This is the thing i am most worried about.
If we get a lot of beatings this year. And if a lot of them are by big scores, why would any new fans want to come and watch?
Also if this does happen, how many people will pay there hard earned money and give up there free time to come down and watch.

This season was always going to be hard enough.
What with the -9 as well.

The old board has made it twice as hard, as it should have been.

Couldn't have said it better myself

I can see your point Jim but the true hardcore fans will always go as I watch and support the players through thick and thin, thats not criticism of anyone just stating my view that loyal fans will go regardless.

It was brought home to me yesterday that instead of looking forward to a new season I am thinking of the mess caused by Spencer and the ill feeling caused by him and do not know how he has the gall to show his face at the club.

My message to any players reading this is I will be there home and away regardless of what happens off the field.

You have to think, how much more can the loyal fan take, before they start thinking of doing something else on a Sunday.

What about new fans. What reason will they have for coming down.

Also the more i think about it, there was more than one person on the old board. Yet he seems to be getting all the blame.

For me as dissapointing as the result was, it could be an eye opener for Barry the players and the coaching staff,we can learn a lot from teams like widnes than London skolars and whilst this is going to be a very hard season positives will be gained from it and the added experiences we will have can only be turned into our advantage.

The only way to get new fans along in spite of taking the odd beating - home and away - is to make the atmosphere so good at Cougar Park that it'll be great to be a part of, no matter what the score.
Cue drums, new songs, bring along a friend...

Quite true.

Mick from your post, i see you are expecting the fans to create the atmosphere.

I wonder what the club are going to do.

Any suggestions ?

Is that aimed at me or the club John?

Jim it should be you as you previously mentioned the drum etc do you have a talent musically no one is aware of, bring down a horn as you are always good at blowing your own trumpet



To be fair to the club, the music has improved since last season thankfully, not sure what else the club can do, in order to get say a decent singer on or group will not be cheap so unless anyone knows a singer or group with quality who will perform for next to nowt not sure what to suggest.

This has been mentioned before but why not have a battle of the bands over a weekend that is free from rugby as during the season there will be or maybe an xfactor type of thing.

People will support a winning team at a decent level....end of.

That's what's required.

As for entertainment, it's all rubbish anyway.

Mini rugby is required.

Mini rugby is required.'"

Aimed at anyone Jim, people have been supporting the Cougars far longer than me, what has been done before ?

I think the fans DO create the atmosphere - what are the club going to do, hire rent-a-crowd?

So i take it then, that the club don't have to anything to create a match day experience?

Maybe the club can help, but the real passion for a team comes from the supporters, surely? And that passion is what creates an electric atmosphere, not a brass band at half time. No disrespect intended, but half-time entertainment alone won't get new supporters in. But reports of a cracking atmosphere, or driving past and hearing the roar of the crowd, win or lose, just might.

First of all, you need a lot more than just half time entertainment, to create a match day experience. It needs to start from the second you walk through the gate.

You would have to be very lucky, to hear anything whilst driving past.

The team would need to be winning, or having a very close game for the crowd to make any real sort of noise.

Get yerself down to Fratton Park, GW, - you won't see much of a match day experience, you probably won't see a winning team...
...but you'll see plenty of passion, hear plenty of noise!

Thats because there are thousands there.
We are lucky to have one thousand there.

Thats why you will hear noise from Fratton Park.

Honest question for you. Why do you think Cougar mania, was such a success in getting big crowds down?

I don't know, I'm pretty much a new fan really. But if it was done before, surely it can be done again?

It worked because what we did was new and revolutionary in British sport.

There were thousands of free tickets given out to local schools, I was about 11 at the time and I could get a free ticket at school for practically every game.

The players all interacted with the kids, I remember Carlton Farrell high 5ing me when I was breying the advertising hoardings in the old scrattin' shed at the Good Friday title winning game against Batley. You could run on to the pitch at the end of the game and shake hands with them all and pat them on the back.

Mick O'Neill was an absolutely amazing MC.

Half-time Cougar bingo, this should replace the half time draw we've got at the moment.

The thing is everyone cottoned on to what we were doing copied it and then 5hat on us. The question is not necessarily what worked in the past but what will work now, what will work in the future and is it possible to be as innovative as we were in the past.

Are you going to Hannah's focus group thingy tonite, Mick? Ideas about getting the crowds back are what they're after, I think.

I couldn't make it.

To be honest i've been suffering from a virus for the last 6 weeks or so and i'm shattered. I'm pretty much only leaving the house to go work, Cougars and the odd Norwich game.

I would've thought that ALL Norwich games were odd!