Knights threatening to storm out of the castle

[Jobdog]

Knights threatening to storm out of the castle

GLENN JACKSON AND BRETT KEEBLE
26/06/2008 12:01:11 AM

WE'VE heard of "if you build it, they will come", but Newcastle are threatening to go the other way: if you don't come, we will tear it down.

Knights chief executive Steve Burraston yesterday made the stunning admission that he would investigate privatisation, merging with other clubs or moving fixtures from EnergyAustralia Stadium if attendances remained down on previous seasons'.

Speaking after 19,253 attended last Sunday's NRL clash with the Roosters, Burraston said: "If that's the best we can do, then as a club we have some major financial problems. What I'm saying here is, and I'm not being critical of our fans, but it's a plea to say that if Newcastle want the Knights to survive, and Newcastle want a team to support, then people need to show that at the gates."

In what is clearly an attempt to boost attendances for the rest of the season but still a significant threat, he said he would investigate full or partial privatisation, moving some home games to Gosford, Homebush Bay, or other venues in Australia and New Zealand, accepting the NRL's $8 million carrot and partially moving the club to include the Central Coast, or remarkably, fully relocating interstate.

The Knights have averaged crowds of 19,020 at seven home games this season, which is right on the break-even mark Burraston budgeted for after the club's $1.3 million loss last year. But he said soaring interest rates and petrol prices were affecting the money made through food and drink at each match, meaning the club needed to average closer to 20,000 a game.

"There are about 12,000 true supporters that form the cornerstone of our club, and I'm not directing any of these comments at those people. They turn up in good times, bad times, all sorts of weather conditions, and it really doesn't matter where we are on the table," he said.

"[But] if we can't get people through the gate, we still have a cost to our business and we can't afford to run at another significant loss, and we can't put two or three years of losses together or we'll just have to wind the business up and we won't have a team. That is a reality."

LINK

 

[roopy]

I don't know if he will get a positive result by putting it so bluntly.
People can be funny.

 

[ace of spades]

i agree i dont think he will get a good result out of this. Sounds more like a threat to me.....

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

i think he will get a positive result.

 

[Dummy Spit Johns]

So 19000 isn't good enough at home.
Move games to Blutongue or Homebush and you will get less!

 

[antonius]

Moving the team somewhere else wont improve crowd figures. In fact ask most teams, they would be happy to get 19,000, Even though for us that is low, I don't know the figures but I would think we would still be one of the best supported teams. Our crowd decline has been going on for several years now. Put a lot of it down to the gradual loss of local players over the years. During Hagans rule here we lost a lot of local juniors, and crowd favourites. People like Tupou, Bird, Rahihi (spelling) Kennedy, Tahu etc. You can argue that guys like Kennedy and Tahu were injury prone and so on but the fact remains they were crowd favs. I think we suffered a lot from bad management, nothing was done to improve players rehab facilities (look how Kennedy went at a club that had them)The club rode along on the back of Johns. Towards the end of his career (I believe) paying overs for him to the extent that we couldn’t afford to keep previous mentioned players, or recruit any quality players. The clubs recruitment policy over those years was woefull, now we are paying for it. Like it or not, I don’t think the people of Newcastle relate to the side any more as theirs. Last year we saw Brian Smith try to right the wrongs of those years in one foul swoop. I don’t argue that what was done didn’t need to be done, but I think there were too many changes at once for people to swallow. All of a sudden a lot of players that were household names were gone. It should never have got to the stage it did, IMO the past is now catching up with us.

 

[macavity]

well, shyte is about to hit fan.

can't argue with what he has said.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

The thing is, if you take a game to Homebush you get a gaurenteed $100,000 gate, and you don't have to worry about paying staff etc.

I have one idea for Burro. Buy a decent fricken PA system, and promote it to advertisers in a "now everyone can actually hear your ad" type of way. Couldn't hear a bloody thing last Sunday in the Western stand. Burro is on the wrong track if he thinks crowds are the answer to all our probs. They're too unreliable, fickle and tight. Advertising is where improvements must be made. Line up all the advertisers in the off-season so you've got the costs covered for the season, and the crowds can simply be the execs' wages and profit.

 

[~knights~]

plus we lost joey last year

and lose bedsey for 09

things aren't looking good

 

[macavity]

I think we have Tinkler buy a stake in the club.

hell, have Con buy a stake too, as long as he has nothing to do with the operations.

privatisation seems the most palatable of an unpalatable range of options.

 

[~knights~]

well I wasn't impressed to see my season ticket go up so that they can lower other tickets...how is that fair????

he's just putting fans off-side now

 

[macavity]

well, you could move seats

that seems to be a recurring theme - knights fans are seat snobs. if they cant sit on halfway for beer money they get shirty - or, it seems, just dont show up.

the whole freaking stand has a good view. move to c reserve.

big serve of harden-the-fcuck-up would not go astray for some it seems.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

Maybe the knights could offer some payment plans for the better seats. $15 a fortnight could be direct debited and the Knights could make interest off it all year around instead of only from November when the tix go on sale.

Or put season tix on sale from July, when tax returns are in and the season is currently in full swing.

 

[macavity]

good suggestions. that is helping.

wah wah i cant afford to sit on halfway so im not going...... is not helping.


edit - this is not necc. directed at the poster above - the herald has been full of whingers this week.

 

[NthKnight]

The Broncos are currently offering a 1/2 season package which are very popular. I personally think its a top idea for selling off the spare seats that wernt snapped up for the full season passes.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

The Knights do have half-season tix.

Another idea, 2-season passes. Keep the price the same for the second season and the interest can more than make up for the usual markup that would happen in between.

 

[Timmah]

So 19000 isn't good enough at home.
Move games to Blutongue or Homebush and you will get less!

I'll let you in on something.... 19,000 people in a 20,000 seat stadium looks better than 19,000 people in a 27,000 seat stadium.

 

[macavity]

CC people wont change their allegiances anyway. and that is the main reason the gypsys dont deserve a team.

look at timbo. think he would support the Knights because they played 6 games there?

 

[~knights~]

Maybe the knights could offer some payment plans for the better seats. $15 a fortnight could be direct debited and the Knights could make interest off it all year around instead of only from November when the tix go on sale.

Or put season tix on sale from July, when tax returns are in and the season is currently in full swing.

good idea

and macavity I don't want to move seats ..I like where i am

and this is probably the first time i've ever critised the knights btw

It just annoyed me the ceo coming out and making the 'hard core' 120000 fans who turn up every game every year pay more cause he knows they will

I just think it's unfair

*end of rant *

 

[NthKnight]

I'll let you in on something.... 19,000 people in a 20,000 seat stadium looks better than 19,000 people in a 27,000 seat stadium.

Timbo, the argument put forward by Burro is more about revenue than numbers. 19000 fans produce the same $$ whether their in a 20 000 seater or a 40 000 seater. Appearances have little to do with it.