Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:39 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

When Wigan played a home game against Bradford the other year at the Stobart the attendance was only 800 higher than what Saints achieved tonight.

Given that the 800 difference was probably Bradford fans, its hard for the pies to criticise Saints.

You'd have a fair point if St. Helens to Widnes was the same distance as Wigan to Widnes, and the Wigan game at Halton had a degree of guaranteed support to start with through season ticket sales rather than being an additional game at the end of the season. Also the Wigan game was on Sky.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:49 pm  

Dave Lister wrote:

I think the number of people that can't be @rsed to go to Widnes to watch their team far outnumber those who have been forced away because of the economic climate. Poor, poor excuse IMO.

Yes some fans can't be bothered going to Widnes but the current economic reality can't be ignored either.

Last week 600 people from St Helens Council found out they were losing their job and thats just the tip of the iceberg. Others have already left work through early retirement and people are being far more financially careful. We are far from getting out of the economic slump and £26 a ticket is just too much for some people at the moment.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:50 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

When Wigan played a home game against Bradford the other year at the Stobart the attendance was only 800 higher than what Saints achieved tonight.

Given that the 800 difference was probably Bradford fans, its hard for the pies to criticise Saints.

Our atendances at Saints this year are well within the predictions of fans and also the club.

Im actually encourages somewhat in that Quins is usually pretty much one of the poorest attended games for Saints matches. Therefore our average for the season will end up above this 6k figure and probably in the region of 7k.
This will still put us above a significant number of SL teams which i regard as the bigger concern.

Wigan fans only had one week's notice when they were to play there.

Also the distance you have to travel is 8.1 miles, less than half the distance we had to. Us travelling to LSV would be a better comparison, we sure would have many more than 6k on, we have 10.5k Season Ticket Holders for starters.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:14 pm  

Just to add some neutrality to the debate. 6,050 sounds like an awful crowd when put next to St Helens name but I don't think it is really. Here's something I posted on another forum,

I currently live about half a mile from the ground and the parked cars came up to my front door almost. This used to happen only when Widnes got 10k plus and up to my house would usually be probably more like 12k. It never happened when we were last in SL. It is of course nothing like a science but it suggests how much they are missing out from the numbers of people that walk from the local area. If we suspect that at KR they would have got 8500ish, it seems about right.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:54 pm  

Murphys Magic wrote:

Last week 600 people from St Helens Council found out they were losing their job

The previous week it was 99. I wouldn't believe all that St Helens Council stick in their press releases.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:48 pm  

Saints need to look at the pricing policy. I know of 2 students that went for tickets to be told it was £26. No suprise they didnt bother.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:54 pm  

Div wrote:

Saints need to look at the pricing policy. I know of 2 students that went for tickets to be told it was £26. No suprise they didnt bother.

I'd say you need to review the Friday night game policy while you are at Widnes as well.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:15 pm  

Div wrote:

Saints need to look at the pricing policy. I know of 2 students that went for tickets to be told it was £26. No suprise they didnt bother.

£26 pounds + travel costs to and from Widnes is really pushing it in an economically deprived area. I think part of the problem is that on the back of nearly two decades of plentiful income sport (rugby and football especially) has prospered immensely. But it has also fallen into the trap of thinking that surplus cash will ALWAYS be available in households for non-essential products or services. How many SL or EPL chairman were around the last time we experienced the kind of economic difficulties we face now (comparable to anything we saw in the 70s and perhaps beyond)?

Many families in the St. Helens area are living right on the limit - often with two people having to work to pay the bills. For them £30 including petrol each week (more for away matches) is simply unjustifiable.

What latitude the club has to set prices within the expenditure framework I'm not sure. Probably not much. But either way I think we're likely to see a significant drop-off in attendances across the board this season in many sports.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:30 pm  

giwildgo wrote:

You'd have a fair point if St. Helens to Widnes was the same distance as Wigan to Widnes, and the Wigan game at Halton had a degree of guaranteed support to start with through season ticket sales rather than being an additional game at the end of the season. Also the Wigan game was on Sky.

Wigan put on free transport to the ground for that match. Whereas Saints fans have to pay to get to Widnes.
That more than evens things out imo re the extra distance involved for you pies.

Financial matters are also impacting on fans, especially with thousands of jobs being lost in the region, allied to price inflation.

The rising cost of petrol has ruled me out of going to Leeds next Saturday, and will probably put paid to any away ventures the other side of the Pennines this season.
Historically ive gone to as many away matches as my work commitements allow.

Re: 6050 : Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:40 pm  

Big Graeme wrote:

I'd say you need to review the Friday night game policy while you are at Widnes as well.

Very much so, its even harder to get to the game on time so some people will take the easy option and just not go.
Also, my own belief is by playing all our home games at night when we are still effectively in winter, contributes to many an injury (not warmed up properly, not warming down properly either).
I'm not saying its why we have such a terrible injury record, but it could well be a factor.