And MDF asked the question about BullBuilder from across the room somewhere!

Oh yes....oops

Sorry Mark

That were me, but just in case. The ugly one to my immediate right was Ian-R

we swopped places towards the end!

'Twas indeed. I was sitting on the table at the front left of the stage. With a couple of the directors initially, but they got pressganged into the search for more seats and as a result lost theirs! I guess it was that kind of night

.

Oh so its you that looks like a haggered Paul deacon then?

I've never heard any form of comparison between Deacon and myself!!


[size=50Brad Pitt on the other hand....[/size

Sam was just behind me....

I kept hearing muttering of incorrect ordering of colours, but couldn't quite make it out.

Nah the chuntering came when Mr Duffy mentioned that Leeds's crowds had held up between 1996 and now despite them not always being successful.

Some re-writing of history there!

And I'm the one that looks like Peter Kay apparently (or so numerous folk have told me, I don't see it!).

Yer right about that! More like Johnny Vegas but one less chin!

It's a lie! I was never there!

You were obviously stood with an imposter who has cloned my identity!

You should have checked to see if the imposter you were with had a belly button - according to the Simpsons that's how you tell a clone. In the wrestling room.

What happens in the wrestling room, stays in the wrestling room.

Its YOU. You're the baby-faced assassin.

Ah, then he was the guy sitting right in front of me then.

He jumped up so quickly whne it came to the floor questions that I was sure it was going to be a really aggressive or critical question

That's me!

Yeah, I thought you might have meant me. I've had Paul Deacon comparisons before too, although that partly due to me looking far younger than I am! I have his organisation skills too



As far as haggered goes, that's kind of a given!

I did have a bit of a mad rush to get there on time after work! From previous experience I thought I'd have my pick of the tables!

I did however time my entrance quite nicely to see Adey at the bar.. many thanks!

I was stood at the far end of the bar nearest the stage in the Liverpool shirt.

Ian's a legend!

And was that when I farted...?

I'd gone to the bar so I missed it!

Unusually for RAB, two exceptionally poignant offerings.

I find it incredible that Hood has utilised market research from a governing body with absolutely no credibility and that consistently demonstrates it has no comprehension of marketing on any level; other than how not to do it. Said same organisation that is a graveyard for former marketing and ops staff from SL clubs who continue to ponce around with clipboards and fake smiles. The same RFL who only yesterday put some (albeit pish poor) pre-match entertainment on at the Challenge Cup semi final) and in essence going against conventional opinion in their manufactured, made up research. The same RFL who struggle to sell out any of their centrally controlled events despite their new "research bible" Poor form Mr Hood, very poor form.

Perhaps Peter could also then explain the contrary view of the NFL for instance or other sporting bodies who actually take one simplistic, effective view. They place Gameday Experience high on their list of "must do". Why? Because they want fans to come early, stay longer and have a better time; on the basis that it generates revenue through secondary spend. At this years Superbowl final, The Who took centre stage at an event that could sell out 100 times over - they didn't have to. They did it to enhance the essence of the NFL brand, and it works. You will say "but they are a multi billion dollar industry". Correct, because they generated it by being different. That's not complex Mr Hood, but well done for ignoring it.

Perhaps Peter could also explain why he is now placing a governing body who he holds in utter contempt, off camera, as some paragon of virtue and a leading light in how to successfully grow a brand?

Perhaps Peter could also explain why he is essentially saying to the likes of Richard Branson, James Caan, Duncan Bannatyne, Gerry Robinson that their view on how to market a product and grow a business is basically, wrong.

Moreover, he fails to recognise that to attract anyone to a leisure activity, particularly when on-field you are struggling, you have to give the existing occassional fan or potential new one, a reason to turn off the tv, put down their Playstation, not go shopping or go to the cinema and get out of the armchair to Odsal. You need to offer them greater bang for their buck, an additional product that you can control the output of in terms of quality and bind them to your brand. It's not rocket science. The club were the first to do it in SL and for him now to back peddle with absolutely no creditable basis for his judgement illustrates a problem at the very highest level of the club.

You have a situation now, where fans have absolutely no incentive to come earlier (where have the bands gone??) and spend money in your over priced bars or appalling dodgy food stalls. However what I will clearly predict is that because you can't quantify this secondary spend and how many fans Gameday Entertainment generates on an Excel spreadsheet, so you dismiss it. Brilliant.

The fans owe you nothing Mr Hood, it is for you to elicit response from them by doing something different. Don't wheel out "it costs money" beef. It doesn't. Sales and marketing generate money done effectively, ask any successful business. But then you wouldn't do that would you because it doesn't suit your incredibly flawed narrative. Interestingly you magically generate money for the likes of Paul Sykes, Michael Worrincy and a dire Glenn Hall. You give a 3 year contract to a 32 year old, eternally overrated crock on 200k+ a year in the form of Orford. Even the wage of the leagues worst player (Worrincy) invested in marketing would generate you more revenue than said individual. No question.

You also clearly hold the ill-conceived thought that effective sports marketing is based around on-field success. Really? Is this a path you [ireally[/i wish to go down given the evidence to the contrary of those sports organisations who invest in quality marketing and gameday despite being poor on-field? The same organisations who give the fan multiple reasons to go whether that be engaging their kids, their mates, being a place to socialise, get the odd freebie or enjoy the entertainment. You have also failed to recognise that many of the existing fans now spend their hard earned in areas around Odsal prior to kick off i.e Top House et al because you are giving them no reason to come into the stadium as early as they used to do. And most did! So well done.

I could also predict your caveat would be something based around Iestyn Harris, OSV, recession or you would pass it on to Mr Duffy (once you have surgically removed him from a dark cavity) and generate some vitriolic MP-esque stance.

So well done Mr Hood for attempting to pull the wool over the eyes of the long standing Bulls faithful, but I'm afraid they will see right through it. The only person you are fooling is yourself.

Notwithstanding the RFL survey, what do your actual staff think? Have you asked them? Strange isn't it how many former fans, coaches and players I've spoken to say "why has the Bulls vibe died?" But then maybe they haven't read the RFL survey.

As Britain's most successful entreprenuer said (and yes, miraculously he started from nothing without an RFL survey to help him):

"A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts."

Your brand offers none of the above. And yet it used to.

Well Gurus Beard you certainly know everything dont you?

Are you Orfords agent?

I know how much the Prime Minister gets paid as well. And you know what? I'm not George Osbourne.

It must be wonderful being so clever!!!

I wonder. Were you at the fans forum, or are you basing your post on what other people have been saying?
Because it seems to me, a lot of what you were saying is a lot of conjecture and most of it should be presented with the letters IMO in front of most of it