Mrs Barista wrote:The club made profits of around £1m IIRC during the last board's tenure, enabled partly by not spending appropriately on the academy but after taking into account any payments to KH. Since AP took over nearly £800k has been lost. We didn't break even last year, gates are down again and many on here are saying they're not renewing. Sponsorship is likely to be lower - remember the P&O deal that was the largest of its kind at the time? The record shirt sales? IIRC we averaged 14k one year. Wilf is saying we've given up on 12k as a target now.
Let's say the reductions in income are offset by increased Sky monies - it's possible, and that on average over a c 15 year period we broke even. My point, in the opening post, is that Leeds, with £11m turnover, Saints with £7m & own stadium and Wigan with £7m and a cashed up owner, all three of which have higher gates too (and possibly better sponsorship) are currently much better placed than us financially, and the gap will be hard to close in the short term. Are you satisfied we have the size and quality of these three's back room staff? If not, and gates fall again, I just don't see how the expectation we can compete on a level playing field is justified.
The £11m turnover for Leeds, is this solely the Rhinos or does thus include the Union team? What I do know is, their corporate hospitality is huge in comparison to any other RL club in the UK. Not sure if the Rhinos own their stadium, but I think it maybe part of Caddicks business empire. St's do have their own stadium which I'd imagine they have a decent mortgage to finance it.
Anyway. Realistically what would make the opinion of the stay away fans change? Is it a matter of changing the coach or is it going to take a sustained period of winning to get bums on seats?