What was the benchmark for scarf sales though?

Saying that it is unseasonably warm.

I declare the club saved.

Strange that Kear is still number 32 and is he in the Team Photo???

Very strange

A very enjoyable event. Nice to get back amongst people who care about the club rather than the keyboard warriors on here.

I take most folk at face value and you have to say that Hendo is as convincing a front man as you would wish for the club. He has passion, he has vision, he has a belief. He has moved his family down to London and loves it. He is committed.

Other positives:

Kit looks good.

Merchandise was flying out of the room.

The actual feel of the bar was brilliant, with the players mixing with fans and the size spot on. I hope that for the time being this is where post match is done but having looked at the Olympic suite, that also has real potential.

There were 'faces' there, really pumped to get on and help the Broncos grow. I applaud the LBSA for their vision and energy and hope that the volunteers already signed up with give their all in making a match day an event, an experience.

The players - they looked sharp on the field. Very impressive. Stapleton looks like a quality acquisition. Only Eliab and Kear not there. There was a buzz about them, they looked like a group, talking to one or two they reckon light years ahead of same time last year. Only time will tell, but I think top 4 is very achievable.

Negatives:

Not all the players sponsored so room for anyone interested.

Kear not there - wonder what happening with that ?

Hoped to pick up my members polo, but was not available.

I arrived hoping to see Nostalgist on the trestle table, but alas no.

The weather was very off putting. I reckon over a 100 in attendance, would have been more though the rain and wind - and of course it being a work day.

We can pick the bones out of the venue until the cows come home, but from my initial shock, I am now getting used to the place and it certainly has a good feel.

The limited toileting facilities as already highlighted could be interesting.

Yes.... an excellent feel to Trailfinders & felt immediately at home. Got my replica shirt & where last years Jako 2XL was slightly large on me the 3XL Kappa is a gnats on the tight size definitely so go up a size if you're buying.

Pretty positive feel to the whole event despite the rubbish weather. Turn out was around 100 good to say hello to a few folk as well.
New shirt is good, but if you are ordering on line go large last year's shirt I was large, kappa shirt xxl, the hoodies are the same.
Squad has not changed massively from last year, so we look light in the forwards when it comes to grunt, but if the squad is mobile then the home surface will/should be to our advantage. It's good to have some stability with the squad as well.
The playing surface looks quick, ball bounces very different from on grass.

Overall the feeling from the lads that was there was good and hendo was pretty honest with his reply to questions. Obvious target top 4 if we make that then re assess.
When asked about competition apart from Leigh and Bradford, Sheffield, dewsbury Halifax all mentioned.

Thank you.

never made it!!! (Didn't get back to the flat until 4!) So thanks for the feedback guys.

Sounds like a good day.

Are they planning much for the match scheduled for Jan against the Aussie team?

Hendo stated that anyone from 1 to 25 were competing for placees. Believe Gray and Pointer are maybe on season long loans. While Kear needs to decide if he is committed to us or not. Shirt number suggests where he is in planning for the season.

Saw a photo on Twitter of Hendo holding what looks like the new shirt- black , with a white V, and thin grey hoops?

That's the shirt

Looks good.

Game is being sponsored by the Supporters Association. We'll try and make a day of it!

Thanks for all the reports, lunch time and in the afternoon was thinking about it and wishing I could have been there, pleased to hear so many positive comments, thanks for the update from all that attended, much appreciated.

Can anyone photo of the shirt, dont use twitter, and nothing on the on-line shop?

Apologies, photo obtained on other thread!

and more season tickets sold then barnet

The non-refundable deposit was a sticking point for me at Barnet.

& I know I wasn't alone in that stance.

Oddly, I have agree with you for a change.

I went to the open day and had very mixed feelings. The good points where it seems there going back to basics to get a club feel again and having all teams there can only be a good thing , however the grounds an embarrassment, unless your in the back row of the grandstand where you can stand up its a restricted veiw. We bought tickets for the front row and you have to either bend down and watch through the glass or try and peer over the metal bar thats right in your eyeline , its terrible , second row just as bad , third row slightly better and 4th row decent as you can stand up as there's no one behind.If the club do get the marketing right and they get some locals interested there going to be mainly pitch side and unless the prices for that are virtually free I can't see many repeat customers as the veiw is gonna be awfull. Also wondering what will happen if we got Wigan or saints at home in the cup , will we have to give up home advantage or be on the move again for a one off game ? because surely the ground cant cope with a couple of thousand away fans.

Agreed.

I am sure we all accept the ground is NOWHERE near what we would like it to be.

But on more than one occasion Hendo alluded to temporary stands. I guess if we are in need of putting up temporary stands (assuming these would be permitted), we are doing something right both on and off the field. That would be a nice place to be.

Actually standing up at the barrier, personally, is not an issue, some forms of terracing would be nice but I quite like it.
You are not the first person to mention the view from the seats and the glass barrier someone mentioned it on Monday and fact it's like looking through a car windscreen with no wipers. Pretty sure we all agree, even the most dedicated apologist (to placate CN) that it's a long long way from the Stoop, but the reality is the club are maybe at long last looking at life beyond DH and affordability.
If we do get games where extra seating is required then temporary structures hopefully have already been agreed, it's happened before at a lot of places, OK on a different scale but the Stoop was exactly that the first time we were there.
Trail finders have same issues as us if they were to progress any further in the RU world, so I would be gobsmacked if planning permission for expansion was totally out of the question, they got it for the current buildings.

I could live with a crap ground if it was our crap ground or part of it was. As for the temporary stands im not convinced ,behind the sticks is the road into the car park and has houses behind so think thats a non starter , opposite the main stand there's plenty of room but they will be going onto the training pitch so will surely ruin the grass so cant see that happening, couldn't really see what was behind the stand with the tent above it so not sure there , only place I can see for improvement is knocking down the main stand and starting again which wont happen because of the cost as it has all the dressing rooms , treatment rooms and bar in it , hope im wrong but cant see this being a decent ground without millions being spent on it.

I think in your posts you have really hit the nail on the head. If we had bought this ground and had planning permission to develop it then it would be a real step forward. As it is we are a pro club as tenants at a ground which screams amateur / social club!
I have posted previously about what would happen if we drew a SL club at home in the Cup, waive home advantage or desperately try to hire an alternative venue for the day? TBH I think we’ll have trouble accommodating a club like Bradford when they visit, they travelled in decent numbers last season.
And should, as we all want, we be successful in the league, win the million pound game then we’ll likely to have to move again won’t we as this ground is never in a million going to be up to SL standard? DH knows this hence his evasiveness at the Fans Forum!
Whilst many will brush this sort of thing off with a ‘we are where we are’ ( God I hate that phrase!) , we are where we are because of years of cocking up both on and significantly off the pitch! If the current level of marketing and engagement had been tried while we were still at The Stoop or even the Hive we might not be in the mess we find ourselves in, seeing as we still had a significant level of support! Even as the Broncos mkII we pulled in nearly 5k for the first game of the season against St Helens. At Ealing we’ll do very, very well to pull in a fifth of that crowd!