Mrs Barista wrote:
Capacity is nothing to do with it - Rovers have 2,600 fewer passes to process than FC, so if it's an admin bottleneck that's the limiting fact surely FC should go earlier than Rovers. FC's passes usually go on sale 1st October with a 3 month discount period that ends 6 weeks before the season starts at the end of December/beginning of January, last season allowing December month end pay to clear before the deadline. Rovers window opens 2nd August and ends 3 months before FC's. Why do you think this is?
The answer is obvious, your teams support (and I use this term lightly) is currently going through its end of season cycle of no one renewing passes because of numerous reasons that range from Agar, bad recruitment to the boards money grabbing and not caring for the 'fans' but are generally down to a season of boring unentertaining rugby and a premature end to the season.
If your club put a deadline on passes now they simply wouldn't sell in the numbers they need to, most would just decide to pay on the day or not go.
What now happens is the spin machine will go into overdrive, Berrigan is off quota so they will tout some big names at you, I'm expecting cronk, prince and any number of half backs to be mentioned (all must have a silly nickname tho for media spin). This will then generate a season of performance (promise was last year). and the sheep will amass in a month or two when the pain has diminished and the signing of another prop will seem like a good idea cos Long / Horne can't be that unlucky again.
Lets be honest if you lot put passes on sale at the end of your season most of you wont have been on your summer holidays and they can be very expensive.