[i1958[/i was the attendance at Salford tonight.

My question is .....

Is this more or less acceptable than Stevo's comment about the French ?
& is it acceptable for a Super Dooper League Club when both Featherstone & Halifax can attract a bigger crowd ?

Not good for the Doc. Does anyone think he will jack it in?

Just depressing. Not only Salford (though they're producing the most pitiful attendances) a fair few clubs are struggling to get over 5.5k every week. Even the top clubs. I think only Hull, Leeds and Wigan and consistently getting over 10k. Atteandances seem to be plummeting from 10 years ago. Worrying

Catalans home average is a few hundred short of 10,000. This is an increase over the averages for the past ten seasons.

That's because the fans are hot headed.

& most Salford fans don't go to watch Rugby League games as they are too busy "borrowing stuff" or watching football or having political debates or playing backgammon or helping old ladies across the road or ....

That attendance is quite simply embarrassing for Salford but the league as a whole. 6th division football regularly pull in crowds like that. I don't know anything particularly about the situation there but I do wonder if the location of the stadium could be a factor especially on a Friday night when you're coming out of there at 10 at night then have to get home.

On a serious note *disregarding my flippant humorous remarks referencing the Stevo Racist thread*, yes I believe the location of the ground has a huge bearing on attendances at Salford.

The attendances can't be solely attributed to location though, yes the $hitHouse/Brookhouse estate is almost the farthest flung outpost of Salford & yes the Stadium is practically in Irlam & yes the parking situation is poor, but there also looks to be a failure to engage with the fanbase + the early silliness of Dr MarwanK which he has managed to temper significantly of recent times.

All of this appears to work against the supporters & when the on field product is decent but not World beating, what have Salford fans got to look forward to in travelling to the ground ?

All of this of course is a view from the outside looking in & I am sure some of the knowledgeable Salford fans will be along soon to put me straight but, 1958, it could set a new & unwelcome record in SL.

Something has to happen there soon, hopefully for Salford it doesn't end with the Dr P!$$!NG Off to Dubai with his £££ & horses.

Maybe the Salford management should worry less about finding ways to spend more money on the salary cap and instead spend more on marketing, community engagement and on youth and junior systems. Then they might get more people watching them.

im sure Marwan will find a way to blame this on Catalans.

Can't argue with that.

How about free buses timed for matches to & from Walkden, Swinton, Eccles, Pendleton, Irlam 'O' Heights, Broughton etc ....
Would this help any Salford fans ?

The Salford public are not really interested in RL, or anything else I can see for that matter. A significant percentage of regular Salford fans are not even locals. While the Club needs to do better to market themselves (Difficult given that our performances recently destroy any marketing done) I feel sorry for MK who is trying his hardest to get things right on the pitch.

I can't see any answer to it tbh. If MK gave away tickets for free every week they still wouldn't bother. In fact it's been tried a few times. Barring a freakish Leicester-like season at some point, I can't see an increase happening any time soon.

Sale Sharks don't seem to have the same problem attracting good attendances. What are Sale doing that Salford cannot ?

14 less people than turned up last year!
Disappointing crowd but respect to the ones that did turn up for the emotional tribute to Ronan Costello.

What else have union fans to watch in the NW? For them no Warrington, Wigan, Saints, Leigh, Widnes etc. on the doorstep.

No, but do you really think people from Salford go to Wigan or St Helens or the other clubs to see games in any significant quantity?

The question, why have the Sharks (relatively) succeeded where the Reds have failed is a good one. As they've sold their star player for next season, I wonder if that'll have any effect on gates.

That isn't what he's suggesting , but Sale draw RU supporters from the whole of the North West from Liverpool to Oldham and Lancaster to Stoke

As for what can Salford do to increase fans ?

I suppose win trophys and market themselves heavily , both would cost probably tens of millions with no guarantee of success

If anyone can afford it MK can.

Manchester has an abundance of amateur rugby union clubs: Kersal, Bowdon, Sale, Ashton upon Mersey, Trafford Metrovics, Didsbury, Auldwinians, De La Salle, Sedgely Park, Broughton Park, North Manchester, Burnage, Old Bedians, Eccles, Manchester and maybe more I just can't remember. The amount of rugby league clubs in comparison is pitiful.

I also think Sale engage with the wider Manchester conurbation. Salford don't even though we are one conurbation. You can walk from Higher Broughton into Cheetham Hill or from Odsall into Castlefield and there's no way you'd think you'd walked from one city into a different city because you haven't really we are one bigger city really. I think Salford miss out on so many potential fans because they do not engage with that wider population they are too parochial. Sale don't just aim to have their supporter base from Sale.

They seems to have LOST fans, since they left the Willows, and are now based in Trafford.

Sale get decent crowds doesn't seem to bother them were the stadium is and everyone used to slag London off for there poor crowds but some of there fans had a couple of hours travel for home games

They aren't in Trafford. They're still in the Borough of Salford.
Traffors is on the other side of the Ship Canal

Salford have had a crap crowd against a team that are likely to bring fewer fans. Salford clearly didn't manage the transition from old to new. Tons of sports clubs have moved to new grounds and increased their crowds. By the looks of it they didn't engage the core fan base in the move, didn't work out how to ensure the change in travel was managed so that the doubters just continued to go because they didn't have an excuse not to. And the perceived extra distance what is it a mile isn't an issue? (Maybe someone can clarify). Once habits are changed they'll hopefully continue to attend. Though the product on the pitch (winning more) also helps.

The good Doctor has unfortunately arrived after the event, the struggle is always uphill.

What's the problem? The game sold its soul for a bag of beans guaranteed with other monies as a bonus.
It's a TV game now, spectators at the ground incidental to the real job of eyes on the box.

The game sold its soul well before Sky TV appeared. Sky just paid off the credit card bill we'd racked up.