another fact btw.
I don't touch the cheap red wine personally it rots your guts you know - all that cats p**s gets exported to england where they charge you lot an arm and a leg at your local pub or restaurant,as for the supermarket wine,well......................
French RL domestically is either stable or increasing in crowd terms at least - TO13 IS stuggling (France is struggling generally probably in order to support the likes of the UK & Albania etc) but for some reason your precious RFL seem to want to keep wasting their/your money on it - why do you think this is ? it's not rocket science is it mon ami ?
Can you please at least try to spell Toulouse correctly - says a lot about your general level of education doesn't it ?


I dont travel 700 miles per game FWIW - it's actually 400 miles or 620 kms ,if you know what they are ?

Good luck at Whitehaven - you should be ok,even little old Lezignan managed to beat them !

Tickets arent cheap in France?

€10 for a Standing ticket is just over £8, the cheapest you'll get in at a game in our league for standing is £12/13, mind you we got 5 seating tickets (worth €20 each i believe) for €20 off the bloke in reception in the hotel, got a few more and sold them on, dont presume he paid anything for them but got them in return for displaying a couple of posters advertising the game.

A bit like our 4795 against Batley?

Couldn't agree more, Now off you pop to till the fields.

What's with the "our"? You're a FCHT supporter, not Fax.

That I may be but doesn't stop me supporting Fax as well does it?