They have announced 1000 season tickets sold.

From a place that size they are doing something right

That's a brilliant effort, well done Fev.

How many have we sold? They must be selling their club well perhaps it being their own ground helps.

Heard less than 300 but that's not def.

Seems like they have a really good plan and this was an early goal in their quest for super league.

Well over 400 a fortnight ago, but that would be a good question for the next Fans' Forum.

I believe S/T's can still be purchased at a pro rata basis, of the original price, taking into account games already played.

If more Championship clubs buy into the Featherstone idea of reduced entry for visiting fans, our s/t's could become an even better deal.

Now, just imagine if all 1,000 Fev fans come to ours, even at a tenner a head, wouldn't that be something?

So if you are a ST holder for any other club you can now watch leigh all season for £90 were as the general leigh public will be expected to pay £144 to stand or even worse £162 to sit (this is based on the 9 home championship games)

Great the club is coming up with ideas however i dont think this has been given enough thought!

Do they get in for £10 on the day or is this subject to the early puchase clause i.e. £14 if you buy before 5pm on a thursday etc?

Also an away fan gets to bring in a child for free yet the home fan has to pay for their child??

Children travel free if they have a ST anyway.

That's only if the child has a ST as well though Ste?

It only states on the announcement that the adult has to have a ST

' Travel '? You mean they get entry free

Personally I dont think it's a bad idea in this league, the only teams that will travel well are Leigh and probs fax. We will take 400 tops on a Thursday night and I can't see all of them being ST holders . Any other fan will just bump up numbers. Fevs aim will be to hit 2500 + to tick the box

Yea. Worded that a bit poop. My bad

Maybe the ' aim ' should be to get a lot more fans of your club, rather than ticking a box?

Everyone would love to see 3000 of our own fans at LSV but in a league were we have to wait for promotion, it's not gonna happen without trying new schemes. I think it's a good gamble and a step forward. If we can attract 100 fans from other clubs then it's money the club didn't expect plus a bump up on the gate

But it still isn't building your core fan base, is it?

Well to increase the core fan base is not easy in a league where clubs are treading water.

To get out of this we have to meet current criteria. We take more fans of a % of our home gate to away games than most and that is on a regular basis. There are only 2 Lancashire sides in our league remember.

We constantly complain about away support at the LSV maybe this new ST offer for fans of all clubs will help. I think it will.

We were about 130 per match short last season from the requisite RFL condition on attendances so the Board is trying new ideas. Good.

I agree with all your post frank,i especially agree with the bit i underlined.I find it bewildering that people keep throwing up walls whenever something new is being tried

The ' requisite ' RFL attendance is a guideline of the bare minium, it is massively short of what the real number is, the RFL are not going to set a true level as that would embarass current SL clubs, however a more sensible level would be closer to double the published number

IMO , by setting the lower target they are not challenging clubs in the correct way, and also giving clubs and fans false hopes and aspirations

All IMO of course

We are now in the fourth season of this ridiculous experiment and crowds of all Non Relegation league are in decline as are those of all Championship Clubs.

We now have a pro game were we have about 5 clubs who can win the top prizes not to mention garner the best youngsters who play the game.

All because Sky money has not been used properly and in a sustainable way for the true benefit of the game.

Yet when Championship clubs try to increase their attendances by innovative ways we get negative responses from fans of Championship clubs.

Will this innovation work ? Well we will see but if we stay doing the same nothing changes.

Lets try it until licensing is dustbinned

Are attendances in SDL dropping?

Frank, I'm all for ' inovation ' , but idea's just to hit a target, which afterwards beomes obsolete are not the answer

Lets say Fev do manage to entice an extra 3/400 to their games from away fans and neutrals , will those fans continue to attend if Fev were granted a licence ( since that appears to be part of the purpose of the initiative )?

The answer is No, so then having ' ticked the box ' they find themselves starting from a low point again

They need Featherstone Rovers fans, not occaisional Leigh,Fax,Batley fans or Cas and Wakey fans, because once in SL, they wouldn't be able to continue with the offer and fans of other SL clubs would then see them as competitors , not just an occaisional extra cheap match

So inovate yes, but for the right reasons

SL will at least double our home fan base, and if we are competitive treble it. Nothing we can do will have that sort of effect in this division.
We have gambled this year by not wanting ST sales and balancing the cashflow out over the season - income is king this year and if it works fantastic. If not the reverse strategy is high numbers low cost - imo this can be achieved with a £10 agreement throughout the division as someone bordering buying a ST but missing 2/3 home games would be made up on the away ticket.
Personally I advocate a £13 a month over 12 months ticket with payments starting July ( +£2 per child and + £7 for wife/hubbie - you then get balanced cashflow with loyalty and promote family) We too should have a target figure for ST's on this basis, and it should be circa 1500.

The "Target 1000" initiative has been a great success for FEV. It has taken a massive effort by all concerned at the club. When you consider we had approx 450 last year you can see how far we have come. The recent ST initiative is in my opinion a fantastic idea, whether the plan behind it is simply tick a box is debatable but that's not the impression i got from our chairman at the weekend. If taken up by all Championship clubs it could improve crowds at all grounds and surely that's not a bad thing. Last sunday was a foul day to watch rugby but we still had visitors from other clubs incl Cas and Wakey that would not have come without this offer. This is in effect free money. I'd go further and extend the offer to any holder of a season ticket for their pro football team. It's bums on seats we all want. Like yourselfs we take a high % of fans to away games but i personally know half a dozen people who are gonna travel and many are planning on. taking their family. Please don't look for ulterior motives, just take it for what it is, a fantastic initiative. Chuffed to bits you've taken it up. Means i can afford one more pint of your overpriced flat lager. lol

You were doing well until the 'your overpriced flat lager' bit, it aint ours!!! Its emc's

aye i know mate. Just pulling ya leg. It's the only downer for me when we come to yours. Not the lager i mean but the fact that you get nowt from the concessions.

The board and directors of our club are looking to promote several "Initiatives" on different fronts. On the season ticket/discount Initiative I guess that is about raising revenue and stimulating financial growth.

We have somewhere in the region of 500 plus more season ticket holders at Post Office Road this year,so our board must be doing something right

Dont forget we are a very small town,but that small town has a lot of people with very big hearts,and I for one have full confidence in the board of Featherstone Rovers to do the best for our club



Someone once said "if you do what you have always done,you will get what you have always had"

Believe me Cushler , there is nobody in Championship RL that has used that point more than me , however what suits one club , might not suit another , at this moment Fev are playing the game of tick the box , and fair do's to them , they deserve their chance , I hope it works for them , I know they are not stupid , the fact they didn't apply for a licence last time tells me that

But ultimatley all Championship clubs need to increase THEIR core fan base , as it is that and that alone which will sustain them long term , nothing else

All the best