https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ev ... ed-to-2023 Any ideas?

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ev ... ed-to-2023 Any ideas?

The rankings in the link are based on change vs. previous season. The numbers emphasise just how much the previous year's performance impacts upon the next season's attendance. Saints were up in 2024, I expect that they'll suffer a big drop off in 2025 based on both finishing position and their new style of rugby.

This, has Smiffy said already fans are fickle. If the team is not winning or performing fans stop going. I saw it at the back end of the Smith era fans around me were disappearing and not coming back.

Now I personally don’t have a problem with that, you pay you choose. I have always said people will go if the team is doing well it’s the nature of sport is why I have always hated the gimmicks to get fans in, build a winning culture and they will come. Sorry for field of Dreams reference was not intended. Yes there are the people that go to games come what may and that is good as the club needs them but income wise for a professional sports club you need the winning culture.

There will be some that dislike that and I get that argument. Remember 2009 Wembley most the town went to that final but there were people asking where are they week in week out we were a mid table team back then. Leeds, Saints and Wigan get bigger crowds because they are the successful teams. We need to get on a successful run not gimmicks. Gimmicks are fine as a reward for loyalty I don’t know.

The attendances as a whole are driven largely by season ticket sales which will be influenced by a) the previous season performance and b) excitement for the next season based on signings c) How attractive Rugby League remains to the watcher. Walk up sales will be affected by current form, weather, opposition and day/time of game.

After 2022 and 2023 I am not surprised our attendances are down for 2024. They deserved to be. I am sure we will see a bounce for 2025 but we will be some way behind the 12K average from a decade ago though.

There are a die hard rump of fans who will turn up loyally come what may, but a large number who pick and choose. Some call these fickle - I don't think that's the correct term, people are free to do as they will. If they are not coming to the game that's on the club - not the individual. Personally, I am now in the latter group. I watch every Wire game on TV but it will need to be special to get me to pay for the family to go and stand on the terraces and endure the environment.

It's the why Wire have gone down whilst other clubs have gone up ... that concerns me. It is obvious why Hull have struggled but we had a good season last year & I was hoping the "big Sam" factor would pull 'em in. God help us if we have a bad season.

Well if it’s a bad season it will go down. What’s already been said regarding attendance it’s all about results and performance for some people and economics for others and I guess a combination of both.

Wire71 nailed it you have the diehard faction that go come what may and you have fans that will go if the team are doing well. In fact you have said it yourself regarding Hull. Although Hull have been in a mess for years and I get their fans enough is enough. We have a season like last season I expect at end of 2025 our average attendance will have gone up.

The weird thing is that 2023 ended as a bad season, but the spirits were high until about half way through, and even then we finished in the playoffs with a narrow loss at Saints. Prior to that we'd had a terrible 2022, so you'd expect the big drop to come between 22-23, not a year later.

I think it may psychological. We'd bigged up Powell as the guy to change everything, and even after a terrible 2022, we cleared out the playing roster and promised a new culture. By the second half of 2023, I think the general consensus was that we were a lost cause as a club, and it didn't matter who we brought in or what we did, we were destined for the same old also-ran status at the end of every year.

I'd argue that as a club, our supporter base (including potential new fans) is more prosperous and has more disposable income than most other clubs. Warrington isn't a run-down, struggling former mining community. There really is no excuse for the club not to exploit this spending power. To counter that, there's probably much less of a historic 'community' aspect to our club, which would create a certain loyalty and sense of duty (irrespective of rubbish performances).

I'll be interested to see if the Big Sam factor has changed anything.

Definite hangover from Powell was a factor - personally sat through two seasons of Powell (worst two seasons in 40 years IMO) and couldn't bring myself to renew for Mr Burgess due to what had gone before.

I think we can all see we're heading in the right direction and crowds will grow.

Thanks for this. I live outside the area but get back home a lot. I don't see any lack of spending power where I go around Warrington ... in fact it's the opposite.

I think the 2002 Steve Anderson season was worse than 2023 and on a par with 2022.