Why announce it early at all? Unless you have to. He must have needed to as by making the decision this early he's opened himself up to similar criticism the old regime received by not consulting fully.
If Kath had done this there'd be uproar on here. I'm worried AP isn't understanding fully why attendances are dropping.

It helps me playing on a Sunday, but I'd much rather the players were consulted about the fact they'll have to go to places like Wigan, Saints & Leeds on a 5 day turnaround.

Yes, I agree with the demographic of the grapevine fans been 'die hard' fans and returning the surveys quickly. Which to me suggests they're the wrong people to ask if you're going to survey only one set of supporters. Many of the people signed up to the grapevine would go watch Hull FC if they played at 3AM on a Thursday.

We switched to Friday nights in 2007. In 2006, despite coming off the back of a CC win and being in a huge winning streak, we only had an average attendance of 9,010. In 2007, after switching to Friday nights, we had an average attendance of around 10,000. Just don't understand this one at all

Do you have any presentable evidence for your claims that people are "painting him as a charlatan out to rob us blind"?

whilst you do have 5 day turn arounds you also get 9 day turn arounds so its swings and roundabouts which do equal out during a season

One would suggest that the advantage of a 9 day turnaround to play the *lesser* teams of Wakefield etc.. is not needed. We do it fine now, it's playing Wigan/Leeds/Saints that present us with massive problems.

I think he announced it 'early' because it's been a big talking point, he'd already mentioned that they were looking at it, and the majority of survey returns were in favour. Announcing as early as possible gives people plenty of time to adjust to the idea before passes go on sale and also means that the club can start planning for it right away. In other words - why wait?

And if you read the article in full it's abundantly clear that the change to Sundays is just one part of an overall strategy to try and increase crowd numbers...



Hence I'll be keeping an open mind on this.

He can't win really can he , some people want friday some want sunday

Is there still a market on a Sunday, if so how about the parking.

I don't think Pearson is under any illusion as to why the attendances are down, especially if the amount of people on here who said they have put their comments re our current coach as a reason not to renew.

Friday / Sunday is one that will never please everyone and there will unfortunately be winners and losers same as when we changed from Sundays to Fridays originally.
He wont just be changing for the sake of it he will have no doubt looked back to what the club did when it played Sundays etc and formulated his plans on what he believes is the best way forward and the majority of fans surveys returned so far have probably unanimously backed up his plans.

He has come out and actually told us early and the reason why, he could after all of just waoted till the survey was done then just fed us a line like the old BOD but he hasn't he has been open and upfront.

Strange they have announced it early as the Survey is not supposed to close till the 5th of September.

As an away supporter I am glad you have gone back to Sunday games as it was difficult on a friday getting home from work and then getting to Hull in time for kick off - not to mention fitting something to eat in there too. So maybe your new owner is hoping for an increase in away support too.

But first and foremost must be the consideration of your opinions and as has been mentioned not everyone will be happy.

Anyway providing that sky don't move our fixture next season I will see you in the KC stadium on a nice sunny sunday afternoon next season

At last common sense prevails !!



As for AP being "interested in money and not the fans wishes" surely they go aboslutely 100% hand in hand don't they? He certainly won't get one without the other.

What did all those fans who "can't make it on Sundays" do for the last few decades prior to 2007/8? Did they just stay at home hoping for Friday rugby?



IMO, this 5 day turnaround is nonsense because a) it is very much affected by Fri/Sat Sky games and b) we will have 9 day turnarounds to help our very average home record anyway.

Summer rugby on a Summer's afternoon instead of a freezing cold Friday night !!!! Step 1 complete. New coach, cheaper prices and a couple of top quality additions next.

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I do find it strange they have come to a decision so soon, firstly the grapevine survey hasn't closed yet and secondly, didn't Peason say the club were going to add a survey to the season pass brochure? Surely the result/opinions from all the season pass holders would have been more valid than the grapevine subscribers.

Stats have shown Fridays are better attendance wise and have only dropped recently because the club are not offering value for money no more with the product on the pitch not been as good as it should be for a A grade club with one of the highest ticket prices in SL, also the whole match day experience isnt as good as it use to be no more.

Personally Friday night rugby were a god send for me, as I find it more difficult to request weekends off work that I do a Friday. Also I have to put my request in over a month in advance, I know next season there is going to be a handful of games that are going to get changed now after I've put my requests in and am going to have to waste time(and stress) swapping shift with other managers who will be ed off I already get every other weekend off.

Friday nights are miles better, a good finish to the working week. Sunday games means you lose the whole day and it drags waiting for the game to come around. But each to their own.

I am another that is pretty peeved that they have gone back to Sundays. I wont be getting a pass for next season.

as things stand for me I won't be able to attend Sunday games - or at least I'll have to leave early (and, no, I never leave early even if we're getting a tonking).

But I can see why many people like the idea of returning to Sundays and it seems that AP is looking to take advantage of West Park to improve the match day "experience" - I think options in this area on a Friday night are more limited.

Wow, I’m absolutely over the moon about this news. I understand that some people may be disappointed, but at least this time fans have had a genuine opportunity to feedback to the club which match days they prefer, unlike a few years ago when Kath and her crony’s moved from Sunday’s to Friday’s on the back of what a few corporate supporters wanted.
This move does mean that we are once again a “family club” as after a long school week my 8 year old son hardly ever wanted to attend on a cold Friday night.
As has already been mentioned, the argument about giving us a shorter turn around is b******s, as this has always taken place. We played Wakey away on a Sunday in June and then played Saints at home the following Friday, so home games on a Friday night worked against us in that instance. The only way this will ever be truly resolved is when the RL either get some common sense or grows a pair and dictate that all clubs play their home games on a Sunday afternoon every week other than the two televised games. This would then lead to an increase in viewing figures and potentially allow the RL to seek more money for the tv contract.

I think this is great news.

We have a club who have asked the opinion of the fans (although the decision seems a bit rushed!)

Attendances should rise due to more fans being able to travel on Sunday instead of a rushed Friday night.

I honestly dont think the club can't do anything right in some peoples eyes. I remember when we started playing Friday nights and there was uproar, now people complain that its back to Sundays.

All we need now is a new coach and I will be buying a pass for next season. Under £200 season pass for the east stand will do me nicely too please Mr Pearson sir!

I was one to complain when match days were initially moved, but not simply because Friday's didn't suit me, but because the club insisted that they asked the fans when we knew that they had probably asked a couple of dozen at best.

No they haven't, you're only kidding yourself with this.
If Kath had introduced this survey, then made a decision a week before the survey ended there'd be hell to pay on here.

What about those that haven't got round to it yet as they thought they had more time?

Maybe they constitute such a minority of the surveys sent out that they wouldn't change the overall result?

TBH an internet survey based on The Grapevine mailing list was never going to return a truly representative sample of opinions - the sample population is simply too small and skewed towards a particular demographic. The problem is that no other method would return a result in time to make the decision for next season.

Regardless of the decision I agree that had the previous board done anything like this, made a decision before the date of the end of the survey this forum would have gone into meltdown.

I will be a little less joyfull at the news then some where when I had the cub I had supported man and boy ripped away from me. I note also the similar way it has been done and I wonder if the club has learned anything about customer service. They changed the day last time by asking the staff of the club and then bluffed it through a dummy survey. The present survey has other things on it as well as the matchday one and I suspect that the Sunday option was always going to happen.

Its better for young children, away supporters and those of us that earn a living by working stupid hours during the working week. Besides Perhaps Sky would like a clear field for there televised matches so maybe Friday night matches will be a thing of the past for all clubs on a regular basis.

I look forward to buying a pass for the South stand again................


Only if we have a change of coach because I welcome the change of day the change of coach is the main thing.

I agree that they should have waited until the deadline had passed. But Pearson states that “We had planned on waiting until September 5 and the end of the survey date before making any decision, but I feel we have the support to press ahead with this decision now." This suggests to me that they already have enough respondents equivalent or greater than the majority of our current average attendance.