I am sure they must have attracted some people who never went to Burnden Park. What the Reebok did for Bolton was raise the profile of the club which helped them attract more sponsorship and a better caliber of player. It gave them something to sell that was sellable.

And there's where the hope lies in the assumption that we can't tap into a completely new market. There are a sizeable number of people with a passing interest in Salford RL. As we're all too aware from the countless debates on here regarding conversations we've almost all had with people that used to watch Salford. Unfortunately, people in general prefer the edge of town retail park style entertainment venues. Places with no real character but plenty of parking spaces and fast food outlets.

Suppose the question remains as to whether a square stadium can draw the passing interest back or not.

It certainly didn't do Warrington any harm.

Just to add something to that: Warrington had already increased their attendances significantly at Wilderspool before moving to the HJ. It's a fallacy that the new stadium doubled their attendances overnight.

I appreciate that some progress was being made whilst at Wilderspool but it's a fact that their attendances increased by 60% when they moved to the HJ. Warrington added about 4000 to their gates. Hull's gates increased by 72% and 4700 supporters when they moved to the KC.

This isn't something I've dreamed up it was from an article I read in the Rugby League World magazine last year.

But that for me brings me back to the point I was trying to make that new people who did go probably already had a passing interest in Bolton FC .

We have to hope that there are some 3-4000 salford fans out there who refuse to go the Willows. IMO I doubt very much that there is. I think we'll be lucky to get an extra 1000 home supporters.

If we only get another 1500 and a few more away fans plus some extra sponsorship it's much better than what we are getting now. Even Huddersfield managed to attract an extra 730 supporters in the first year playing in a lower division in a much smaller catchment area.

If the club can get another £300K - £350K a year in gate reciepts/merchandise and another £200,000 from hospitality/private box packages it will really drive the club forward. The club will have 750 dining packages to sell and 10 or 12 private boxes.

This extra revenue would make a big difference to a club like our's and take us closer to the salary cap.

I was being facetious. I've actually written articles in the past comparing Salford's potential in a new stadium to that of local ice hockey or LS Lowry painings, both were things that people could see locally anyway (ice hockey at Alty, and Lowry paintings at Peel Park museum), but it wasn't until they were put in a high profile location (Nynex Arena and Lowry Centre) that people went in good numbers to see them.

However, I am wary of the "build it and they will come" attitude. If all eggs are placed in a basket of assuming people will come because it's happened elsewhere then we may be being over-optimistic - remember, both Hull and Warrington, whilst moving to less visually prominent places, both moved to very accessible places - Wire's right in the centre, and Hull's only yards from their historic home.

I agree and I'm sure the club are trying to learn as much as they can from both Hull and Warrington as to why they were successful.

It's interesting that since the construction started I know a lot of people (Non rugby followers who know I go) are talking to me about the new stadium and showing a genuine interest and asking lots of questions. Some have even commented about going to see a game when it opens.

I've been thinking (yes do panic) we all know the stadium will be a fantastic advert for the club due to the passing traffic (literally), and we could get an increase from Barton, Irlam, Cadishead, Eccles, Peel Green, Walkden, Little Hulton, Worsley & maybe even Swinton dues to the locality but what about our visual presence in Salford (in the traditional sense) what chance have we of attracting people for Chapel Street, Irwell, Broughton (Higher & Lower) Kersal, Langworthy, Ordsall, Pendlebury, Weaste, Seedley, out of sight out of mind maybe. The club will have to pull out all the stops to bring in fans from traditional Salford so we could have the same issues we have now, no matter how well we're doing or how good the stadium is.

I'm sure many people from these area's of Salford visit The Trafford Centre or travel up and down the M60 frequently. Most Salfordians from these area's will probably see much more of the new stadium than they ever saw of the Willows.

Maybe so and that's what we can hope for but getting them to the stadium on a match day is much tougher than getting people to go shopping

I just think, and I'm sure it will be, that the marketing of the matches gets 100% better and reaches thos areas?

Sorry to deviate but, imagine if there was a fan out there who has spent the last 2 years in a coma, has come round and has decided to log in to the Turkey to see what happened with the stadium... [size=150"73 pages!!!"[/size



Anyway, back on topic. Good points everyone!

Come on KOTS you know I was replying to your comment about 'Out of sight..Out of mind' and not about how to get people to part with their money.

The way i see the location benefitting the club is that people already interested in RL (and who support, say Wigan, Wire and Saints for instance), will see the stadium when passing and be more inclined to go to an away game there, as the facilities look great and its a easy ground to access.

The main draw to the stadium will be winning games any other means of attracting passers by is a bonus.

I heard a story recently about how Matchday hospitality can become extremely competitive between companies in the same field.

For instance a well known firm of local solicitors takes out a bronze Matchday package and then when another firm of solicitors is made aware of this they can’t resist going one step further and signing up for a Silver package. This then escalates with more firms of solicitors taking out packages until it becomes embarrassing for any local firm of solicitors not to be seen there with clients.

Apparently this is kind of thing is rife in Rugby Union. I just thought I’d pass it on in case somebody from the club is reading.

Then we're agreed.

No, no they don't. Did you just make those numbers up??


Bolton were also relegated from the Premiership after moving to the Reebok, despite being in it whilst at Burnden.
Wanderers' average crowd at the Reebok now is only about 10% (2,000 fans) higher now than it was at Burnden Park in the Premiership. If Salford were to have a similar percentage increase we'll only ever need to open one stand.

For Salford to make the move to Barton work will require massive investement in marketing , several million over several years

But at least we've got "several years" before it gets built though, eh?!

Relegated only to return for several consecutive years in the Premier league. How many consecutive years did they have in the top flight at burnden park after the long faded Nat Lofthouse era? The attendances have dropped away but you are quoting the best set of figures to suit your argument. That's similar me saying what were the attendance figures when they first played at the Reebok compared to when they were in the old 3rd division?

Having a new stadium offers more opportunities than just increasing your gates. What about the extra corporate hospitality and sponsorship it's brought them? What about attracting higher profile players to the club? It allowed them to attract players like Anelka, Djorkaeff and Campo etc who wouldn't have been seen dead at burnden park.

Anyone who can't see what the Reebok has done for Bolton Wanderers needs their head examining!

Well we've had several years to build us up to the new several years to go. So the club should have the marketing side of things bob on.

Oh hang on.......................................................

Ahh you see Rugby union = rah rah, upper class ( well they think they are), business connections and is trendy to be seen to go to when your at your next ball and being photographed in Lancashire life.

Football at OT = the "in " place to have your corporate hospitality. You watch the best of what Britain has to offer, Is once again a trendy place to name drop that you go to and have a box there......

Rugby League = who the feck wants to go and watch Salford against wakefield, Quins, Crusaders? need I go on? It's not trendy, It's lower class, it not seen by clients as choice place to wine and dine people.

It would take a HUGE overhaul of RL and it's image for Solicitors firms or other big businesses to want to use Salford and RL for those purposes with maybe Wigan , Saint and Leeds the exception.

Obviously this is all my own opinion and has nothing in the way of solid facts to back it up.

I fully understand what you are saying but maybe some local people's perceptions will change of Salford Reds and RL in a modern stadium with plush corporate facilities. I'm told the function room can dine up to 750 people and will offer the biggest capacity in Greater Manchester. (For a single room) The room can also be divided up into three sections if required. Some local businesses may view it as great networking opportunity at a fraction of the cost of football hospitality.

Thats a good point actually. Should the club ( or maybe they already do?) push the hospitality based of the lower price that they would be able to provide it for. Or would that put potential clients off?