Regions could travel much more

I believe the Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons & Blues should embrace their regions a lot more. With Swansea FC's proposal to expand the Liberty, there will be far too many seats at the ground for Ospreys rugby. But the Ospreys can travel the region and play games in Bridgend (8,000 capacity), The Gnoll (5,000 capacity), and St Helens (4,500 capacity). These are perfectly good grounds that are ready to be used.

The Scarlets have built a big stadium but they hardly ever fill it, it would be better in my opinion if they travelled to Llandovery (5,000 capacity), Parc Eirias (5,000 capacity) & downsize Parc y Scarlets by a few thousand seats.

I think Cardiff can use the Arms Park, Sardis Road (capacity 7,861) and the Dragons can use both Rodney Parade and Pontypool Park (capacity 8,800 (possibly could be improved by downsizing))

To summarize, the regions should travel around their allocated areas much more, there are a lot of good grounds that can be used regularly.

How do you do that without messing your season ticket holders about? You could alienate your core fans whilst on the search for new ones.

georgestowersbiceps wrote:How do you do that without messing your season ticket holders about? You could alienate your core fans whilst on the search for new ones.

Well, I think the regions have a duty to cover the whole region, so if you commit to supporting a region you have to accept that there is more than one suitable ground within the region for them to use and play in. There are still great clubs in Wales and they play every home game at the same ground, like the 12 Premiership clubs, so if season ticket holders don't like the idea of regions being regions then they can easily go back to supporting clubs.

I agree they do have a duty to travel more as 'Regions' but one of the reasons Pontypool were relegated was because the ground was not good enough. I can't see the Dragons playing there. Maybe they could at Ebbw Vale, but they would require the whole of Ebbw Vale to attend just to get enough ticket sales. I'm sure the people of Newport wouldn't mind venturing up there every now and again. And if they do it's tough.

Blues want to play at Sardis Road, but I was under the impression the Pontypridd Board stopped it.

Morgannwg wrote:I agree they do have a duty to travel more as 'Regions' but one of the reasons Pontypool were relegated was because the ground was not good enough. I can't see the Dragons playing there. Maybe they could at Ebbw Vale, but they would require the whole of Ebbw Vale to attend just to get enough ticket sales. I'm sure the people of Newport wouldn't mind venturing up there every now and again. And if they do it's tough.

Blues want to play at Sardis Road, but I was under the impression the Pontypridd Board stopped it.

Well, it's Pontypridd's ground and they have complete discretion, but I still think the Blues should talk, negotiate and try to come to an agreement that benefits both the Blues and Pontypridd RFC.

Maybe the Dragons' grounds aren't so good, maybe the amount of regions need to be reduced.

Stinks of a poor wum this. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. First you mention Pontypool Park, then getting rid of us. Good one.

Risca Rev wrote:Stinks of a poor wum this. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. First you mention Pontypool Park, then getting rid of us. Good one.

I haven't been to Pontypool Park, but according to Wikipedia it has a big capacity, so I thought it would be suitable for the Dragons, however I have been informed otherwise.

I wasn't implying we should get rid of a region, but cutting the number of regions down.

international197 wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:I agree they do have a duty to travel more as 'Regions' but one of the reasons Pontypool were relegated was because the ground was not good enough. I can't see the Dragons playing there. Maybe they could at Ebbw Vale, but they would require the whole of Ebbw Vale to attend just to get enough ticket sales. I'm sure the people of Newport wouldn't mind venturing up there every now and again. And if they do it's tough.

Blues want to play at Sardis Road, but I was under the impression the Pontypridd Board stopped it.

Well, it's Pontypridd's ground and they have complete discretion, but I still think the Blues should talk, negotiate and try to come to an agreement that benefits both the Blues and Pontypridd RFC.

Maybe the Dragons' grounds aren't so good, maybe the amount of regions need to be reduced.

A region's grounds aren't very good so let's reduce the number of regions and thus reduce the opportunities for young talent to get exposure at pro level in Wales? Seems a silly way of addressing the quality of a region's grounds. Ground improvement would be my suggestion.

Yeah good one again. So we are not getting rid of one, but are cutting the number down? Genius

Good start on here for you.

Risca Rev wrote:Yeah good one again. So we are not getting rid of one, but are cutting the number down? Genius

Good start on here for you.

Well, I was thinking along the lines of joining 2 regions together.

But, if the regions really were independent and could travel, joining them up would be unnecessary.

Risca Rev wrote:Stinks of a poor wum this. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. First you mention Pontypool Park, then getting rid of us. Good one.

I agree RR, it has been well documented on here that my Region (Ospreys) have more ST ticket holders than any other ground within Ospreylia can hold, they held LV matches at the Brewery Field for the past few seasons, but with the BOGOF offer the Brewery Field is too small to hold all of them.
I think he is either a WUM or very very young, it is not thought through very well.

Risca Rev wrote:Stinks of a poor wum this. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. First you mention Pontypool Park, then getting rid of us. Good one.

Add to that expecting the Scarlets to move games aroudn their region, but then mention playing in North Wales which is not part of their region (by mutual consent), also this would be a trip of four hours (175 miles).

At the moment from Milford Haven to Parc Y Scarelts I dive a 120 mile round trip (about 90mins each way), so this wise-cracker would suggest that my journey is too short and would want me to change it to a 320 mile round trip and take me 4 hours 15 mins (each way). That means in order to watch a game of rugby at my region he would want me, as a season ticket holder, to spend over 10 hours of a weekend (god forbid a friday night match) to attend a home fixture.

Not so sure:

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_8355160,00.html

Ye lets all move around our regions...

Except everyone North of Cardiff refuses to follow the Blues on principal.

Scarlets region is vast and unravelable for 90% of their Llanelli and surroundings based fans.

Ospreys don't have another stadium that could hold all their ST holders.

And the Dragons cannot afford to wipe their own bums let alone hire a stadium they don't own, especially as they cannot fill that one!!!

Can somone do me a favour? If your last fan out of the club game can you turn the laights out as you leave please, thanks!

The current regional rugby is not drawing crowds, even the most one eyed supporter must recognise this fact.. The lack of involvement of the valleys and mid and North Wales is doing a great job for football and other sports.

I suspect Cardiff City will get promoted to the premier league next season which will attract even more young supporters to football while the regions will lose future supporters. Even Newport County getting promoted next season could end up with bigger crowds than the Dragons and may take supporters away from the Dragons while they sit on their hands and admire the empty new stand at rugby games.

glamorganalun wrote:The current regional rugby is not drawing crowds, even the most one eyed supporter must recognise this fact.. The lack of involvement of the valleys and mid and North Wales is doing a great job for football and other sports.

I suspect Cardiff City will get promoted to the premier league next season which will attract even more young supporters to football while the regions will lose future supporters. Even Newport County getting promoted next season could end up with bigger crowds than the Dragons and may take supporters away from the Dragons while they sit on their hands and admire the empty new stand at rugby games.

That the best you can offer? Could take away supporters? Try banging another drum and maybe get a bit more substance than possibilities. League Two is a massive crowd puller anyway, isn't it.

Rev

County's crowds are growing by the week, and the fact that they are now essentially sibsidising the Dragons with the ground share is worrying!!

Glam is right, the club game has been forced on us and failed, the idea of breeding new fans and leaving the current to rot has backfired and the FAW WFT has capitalised beautifully, participation numbers in football are up hugely all over the country, and juniors now travell in larger numbers to football than rugby. If we consider CCFC getting promoted and the pull of the Manu's and Chelseas come to Wales year in year out rugby is doomed, but then it's doomed anyway until the focus is taken away from financial gain and paying debts off.

You can dislike it all you like Rev, the nutjob on the street screaming the end is near for the last 2 seasons (me) is quickly gaining credibility, converting those non beleivers and we are starting to consider Wales without it's own club game!!!

thebluesmancometh wrote:Rev

County's crowds are growing by the week, and the fact that they are now essentially sibsidising the Dragons with the ground share is worrying!!

No they aren't growing by the week at all. Nor is gaining more income worrying. Nice try though.

When was County's highest attendance Rev???

County have already surpassed their league record attendance a number of times this season already, with a view to top the 5k mark and the expansion of the 5.5 limit set on RP next season.

Anyway that wasn't meant as a go, or an attempt at a WUM, I just am a prophet of doom in recent seasons, and am struggling to find positives within the sport in South Wales, whereas I have seen many in numerous other sports!!

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/football/newportcounty/10032782.Don_t_desert_us_____Edinburgh_s_fears_over_County_attendances/?action=complain&cid=10944902

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/fixtures/_/id/635/newport-county?cc=5739

Looks bad doesn't it, until you compare that to last season, where the average was about 1250???

IMO that has near doubled and the last 2 home games are the only ones under 2k both being higher than last seasons average at the football stadium.

Also not sure how accurate they are, according to Rodney tickets they've beaten their league attendance record twice this season with 1 turnout over 4.5k!!!

And none of this considers the estimate for the financial years merchandise sales is up 1010% on last year, not taking into consideration possible promotion boosts to sales!!

Granted the Wembley bumper sales helped, but the spring in County merchandise availability IE Tesco isn't a coincidence!!!

They are very much going in the right direction!