My fear is that on the back of recent wins we get a good crowd and the team then blow it like against Cas and turn off the non-members for another few matches. If you want to grow the gates, consistency is the key.

As mentioned by BombedOut, the massive disappointment and the way we played over the last two seasons almost getting relegated after a cup final season have driven folk to making other life choices and to what they spend their money and time on.
For someone to label others as not "proper Hull FC fans" or "fickle fans" for making a personal choice is ludicrous and pompous especially given the carp served up especially under Agar and latterly Radford.
And yes attendances were still high under Agar but that showed how loyal those fans you now label as "not proper fans" were.
Poop on the field, no success (again), false promises by new owner and importantly undermining a level of improvement with yet again an unproven cheap option has proven to be very, very costly.
Will some fans come back, of course...if we continue in this vein, will we get back to regular 13/14k home gates, no, it'll take at least a season or two of success or at the very least really competing and playing good rugby.

One point to make, scientific studies show that playing at home is no real advantage, in fact can be detrimental due to expectation of fans and pressures that can put on players. It isn't proven that cheering home crowds motivate players/professional sportspeople any more than they would normally display in front of empty terraces.
Not that cheering when we are winning/making a comeback is bad for the fans scientifically at least there's evidence to support it makes little difference to increase performance.

I hope stayaway fans come back. For the club to build we need higher attendances and associated additional income. Right now the club are doing what they can through delivering on the pitch, supported by preparation off it including Cryo Chambers and the like. Ultimately as a collective group - players, backroom staff, management, fans (current and lapsed), we're better together. Hope we can get a good vocal crowd in and get another two points to maintain the recent momentum.

Most if not all clubs have struggled in recent years to increase attendances (apart from ticket offers or giveaways). There are simply more things for people to spend their money and time on. The Super League must shoulder some of the blame with Thursday night games and the fiddling about with the league structure still leaving many games with nothing to play for.

It will probably take a major trophy or a couple of seasons at least of top four finishes with consistantly entertaining rugby for our attendances to be regularly back up to 12,000+.

That said the club's performances over the Easter period deserve a good attendance on Friday. I'd be disappointed with under 11,000.

When labelling not proper fans, I meant the fans that always see the bad never positives, we all know some of them. Never give credit but always quick to criticise, the ones who have a bee in the bonet about radford no matter how well we perform. We all no many of these. If fans can't come because of lifestyle choices or lack of income then that is unfair to criticise them, I'v been their when made redundant I had to say no to a pass as hard as it was. Their will always be the hardcore 10,000 your right, that stick with the club through thick and thin, it's the others we need to attract and winning games does that to an extent but then their still radFord in charge and some fans no matter what can't accept him, I like radford and his passion and I think he's doing a great job at present and I just wish everyone could get on board and support the team as a whole. The boys definitely need it

For someone to label others who have a different view to you is ludicrous and pompous. There are fickle and not real supporters, they really do exist. They're the ones who turn up to the big games with there shirts from 20 years ago, making out they go to all the games. You occassionally make excellent posts but marr them with your Radford bashing. As I have stated before, everyone is entitled to thier own opinion without others labelling them as idiots, pompous, stupid or anything else that springs to mind. By the way, I do think your posts of late have been upbeat, keep it up

Increasing fan base is difficult anyway when you have an area that is still on its heels and financial decisions as to whether you spend x on watching your sports team or spend less taking the kids somewhere where you know they wont come away disappointed and/or cold.
Local population ethnicity swings even from 2001 to 2011 has an effect as some from certain backgrounds are typically just not interested in RL in the slightest.

As for Radford, so far he has done nothing to change those fans views and has a very very long way to go to do so.
His attitude of the last two seasons has polarised so many. The crud he came out with on public radio criticising fans openly was appauling, add on top near relegation and some dreadful dreadful rugby.

It's not so easy to forgive someone that made you feel like you didnt care whether you came or didnt to a club that you might have supported a very long time.

I'll be back. It seems the Widnes game (and the first hour at Rovers) was a blip and not a reflection of where we are.

Armavinit...I've said what I feel, I always do. Ive not beung hyper criticaloft Radford this term, i've continued to say what i hope he could do or what in my opinion i would like him to do..rightly or wrongly, it's a forum so people post what they think.
I think It IS pompous and lazy to label fans fickle, how can you know any one persons individual circumstances, even if they can afford to come why is it wrong to not want to watch rubbish and be continually dissapointed and then come back when the entertainment/feel good factor returns?

And turning up for a final/semi with a 20 year old shirt is wrong why? Why does that matter that for whatever reason they don't attend regular season games..might it be that that occasion is a treat and they cannot afford to come except on rare/special occasions. Why should we judge anyone over whether they attend or not?

I've always stated I'll come to as many games as I can no matter who is in charge and how i feel about the way they are going about things or how we are doing, that's me though. What others do is their business, being critical of 'fickle' or "not proper" fans is pointless and serves no purpose whatsoever.

Well this is exactly the point isn't it. Widnes was a blip, we lost two games by the finest of margins and have won the rest. Our next 4 games are very winnable and we could be going into may with 8 wins on the trot and 20 points from 26 and 10 wins from 13. But lets not get carried away