[quote="Chris71":24tgsehx]Indeed, but as they say too much of a certain thing makes you go blind.[/quote:24tgsehx] And hey presto Rovers announce they are to be sponsored by Specsavers. Very apt when you consider how many Wan... sorry spectacle wearers there appears to be over there!!!

[quote="The Dentist Wilf":3uymeu2m]And hey presto Rovers announce they are to be sponsored by Specsavers. Very apt when you consider how many Wan... sorry spectacle wearers there appears to be over there!!![/quote:3uymeu2m] A total waste of a sponsorship on Specsavers part. Rovers fans can spot an opposition forward pass from 400 yards away.

I see Derek has been making comments that the game should leave SKY as the TV deal isn't big enough. His view is if the average TV audience all bought SL+ the game would get more money...which could be true but big problem there is SKY are filming and producing the games (and I dread to think what it would be like if the RFL were in charge, probably film on Sharp camcorder from the 90s ) That would be a big gamble for the game, it's not certain that causal viewers would buy the app and the game has a lot of older fans who aren't streamers. Also when SKY don't show a sport it's dead to them, no mentions on Sports News and we'd lose coverage that way.

[quote="UllFC":gnk049pb]I see Derek has been making comments that the game should leave SKY as the TV deal isn't big enough. His view is if the average TV audience all bought SL+ the game would get more money...which could be true but big problem there is SKY are filming and producing the games (and I dread to think what it would be like if the RFL were in charge, probably film on Sharp camcorder from the 90s ) That would be a big gamble for the game, it's not certain that causal viewers would buy the app and the game has a lot of older fans who aren't streamers. Also when SKY don't show a sport it's dead to them, no mentions on Sports News and we'd lose coverage that way.[/quote:gnk049pb] I have no idea what it costs to cover a game live with an outside broadcast but it must be significant for a main game you would think, plus the initial capital outlay. Who would pay for all of that? There must be a fair few people employed full time doing it at SKY

[quote="Rugby Raider":14shnqt2]A total waste of a sponsorship on Specsavers part. Rovers fans can spot an opposition forward pass from 400 yards away.[/quote:14shnqt2] At least we may be able to see you lot right down at the bottom end of the league table now?

[quote="Funk-Doc":2hq7ruhf]At least we may be able to see you lot right down at the bottom end of the league table now?[/quote:2hq7ruhf] You'll need more than Specsavers to be able to see anything in your trophy cabinet.

[quote="Funk-Doc":x2bdjddm]At least we may be able to see you lot right down at the bottom end of the league table now?[/quote:x2bdjddm] do hey have x-ray specs for those in the new golf stand?

[quote="Funk-Doc":2qd0ezyr]At least we may be able to see you lot right down at the bottom end of the league table now?[/quote:2qd0ezyr] You’ll need some really strong lenses to see all the way back to ‘85

do Specsavers do hindsight tests???

[quote="The Dentist Wilf":1lum6m3s]And hey presto Rovers announce they are to be sponsored by Specsavers. Very apt when you consider how many Wan... sorry spectacle wearers there appears to be over there!!![/quote:1lum6m3s]you should have sent tony smith there before last years recruitment

[quote="UllFC":1cpg3hrz]I see Derek has been making comments that the game should leave SKY as the TV deal isn't big enough. His view is if the average TV audience all bought SL+ the game would get more money...which could be true but big problem there is SKY are filming and producing the games (and I dread to think what it would be like if the RFL were in charge, probably film on Sharp camcorder from the 90s ) That would be a big gamble for the game, it's not certain that causal viewers would buy the app and the game has a lot of older fans who aren't streamers. Also when SKY don't show a sport it's dead to them, no mentions on Sports News and we'd lose coverage that way.[/quote:1cpg3hrz] I think there is a conversation to be had about it , We definitely need to start hearing something from IMG as we just hear nothing from them all . I guess deggsys figures are a bit misleading with his £36m from an app . I doubt we'd get anywhere near that figure nor the number of subscribers we'd need to improve the money coming into the game .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0khb ... are-mobile 27 minutes in, Sezer interview on Humberside

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0khb ... are-mobile 27 minutes in, Sezer interview on Humberside

[quote="UllFC":24ggxpe8] (and I dread to think what it would be like if the RFL were in charge, probably film on Sharp camcorder from the 90s ) [/quote:24ggxpe8] They can borrow (i mean lease) mine - it still works and I have blank tapes!!

10k tickets sold for the Wigan game. Decent start but the challenge is of course to lure the 1k-1.5k people who have used the ticket offer to come regularly. I also suspect a good performance at Catalan would get the turnstiles clicking. I don't blame some for waiting and seeing if we have turned a corner.

So our resident expert's prediction that the derby would be the only five figure attendance of the season falls at the first hurdle. Hopefully 12k+ there for the Wigan game.

[quote="ComeOnYouUll":z8w4geh0]So our resident expert's prediction that the derby would be the only five figure attendance of the season falls at the first hurdle. Hopefully 12k+ there for the Wigan game.[/quote:z8w4geh0] It will get up to 14-15k with those pre sales I would have thought. Barely any Wigan fans will have bought tickets yet. A heavy defeat to Catalans wouldn't help with that obviously - very tough start for Hull.

[quote="MadDogg":y7ta1zdi]It will get up to 14-15k with those pre sales I would have thought. Barely any Wigan fans will have bought tickets yet. A heavy defeat to Catalans wouldn't help with that obviously - very tough start for Hull.[/quote:y7ta1zdi] I'd say it's only a medium difficulty start, Catalans have several new arrivals to bed in and didn't set the league alight last year either. And some British style cold weather might help us a bit too.

It's a decent offer to see us take on the best team in the league. Just bought a couple of extra tickets for a fiver each. As Ullfc alluded too, hopefully a promising performance even if we don't win will ensure some of the newbies or fans who have stayed away in recent seasons will want to come again.

https://x.com/M_Shaw1/status/1886849597 ... zzPWQ&s=19 Matt Shaw saying membership retention is at 90%. Insane stat when you consider what we've served up recently

https://x.com/M_Shaw1/status/1886849597 ... zzPWQ&s=19 Matt Shaw saying membership retention is at 90%. Insane stat when you consider what we've served up recently

[quote="mwindass":1nrycbh8]https://x.com/M_Shaw1/status/1886849597659562357?t=0uaYUEcnw8Fe6jUF1zzPWQ&s=19 Matt Shaw saying membership retention is at 90%. Insane stat when you consider what we've served up recently[/quote:1nrycbh8] Certainly a great effort from the fanbase, it’d be interesting if there was any increase in take up once the take over gathered pace and again when completed. Wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest had things remained as they were at the end of 2024 season number would likely have been lower.

[quote="Chris71":193geyma]Certainly a great effort from the fanbase, it’d be interesting if there was any increase in take up once the take over gathered pace and again when completed. Wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest had things remained as they were at the end of 2024 season number would likely have been lower.[/quote:193geyma] Hull Live reported on Oct 14th that we'd sold 4.5k passes. There was then some nervousness for another month until Takeover finalisation was confirmed. We've since shifted another 3k it seems. Clubs 'Dinner with Thirkhill' looks good on the photos, club seems more together than it has for a while. I am now in 'let's get on with the rugby' mode though, every club comes out with the same soundbites of how amazing their winter has been every year

Club hopeful of a crowd of 14K for the Wigan game, would be a huge achievement given recent years. Plenty been done to improve matchday experience, Flags, Live music, New games at HT, Fireworks/Lightshow. Awful lot of work seeming to be going on off the pitch which can only be applauded.

seems to have rattled a few over the river, even without the ticket offer, we would still have a nearly 9-10k as the club reported a 1,000 tickets taken up on both offers!

[quote="number 6":2441a1yh]seems to have rattled a few over the river, even without the ticket offer, we would still have a nearly 9-10k as the club reported a 1,000 tickets taken up on both offers![/quote:2441a1yh] Even with them selling out all their and ground and new state of the art temporary seating/tent, I’d still expect us to have a bigger opening home game crowd v Wigan, then they will get for Castleford. Not that we’ll know any time soon, as even though they have a finite, limited capacity and sell out every game, they refuse to declare any attendances until about May.

It's all very much early days yet but I can't help but be impressed by Thirkill. He certainly appears to be a man that knows his onions, is very much realistic about the situation the club was and still is in, whilst being optimistic of what the club wants to achieve and where it wants to go, the expectations etc but being grounded about it and tempering the hopes/dreams etc with realism. We certainly do seem to be in good and capable hands under the new ownership thanks to Adam. As has been said whilst it all looks very promising, the proof is very much in the pudding and there's is a long way to go before we are back challenging on a regular basis. [url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/andrew-thirkills-refreshing-honesty-shines-9919948:3417gelj]Not a bad read[/url:3417gelj]