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.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

I personally think it's something worth trying for a number of reasons: -
1. Cup games over the lat few years are badly attended at Salford as well as other teams.
2. It's a great way of putting our sport and particularly Salford in the spotlight for fans who probably wouldn't come across to Barton on spec.
3. It shows the SMC that there are other options.
4. We need to attract new and lapsed fans down to watch.

Imagine we go across to say the Ethiad Training Stadium which I think holds about 8,000. Even if it was only 50-60% full with about 500 -1000 new fans and it was a decent game. I think the atmosphere would be pretty good and maybe some of the new fans would come across to watch the odd game in Summer.

We have to try new things to move forward.
Remember when Amazon was first muted most people gave it no chance. Now look at it. Even the Internet was decried and without it we wouldn't be able to air our views.

If it was on the road Myself and our group of fans would certainly be there.

The more you think about the more you see it is the Doc flexing his muscles and saying to the SMC, pull your finger out as there are other options.

The SMC is already living pretty much hand to mouth and losing a large slice of it's income from Salford would be a very sobering thought for you. I can see this being a precursor to the Doc looking to buy if not all of the stadium a significant share of it.

This is pretty much what I was thinking when I first saw that. We know that CC games are a shared gate, we know that CC games have (shamefully) been poorly attended, we know that the Doc isn't best pleased with what the stadium charges. A poorly attended cup game at AJB could make a loss. A threat to play elsewhere may help get a better deal.

Personally, I'm massively against a permanent move out of Salford, or a branding towards Manchester (and I'm a Mancunian), but I can see some possible benefit in having [uA[/u game in a different part of the area. Having a few thousand people on cheapo tickets with very little preconceptions about what they are going to see, watching us play an open style of rugby and mullering a lower division team, might actually get more people to try it again than our historic method of attracting a crowd for a game against well known opposition, then getting mullered ourselves. Obviously, the best thing we could do would be to get decent crowds in for home gaimes against bigger name opposition [iand[/i beat them. Wakefield seem to have managed it.




I'm sorry, but that is simply wrong. I was doing a lot of work in Central/East Mcr in May/June this year and there were at least a dozen billboards along main roads, plus the electronic displays seen by thousands of s-l-o-w moving cars on the Mancunian way. In addition, there were posters at many metrolink stations. It would be interesting to know how many Mcr based neutrals went.

Well done to MK the club have got to try a generate some interest. What do you want the guy to do, he as done everything he said he would do unfortunately the Salford public are not interested in the only professional sports club in Salford.

It all comes down to cost doesnt it? Lets say we draw Gateshead at home. Would we get 2,000 @ home? Just think of the costs of hire of ground, countless Stewards and Jobsworths so Marwan is looking to foot a huge loss. Split gate as well as Iain has noted.

Does the Cup attract any more anyway? Have to concur with many on here and agree to a move especially in the early rounds.

As an aside - Sale`s gates are very poor arent they? Under 5,000 again last week and that for a Premiership Fixture. I wouldnt be surprised that the Landlords are beginning to worry that there may be NO tenants shortly. Sale might as well play at Heywood Road or even back to Edgeley Park. We need MK to buy out the Council asap.