You’re just talking sh*t now.

Who said we’re guaranteed 20,000 attendances at every game and what logic is there in regulars staying away? If it was a normal away game you would go, so why not travel 10 miles across Manchester in a bid to market the club to a new audience. It will be easy to enough to judge how many new fans turn up, as we have a reasonable yardstick from the attendance last season v Widnes at home in the Challenge Cup which was 2,600 (with around 800 Widnes fans – I am sure club will know exact figure).

If we were to play a one-off game at the Etihad, a success (opposition dependent) would be any increase in attendance from above game as well as attracting any people into the ground that haven’t previously watched a RL game.

I’ll keep supporting the clubs positive marketing ideas, you keep concerning yourself with obtaining “top red” status.

If I'm right then, in fairly recent times, the biggest crowd we've had as a club was the last day at the Willows where we got 10,000 in. With this in mind why do Koukash and Vickers feel the need to take the club as far away from our ancestral home as possible? He's said himself it's a community game unlike football. Most of us could walk to the ground when we were at the Willows. Why is the club emphasis now on getting us as far away from Weaste as possible?

Yep too many fans letting their Salford faithful status get in the way of logic.

If crowds don't rise we're finished? I agree, but lets not pretend moving a cup game to another stadium will have them flocking in. Widnes (who are widely regarded as the model super league 'franchise') made the play offs last year as well as a cup semi final, yet only averaged 800 fans per game more than Salford. If Salford made 8th plus a cup semi next season we would more than likely make up this difference. Sadly any quest for attendances to instantly double is unlikely to happen. Just look at Huddersfield's crowds. Perhaps they should move a game to Leeds?

The magic weekend comparison is interesting. Perhaps the club have already missed their best chance of attracting a M/CR audience by failing to advertise to M/CR locals the chance to watch their 'local' side in a premiership football stadium. I'm sure this would have been a more attractive proposition than what is currently being proposed.

You keep stalking him in the VIP section every week, then report back to the forum to let everyone know you were 'chatting to Koukash' at the weekend.





Are you being serious with this comment? No offence but you are the biggest Koukash lauder on twitter.

If there were to be a cup game at another venue somewhere in Manchester, then that would be the time to attempt to generate a big crowd with heavily discounted tickets.
Doing that away from our normal home base has the possibility of attracting new fans and given a good performance hopefully getting those new fans to want to see more.
It's certainly a tad depressing to read that Salford fans want such a venture to fail - isn't it blindingly obvious that if the crowds don't increase to sustainable levels over the next season (or hopefully 2 seasons) then we won't have a club to watch at all?

just like you all were for that waste of space Wilkinson, Koucash has built the best team since Snape he's getting out there in the community spreading the word and now because he's trying something new to attract new fans people moan. Stop with all this Salford or nothing crap?

Exactly how people without tunnel vision see it.

I agree with Talent Spotter. I feel like too many fans are simply agreeing with this for the sake of it. None of you suggested this before it was announced so how come some of you are so in favour of it now?

Ever since the idea of the fans panel was selected, too many people have been using this forum and twitter to prove themselves to the new regime.

At the end of the day, from my experience on here (other account) I tend to find that not all of the people who claim to go to games actually do so. It might be a nice one-off experiemnt for the club but as a fan if you really want the club moved to Manchester permanently I have to question if you even support the club sadly.

You show me anyone who has said they'd really want to??? We're saying it's a good idea to attract new fans, and if it were a choice between a club or no club then I'd take moving away, then the rest of all you supposed faithful can go make a break away (Fc United type club) and go watch them on rabbit hills.

Oh dear, sounds like you’re the one doing the stalking. I recall speaking with Koukash once last season and that was because we sponsored a game and he came over for a brief chat and to thank us.



Who is saying they will flock in? You love to sensationalise things don’t you, as has been mentioned before an increase on 2,600 spectators would be a success.



Widnes population 58,000 – Salford population 234,000. I’ll let you work out who is doing a better job at attracting spectators.



I don’t think anybody is wanting attendances to instantly double, but they should be and need to be over and above the 6,500 figure as a minimum.

But it isnt a choice between a club or no club is it. Thats what you are led to believe by Koukash's blank threats to walk away. He has as much if not more to lose than the club if he gives up.

The choice as I see it is between promoting the club with patience and sustainably growing - like Ken Davy has done at Huddersfield. OR going all out to get the maximum attendances that we can and quickest way to buy a trophy at the expense of the clubs heritage and traditional fan base - like David Hughes did at London a few years ago.

A big marketing campaign and plenty of hype got us a crowd of 7,102. The only reason people dropped off was because the team were sh*te.

There's plenty of people across Manchester who know who Salford RLFC are. The reason they won't attend? Apathy and 30 years of nonsense on and off the pitch. Moving a game into Manchester is unlikely to change that in the long run, regardless of any arguments in heritage and so on.

Proper marketing campaign. Progress on the pitch, no matter how slow. That will work.

What makes you say that, then? Rugby league is known outside of Salford and the odd area of Manchester, you know. It's not exactly a million miles away, or the end of the Earth. Ridiculous argument.

You have no idea what is on koukash's mind, I'm sure if nothing improves soon he'll realise it'll be better to walk and go try again with another club.

I think , White City ( Old Trafford ), in the 70's
Gateshead - On the Road Games late 90's
the LSV - 2012 , are games where we've played at new or neutral venues.

I see the story as a shot across the bows, in the ongoing arm wrestle with the SMC , rather than a 5th column conspiracy to become a Manc RL club .
We'll be legally contracted to play 14 home games at the Sale Cuckoo Stadium ,but I guess not a potential CC game

As a club formed in Manchester that played it's first games in Moss Side a game across the rd from a Magic Weekend venue ,
A) might be cheaper to rent
B) could be marketed as a ' expansion exercize

oh do they? Well I've lived in Droylsden for 7 years and not met a single person who knows of the red devils, I know Manchester giants have a basket ball team doesn't mean I'll go watch them, maybe if they are invited to a game and enjoy it you might just attract some new support, like I say just mearly knowing there is a certain sports team in a certain area doesn't mean they'll go and attend a game, you have to be attracted or invited.

I don’t recall a big marketing campaign for the Wakefield game at all, I think pure hype from Koukash and first game of the season syndrome was the reason behind that crowd. I agree crowds did drop off because the team were sh*t, but when you’re failing to attract more than 2,600 for a CC game against Super League opposition you can’t blame the club for deciding to take such a game in the future on the road and use it as a marketing tool.



Is there? What are you basing that statement on? I can accept the reason the vast majority of Salfordians won’t attend is apathy and 30 years of nonsense, but the majority of Manchester probably haven’t even heard of the Salford Red Devils and didn't even know the AJ Bell Stadium existing until the Class of 92 played a game there.



I agree and this is obviously the number one priority, but I also see no harm in taking a historically poorly attended home game on the road 10 miles away and using it to attract a new demographic of supporter.

Like I said, he has more to lose than the club if he sells up now.

I used to think that threatening the customers and fans with selling up like Koukash is doing wasnt the way to run a club properly, but it seems to be working on fans such as yourself.

JGR: I doubt the club would see 2600 as a success. And if we are using the population argument, London should be RL's best supported club?

Red League: I think you have confused me with someone else if you think I was pro Wilky.

Anyway, let's see what happens. We might not even get a home draw yet.

This is obviously just a taster by the club I presume to see how everyone reacts before a final decision is made. The point of this though is that the club aren't interested if we will attend it. They're wondering if anyone in Manchester will attend. With this in mind it doesnt really matter too much how few of you say you are in favour what matters is how many people in East Manchester have suddenly started partying and celebrating knowing that Red Devils will suddenly be in their area, I suspect not many.

Come on then marketing guru what would you do to increase support?

Start winning games.

FFS, Mario.

It may pay to remember that your own opinion is not fact, and touting it around as such is making you look like a bell-end. Let's reel it in eh?

Take it for what it is, a marketing opportunity rather than some underhanded plot by a bond villain to move his own personal tracy island a stones throw away from its current position.

You're not coming on here to have a debate, you're coming on here to tell everyone what you think regardless of how badly it smells or what anyone says to you. You're not providing positive alternatives, just negative outcomes. Sort yourself out.

This is the standard line taken by all of us, myself included. It's more of a hope than a fact though and it worries me somewhat.

'After thirty-odd years of failure it'll take a winning team to bring the fans back, not marketing Manchester!'

I had this one mentioned to me today and while there's no doubt an element of truth in that, it's exactly the reason why the Club is/should market outside of Salford. Not the reason why we shouldn't. There's no down side. If absolutely nothing comes of it nobody has lost anything for the trying.

Better to try, and fail. Than never trying at all.