Do you think that the resurgence of fans for Bradford City football club may have an effect on our attendances? I know some that are swaying that way.

I think you're right goosey. I know some people that have been to more Bradford City games this season and had therefore not been to as many Keighley games last season. I expect that will continue, but I'm not sure if it will have much more impact on Keighley than it has already.... I hope we can attract new supporters and keep them interested with an exciting brand of rugby. I guess time will tell.

Possibly.
However I think a more serious threat to our attendances and the Championship as a whole are the cheap deals being offered by Super League. Just before xmas I was approached by ronnie the rhino handing out leaflets in the shoping centre at Pudsey.
Rhinos season tickets £200.
Included in this price were
free away travel to one game
10% off the club shop
free entry to a union match
I know the Giants offer cheap season tickets and the Bulls did last season (not sure currently)
Its no wonder there are so many Rhinos and Bulls fans in our Town.
I know it is a similar case in other championship towns also.
These cheap tickets from super league, the lack of promotion/relegation together with the economic climate makes it very difficult for championship clubs at this time

Everyone is re-prioritising what they spend money on as people get less money and living is more expensive. Leisure businesses are all fighting for our money... I think time will tell which businesses do enough to carry on as they are. I just hope rugby league can get stronger this year with the expansion of the championships and the world cup.

I think you are possibly right goosey. Season tickets for City next year are £200. Cougars are only just short of that. For the £200 you get 23 home games compared to Cougars 13. Also ive been to a few City matches over the years and the whole match experience beats Cougars hands down. Dont get me wrong i love Rugby League and Cougars but sometimes i just get bored down there and end up talking with friends. The pre match entertainment is rubbish and the fans just shout at the ref constantly. Also the season is set up so poorly that its known in the past not to have a home game in a month. Football is constant through the season and the match experience is brill even at the level of Bradford City. The game of football is full overpaid cheats but its run so much more efficiently.

End of the day the same people will be at the Cougars year in year out(about 400) and untill somthing happens either with the whole game or a Promotion our attendences will not rise. They will only decline and it will be those that only go to a few games a year that will stop coming.

As pretty much all businesses have to do the club needs to innovate and evolve if is to survive in the long term.

The free season tickets for kids is a decent, but flawed idea. I read they [url=http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/sport/9993420.Cougars_fan_tastic_offer/planned to hand out way more of these than the ground holds.[/url So on the off chance that a load of them turn up are they going to turn away folk who've paid for season tickets if the place is full? How do they plan to keep these people coming when they reach their teens and the age where they have to pay? Anyone else concerned that the place could become a massive kindergarten?

There are some great points on here. Football with their supposedly overpaid prima donnas and the big evil that is Super League are offering better value for money. I can even go to the pictures as many times as I want for £180 a year if I wish. We are in hard times and the gauntlet has been put down. Keighley Cougars, what are you doing to tempt me to part with my cash?

One thing I've learned from attending many different venues around world for a variety of sports is going to Cougar Park needs to be more than a Rugby League game, it needs to be an experience. It not a new concept, the two Micks got it down to a T not so long ago. It starts with the basics. Running out of meat pies 5 minutes in to the half time break isn't good enough. Not having shirts and scarves on sale for the little lad to take home with him as a memory of his first game is not good enough. Why is it one of my few memories of the Good Friday title winning game against Batley was getting a high 5 off Carleton Farrell whilst leaning over the advertising hoardings in the Scrattin' Shed? Does Micky1920 remember the score of the league game we had in Toulouse 3 years ago? I sure as hell know he remembers the standard of the Hotdogs. I can't remember the score of the Toronto Argonauts CFL game I saw in Canada but I remember how fit the cheerleaders were and never having to leave my seat for a beer.

Obviously resources are tight, they are everywhere. I'm not expecting to see supermodels with pom poms or an epic tailgate party akin to one I saw at the NFL game at Wembley a couple of months back. A lot of the things that would make the experience better would cost nothing. Attention to detail being one. Looking at things from the paying customers perspective another one. Friendlier stewarding, my experience of those at Wembley was one offering to take a picture of me in the ground after the game, it's now my twitter profile pic. Contrast that to my experience of them at Cougar Park, closing an exit when I was 10 yards away from it and making me climb over a turnstyle with a knackered knee to get out. These only require competent management and dedication from those running the club. Don't put the club's name to a bad product or service whether it tangible or not, because ultimately prospective fans will remember it.

At least they were doing it in their own 'catchment' area so to speak

Back in the days of Bullmania we had players from there at all the junior clubs and schools in Halifax handing out free this and free that to entice fans across even when Fax were themselves in Super League

That is why I had zero sympathy for them with their financial troubles - you reap what you sow so to speak

More of a worry - why were you shopping in Pudsey and not supporting your local economy?????

Am I to understand that there are people in Keighley who go to watch Bradford City..? Blimey, things really have got bad. In my youth Bradford City fans were as rare as hens' teeth. I wouldn't go to that grimy dump to watch any sport.

Some really good points made in this thread. I think the overriding point has to the the marketing from the clubs perspective. Whilst I am trying not to come across as negative or slate the club unnecessarily, it's clear to me they have not done enough to promote the club during the close season.

Whilst I accept season tickets have been as low as £120 which is a good deal. Those who paid on credit cards etc, fair play if that worked for you. However, is price the only factor? Are fans looking for an experience to bring the whole family. It's fine offering thousands of free tickets for kids, but if the whole experience is not there what's going to make the family want to come back.

I've only had one e-mail for Gary encouraging me to renew my season ticket and that was last week. Not long after it was mentioned on this forum? Before anyone has a pop, I understand the club does not a finite budget for marketing etc, in fact I bet it's zero, but despite this I do feel they have missed out on some cheap marketing.

Gary has a pipe dream of being in Super League by year whatever, but I really think before we can even plan for that we have to more professional off the pitch, getting the back office working and being effective.

Just another point of note, I've spoken with several fans during the close season who all appear to have lost some enthusiasm with regard to the club. None can really put their finger on what it is?

Well done City - not a football fan really but local team done good .

Yes, its wonderful to see

I don't often go to watch football but I went to Aston Villa tonight. Well done Bradford City, but I still love Rugby League the most.
Cougars till I die.

Just a thought.

The final is the same day cougars play Swinton.

I will be at Wembley and I know afew other cougar fans that will be at Wembley. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are more who normally watch both.

So how about moving the Swinton game to the saturday afternoon or friday night.

Thats a very good call.

No chance curry boys,we love you LEEDS,LEEDS,LEEDS

Re-arranging the Swinton game is a good move. Friday evening would be favourite. If some Cougar supporters do decide to go, lets face it, it's a maybe, once in a life time opportunity. They may decide to go on Saturday and stay overnight.

Quite a few of us are going so good suggestion Andy.

I suppose it depends on the availability of the facilities. I know one of the reasons the club don't have more Friday and Saturday games is because hiring the suites out is one of their biggest revenue streams.

Let's be honest you can't just cancel someone's wedding reception can you?

Why re schedule the game for 2 or 3 people.

If you choose to watch Bradford thats up to you.
Why would the club want to arrange things round a few people.
Its your choice for which game you want to watch. I know where ill be and its not Wembley watching a team ive never watched before.

Is it just 2 or 3 people though? This is history we're talking about. The last time Br*dford won a cup the Titanic was still being built. We're talking nearly half a century since any 4th tier team made a final. It may not even be about those who are travelling to Wembley. What about those who choose to watch it at home instead of watching us? That has the potential to wipe hundreds off the gate.

3 seasons back we had an away game at Leigh that was moved forward a couple of hours so that it finished just before England got murdered by Germany in the World Cup. I reckon barely a third of those that usually go away went.

Common sense has to prevail here, if the game goes ahead whilst clashing with the City game there is only going to be one loser, the club, and nobody should let their hatred for either Br*dford City or the City of Br*dford prevent themselves seeing that. Just like the Olympic Torch last year and Le Tour de France next year (and by the way, the club should really be lobbying the RFL to get either a TV game or bye week for that round next year as we've got plenty of notice to make it happen) we need to be flexible.

England v Germany and the Olympic torch are not really on the same level as Swansea v Bradford
If your so worried about your team loosing out on revenue then it all boils down to priorties.

It is down to priorities and I feel a lot will choose to watch Bradford as Stealth said because it is such a rare occurrence. I'm planning to go to Wembley with my girlfriend, we would have expected to be at every home game for Keighley this season. I felt I had no other option to forego one trip to Keighley given the scale of the Bradford City match. It would make financial sense for the club to recognise they need to maximise revenue, that is their priority, in which case they should consider rearranging if an appropriate slot is available.

So you don't think the possibility of a local team pulling off what will arguably be the greatest achievement in the 150 year history of English club football is as significant as someone running up North St with a torch? I'm no Br*dford fan but making the League Cup final is an extraordinary achievement, more so when you consider they've knocked out 3 Premier League sides, one a former European Cup winner, one a Champions League team with players earning more in 2 days than Br*dford's entire squad cost to assemble.

Of course it's about priorities, no one needs to explain that to me given that I missed a Grand Final to attend my sisters wedding. I just feel that club is putting itself in a really bad position if it forces people to prioritise because the eyes of many, one is clearly a lot bigger than Keighley vs Swinton.

And theres you that cant even bring yourself to write the word Bradford.
You say they have put out 3 premier league teams, they dont even take this cup serious.
Its used to see how the young players react to playing at a bit higher level.