=red[Split from the Wakefield taxman thread - RR hope so kick crusaders ,harlequins and catalans out no fans away from home yorkshire and lancs as it shud be

Catalan had bigger crowds than most, and finished fourth at the end of the season.

Cas & Wakefields away following is normally in the hundreds and you've had almost one hundred years to build up your attendances and develop your stadia.

Catalan have done that in three or four years.

the fans we had a hundred years ago have sadly past away and not been replaced, as for the stadia if you lived in wakefield and endured the wakefield MDC you would understand the difficulty in improving what we've got never mind new stadia, the inclusion of catalan wasn't one that I would of agreed to but they have done well as a name with help from Aussie players

built up there away following? hardly. not that i would have expected em to

Thats true they have a good following at home but thats where it stay's.Having a French team in super league brings nothing for the british economy apart from the team and the hangers on staying in a hotel for a couple of days. But we are helping the French ecomony by taking a few hundred fans and spending loads of money getting


Sorry I am old school but its working man's Northern sport.

But what everyone always seems to forget is that we play in a league that is run by Super League Europe Ltd - to be fair the fact that there are non British clubs alowed to play is given away in the title

Catalans have bigger crowds than most because this is the away match that most supporters want to go to for the mini holiday. Cats finished 8th in SL and were lucky to do so, they finished 4th in the play off comp hth.

From your post it appears that you have not been to the Cats ground, because as far as I am concerned its the worst ground in the league for away supporters unless you happen to be Clark Kent in disguise and you can see through metal railings oh and I nearly forgot if you go early in the season you get wet, just like being at Wakey and Cas really.

I dont know wakeys away numbers but in the last 3 visits to wigan two have brought more than a thousand cas fans and one brought over 900 (i remember that one especially as we had a thread started by a wigan fan about how terrible it was we only brought 500, then your chairman actually came out and said we bought over 900 tickets).

So you’re saying Catalans bring more away fans than most clubs?

What do the French outfit bring to the British game, other than a mini holiday for travelling fans?

Is it to develop a French squad to increase the international competition? Because all they seem to be doing is giving Aussies French passports.

He talks =rededit,ignore the donkey. And yes rogues gallery,it's not very eloquent and doesn't bring much to the conversation but it's how I feel about the drivel you're talking! viewtopic.php?t=421878 =redTa, Bigal1.

He talks =rededit,ignore the donkey. And yes rogues gallery,it's not very eloquent and doesn't bring much to the conversation but it's how I feel about the drivel you're talking! viewtopic.php?t=421878 =redTa, Bigal1.

I've been to every Catalan v Wigan game in France (seven in all) including three in one season, plus Limoux in the Challenge Cup.

I normally sit in the Main Stand, so don't have a problem, although I have been behind the posts once for the play off game in September so the weather was pleasant.

You can't expect the Catalan fans to travel to every away game, that's ridiculous, they probably pick one or maybe two games to attend. Anyway it shouldn't be up to the away fans to "fill" the ground that should be done essentially by the home fans.

What I am saying is that in four seasons they have reached the Challenge Cup, made the play offs twice, and built up a very good home following,

A great achievement wouldn't you agree.


This is not an anti Wakefield - Cas post but a pro Catalan one.

BTW Catalan have just signed Dallas Johnson, what a great signing for them and Rugby League.

So if you use non domestic players you should not be in Sl. Yet as i understand it Catalans will have half the ' foreigners' that Wakefield will have next season

The kind of attitude which holds rugby league back. Shall we bring back line-outs and two extra forwrads as well.

Quote ="JINJER"He talks =rededit,ignore the donkey. And yes rogues gallery,it's not very eloquent and doesn't bring much to the conversation but it's how I feel about the drivel you're talking! viewtopic.php?t=421878 =redTa, Bigal1.'" If you want to disagree with me that's fine, but at least put in a reasoned argument. As I have said above Catalan have done superbly well in their four years in Superleague.

Quote ="JINJER"He talks =rededit,ignore the donkey. And yes rogues gallery,it's not very eloquent and doesn't bring much to the conversation but it's how I feel about the drivel you're talking! viewtopic.php?t=421878 =redTa, Bigal1.'" If you want to disagree with me that's fine, but at least put in a reasoned argument. As I have said above Catalan have done superbly well in their four years in Superleague.

And I have been to every Wakefield game and have had to stand behind the posts everytime and if you want to see over the fence you have to stand at the back some 60 yards from the dead ball line and also open to the elements should you go early in the season. Nobody expects Catalans to bring many supporters over week in and week out my point was in reference to your remark re being one of the best supported teams at home its understandable due to the location and the climate amongst other things, take that away and do you think that they would still draw away support I personally dont think so. Do you?

They may not attract the away support because of the distance to travel, but I've been there in early February and the monsoon game.

But the point still stands that Wakefield, Cas, Salford, Bradford etc benefit far more from the visits of Leeds, Wigan, Saints HKR and Hull than Catalan do.

I'd get rid of Salford before Cas/Wakey/Catalan/Crusaders because they offer nothing to the competition, nothing in terms of expansion and have one of the worst stadium in the league (2nd to Caravan Park imo). By the next round of franchises, because Crusaders will probably be given a free pass again Salford will be gone so that will probably leave us with 1 spot between Cas, Wakey and I think Bradford will be edging nearer & nearer to losing a spot with falling crowds, crap stadium and worsening results on the pitch.

I have no problem with Catalan. They have a good home support in a rugby league heartland; you only have to look at a map of the area around Perpignan to see villages that have rugby league pedigree, like Pia and St Esteve. There was a French side in Super League when it started, and so it is hardly novel. And would the season be less interesting without them? Yes, it would, because a lot of fans would miss out on an enjoyable rugby weekend in a nice part of the world.

Quins and Crusaders are trickier, because the benefits they supposedly bring are not as visible on the terraces. I am told that the presence of Quins has benefited grass roots rugby league in the south. If Crusaders do the same in Wales, it can't be a bad thing.

Would I personally prefer more heartland teams involved? Yes, but not if it makes the game shrink. When I have stayed overnight at major events, for example, I have heard many Geordie accents, and so maybe the word is spreading.

Why don't you just get rid of the game the drivel you are spouting.
On second thoughts just get rid of yourself would be easier and the game would be better for it as well.

Agreed to a point as far as Leeds, Cas the two Hull clubs and possibly Wigan but the rest no, Wire, Saints and Bulls support have been very dissapointing this year, the rest Cats, Quins, CC, Salford and Hudds never bring any support to speak of, some will blame the recession some will blame the poor facilities at the club which are no worse than 4 or 5 other clubs, but the point is that in answer to your post I bet that if you add all the away support to a clubs attendances, for the season I am willing to bet you that Catalans get more away support than any other club which was my original point when you wre praising their support, one other point I might be wrong but isnt their's the lowest entrance fee in SL if it isnt then its very close to it.

Away support is not always relevant, teams should be taught to rely on their home crowds to bring in gameday money, not a big weekend visit from Wigan or Leeds. Im far more interested in what kind of facilities a team has and how many home fans they are bringing through the gate.

The worry about expansion teams only seems to arise when certain clubs know that they may be unable to compete with them, either in the present or eventually. Over a century to sort out Belle Vue and build up a fan base and all that and still not much to show for it... A very old club can't excuse its own mediocrity by comparing itself to a club thats all of four years old.

(takes out matches, lights the touch paper, and stands back, smiling).

Don't anyone bite!

Salford fan?

I offered something to the discussion then you come on and single me out for nothing at all - come on what do Salford offer to Super League at all? Or was it the Crusaders free pass comment? that wasn't a dig at the Crusaders at all, it was just what seems likely the RFL will do "for the good of the game" - the young Welsh players v England looked to have some talent so either they need an extra 3 years in SL at the next round of franchises or they needed a few more years out of SL before they were let in to get ready.

Came on to see what was happening with you guys and came across this thread.

Regarding the Cru, we don't bring MANY travelling fans to away games because ALL away games are a min 8 hour round trip. We don't have many home fans for all sorts of ridiculous historical reasons and an inept marketing department.

As regards the playing base and support clubs, well we're coming on in leaps and bounds there. School competition has expanded from 8 teams to 65 teams. Wales European (apart form England and France of course) Champions and a load of young Welsh talent retained by Noble and promoted to the first team.

I imagine the RFL will try and shepherd us through the next round of franchises, because for all the crowds are a bit small still, we really ARE expanding the game and if we can get a bit of success this year, I expect our average crowds to double. Still not huge, but 100 odd years of Union dominance takes a while to overcome.

For what it's worth, we like Wakey down here and hope you get over this little financial hump.

The same point remains - the number of away fans you take is irrelevant, the number you attract at home is far, far more important. If your business relies on Leeds bringing thousands, the you need to take another look at it...