It was a Thursday night for starters, and IIRC that has only been attempted once. Yes, it didn't work this time, but nothing works at the moment and that is down to the shambolic running of our club. I doubt many people would have enjoyed themselves on a Sunday, as per the Huddersfield game where the crowd was nearly identical to the Catalans match, impressive considering Catalans bought 0 away supporters and Huddersfield a couple of hundred. So the Catalans match on a Thursday night was in fact better attended than the Huddersfield match, explain that?

The majority of people work 9-5, allowing up to 3 hours for the trek to TW2. Waterloo is a grand total of 13 minutes from Canary Wharf. I can't think of anywhere in Central London that represents a difficult journey to Waterloo considering it is so well connected.

Oh and ironic at you complaining "making it personal", I make a general comment that could be about anyone and in a stalker-like fashion, you identify where I was sitting on Thursday, even though you have never met me.

I think part of the problem here is that the catchment area isn't as big as some might think. London's public transport system is the biggest in the country and great for getting into the central area. Trouble is Twickenham is stuck out in the south west, and unless live near a station on a line that runs through Twickenham, you're journey can often be a long one.

A fast train from Waterloo takes 20 mins, then you need 10-15 mins to walk to the ground, a total of 30-35 mins. Most people in London has a whole load more traveling to get to Waterloo in the first place.
When we talk to away fans most of them say 35 mins is their total traveling time door-door for a home game.
I suspect if you defined 35 mins traveling time as your catchment area, it wouldn't have a huge number of people in it.

I was pointing out that we were both there, and backing it up. Identifying you the block right next to the one to the one I was in is hardly stalker like.
If I'd offered row and seat number you might have a point, although given that I sometimes a struggle to find time for home games I can't see me having time for any of that.

Considering there were only 5 of us in there, I'm still a little worried

That many?

we haven't tried Tuesdays yet IIRC......could be the way to go

ok, another silly idea maybe (and i'm ready to be shot down) but why not follow the Wasps example and utilise somewhere like Adams Park in Wycombe ? it's easy to get to by car,just a short drive down the motorway with a good P & R system (free) and a decent rail connection from London
would this not be easier for home fans and more practical than being in London itself what with the travelling problems etc ?

I recall when I lived in Normandy watching my local football team (Caen FC) was bedlam at the old stadium in a northern suburb a mile from the centre of the city especially with 20000 fans trying to get around the streets etc - the club built a new stadium about 10 miles out of town on the motorway,next to the airport with good bus links & good car parking etc and it's now a brilliant place to watch football and so easy for all concerned.

I've noticed that Wasps are booming at the moments aren't they...

attendances for all the London sides playing outside of London (wasps, saracens and london irish) are pretty mediocre at best. i don't think it's the right way to go

dunno ?

I reckon a 7K home average (10K capacity) for a bottom of the table side is excellent - just shows the committment of the Wasps faithful even when the team is on it's knees



I bet the Broncos would cream themselves to get anywhere near that average !



bit worried about signing Stephen Jones though - watched him at Brive a few days ago and he seemed clueless....

I'm just loading some ammo clips on the 2-pounder pom-pom




It's fair to say that the 'out-of-town' experience for British sports clubs has been mixed at best. If you have really good road and public transport links (and you need both) it can work well, but there are several instances where it was near disasterous.

I've always thought it a mistake for London to try and appeal to the whole metropolis and surrounding area, precisely because the transport system isn't well geared to anything other than travel toward the centre. The supreme irony is that having moved around so much what few supporters we do have come from all over! So wherever we play is going to be difficult for most of our current fans.

Also the "don't rely on away fans" argument shouldn't mean that you ignore them or treat them as unimportant. I doubt the smaller clubs in the heartlands don't welcome the bigger teams boosting the gate when they visit.

In short, there's no magic location, but I'm not convinced out of town is the way forward unless it's to the north of London.

Brentford 2002. Average attendance 3,803
Brentford 2005. Average attendance 3,918

The Stoop 2006. Average 4,238
The Stoop 2012, Average 2,642.

The only time in the clubs 17 year ESL history that it left a "home" with more fans than it arrived with was at Griffin Park. This was down to Play-offs in '03 and '05, as well as a sense of community that was starting to build. The only football stadium in England with a pub on every corner, fans mixing in all of them before and after games, players as well..... and despite the whining of some, only a short hop off the M4, a 10 minute walk from the Train station and served by 5 bus routes (10 mins from Ealing Broadway, 5 mins from South Ealing), the ground lacked the "corporate sheen" of some of the new stadiums or even the Stoop, but it was starting to feel more like home after a couple of years than The Valley or the Stoop ever could IMO.

If London move again (and let's face it, the current regime will try everything to attract fans except F()(kING MARKETING) then I believe a move back to GP or a similar ground would be the best way forward......

guuterfax, that's probably the best researched post on here, and you have some points.

The downside of GP was having to go 'on-the-road' for 8 weeks (although we don't seem to get regular home games at the Stoop) and the fact that all the profit from beer sales before the game went to the publican/pubco/brewery.

But as we aren't getting the numbers that last point is moot.