Re: Betts out : Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:38 pm  

If P&R still existed more clubs would go out of business in the current economical climate. Any promoted club would now find it nigh on impossible to put together a side which wouldn't finish bottom. There just isn't the timescale for a part time club to be transformed into a full time outfit. Hull KR were the last club to be promoted and be successful but they were full time when they went up. The franchise model at this time is the only answer unless the promoted club were expempt from relegation for at least two years.

Re: Betts out : Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:29 pm  

Just to add to what I was saying, Widnes pulled in 3000 odd in for a televised derby game this evening. Featherstone pulled in 4000 odd.

Re: Betts out : Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:05 am  

DaveTwentyman wrote:

Just to add to what I was saying, Widnes pulled in 3000 odd in for a televised derby game this evening. Featherstone pulled in 4000 odd.

Lot of protest stay aways yesterday due to the inept display against Badfraud. Throw a Liverpool v Everton FA Cup semi final, The Grand National + a tea time televised kick off and that's the attendance you're gonna get.

As I said on the VT, if Widnes could guarantee that effort and commitment for every game there would have been double that crowd figure. Fev were always going to pull in a decent crowd against their biggest rivals in a one off game. You can't guarantee when they're gonna play each other again so folks will turn out to see it. If people thought Fev would have won before the game then another few thousand may have turned out at Post Office Road.

We play Saints again this Friday.

Re: Betts out : Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:29 am  

DaveTwentyman wrote:

Just to add to what I was saying, Widnes pulled in 3000 odd in for a televised derby game this evening. Featherstone pulled in 4000 odd.

So what your biggest game for a number of years as you not had a big Derby game for years.It was expected to be close unlike Widnes v Saints.Been on the BBC and in Fev or Castleford not as many support Liverpool and Everton.It was also the Grand National.The true reflection is the league attendances.Widnes always averaged more than Fev even though you where top of the league.

Re: Betts out : Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:47 am  

DaveTwentyman wrote:

Just to add to what I was saying, Widnes pulled in 3000 odd in for a televised derby game this evening. Featherstone pulled in 4000 odd.

I wonder why Widnes' attendances vexed all over Featherstones while in the Championship then?

We had a stay away protest going on yesterday against Betts.

Re: Betts out : Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:29 pm  

OFFTHECUFF wrote:

So what your biggest game for a number of years as you not had a big Derby game for years.It was expected to be close unlike Widnes v Saints.Been on the BBC and in Fev or Castleford not as many support Liverpool and Everton.It was also the Grand National.The true reflection is the league attendances.Widnes always averaged more than Fev even though you where top of the league.

I'm a Saints fan mate. I live in St.Helens. I'm not bothered about Fev.
The Fev-Cas game was televised too and like Saints & Widnes was a big derby game.
I want a strong Widnes team in SL, it's another potentially great derby game for us. I remember when the fixture used to pack out. The only way they can build is if the fans turn up, and they can then spend that money on better players next year and the year after.

Re: Betts out : Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:59 pm  

DaveTwentyman wrote:

I'm a Saints fan mate. I live in St.Helens. I'm not bothered about Fev.
The Fev-Cas game was televised too and like Saints & Widnes was a big derby game.
I want a strong Widnes team in SL, it's another potentially great derby game for us. I remember when the fixture used to pack out. The only way they can build is if the fans turn up, and they can then spend that money on better players next year and the year after.

I guarantee you that the Super League fixture will be at least double this, possibly even 3 times bigger if we have a competitive side by then.

You can't compare a Challenge Cup game on National TV with previous times when it was packed out.

Re: Betts out : Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:12 am  

Pepe wrote:

I wonder why Widnes' attendances vexed all over Featherstones while in the Championship then?

We had a stay away protest going on yesterday against Betts.

Maybe the Fev fans had a stay-a-way protest for pretty much the whole time we were in the Championship Pepe!

Re: Betts out : Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:19 am  

Was it a protest???

Only in the minds of certain individuals. There was nothing arranged about it.
People simply decided that

after a day of sport

being able to watch the game without paying

taking into account the likelihood of a good thrashing

they just didn't want to pay the money and make the effort.

The attendances will improve again in the league and hopefully a few who haven't been will have been encouraged by that display and turn up for future games.

Re: Betts out : Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:47 pm  

Dr Chim Richalds wrote:

Was it a protest???

Only in the minds of certain individuals. There was nothing arranged about it.
People simply decided that

after a day of sport

being able to watch the game without paying

taking into account the likelihood of a good thrashing

they just didn't want to pay the money and make the effort.

The attendances will improve again in the league and hopefully a few who haven't been will have been encouraged by that display and turn up for future games.

I agree, there was nothing organised. I have no doubt that many didn't go because of the other sporting events taking place that day etc...

The last point, you mention, is the clincher for me. If we were playing reasonably well and hadn't had that absolute shocker agin Bradford, or suffered 4 years of dross leading up to it, there would have been at least another 1,000 - 1,500 Widnes fans at that game - even with all the circumstances surrounding that day. Many people on the TIW said that they had had enough and wasn't prepared to pay good money to watch such a poor team get battered, and that was, in no small part, a reaction to the continued presence of the coaching staff and the tolerance of said coaching staff by SOC. Fans voted with their feet, Chris. There are even fans now saying that they will retain their VSH memberships but not turn up any more until the current coach has gone. I have no doubt that the majority of fans voting with their feet on Saturday was indeed a protest - no doubt at all.