Well you probably know more than me, as my rugby support is for Coventry Rugby,further down the pyramid. My worry is that seemingly a lot of our fans,still cling to the vain hope that Wasps will go under, and unfortunately (well for us) they seem to be building a solid fan base, and with this 'bonus' home game,which they couldn't have budgeted for,means their financial fortunes will have been given a huge cash boost.
We won't be able to say clearly if they've built any kind of fanbase for a good 5-6 years... at least. Probably more, in fact. I can tell you the theory would certainly support that they haven't, and won't, for a substantial period of time, as to embed the club (and, more, going) into peoples' consciousness is not a quick task. So at the moment fans will be a lot more elastic in their support, or otherwise.
No we don't.
Hence, probably, why Fisher said our current deal was alright while in the bottom two divisions.
Your telling me, just found it so depressing Saturday,seeing what should have been our ground looking full,with a vibrant atmosphere,realising just how far we have now fallen. With Wasps doing so well, it just is rubbing salt into our wounds. Our fans with understandable reason don't wish to be seen praising Wasps at all, but the sad fact is they seem to be doing everything right,everything seems to be falling for them, and we aside from Wembley seem to stagger from 1 crisis to another.
But that's not all we generate. What about naming rights, what about advertising (do you think we get paid for all those Wasps adverts around the pitch?). what about the advertising sites in the concourse (again do you think we get paid for all the Wasps adverts down there?).
They probably do Tony
In my opinion they are blameless[/QUOTE]
Some fair points there, but for a club that's only been here just over 2 years to get crowds over 30,000 is pretty impressive, or maybe worrying is a better word. It doesn't appear that they will be struggling team wise in the near future, so probably they are going to be a successful for years to come. As each year goes by, they will inevitably become more embedded in the community. Looking at the pictures on Saturday there looked to be a lot of young fans there, and for them they will just see them as a Coventry team.A few observations of my own, if I may. I've developed a morbid fascination with Wasps too, undoubtedly.
The Ricoh wasn't actually full on Saturday, just over 30,000 as I recall. Not bad at all, but not full. When you bear in mind what was riding on the game, finishing top of the top division, then actually this might be a little disappointing. It'll be full when Leicester bring their fans for the play-off I suspect, but it's perhaps telling that Wasps even when playing such a critical game still couldn't actually fill the Ricoh.
To clarify further, Wasps aren't making a million pounds profit per game - and they've actually made a £3.8m operating loss in the last season. And they've still got that £35m bond to pay interest on and then pay back in full. Plus this is pretty much peak-Wasps, their best season ever. Anyone who thinks there isn't risk in their model or that they're making a million per game hasn't quite understood rugby or finance, I'd say.
If Wasps drop down to midtable then they're likely to get middling attendances, as we've seen. Their average this season (before Saturday), when they've been pretty much unbeaten, has been 18.000 with a lowest of 12,000. Rugby fans can be just as fickle as footy fans, and possibly even more so given the lack of history for Wasps in Coventry. So don't assume that people will just turn up if they're struggling. By way of comparison you mentioned Gloucester - they have been at their ground for almost 120 years and are only a few hundred off Wasps' average attendendance but with a ground literally half the size. Rugby is a religion to many around that town, there's no comparison with Wasps in Coventry.
Last but not least, it was council that sold the Ricoh to Wasps. Joy and Tim might have driven the club into the ground, but it was the council and Higgs that chose to sell the Ricoh to Wasps. That epitaph needs to go on more than one gravestone, imho.
They aren't selling them all, though.
Well I've just had a look on their website,and whether we believe them or not, they are reporting unprecedented traffic at their ticket office,in store and over the phone. It appears season ticket holders have to pay as well, so I very much doubt whether they will be giving many free tickets away.
No but do they outright own it rather than a company with a lease?
Ok Tony.
You alright hun ?
How can they be blameless? They knew the situation and took advantage of it. And they have been holding us to ransom. I don't agree with all this JR crap but it's nothing to do with them what SISU do with it.[/QUOTE]