Knights win AMNRL GF 32-12

[spinnerhowland]

QUOTE]

its hard enough for teams to get down there once in a season - asking a team to go down there twice is ridiculous[/QUOTE]

Just a little tired of this excuse!!
The Axemen travel to AT LEAST 4 AWAY games EVERY YEAR and still traveled to the GF.

 

[druzik]

have to admit the warriors vs knights game was a lot better to watch from a spectators point of view. and yes it was a far bigger crowd and much vocal one...pity this game was not videoed and made highlights of. would have been a good one for people to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTI2TxSQ_rE

 

[MR KNIGHT]

I disagree with Play Some Footy, its not ridiculous. Its just hard. It is not an excuse - its a reality - some of the other teams do not have the means to get down to Florida on numerous occasisons.

 

[roopy]

It's the grandfinal.
Surely a sponser can be found for the grandfinal who will at least cover travel costs if a decent crowd will show up in Jacksonville?

 

[MR KNIGHT]

If it was only for the Grand Final I am sure the teams could do it. But if you play Jax down there in the reg season, then say play them in a play off there and then the Grand Final it is draining on resources. I am not complaining just stating facts - it is tough on the teams.

The crowd is irrelevant to the team coming down. They do not see any of that money (which is fair enough). The economy over here is still pretty bad. No sponser is going to fly you to Jax to play a game they have never heard of in front of a thousand people.

I understand Jacksonville travel all the time and good for them. But it was only last year that Jax forfeited a play off game because they didn't have the resources to make the trip up. They if anyone should be understanding.

 

[spinnerhowland]

Your right we did not travel to the semi last year due to finacial shortfall, but since your so intent of opening it all up in the public forum I will make sure the entire story gets told, it was mainly because we had to financially subsubsidize some of the teams who traveled to Jacksonville to play us. We don't complain about having to do it because we understand we are so far from anyone else, but we spend a LOT of money covering other teams costs to get here and we just run out of money to make the last trip ourselves. And before you ask we are not going to name them because they work just as hard as the rest of us to put a team on the paddock each season and we will NOT bash them in any way.

 

[MR KNIGHT]

My point exactly. I think Jax do a great job, but most teams cannot afford to go there more than once. I think it was well worthwhile having the GF in New York (Manhattan at that). I am sure the Jax players appreciated it (despite the result)

 

[deeznuts]

i think jacksonville would have been a good location for it. surely there must be some way the governing body can help fund the travelling team down there.

by playing it down there you get a good crowd, and its televised online.

 

[deluded pom?]

My point exactly. I think Jax do a great job, but most teams cannot afford to go there more than once. I think it was well worthwhile having the GF in New York (Manhattan at that). I am sure the Jax players appreciated it (despite the result)

Aside from the obvious route of obtaining sponsors how do the American teams raise revenue on a week to week basis? I know amateur teams in the UK will hold raffles and dinner evenings where they have a celebrity speaker and most will have a lottery ticket type of fund raiser which will continue throughout the off season. I assume the Aussie country teams lower down the scale do something similar but the American teams don't have the lottery option available due to strict gambling laws in most states. So how do they raise money other than the cap in hand option of obtaining generous sponsors? There doesn't seem to be any amateur sports ethos in the USA so I assume there's no ethos of clubs/teams being allowed the same avenues to raise money as those in the UK and Australia enjoy. Are there any grants available? There are grants available in the UK but they are mainly based around community involvement either through a multi sports club or involving kids.

 

[KiwiStorm]

deluded pom => I know that the Jax Axe sells tickets to their games, as well as season passes - also merchandise such as T-Shirts, caps etc... for some revenue.

 

[deluded pom?]

deluded pom => I know that the Jax Axe sells tickets to their games, as well as season passes - also merchandise such as T-Shirts, caps etc... for some revenue.

Yeah I know but I was trying to work out if the AMNRL teams just rely on sponsors generosity and player subs or are they allowed by the law of the land to actively raise their own funds outside of what is a very short season. If they could raise money for the best part of eight months then I'm sure playing a game down in Jax wouldn't pose too much of a problem. Jax's home opponents come from teams who are willing to go down there not a cross section of the league as a whole. There are certain teams who simply wouldn't turn up if they were told it was their turn to travel down there. I can't see why Jax's opponents can't be chosen on a rota basis. That would mean you have at least a couple or maybe three years before you have to return to Jax (playoffs excepted). Plenty of time to get some funds together to finance the travel expenses.