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http://www.rabbitohs.com/showthread.php?12663-Clubs-Fans-Crying-Out-For-Set-Schedule-Says-Richo
Daniel Lane
February 6, 2011
South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson believes it is crucial in the coming television rights negotiations that rugby league seizes control of match scheduling, saying the current practice in which Channel Nine picks who plays when during the season has an adverse effect on promoting the game.
Richardson said one clear message he has received from Rabbitohs members is they want a draw at the start of the season. He added not only did the current system make it hard for clubs to sell tickets, corporate boxes and even plan match-day promotions, there was also a sense of professional embarrassment by not being able to tell sponsors when his team would be playing.
''The most requested thing we get from members is that they want to have a season draw at the start of the year,'' Richardson said. ''You want to tell people at the beginning of the year when you're going to play matches so they can organise their holidays, weddings or weekends around games.
''Corporates also find it very hard to commit to taking a [hospitality] box when they don't know whether the team is playing on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. They want to know when Souths play St George Illawarra later in the season and all you can do is look at them and say, 'I don't know'. It is very difficult, and I can't think of any other sport in the world, English Premier League, NFL or the NBA, where the television tells teams when they're going to play. The Waratahs have a season draw.''
Richardson said the AFL draw gave that code a major advantage over rugby league. ''It is the one thing the AFL have over us. They concentrate on building crowds and building an atmosphere, they don't concentrate on positioning television cameras.
''We have to give clubs an opportunity to promote their games. If we knew we had a Monday night game, we can organise a promotion around it, we can work with the RTA and those who run public transport to ensure people have an opportunity to get to the game.
''They talk about Monday night football in America, but people know all year when their team will play. We wait with baited breath here to find out when we are scheduled one, the Americans turn it into an event we don't get that opportunity.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...r-set-schedule-says-richo-20110205-1ahkw.html
February 6, 2011
South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson believes it is crucial in the coming television rights negotiations that rugby league seizes control of match scheduling, saying the current practice in which Channel Nine picks who plays when during the season has an adverse effect on promoting the game.
Richardson said one clear message he has received from Rabbitohs members is they want a draw at the start of the season. He added not only did the current system make it hard for clubs to sell tickets, corporate boxes and even plan match-day promotions, there was also a sense of professional embarrassment by not being able to tell sponsors when his team would be playing.
''The most requested thing we get from members is that they want to have a season draw at the start of the year,'' Richardson said. ''You want to tell people at the beginning of the year when you're going to play matches so they can organise their holidays, weddings or weekends around games.
''Corporates also find it very hard to commit to taking a [hospitality] box when they don't know whether the team is playing on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. They want to know when Souths play St George Illawarra later in the season and all you can do is look at them and say, 'I don't know'. It is very difficult, and I can't think of any other sport in the world, English Premier League, NFL or the NBA, where the television tells teams when they're going to play. The Waratahs have a season draw.''
Richardson said the AFL draw gave that code a major advantage over rugby league. ''It is the one thing the AFL have over us. They concentrate on building crowds and building an atmosphere, they don't concentrate on positioning television cameras.
''We have to give clubs an opportunity to promote their games. If we knew we had a Monday night game, we can organise a promotion around it, we can work with the RTA and those who run public transport to ensure people have an opportunity to get to the game.
''They talk about Monday night football in America, but people know all year when their team will play. We wait with baited breath here to find out when we are scheduled one, the Americans turn it into an event we don't get that opportunity.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...r-set-schedule-says-richo-20110205-1ahkw.html
