The game was semi-professional back then and relied on gaming machine revenue. It was possible for a club with a small fanbase to excel on the field with a Leagues Club that was packed to the rafters with pokies.
The chairman of the Dragons was looking at merging with the Roosters before Super League because the club was struggling to generate revenue.
St George and Illawarra merged because they didn't meet the criteria needed to gain a licence in the rationalised 14 team competiton.
@The Great Dane became a Raiders fan when the Bears were omitted.
North Sydney Bears never had a large fanbase. The problems on the North Shore stem from the Bears refusing to allow any other club to adopt the region. You cannot expect people to "move on" when the Bears are giving false hope to the few thousand people who want them to return.
Their crowds increased because the club went from being cellar dwellers to grand finalists. They experienced a similar rise in attendances during the 80s when they made the finals. It proves there was always latent support for an AwFuL club that was successful on the pitch. Immigration from Victoria also helped.
Rugby league fans won't become fumbleball fans unless they already like the game.
I live less than 100m from the Lions@Springwood Social Club. I've never gone to it. There's no Queensland Cup team in Logan. It didn't stop me from going to Wynnum Manly games until my health became an issue.
Titans don't have a Leagues Club. No money from gaming means they rely on ticketing, membership, sponsorship and corporate hospitality. There are plenty of Sydney clubs who make just as little from these revenue streams. The difference is the Sydney clubs are backed by Leagues Clubs with gaming machines.
The Dragons relied too much on the Poker machines- via the Taj Mahal as it was known then, that's how they got some of the best players..They certainly after 1967 didn't have problems with crowds. A Roosters/Dragons merger would not be a geographically suitable match.
St George also merged due to geographical matchmaking.The demographics then were not a real issue, they are now. Eventually I believe the Dragons will end top at Wollongong a growing area with many young families.
Depends what you call a large fan base for the Bears ATT. They certainly had a bigger junior league than at present, Their crowds at NSO especially when they played Manly packed them in.And the Roosters were hardly crowd pullers at times, with SFA junior league.
For every Bear's fan you can name who follows another team,I can name one who gave up, met some of them whilst repping ,followed union or on the rare occasion the Ducks.I know of people who flicked the code because of mergers particularly St George Illawarra.Two sides two every story.
The Bears were dudded because of the delay on the CC Stadium,then the dumbass merger with the Eagles.
Initially the Swans had bandwaggoners , but they(according to their CEOs have grown their supporter base from Sydney people.I know my ex next door neighbour(still a friend LOL) was invited to a Swan's game by a Melbourne friend ,and he and his family became members.So it does happen.
Geoff Prenter (a rusted on Leaguie) the early Editor Of RL Week, went over to the Swans when Murdoch took over circa 1996/7.Where did South's fans go when they got the flick? Certainly not to other clubs judging by crowds then.
In Melbourne some AFL fans have become Storm fans whilst holding AFL memberships.So sh*t does happen.
You are always going to get rusted on fans(like you and me) who won't look elsewhere, then there are the casuals who go to more than one sport , and then there are the non sport types who get invited along to a code game.
Oh and for the record I was brought up on soccer, then had 6 years of playing and watching union at high school, and was invited by my future father -in-law to watch the Dragons.I was hooked.
I can assure you flicking the Sharks and the same goes for my league loving mates ,will not encourage us to go to another club. Certainly not St George. Tribalism plays a hell of a part, and yes some are prepared to follow another club ,but not the majority.
It is absurd to believe that flicking any Sydney club (and that is where the Tv ratings dominate and where Commerce is big ,is going to grow a supporter base.You are robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The Sharks league's club was hardly a money making enterprise even with pokies.Same with the Knights ATT.
The GC has 600k people and a bloody good stadium,I've been there on hols.They have a good junior league also.
When the Broncos went to SL their crowds dropped , people are protective of their clubland I can assure you when the Sharks decided to go to SL apart from friendships being destroyed ,some people then stated they wanted nothing to do with SL.
I attended the Leagues Club the night the club decided to go to SL, I heard the responses of some.I stuck with the club and in fact attended the SL game at the SFS 3/3/97 Sharks v Raiders 22,683 crowd.
I've got a fair idea of the effect of clubs near death's door, culling of clubs (Sharks was on the chopping block),the impact of SL and tribalism look no further than Souths.
That's why I don't want to see any club here or there being chopped because it hurts the fans(And Souths showed that).The crowds and comp so far has shown there is no need to rationalise ,even union wont chop a club.
No reason for the code not to add additional clubs to include another Brisbane side and Perth and a 20th.
The SL war educated me to the fact rl fans don't like to be treated like media pawns ,who decide where and when team should be.They have SFA idea of tribalism, they only know the almighty dollar.
Another rant by me at a late hour.
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