This post was on r/nrl and I had to shareit because it's beautifully written on the subject of crowds:
"Make the tickets cheap. Kids under 16 get in free. Something to draw the next generation in. Let people lie, whatever. At least they are there. f**k it make one game in the opening round a gold coin donation entry for a charity. Kids wearing team jersey get in free? Tons of ideas.
Bring the game back to the suburban grounds more often. The Tigers playing at Leichhardt is f**kin unreal. The walk up Mary St with 1,000s of other merkins. Old blokes selling sausages on every corner. The short walk to the Grove after to smash beers. It's an experience as soon as you get near the ground. Or you can ride a train to ANZ from f**kin Lidcombe and walk around a giant open area with practically no one in sight until you get to your gate and sit with an entire bay to yourself. I've taken multiple overseas visitors to both grounds. Most of them request to leave ANZ around halftime. The it's a TV product argument is bullshit. There is no atmosphere, the stadium is tainted. No one likes going. The Tigers still sellout Leichhardt when they are bottom of the ladder because it's a fun f**king day. Make the stadium fun or send it back to the ovals.
Some ideas to make ANZ a better place. 1. Setup games and little clinics for the kids at day games. Passing through a hole, kicking a ball around, mini field goal setup. Give out a little prize of team merch for kids who do exceptionally well.
- Better food. Footy food is abysmal. Younger crowds prefer quality instead of rat coffins and soggy chips. Supplement this with food trucks outside the stadium.
- More club interaction. Set up meet and greet booth with a marquee player before the game. Sign a ball get a photo etc.
- Increase the spectacle of it all. Have people come out with tshirt cannons at half time, get cheerleaders that do something other than spirit fingers, use the big screen at halftime for dumb fun shit like kiss cam. Home team scores first any kid wearing that jersey gets a free candy bar. Home team does a random member giveaway that's announced at the half.
- Have something to do after the game. There is nothing open after the game if it's at night. Just a crowded train and a boring ride back to the city.
The general marketing is horrible too. Currently you only hear about NRL as scandal. The media is toxic and I go out of my way to avoid most NRL news. Write into player agreements that they must do X amount of charity/community work. If they already do, let us hear about it. Hodko going to the dying girls formal? f**king awesome. Let's hear more about them giving back to the community.
I'd like to see the basic membership as something than buying basically GA home tickets in advance. Have member/family days at the leagues club to increase member interaction and participation to inspire loyalty.
Let some of the more boisterous personalities out at the press conference. I don't think there are too many but players starting rivalries and doing some very light shit talking gets people wound up. People love confidence and conflict.
Fin."
