Lets look at some numbers;

Harlequins RL 2011 average attendance; 3,132.
London Broncos attendance vs St Helens, Feb 2012; 4,924.

That to me is an increase of 1,792. That figure equates to between 50-60% of 2011's average meaning that there were 50-60% more there than there was in 2011. That is a fantastic achievement.

Yes, its one game but as the saying goes; Rome wasn't built in a day.

Well done to those who attended, it can't have been an easy decision to attend. Imagine how many more would have travelled if the game was on a day with nice weather. That 5k mark would have been smashed to pieces.

Think you've been fingering yourself for too long Mo

I said before the game that anything below 5k for the re-launch would have been a failure but given the weather and resultant possibility of postponement, I think 4,924 was a pretty good crowd.

However, I don't think it is at all valid to compare to the average gate for 2011. A better comparision is to the same fixture since returning to the Stoop

2012 4,924
2011 3,546
2010 5,220
2009 4,258
2008 4,276 (i)
2008 3,629 (ii)
2007 4,362
2006 8,213

Note we played St Helens twice at home in 2008 and 2010 was part of a double header. The 2006 figure is probably best excluded from data , giving an average attendance of the previous 6 equivalent fixtures of 4215.

So Saturday's crowd was decent enough (though nothing like we got for the 2006 re launch). Lets hope we can build on it.

Selective maths will never win you a debate. Compare like for like.......the average crowd for the visit of St Helens to play Harlequins RL was 5,029........using the crowds for the visit of Catalan, crusaders et al is clumsy at best.

Firstly, this thread is not having a pop at the Crowd.......I was simply asking where the missing thousands were that we are reliably informed bailed on us in 2005 when we announced our partnership with the Union lot.

The crowd was the biggest the club has had since the visits of Wigan and Saints in the 2010 season.....it is a god start. Also, the average gate for the visit of St Helens in the ESL since the 2000 season is 4,678....so again, it is a positive crowd
.....If only Rupe1 and the hoardes of bigitted chip bearing rugby fascists had turned up, we would be discussing a full house

Biggoted chip wearing rugby facists? interesting comment
Why do i get the suspicion you dont like Rupe

Its not selective maths mate, I have the utmost respect for anyone that went more than a few miles from home on sat with all the threats from the met office of winter armegedon arriving in the after as is the english winter!
I would imagine a shed load of Saints fans decided not too travel on sat morn! got to be honest I would not have gone up there
Same can probably be said for a lot of our fanns who live far and wide

I think it was a credible crowd and personally am more than happy, and the result despite a loss was credible, thats all any of us asked!

Mid season is the time to be asking this question if there is still no improvement

To paraphrase The Life of Brian.................... "There's no pleasing some people"

Consider the lillies

Hear Hear. I was in the East stands with some newbies and it was pretty dire - didn't seem a great atmosphere to me merely acceptable.

Been that way and worse for years though

There were never that many songs for london.

London, London repeat
C'mon London repeat
We love you london we do, repeat
Oh london town etc

That was always pretty much it.

A few managed London London, a bit of Ju Ju Ju Julien Rinaldi, the Luke Dorn song (even though he didn't score) and a bit of Oh London Town.

Didn't think there was much of an atmosphere, probably due to it being soooo cold and yet again the noisy people be spread too thinly.

I wonder if we need a "Noisy bit" .........................

with it all unreserved we should just say....right this is the stand up all game long section and if you wanna ponce around with your fancy sitting ways you can do so somewhere else.

Plenty of people did stop coming in 2006; others just came less often, and with considerably less enthusiasm. It's nonsense to expect that those who stopped (who were clearly never "thousands"icon_wink.gif will all return - it's been six years, and people find other things to do with their time. Besides, I have no doubt that switching to Saturdays had at least as much of an adverse effect on crowds, and that will continue to be a major limitation on the club's ability to increase attendances.

Lister and I (and his fanclub) had a go at starting some chants. Most people don't seem interested though.

Is our problem that we're all a bit too nice and agreeable and middle-class to chant?

Most people around me were more akin to pond scum than anything approaching class

Change the words of We're Quins RL... to We are Broncos...job done

The thing is that apart from the people who stalk these message boards 95% of the crowd have not got a clue or give a toss about the proposed songs. Judging from the previous posts I make it about half a dozen London based songs and I doubt half a dozen is much different to any other club. As for the songs being about London.....what do you expect, we are called London Broncos....doh.

We have tried getting the noisy elements together in one area and that did not work. The vast majority of people just don`t care for an organised sing along and would rather watch the game and shout their individual support/abuse as they see fit. What with the terrible on field performances last season I found that I could just not be ar5ed anymore. If we are winning the atmosphere will lift.......if we lose, the atmosphere is what it is......no point in trying to create a Welsh male voice choir because it isn`t going to happen.

Think its to do with the away trips being one long sing song and people wondering why the home games- despite watching the same ol' stuff is so different.

It is the manner in which you post. Rather than congratulate those 4,924, you post about the "missing thousands" rather than those freezing thousands that braved the weather and travelled from far and wide in horrendous conditions.

Your posts are continually a dig at the club, however, they are cleverly worded much like this thread. They are tedious, regular and boring. There, I have said it.

Be it on the whole average attendance of 2011 at Harlequins RL or just the 2011 game against St Helens, there has been an increase. Not only an increase but a significant increase despite the weather conditions. It is just one game but if this happens again when the other thirteen teams turn up in London, that will be fantastic news.

I was of the opinion that the "missing thousands" would not simply return just because we are London Broncos again. Broadly speaking, the first season of Fulham RL apart, our crowds in Super League (or equivilent) have been more or less between 3.5 - 4,500. Having said that, considering the weather, and forecast of snow for the evening, 4,900 was a positive start. Until we have played the "lesser lights" of Super League at home, it is difficult to predict, or indeed condemn the effect of us going back to the Broncos banner on our attendances.

This thread was in now way shape or form a dig at the club. If I wanted to have a dig at the club, believe me, there would be no cleverly worded turns of phrase involved. It was a dig at Rupe1 and his ilk.....
As it is, if you find my musings on here tedious and boring, then don't respond, but if you do respond, don't expect the massed ranks to suddenly follow your lead. I speak my mind on the subject of attendances and marketing.....if I were a RL coach, I would comment on that area, but I am not, I am a professional marketeer (sic) and the lack of anything that resembles marketing at the club since I started following in 2003 and up to 2011 is a major concern to all gfans at the club.
This forum is not and as far as I know, never has been, a popularity contest. I post what I post because I want the team I follow to succeed........sometimes, being cruel to be kind and not sparing the rod are what is called for.

Gutters if you want to have a go at Rupe1 just email him mate

As for what songs folk want to sing, hey ho personally i detest the whole singing thing, have been following RL for 45 years and never joined in a song and never will, if I wanted to do that I would have followed kickball
Does it bother me other folk sing, not a jot as long as folk are enjoying themselves at a game, am sure there are enough folk out there that have heard my dulcet tones

As long as a crowd are making a noise then thats all that matters in my book

More entertaining to see it here.

the sanctamonious w4nk3r came back on to these boards claiming that thousands had left and would now return.....all I asked was for an explanation, on the same media, as to why that claim was absolute bollox?


I AM e-SPARTA!



Seriously.......between Moe Lester and the like, it's got so as you can't ask a poster on here as to why their predictions have turned to custard.

Tell me again Moe Lester.....how is a crowd that was less than the average crowd for a visit of Saints over the seasons as Harlequins Rugby League a POSITIVE thing?

I am just getting sick and tired of this, them and us attitude! we are all here because we Love Our Club! LONDON RL, constantly it is scoring points.



Then accept we all have different opinions, like you I qualified in Marketing (sic) and trained with Warrington RL as a club secretary (sic) but it does not matter What our career background are, we all bring different opinions and approaches to the table and that is what a forum is for, Everyone's own opinion is a valid as important as others.

By the way I am also not into singing! I want to enjoy and watch my game, yes applaud when someone dies apologies does) something good, whichever side! though a little biased to our side and shout if I feel like it, nothing against it though if people want to sing! Friends who watch St Helens are worried that the new ground will not allow the backing the popular side used to bring at Knowsley Road, they were all standing and they felt they drove the team along, now with seating at the sides and the standing at the goal post ends will it do the same job? I don't know, but 17,000 plus like they are predicting for Friday night against Salford should make some noise, this is more than Double the attendance on the past two seasons? New Ground, also the Halliwell on the weekend is now increased to 13,500 with the ends all filled in making it look less a B&Q build.

Now back to the Thread! "The Returning Thousands" perhaps is is New Grounds! that help to bring new people in??

My god.......and you accuse Dave Lister of being harsh