Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:32 pm  

theredshed wrote:

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.

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:43 pm  

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:25 pm  

theredshed wrote:

So you don't see the potential of being in a location like this in comparison to the back streets of Weaste?

Walsall have always been hampered by the fact they are competing against four other big football clubs nearby who have a much richer history than themselves. Villa average 42K, Birmingham and Wolves 30K and WBA 25K. Would you want to watch Walsall if you lived in Birmingham?

Do you honestly believe Bolton would still be in the Premier League if they were still playing at Burnden Park?

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:44 pm  

Iain wrote:

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:49 pm  

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:54 pm  

king of the shed wrote:

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:59 pm  

theredshed wrote:

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

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:59 pm  

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... "73 pages!!!"

Anyway, back on topic. Good points everyone!

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:05 pm  

king of the shed wrote:

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?

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.

Re: New Stadium Site Update Thread!!! : Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:26 pm  

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.