This is an interesting point but withone problem as pointed out by Statdler in the RLE. Whilst everyone wanted close games it seems that there should have been a proviso put on it. Everybody wants close games that you win at home. It seems that the close games that are being lost are by teams at home and this is affecting crowds. Last week for instance 6 teams won away from home.

Unfortunately we can't have it all ways can we!?

I'm fast coming round to the way of thinking that venue matters very little, if at all.

Maybe it'll encourage more away support across the board?

Who now wishes they'd gone to Saints away?

Not only that, but put money on 'em too!
And told you all!

A close game does not necessarily mean a good game though, if these close games were actually full of quality play then there might not be such an effect on crowds and supporters - unfortunately they aren't.

The competition may have evened, but is has evened down, not up.

I don't think that's right at all. Some of the rugby seen last year from Saints and Leeds especially was better than pretty much anything in SL before.

Bradford's standard has dropped but we're not the only team, and it is trite to say that all teams will experience ups and downs eventually.

And quality at places like say Catalans, Wakey, HKR has been way, way higher than in recent years.

I'm not. At Rugby League matches (or any live sporting event for that matte) you don't want entertaining you want something that stirs your emotions that gets you ready for the heat of battle and that whips the crwod up into a frenzy.

That's why before every home game I'd have an opera singer singing summat proper. Sort of stuff that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It's inclusive in that everyone can appreciate it and it cranksd up the atmosphere.

Yes some teams have improved, also some have improved relative to the standards of the competition.

Expansion to 14 clubs has for me, diluted the talent pool even more and, in the short term was always bound to lead to a dip in standards.

If the standard of play was higher - win, lose or draw I don't think we'd have seen crowds of less than 9k for Wire and 8k for Celtic, I think a lot of people just don't expect to see a good game, whatever the result - even a lot of our wins at home in the last couple of seasons have been pretty turgid viewing, and it's hard to attract people back. I took a couple of friends who used tobe regulars to the Wakefield home game last season and you won't get them coming back for more after that one, even though we won.

We've lost the characters from the team, no Jimmy, no Volacano, no Baloo, no Robbie, no Shontayne. These larger than life characters are what the young kids looked up to, Shonny and Robbie were eye candy for the girls.

Beaver? Semi? Worrlord? Sam? Terence?

....and Fielden.

To you and me maybe, yes...I very much doubt any younger fans would have heard of Beaver before his arrival, Terry OK but to me not in the same league as Jimmy, Semi is no Volcano hasn't got the same personality, Worrlaord, well despite your best efforts still a long way to go.

I'm sorry to say all in all your suggestions strengthen my point

This season has plenty of paralells with 88-89 to me. We have a side that lot's its big personalities (back then it was Phil Ford and Brendan Hill). The squad was imbalanced - great pack but lacking quality backs. And coached by a man who had a hard act to follow (Seabourne following Fox) but who enjoyed the confidence of the board despite deteriorating performances and falling attendances.

That season we scraped into 8th after flirting with relegation yet at times looked good enough give anyone a game if we kept 13 men on the field (hard with a pack containing Skerrett, Hobbs, Fairbank etc). As it was we never got utterly thrashed in any games but managed to play poorly and keep the score down.

In the end Seabourne resigned after a strike by the reserves before the 89-90 season.

Perhaps, but we're not utterly bereft. There are players there with stories to tell. What ever happened to Shirt Presentation Night btw?

Now we can't do the same job on Sam that was done on Robbie because of money. But there must be ways of harnessing two cheap/free means of communicating - the net and fans prepared to volunteer their time would be my suggestion.

For example, how about a printable poster before each home game to be displayed in schools and workplaces? Same job done as a billboard on the M62, and done virtually for free.

It's been suggested before hasn't it? If the club fancy seriously using supporters skills to help them market the club they need to get their skates on before they become totally disillusioned.

Oh, and another idea - a pdf for kids to print off that when stuck together and stuck to card makes a full size Sam Burgess cut-out. Add a 'be healthy, don't eat chips all the time slogan' and get the kids to take them into school to be put on display. Even if only a couple get made, it's better than nothing surely and wouldn't take much time. Take the pic, email it to someone with some nouse on here and I'm sure it could be knocked up in half an hour.

Has the BISA link with the club now died?

Do the club know people are willing to give their time and expertise?

BISA died some years back. There simply weren't the folk around with the time or inclination to make it work. From the lack of mention in the press I'd say this applies to quite a few ISAs at other clubs too.

If that was the case in 2005 then gawd knows what it'd be like now. For instance I certainly wouldn't have the time to take on anything like that again.

But I still have the key ring and everything!!



Maybe a less time consuming way of communicating then?

How about once a quarter, as list of questions (from people on here say), is pooled, screened (i.e. removing the what Deacons address type questions) and sent to the club, then posted on here.

Or do it via personal email. Those who want to sign up, can choose to opt in.

Surely it's a start and not too much effort, even from a geographical and logistical point of veiw?

Is that the sound of you volunteering to collate it Wigsy???

Has anyone tried emailing the club with suggestions?
It's worth a shot.

, I walked into that one didn't I!!

In principle yes, I'd be game.
I just think there are obviously a great deal of people who care about the club and have questions, proposals, ideas, etc to offer up, which at the moment the club aren't party to.

Just have.

I'd also be interested. I was too young to get heavily involved with BISA back in t'day, as it were, but now I'd genuinely be interested.

Let me know if you get a response.
I'll make one one for any supporter impetus to assist the club, but frankly have been appaled by the clubs previous lack of engagement with fans who want to help the club.
Are we just fodder in ther minds or are we considered ineffectual.
Its been said before that the club is missing out on a hardcore of passionate supporters who could willingly promote the Bulls by initiatives instigated the club or by innovative suggestions from us.
Whatever, the management NEED to re-engaage with the supporters in joint efforts of reinvigoration. And it will cost them nothing.

Come on Bulls, contact Wigan Bull if he's prepared to be the locus

Seriously though, how many fans do you think you could mobilise to help the club? There is a small but vocal few on here and other MBs who might be willing to put time and effort (money?) in, but how many others in reality?

I'm not trying to be negative and I'm in to help however I can, but it has been tried before and there just was not the support to help out.