I (and the people I go to the games with) thought it wasn't that bad a crowd.

Doesn't help when you have a season ticket that you had to get re printed twice today.

Close, but not quite!

Yeah, agree with that thought.....

We are still paying the price for that extremely disappointing performance against Saints I'm afraid. Cas is a must win game now if we hope to drag in a lot more next time. The sceptics will be expecting nothing more than a loss on Friday.

When are we going to stop kidding ourselves that there is a magic bullet solution to crowd numbers?
It will require a lot more than just a good run of results in a single season. It will need some years of consistency from the team, sound marketing from the club and continuing investment from the owners.
The fundamental problem (IMO) is that the cities of Salford and Manchester are now football towns (Manchester of course always was), stop any kid in the street and ask them their favourite sport and who they want to play for and the answer won't be "rugby league" and "Salford Red Devils". Any strategy to improve the attendance must recognise and start to address that and there is no way that will be a short term fix.
There are some reasons for optimism though - we do have a team capable of delivering better than we've seen for many a year, we do have an owner with financial clout and undoubted enthusiasm, we do have a management team with ideas and who are seemingly open to advice (eg from Tim Sheens), the stadium access improvements are happening (though far too slowly). All these factors can certainly help in moving us to the level at which we would like to be.
That said, there still has to be a realistic approach to the attendance problem. It isn't going to change overnight, it will be a slow growth (Warrington provide perhaps the best example) but it is achievable.
We must though stop shooting ourselves in the foot - scheduling a fixture with United at home and on Mothering Sunday was never going to produce a bumper crowd now was it?

There you hit the nail on the head.

Surely today everyone who came should have been able to bring Mum for free.

I agree with a lot you are saying but I firmly believe that increased numbers can be achieved sooner with a team producing good results and creating a feel good factor. Go back to 2006 and compare numbers to the previous few years. I appreciate you could say that was at the Willows but when we were there many people complained about the old facilties and worrying about having their cars vandalised. Also lets not forget the opening game against Leeds in 2007 drew in about 8500 after a good season the year prior.

I really think vickers isnt doing enough to bring crowds in apart from social media and half the time hes just moaning. Well we play leeds on the same day as the manchester derby so get ready for a bad day in the stands there

The stadium is becoming a nightmare to get to ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

Yesterday, I left my home in Rochdale before 12:30. I accept that the journey times were affected by the 20-25 mins walk to and from the station and by that no trains were running from Rochdale to Manchester (and back) so the relief bus had to be used. However I got home after 19:30. I had ten mins in a pub as I refused to wait in the cold outside Victoria but that did not affect the times.
Put into the equation that I was lucky to share a taxi with two other Salford fans (thanks lads) from Eccles to the ground and was offered a lift to Eccles after the match.

For some reason, the number of 67 and 100 s going to Barton on a Sunday have been cut in favour of more going to the Trafford Centre. I will have to plan far more carefully when I arrive at Shudehill.

But imagine I had brought a friend. Of the 7 hours, 1 1/2 hours at the game, and 10 mins in a pub. I.E. 5 hours 20 mins travelling.I cannot see that person travelling again.
From Rochdale/north Oldham on a Sunday,it's quicker to get to Warrington, Widnes, Wigan, Saints, Huddersfield, and Leeds. Cas and Wakefield are comparable in time/trouble.

There are several Salfordians living in Rochdale.

Or maybe we should see how we are once the team is consistently decent, rather than just being a couple of years into rebuilding after 30-odd years of disappointment?

If we're challenging for the playoffs every year and getting 2,000 or so I'll worry. Until then, how about we stop thinking the club in Salford is doomed at every opportunity? Then again, I'm starting to think some people can't wait for the club to drop the whole "Salford" thing, to be honest...

And then that'd be those who watch football outside the Premier League knackered, wouldn't it?

Sorry for the third post in a row here, but Hillbilly Red and Barton Flyer are spot on as well.

Anyone else receive an email from Martin Vickers? It seems as though he and Marwan are actually taking note of some of the positive ideas which have been suggested by fans.

How many of those moaning about the attendances are going to bring someone who typically wouldn't watch Salford to the next game against Widnes? There are some cracking deals on. Also, posters available to be printed and put up in workplaces, shops, pubs, cafes etc - how many of you will actually be ar$ed to do that too.

I appreciate these are tiny steps and in the grand scheme of things I agree entirely with BF above, but for the short term these can only assist.

Spot on.

I agree the location plays a big part it is a bit of a nightmare to get to, a lot of people who used to go to games drink in my local on the Height and a lot were talking about the game when I went back afterwards the interest is there but if I don't get a lift the 67/100 is a nightmare to rely on and it is a long all round journey which I can understand puts people off. I think it would benefit the club to start the fans shuttle bus on the Height or even Swinton it doesn't cover enough areas.

Speak to Vickers. I have seen shuttles being put on if enough interest is guaranteed.

I think it'll take a good few years before we start seeing improved crowd figures on a regular basis.

People are wanting a short term fix but there just insn't one unfortunately.

prolonged success on the field, the completion of the road newtwork/bridge, the buidling of the new pub etc will have a massive and hopefully positive impact on crowd figures.

I've had 1 or 2 disagreements with MK & MV on Twitter regrading crowd figures in the past.

30+ years of apathy will not be wiped away overnight, it will take time!

I have used the shuttle bus from the 147 club Walkden, which is great they get people in for drinks beforehand and then you can just jump straight on the bus to the ground.

If they did this on the Height and struck a similar deal with the pubs up there I think you'd get more people going definitely, you can get people along who are drinking there at the time which used to be the case when we we're at The Willows especially on Sunday's no excuses if there's a bus to ferry them straight there from the pub then back up afterwards. I think you'd see a good increase if this were to happen.

Being an (older) Cas fan, I remember the sixties team in the Snape era when we played you at Wembley in 1969. I thought that you got decent crowds then with a few high profile signings from RU etc. It seems to be a similar situation now so if you get a sniff of silverware surely your crowds will return?

I'd say picking up at the 147 club, heading down Worsley and then possibly down Liverpool Road would get full coaches. Another starting on the Height, down to the Chandos, through Eccles and then a second option down Liverpool Road are two routes where you'd get lots of people interested.

I still say it's poor that First/GMPT can't organise having a couple of buses waiting at the stop near the ground, easy money for them.

Yeah, First put buses on to Bolton Wanderers from Walkden/Farnworth that's always been the problem with getting up there even before the stadium opened the bus service to Eccles/Irlam is pretty pathetic, really should be another service provided regularly up there maybe something Stagecoach could provide or extend the 41 First service to go to Irlam.

The club definitely need to look at extending the shuttle buses to run up to the Height/Swinton whatever happens.

M K should buy the old Willows site and build his own stadium. Be in total control

i work for first , write your criticisms down and i`ll copy them and make sure they get to management , i`ll also find any excuse they have for not putting an extra service on i`d happily do a run after any home game if it helped put bums on seats

Yeah, because Salford Council would definitely grant planning permission for that!

Not a criticism they simply need too try and co ordinate the end of Sale/Salford games and having a couple of buses parked up at the bus stop next to the Zebra crossing. Pretty sure if they contacted the club about match days they would get assistance in making sure they get the timing right.

Little things like this would make a hell of a lot of difference.