What an amazing crowd tonight - 19,104 even a good section of Crusaders fans (about 500-700).

This means our average finished on 16,124 which is a record since detailed records began, and an improvement of 402 on last season.

Onwards and upwards!

Considering the credit crunch that surrounds Britan the fact we are UP on last season really does show why our club is the best supported in British rugby league.

SYOOper stuff.

I was impressed with Crusaders' following. Good numbers, certainly more than many Superleague teams this year, and very vocal all game.

For all games next season where the away end wouldn't usually be opened, could we do this more often?

Obviously it might not be beneficial for the club to keep giving away discounted tickets but it was great to see a packed stadium!

Would be even better if away teams filled the North Stand like most games, would make the target of 20k average attendance very reachable.

With regards to the teams coming in and going out next season, Widnes in with Crusaders out, we should see a bigger Widnes away following than tonights match.

Wigan v Widnes promoted as next season's 'The Big One 4' would see us break 20k IMO.

That is a very good call. However well Widnes do (and they seem to be recruiting Ok) that would get lots of the smellies fans (meant in the nicest possible way) up the M6.

Good call!

We could beat this next year aswell,

Big gates vs Saints and Wire. Big one 4 vs Widnes. Heinz Sponsor day vs Catalan?

Wish other clubs tried as hard as ours does to promote games. In fact I wish the RFL tried harder to promote their games! I wouldnt be surprised to see less than 19k for the playoff v Saints next weekend.

I was pleased to see so many of the Crusaders fan turn up to support their team on their last SL game. Even found myself disappointed they didn't score a try at the end of the game

I was sat amongst them albeit too near the drums for my liking, great atmosphere. I was a bit bemused by the 'shoes off for the crusaders' chant, its one I've not come across before.

Max got a standing ovation from their fans too for coming over and applauding them followed by getting down on his knees and worshipping them. Well done Max.

We should do this more for games like quins,catalans,bradford. At the end of the day giving 4000 tickets to a big company at a reduced price is commercial sense! Although not at full price, the club are still making money which they wouldn't make otherwise!

Widnes as the big one would be great and the last home game as the heritage game again. Add in the community day and maybe another St Georges day game like last season and the ideas are superb.

I just hope the club can freeze the season ticket prices especially the kids ones to keep people rolling through the turnstiles.

I took 8 in the north stand with the Heinz tickets and 6 are getting season tickets next year one is a Latics fan thats a win in my book

That's superb.



Don't forget to get them to put your name down as "recommend a friend", I'm sure for 6 season tickets you will get yours free.

Last night's game only made me even more desperately sorry that Crusaders won't be in Super League next year.

I know, I was quite tearful when the cru players were throwing theil shirts and boots into the crowd.

Why did one hit you?

[size=85(Joke)[/size


Good to see the Wigan fans giving them an ovation as they were leaving the field.

Fantastic crowd. Biggest crowd crusaders have played infront of and it was in their last game.

To have that average in rough financial times is brilliant. It will only get better.

Good chance that their second best crowd ever was their first game (Leeds at home IIRC).

That was 10k.

Thats their biggest home crowd.

They have loads of crowds bigger than that away from home though.

The current average is realistically the most we can achieve for a variety of factors.

1. We've now achieved GF and CC success in the modern SL era. Doing this first time around attracts more floating fans, even if similar success was maintained fans become complacent and miss matches.

2. Away teams success and support fluctuates greatly, at any one time you'll have a couple of teams at most who will pack the north stand.

3. A typical match at this exciting time will attract a crowd between 12,500-14,500, a handful of bumper games bring in crowds of 18,000-20,000, resulting in an average around the 16,000 mark.

4. To achieve an 18,000 average we'd need to be getting no fewer than 15,000-16,000 for a regular match, and pretty much sellouts for the Saints, Warrington, Big One, Heritage Day games. To average 20k you'd need a near home sell out every game and 2,000+ away fans.

5. Incentives to increase crowds can only be used for a limited number of games, there comes a point where you will start cutting into season ticket sales and see pay on the day supporters pick and choose these discounted games.

Our current average is the result of fantastic marketing efforts from the club and smooth running on and off the field for a two or three year period. Sport is unpredictable, we're due our success but the SL structure will ensure no one team is dominant, we may also see upheaval at the club with Maguire moving on and a potentially major shake-up of the playing staff, not to mention Sam's uncertain future. All will have knock-on effects for peoples enthusiam to get down to the match.

For the playoffs I wouldn't be suprised to see less than 15,000 on.

I'd split it with them all make all the tickets cheaper