VictoryFC
Bench
- Messages
- 3,786
Disgruntled soccer fans? I think its very unrealistic to hope that that happens on a regular basis. If anything, RLs best bet is to have soccer fans attending RL, not trying to convert them. The idea that someone whos been following soccer is just going to drop it and look to another sport is fanciful. It hasnt happened in any sport that I know of. The idea is to make them multi-sport supporters. Ideally, get them to have a tolerance and liking of RL at an early age.
The United anti-Glazer campaign, if anything, makes the bond with the club stronger. It is an incredibly petulant campaign if you ask me, despite what the Glazers have done. The people participating in it are getting a kick out of it, rather than being disillusioned. If they were really that disillusioned, Old Trafford wouldn't still be selling 75k tickets every week.
Again, the issue is not how to convert football fans. Its about making sports fans in general take a liking to league. Lets face it, Leeds could have become totally disillusioned by football. But it didnt, even after years of exile. All of a sudden there is a sniff of success with promotion and 40,000 flock to Elland Road. Again, its a bad angle to attract people to rugby league. Hull had no top flight team for a century was it? All of a sudden 25,000 every week in a city that is generally viewed as rugby league land. The bandwagon effect works well for soccer because of the stature of the EPL. Dont think other sports can pull it off.
Early participation in life is the safest way to win fans. Moreover, it is extremely rare that people deviate from sports they've followed for a long time. I couldn't imagine dropping soccer, league and cricket from my radar, no matter how attractive something else was, or how dire those sports were.
Get them playing early!
The United anti-Glazer campaign, if anything, makes the bond with the club stronger. It is an incredibly petulant campaign if you ask me, despite what the Glazers have done. The people participating in it are getting a kick out of it, rather than being disillusioned. If they were really that disillusioned, Old Trafford wouldn't still be selling 75k tickets every week.
Again, the issue is not how to convert football fans. Its about making sports fans in general take a liking to league. Lets face it, Leeds could have become totally disillusioned by football. But it didnt, even after years of exile. All of a sudden there is a sniff of success with promotion and 40,000 flock to Elland Road. Again, its a bad angle to attract people to rugby league. Hull had no top flight team for a century was it? All of a sudden 25,000 every week in a city that is generally viewed as rugby league land. The bandwagon effect works well for soccer because of the stature of the EPL. Dont think other sports can pull it off.
Early participation in life is the safest way to win fans. Moreover, it is extremely rare that people deviate from sports they've followed for a long time. I couldn't imagine dropping soccer, league and cricket from my radar, no matter how attractive something else was, or how dire those sports were.
Get them playing early!
Last edited:
Yes i can see it now with cosy litte grounds filled with anything from 400-2000 Rugby League die-hards and newbies drinking nice beer and having lovely burgers for £2.50 as well as pop and hot drinks and watching players who could be postman or students who get a little bit of dosh for playing entertaining Rugby and then back in the clubhouse where the players mix with the fans and the beer is social club prices from Barrow to York,South Wales to Penzance and over to Toulouse,no real tv driven money just a club for the people.
