We've had a good discussion recently with regards to match day attendances at the Dons.

To help us better understand everyone's views, and provide the club with a greater insight into why people aren't attending games, I thought a poll would be a good idea.

If you've not been a regular attender of games this season, could you please select the three main reasons for you not attending.

If you've ticked "Another reason" perhaps you could put a post below telling us what the reason is. I can't include every single options on the list - thanks.

Mike

There aren't enough questions.
I go, but it's an accumulation of little things that make the Keepmoat experience a lot less good than it should be.
None of which, apart from one is on that list.
Another reason, now there's a catch-all.
I've voted since I think attenders views are
important too.
So sorry if I have transgressed.

No worries S/O.



I don't suppose I can add any extra options to the poll now but the general aim was to try to get to the main root causes, so the club will have a better idea of what they need to do to get people back.

I do appreciate that lots of little things can have a cumulative effect, which was partially why I selected the three choices option, rather than voters being tied to one particular reason.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say.

Mike

PS. Maybe we can do a separate survey in a couple of weeks asking what will improve the game day experience for those that do attend regularly?

For me its work shifts , simple as that. None of the others would stop me watching the lads.

I attend as many games as possible but can understand why people have stopped going to games, not only at the Dons, many covered in the poll. For me I believe one of the main reasons that support/interest for RL has diminished is due to the quite obvious lack of media support.

From local papers through to national TV we are still made out to be the poor relations of Rugby Yawnion, add that to the obsessive football coverage.

Every season I hope the RFL will launch a sustained media campaign, RLWC a great opportunity, but I doubt it'll happen.

The promotion of the RLWC [ushould[/u be in full flow by now ... sadly, it doesn't feel that way.

I guess the majority of supporters on this forum started supporting the Dons on a regular basis around 1985-86 onwards, a good question to ask is what are the reasons that made you start supporting the Dons.
Some of the answers might help the Dons officials understand what they need to do to attract more fans in 2013

Hi all, like Karlos for me it`s shift work. Work three weekends in 5 and i cant get back in time from Grimsby for a 3pm kick off. Cant grumble though have done quite well this season for home games, and have managed to do 4 away games up to press.

Welcome to the forum

Used to go with my lad but he lives in Dublin now, and it clashes with cricket season so my mate doesn't go often either.

On the highlights of the weekly rounds on tv there are a considerable number of enthusiastic youngsters in the crowd often in replica kits and these (like garlic bread) are the future. We hear of all the good work being done in the local schools but how can this translate to Dons supporters? I think you could count on one hand the number attending home games (my grandson being one of them).

Work is why I miss games.
I think on the whole Rugby League is under sold in media and marketing. Unless you are already involved in the sport you wouldn't know there is going to be a World Cup, never mind in England.
Sunday evening local news always gives Yorkshire super league results but never mentions the championship.
How about some ads on Hallam FM or other local radio stations? Competions to win match tickets or train with the team? Loads of possibilities, just need to be more visible to the general public.

Good points made about not getting the message over to the general public.

The RFL don't seem to have got into first gear yet with regards to the World Cup, which is disappointing.

With regards to the Dons, getting noticed is for the most part probably more difficult than we imagine. Local news not showing the results is one of the problems, as mentioned. I'm not sure how the clubs can unlock this means of publicity, but a collective effort amongst all clubs might be the best approach.

Adverts generally cost a lot of money, and would be quite expensive as a percentage of the Dons budget, I would guess.

We need to look at what is cheap but likely to be effective. I'd like to see more posters up around the town in shop windows and in pubs. Perhaps allow shops and pubs to sell tickets and gain a commission for doing so?

We must be innovative and try different things.

We have the sign on Bentley Road but I think more around the town. Didn't we used to have a couple of a frame trailers?. We have good links with Dome. Could one be parked on their site on Bawtry Road?

We need to get the message to places where people we see it. Thats the main road routes into town.

Why not have a big promotion for the game against Sheffield Eagles e.g. Approach the big local supermarkets & ask them if you could have a small stand in the foyer of there store to promote the Dons & sell tickets for this derby match & also extend the deadline for the season ticket price freeze offer, you might even get one of supermarket chains to sponsor the game. A good store to be at would be Morrisons York Rd store its situated on the side of town where most of the stay away fans live the contact there is Tony Haigh
.
Also promote the game on local radio stations Sheffield, Hallam & Trax FM & press, also run a competition on the radio & in the local newspapers with the winners receiving tickets for the game.

My own personal reason is that I travel about a lot and I am rarely in Donny for more than a couple of days at a time.

I think the traditional mon-fri, 9-5 working week is slowy dying out. People now tend to work more on an ad-hoc basis (shift work, 0 hours contracts, internet businesses etc.). The days when you all worked in the same place and the weekends were 'leisure' time is slowly changing.

When I was a regular I went for the atmosphere, friends, drinks, singing and shouting random things at men 3 times your size. The success of the team never really mattered to me I as I always knew we were going to stay at the same level. I enjoyed the characters at the club and the interaction between players and fans. I don't honestly know how much of this still applies at the Keepmoat because I have only been to a handful of games but I suspect is has lessened?

I read on another thread about the lack of young fans at the Keepmoat. If this is true, then this is definitely a worrying aspect. I don't know what the prices are like at the rugby but football certainly excludes youths in my opinion. I'm talking about those who are 16-21 who arn't in work or don't get enough money off their parents to go to a match on the weekend. I think if you lose em in at that point it's hard to draw them back in.

I would also add that in general I think sports attendances reflect the state of the economy. Under the boom years of the 2000's both rugby league and football attendances increased gradually. This has now come to a halt with the recession and stagnation. Doncaster is still a relatively poorer town compared to the rest of the country.

With all due respect I do not understand why the lack of media support should deter someone from attending his club's matches. Surely a lack of media coverage should have the opposite effect and make it even more important for a true fan to be there.

I think making the effort is the problem for some.

Snagsboson and myself have the same problem.

Weighman mentions making the effort is the problem and I agree but if i can attend the Sheffield game coming up then anyone can. I will get to the game at 230 ish and leave after the match at 5. Go straight to work as im on 12 hour nights and finish at 6am monday morning then drive home which gets me back in at 7am. If i can do that then im sure other people can as well.

I did say for some Karlos, not all.

Yes I know mate.I just think for some people its too much trouble thats all.

Unfortunately now work a lot of Sunday's so miss more than can watch. Think have only made 5 home games this season, and can't see it changing for some time.

Lowest crowd in the Championship yesterday 597.

No need to make any comment.

Lowest crowd for the form team of the division and if they do achieve 6th they will have achieved the best they could this season. As mentioned in other posts I think that some fans get to games when they can due to work/family/financial reasons and there is an hardcore who attend week in week out and always will. I think crowds are an issue right across the professional clubs in Doncaster rovers/dons/knights/belles have all asked a similar question and I just dont think it is a sports focussed town. I have lived and worked in other towns of similar size and the profile and fan interest and general public pride in their clubs seem to be much higher. The hardcore fans will always be hardcore and there will continue to be those that get to a game when they can. The club pushes its profile within its budget and this generally means RL websites & publications which is preaching to the converted and to be fair coverage in the DFP has been good lately. So aside from having a large commercial budget and dept and and creating a better game day experience and increasing the club profile in a much wider media I am not sure what they can do. Maybe losing the community workers this year has had an effect on attendances as the opportunity to get into schools and community clubs and accessing future fans and their parents is reduced if not lost this year. Not the clubs fault as central funding was withdrawn. I dont have an answer just thoughts, its a tough one!!