Thankyou

we're going through the worst recession I can remember and so crowds are down, then you get these clever gits coming on saying we're so great cos we can afford to go to every game and others can't so lets kick them in the teeth and rub their faces in it and remind them of the fact.

I've followed the Bulls all my life and nearly lost my job this year working 4 day weeks for 6 months. My daughters 9 and I've been taking her all her life. Now every other week I have to explain to her why we can't go to the game.

Adey, I agree with the majority of your posts on here so lets not spoil it now as you're coming across as a bit of a to$$er.

Maybe everyone should just think before they comment and come out with such tripe.

Is the Right Answer

Like I say bullsfan away there are genuine exceptions where for instance people maybe cannot afford to attend as often. But let's not kid ourselves that our crowds have dropped dramatically because of the recession. I am pretty sure Wigan isn't immune to the recession and they seem to be getting the crowds each week... I wonder why that might be...

What the hell are you on about???

My comments were aimed specifically at those who state they will not go back to Odsal while Macca remains the coach. Read what I said and what I was responding to.

Nowhere did I say anything about people not going because of their own financial realities, or in any way suggest that was not a valid reason for not going.

My point was specifically regarding people who use the "coach crap therefore won't go while he is here" excuse when at heart they are glory supporters and only want to go when the team is usually winning. I have worked with such people, and I'm sure so have numerous others. All we want is a bit of honesty from them - its nothing to be ashamed of, its entirely up to an individual what he spends his money on, and trekking up to Odsal to see your team capitulate would be a poor use of time and money in many peoples' books.

I believe the point BB was making was that much of the drop-off in crowds is because of many people not enjoying going when we are not winning most games - something I have heard numerous times when talking to former-attendees. That was what I was agreeing with. He was not trying to make any clever point, just stating what he saw as a fact of life - as I do.

I also know people who have to be selective which games they attend because of the current economic realities, and have been the first to leap to their defence when someone calls THEM glory supporters.

Can I suggest you read what I actually said, and the context in which it was said, before you refer to me as a tösser?

Thank you.

Those who don't come because of financial constraints - fine, nobody can argue with that.

Those who come because they don't want to pay players wages when they don't put any effort in (Warrington last season) fine.

I think staying away because Macca is the coach is ridiculous. Nobody can deny he's always tried his hardest. His hard work off the pitch is paying off and we are seeing it on the pitch now. He'll be gone by next season so we'll see if that's the real excuse or if it's just because we aren't getting to the GF every season.


When the silverware finally does get back to its rightful place in the Odsal trophy cabinet, the people who attended when their money let them, whether we were winning or losing will appreciate it that much more. I for one am certain that watching us in 2009 (as Adey says, sometimes felt like a punishment) will make me appreciate the success alot more.

I think we underestimate the number of stayaways that only stay away because they've moved away or died. In good times they'd be more than made up for by new fans. Now, not so much.

Quite. I started going to loads of games when I was 12/13 back in 1997, so I'm now 26 *gulp*. A lot of people who started going to games in those days are likely to have moved away to university or to find employment (I have, albeit just 30 miles away) and / or had children, which seriously reduces any money / time to do anything.

Back in 1997, the Bulls were a fabulous team and summer rugby was a new exciting product that was a lot easier to sell. It was amazing being at Odsal back in those days. Even in the '90s there was probably far less competition for leisure time and also, it was cheaper to watch the Bulls then! The ticket prices have risen above inflation quite considerably.

Nowadays, I'll try get to about half of our home games and some away games. I find paying nearly 20 quid plus public transport costs quite hard to justify though to be honest.

Me? I am not trying to "spin" anything. I am just seeing that there is two sides to this argument. Some people on here refuse to see that. The people who are not coming to the games are not fans and that is it. End of. I think some should cut them some slack and try and understand why they are not coming back. At the moment. Of course if we get to Wembley/Old Trafford plenty will return, but that's human nature.

It felt like I'd died at points watching them last season....

I've been bed ridden all weekend so didn't go Friday,

What happened?

Oh mate, you've missed it all. It's kicking off good and proper. There's a big meeting in Whitehall, London, I think it's to decide on our new coach for next year. Someone called Clegg and a guy from Cameroon seem to be favourites. Must be from the NRL 'cos I've not heard of either of them, they were on telly too, but never even mentioned RL once, though the guy from Cameroon seemed to think we'd be better off out of the European Super League. I don't have any confidence in either to be honest; where's ME when you need him?

Quality.

No not you you bleedin Wally, the "you" person referred to in your previous post!!:


I could have said "one", but one doesn't feel that one is quite pretentious enough . . .

I can say categorically that i would love to go to evry home game, but i cant i have been to 3 games this year thx to competition wins, friends and actually paid once.

I pay into the Lottery every month, have this years shirt and will be attending the grand final regardless of the team (because i have planned and budgetted accordingly)

I take umbridge at one brush tarnsihing everyone (which is how Mick started the thread) how do you know the guy in the station wasnt in a similar predicament..

Simple answer is stop fussing and just tell the person the score..

Fact is i would love to take my son to the game everyweek but i cant and once the blues and yellows decide whats good for them probably get worse ....

All clubs get this im afraid, when we got back to Wigan after our game at Widnes I couldnt tell you how many people asked me that question. It does make me laugh when their reply is something along the lines of 'WE smashed them' or 'aren't WE doing well'. Unfortunately these are the same people who will be lining up for tickets should we get to a final.

We better not be playing in purple.

I agree with if there are good reasons fair enough, but 6 of my friends who used to have season tickets stopped going in 2007 cos they were losing

And as I said, those people do not deserve to call themselves supporters. I know a few of the same.

as do I. and most of those use macca as an excuse. strange how at the same time the attendances first at leeds and more recently at hudds have risen. probably a touch of glory supporters there ( and strangely enough 1 of the ones I know is now a season ticket holder at hudds). Theres always going to be an element of the crowd who go to the club thats doing well and theres not a lot we can do to stop that bar improving performances on the pitch.
Likewise theres probably a large number who either dont attend at all or pick and choose their matches due to current economic climate and I think thats perfectly understandable. Again not a lot club can do about it unless they do cheap ticket deals / freebies etc but theres a break even point beyond which it becomes unsustainable for club to do this without losing too much money.
All we can do realistically is put as good a product out on the pitch as possible and hope it makes people want to attend again.

Mmm, well we have before.....along with lime green and yellow, IIRC. What's worse is that it might still be in my cupboard!

Priorities?

Ha. to think I nearly missed that. It amuses me how much I can annoy you without actually doing anything.

So just for the sake of argument when was the last game you went to?

all clubs are the same though. I remember talking about Leeds rl in the office in the late 90's and no one was bothered, then alot of the same people started pretending they had been going for years, and have again stopped going again because we aint winning as much this season.
But equally the games have got more expensive, and in the countries current state people have to prioritise, and you cant fault people for that. My first season ticket cost £5!

Obsessed much?

If memory serves, you stopped going because you had some sort of pathetic little crying episode about the coach leaving and how it should have been Mr. Davies instead. So I'm not entirely sure how you think my post referred to you in any way?

It's quite ironic that you think I am still obsessed, while showing it is apparently the other way around.


My apologies though, as yes, I should have included people in your category of non-supporters, although I'm not sure how to classify it.