The down side of emails is that it is highly likely that those who have left email addresses with the club are more likely to be the season ticket holders and regular attenders.

Its the floating few thousand who need to be attracted back.

To be honest, I dont buy the Agar factor in this. Agar is gone, we have a new coach and a raft of new players playing a better quality product. If anything its affordability, timings or laziness which is the reason.

I think the experiement of going back to Sundays and the pricing policy has had an adverse effect. I'd like to see a mix of Sunday and Friday games. For example play against Yorkshire opposition on Friday nights and anyone else after than Sunday afternoons / bank holidays. This should not impact from a timing point of view for travelling fans.

North stand pricing needs to be addressed and perhaps a loyalty card system for paying on the day home fans. Something on the lines of having a card stamped each time they pay on the day and the fifth game is a tenner, or something on those lines.

Why use a Mrs B monologue when a couple of words off Baldy will do

I don't think the low crowds are due to the economy. Saints crowds are phenomenally up and I would imagine the financial restraints are similar over in Scouseland. Other large SL clubs don't seem to be experiencing the drop-off in gates we have.

Money's tight, but people have a finite amount of recreational money. I think it's more down to the fact that the disillusioned leavers are spending it elsewhere and will have to be persuaded to give up their new persuits. t think the Sunday switch hasn't helped families, and better marketing will help. UllFc's excellent idea of buying tickets cheaper a week in advance has definite mileage.

But I think the only way we'll see crowds increase is in time, after consistency on the pitch and position in the table. A real shame about our CC exit - that could have hurried things. I only hope Pearson's timescales are realistic enough from a business perspective to keep it worth his while for crowds to remain at this level until at least next season.

I've been thinking the same. i guess that rule was the man behind the improvement in marketing and clarke isn't a marketeer. Would pay the club to bring someone in on 30 grand to do it properly

I'm not surprised Saints crowds are up, they were playing in Widnes last year!

If you look at crowd patterns across sport increases (and decreases) in attendance lag behind real time performance on the field so, providing that Hull maintain their improvement this year, you probably won't get any noticeable increases until next year. Hull's attendance held up better than could be probably be expected over the previous 3 years given the team's results so I'm not expecting an instantaneous surge in support now - though it would be good if it happened.

Poor for some years at Knowsley Road, though.




I agree. That was the point I was making too

. Hope Pearson has these same expectations, he seems to be a bit perturbed it isn't happening quicker. Challenge Cup would've been a great catalyst - just hope Pearson hasn't got some finite deadlines in mind.

I'd like a Wembley win as much as every other Hull fan, but going out the CC this year will bring us some benefits. We wouldn't have looked so fresh and dominant against Leeds this week had we had a tough CC tie last week for example.

Next year when we get the squad more balanced we can go all out to win both trophies!

3 with the league

Again, I agree - but we're the sort of fans who will stick through thick and thin, so another year's transition isn't an issue, in fact, can be seen as a positive after the e we've suffered.

But from Pearson's "need the crowds to return [inow[/i" perspective, a good CC run would've helped that particular aim no end.

Good points. I think a lot of people look at whats going on pre-season and then think right im gonna really back my team this season. If the team then starts well then they keep that supporter for the season, if the team doesnt then interest diminishes and so does support. FCs problem is weve heard it all before and then its been gash and it will probably be next season or the one after that support increases again, but that depends massively on what happens this season and next.

Do you think the move to sunday aft was to please Mr Allam so city didnt have to play the day after us. Always thought its a better atmosphere on night games. Maybe playing more games on a sat night during the footy off season might be an idea. Just think the move to Sunday was done too quickly without much thought.

Thought did occur to me, actually. Plus Pearson probably thought the move wouldn't be controversial because of the outcry when they were first moved to Friday nights.

His next decision - currently under review, apparently - will be based on pure business rationale. I bet a mix, or possibly a return to Fridays.

The RFL's process for the fixtures means you have to specify a specific day for games and then exceptions, e.g. matches either side of bank holidays and pitch relaying etc. It won't be a mix whatever it is.

Right. Bet we see a move back to Fridays, then, unless crowds pick up massively in the second half if the season. Summer rugby has given Sundays zero advantage so far this year.

I'm glad its not on Sky. The Leeds game probably lost 1500 on the gate because of being on TV.

I think its too early to say if we should move back to Friday's, the weather this year has been rubbish, so we haven't seen the expected 'sunny' Sunday afternoon effect. Also we went into the Wigan and Leeds games with bad injuries/bad form which affected the crowd for two games which are usually the biggest of the season. Also the Bradford game was a Friday night non-TV game and we didn't see a massively bigger crowd...I honestly don't think the game day affects the crowd all that much, the teams form/fans morale is a much bigger factor.

Where we finish this season will also influence how many games SKY pick us for, SKY obviously had us down as being a lower table side at the start of the season (first game we were scheduled in for was against London) if we finish top 4 or 6 we'll see the SKY camera's down at the KC more next year, and that obviously means Friday, Saturday or Monday night games.

The RFL's Operational Rules state



Interesting though that there were no Sunday games the week before Easter this season (we played Bradford on the Friday). Presumably the RFL allowed changes that weekend due to the double Easter fixtures.

I think they must do. It makes sense to move matches to balance the turnaround. Knackered players makes for a crap spectacle.

Difficult one. There are fans who prefer one or the other but go anyway, those who can/will only go to either/or, ie they will only get a pass if it's Sunday, and those for whom a mix doesn't work, who need certainty to commit. I think the club should do a proper questionnaire asking more specific questions than what's your preferred match day, more about under which circumstances you would definitely buy or definitely not buy a pass:
Fridays only
Sundays only
A mixture

A proper survey (i.e. handed out to ever passholder, pay on the day fans at 2 home games, and if possible fans who are on the clubs ticket data base but don't have passes) would end this debate once and for all. The main fuss last time we moved to Friday was because James Rule asked about 3 people in the FC boardroom what they thought and then tried to dress it up as a survey result.

Last season I went out of loyalty,nothing more.My enthusiasm was at a very low ebb.This season I have been uplifted beyond compare.We have a coach who actually has a game plan,and a style of play worth watching.I can`t even get upset about the Wigan game.At least Gentle stuck by his word and gave youth a chance,even if it was slightly forced on him through injuries.The Leeds game is,I hope the shape of things to come.
As I pointed out on another thread,if you want to see how far we have come,go on Wakeys forum and read the "I don`t believe it" thread.Cheers me up every time.

5th in league, 3points off top with game in hand.

Guess we're doing OK with room for improvement

We are eight points better off than we were after thirteen rounds last season. We are five points better off in comparative fixtures (swapping Crusaders home for Widnes home).

Pretty good opening half of the season.