Saracens offer Bath fans refund if Gavin Henson scores.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24120369

Saracens will give Bath fans a full refund on their tickets if centre Gavin Henson scores in Sunday's Premiership match between the two sides.
The London side top the Premiership and host third-placed Bath at Allianz Park.
Fans will need a Bath postcode as their home address to qualify for a refund.

"If Gavin Henson scores a point this Sunday we will give Bath fans their money back. It really is that simple." Clare Jackson

Great marketing. It's a bit cheeky sure but I think it'll really generate some interest in this game! C'mon Gav!

I’m pretty sure he’ll score in London next weekend just not sure it will be at Allianz Park……

I hope they give Gav a penalty in front of the posts...

Irish Londoner. Nice one. 


I wonder if Bath will decide to let Henson kick if they get a penalty in front of the posts.......

Bit of cheeky mind games though. How did Tango man perform vs Leicester?

Sarries missed a trick here: should be a refund if Henson gets KOd by a team mate - between purchase of ticket and up to final whistle.

True gregortree or maybe have a sweep stake. How long can Henson stay on the pitch before a) knocked out by team mate (as you said), b) knocked out by saracens player, c) knocks himself out.

Perhaps a refund if he stays on the pitch for the whole 80.

Bath fans just make sure you don't give Henson alcohol!

Haha well you cant knock their marketing ploy or the bit of cheek.

Bathman_in_London wrote:I hope they give Gav a penalty in front of the posts...

Ha ha ha ...!

Me too... I said he would be a club favourite.

Yes, it's a knockout marketing ploy.
It was we Glos 'post code' fans being baited last week, so well done their marketing dept.

gregortree wrote:Yes, it's a knockout marketing ploy.
It was we Glos 'post code' fans being baited last week, so well done their marketing dept.

Well if it means Henson gets red carded in the 1st couple of minutes.....

He was poor against Tigers and Eastmond may be back so the chance of it occurring may be reduced.

Great bit of fun though, a Sarries marketing gimick that isn't embarrassing, at last!

Will Sarries will appoint Len Goodman to advise the TMO ?

It's interesting because he didn't have a great game last week and could easily be dropped from the 23 altogether. Not sure if Eastmond will be fit, but there's Williams back in the A league last night and playing well by all accounts as well

Sarries are becoming easier to dislike by the week, to single out a player like this with financial gain for some fans looming over his head is bang out of order.
The whole plastic nature of their marketing over the last few seasons has been nauseating but to single out a player has crossed a line.
They have surpassed Toulons daft Haka on the who really gives a f""", far to many people pulling the strings behind the scenes who don't have a clue what rugby is about.

Typically tasteless gesture

Deluded Gavin Henson is a plonker. I don't feel any sympathy for him.

aslongasbut100ofus it's promoting the match. You need to lighten up.

Generating publicity for the match is good. It's not as if Saracens are lampooning a Bath hero, they are lampooning the orange one (a player who has already been knocked out by a team mate I should add).

Maybe I am old fashioned but this really doesn't sit very well with me. Henson has his detractors and I am hardly his biggest fan, but it is a very very cheap shot against someone who used to be employed by the club. It is a real shame that Saracens can't adopt the 'once a Wasp, always a Wasp' slogan that has been followed by a number of other Premiership sides.

sirburger he left the club after a handful of games. Henson has a history of controversy. It's a chance for Henson to win hearts and minds at his new club, plus take some money off Saracens.

I don't think it's bad as made out by some of you.

If Bath did it back with Stevens or Borthwick I would find it amusing.

I am aware that he was only at Saracens for a couple of games and that he hardly covered himself in glory during that time, but it still doesn't really endear the club to me. Maybe I am overreacting, but it is just one of those things I'm not going to change my mind about.

sirburger that's fair enough. Saracens aren't looking for your love to be frank.

Saracens won't ever be a popular side despite being one of the least dirty sides in the AP, scoring more tries than some of the "exciting" teams, having a decent academy, helping the England side with coaching etc.

I think using Henson to promote the game is good. It gets people talking about the game.

Saracens will leave the popularity contest to the likes of Exeter - the darlings of the AP.

beshocked wrote:sirburger he left the club after a handful of games.

Saracens still bitter he left them while injured for a bigger deal offered by Toulon...?

That what you get if you pick a good playmaking inside centre/flyhalf outside Farrell and Barritt. To be fair to anyone outside those too, they rarely gave the ball. It's no surprise he wanted out.

Yes maestegmafia I am still really upset Henson left us. We were only stuck with a rookie at 10 who led us to a 1st AP title. It was tough. 

Henson lasted a long time at Toulon too right?

beshocked wrote:sirburger that's fair enough. Saracens aren't looking for your love to be frank.

Saracens won't ever be a popular side despite being one of the least dirty sides in the AP, scoring more tries than some of the "exciting" teams, having a decent academy, helping the England side with coaching etc.

I think using Henson to promote the game is good. It gets people talking about the game.

Saracens will leave the popularity contest to the likes of Exeter - the darlings of the AP.

What, you mean that side that just gets on with its rugby, continues to confound expectation that they will drop back down, and doesn't go in for tasteless gimmicks?

Cheap tacky gimmicks seem to be Sarries thing these days.

It will be a free Fez for all next!

beshocked wrote:Yes maestegmafia I am still really upset Henson left us. We were only stuck with a rookie at 10 who led us to a 1st AP title. It was tough. 

Henson lasted a long time at Toulon too right?

I noticed this was upsetting you Sarries fans. The amount of antagonism towards Henson in your posts is obvious.

You feel let down that a club bigger than yourselves so easily poached your player.

Henson lasted until the contract Toulon offered him stipulated he had to retire from playing for Wales at the RWC he wanted to play at the RWC so turned it down.

Saracens' marketing strategies?
 

Has anyone in the media down Bath way got a comment from the club or the man himself?

alasbut100ofus sit on your high horse if you wish. Exeter are far from perfect - hence no international players and don't look like title contenders yet. No impact in Europe either yet.

Need to add some star quality if they are to get to the next level.

Maestegmafia if you want to take that deluded opinion than by all means.

Toulon are the club that every one should aspire to be like are they? A team of ageing foreigners and a poor academy?

Poached? Hardly - more like given away with open arms.

beshocked wrote:Toulon are the club that every one should aspire to be like are they? A team of ageing foreigners and a poor academy.

They are much like Saracens I agree.

The feeling is that it's a disrespectful and rather childish stunt using Hensons celeb status to draw attention to themselves.

I can see Bath not playing him to be honest this week which would make Sarries look a bit foolish, but to be honest I hope he does play and lands a long range penalty to win it at the death.

maestegmafia wrote:

beshocked wrote:Toulon are the club that every one should aspire to be like are they? A team of ageing foreigners and a poor academy.

They are much like Saracens I agree.

maestegmafia the worrying thing is I think you believe the rubbish you write.

Saracens poor academy? Guys like Farrell,Goode,Fraser and Kruis are poor right?

Ageing foreigners? Really? Compare average age of Saracens squad to Toulon squad?

Scrumpy not sure how it's foolish it is for Saracens if Henson doesn't play. If he plays there's a potential for Bath fans to get a refund.

It generates buzz for a game from one of the most controversial and overhyped players in rugby - Gavin Henson.

Cheap and tacky = Sarries.

Scrumpy wrote:Cheap and tacky = Sarries.

If you say so Hersh.

Sarries will do most of the talking on the pitch I expect. Need to put bring Bath down off their lofty high horse.

Rather sad that Sarries have to generate a buzz for a game like this in the 1st place.

Maybe on the return fixture Bath should do something similar, no, no wait we don't need to do that to generate a Buzz at the Rec.

why is it sad? You would feel Bath need a bit more fire in the belly. Haven't exactly performed well vs Sarries in the last few years - you've lost the last 6 matches.

http://www.premiershiprugby.com/matchcentre/fixtures/28873.php

I wouldn't mind if Bath do a similar thing.

beshocked wrote:alasbut100ofus sit on your high horse if you wish. Exeter are far from perfect - hence no international players and don't look like title contenders yet. No impact in Europe either yet.

Need to add some star quality if they are to get to the next level.

Maestegmafia if you want to take that deluded opinion than by all means.

Toulon are the club that every one should aspire to be like are they? A team of ageing foreigners and a poor academy?

Poached? Hardly - more like given away with open arms.

Don't think anyone claimed they were

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

beshocked wrote:alasbut100ofus sit on your high horse if you wish. Exeter are far from perfect - hence no international players and don't look like title contenders yet. No impact in Europe either yet.

Need to add some star quality if they are to get to the next level.

Maestegmafia if you want to take that deluded opinion than by all means.

Toulon are the club that every one should aspire to be like are they? A team of ageing foreigners and a poor academy?

Poached? Hardly - more like given away with open arms.

Don't think anyone claimed they were

They didn't alasbut100ofus but you puffed out your chest in regards to Exeter.

You right maybe we should.

Hows this?

If Banners smashes Ashtons face with a forearm and gets away with it then Sarrie fans (all 85 of them) can have a refund.

Then we can go one better than Sarries - Cheap, Tacky and Nasty!  

Scrumpy that's not the same thing is it? Even you should be able to work that out. Saracens are not condoning violence.

If Banahan did that to Ashton he would get a straight red.

An equivalent would be giving a refund if Stevens or Borthwick scores a try. Hardly offensive.

Why do the moderators not ban posters like you and ghost? Do you keep their families hostage or something?

beshocked wrote:
If Banahan did that to Ashton he would get a straight red.

Not if he got away with it!

How about Sarries fans can have a refund if Banners knocks out any Sarries player, by any means possible.

If you think that's the same as offering a refund for scoring points then you truly cannot be helped.

Plus you are being very disrespectful yourself.

I could easily trash your club but I won't.

On one hand I think Sarries should be commended for these marketing ploys. They are using their financial clout to get people through the gates. On the other hand they perhaps could go about it another way. I know there was a lot of distrust from Glaws supporters about this, as there was the belief (which is now proved misguided) that Sarries would announce how many Glaws fans had predicted a Sarries win. In this instance you have to presume they have selected Henson because he's an ex-Sarries player, not because he's a prat. So as with the Glaws game, perhaps the marketing team could and should be clearer in communicating their intentions.

Moreover, you do have to question why they are putting in initiatives to bring in away supporters. Surely with the size of Allianz Park the focus should be to pack it out with home supporters?

beshocked wrote:If you think that's the same as offering a refund for scoring points then you truly cannot be helped.

Plus you are being very disrespectful yourself.

I could easily trash your club but I won't.

But that’s the whole point isn't it. My pretended offer of a refund if Banners knocks out any Sarries player is cheap and nasty and has no place in our game.

Many Bath fans find this offer offensive tacky and cheap. Henson is a player who is trying to get his career back on track (for once I think he wants to) yet Sarries are using him to promote a game as they know the media circus will lap it up, not in the spirit of the game imo.

Poor show fella.

Bath should laugh this off and look to beat Saracens. That's what I would do.

HKC do you really want to know how many predicted a Sarries win?

I agree with your last bit but this is about creating buzz for the match.

The Saracens-Bath match up is not a big rivalry. Certainly nowhere near comparable to Bath-Leicester or Bath -Gloucester.

Adding a bit of spice with the ex-player isn't bad in my opinion.

I thought this was far less disrespectful than the fat lady stunt for example.

As I said on another post Henson is a fool if this annoys him. He should be flattered actually.

Scrumpy it's a lot less offensive than you seem to think. Henson has flitted from club to club, even at your own club he's been knocked out by a team mate. Saracens have given Henson the opportunity to stick two fingers up at Saracens. Bath can do that too.

beshocked wrote: Saracens have given Henson the opportunity to stick two fingers up at Saracens. Bath can do that too.

Classy!  

Beshocked, personally I wouldn't have minded to know how many predicted a win for Sarries, as my view was if we won I don't mind paying and if we lost then at least it was free! The concern amongst some fans was that this would be used as a divisive step to announce how little faith we had in our team!!

Personally, I don't find the Henson aspect disrespectful.  It's not as if your saying if he punches someone, combs his hair, swears at a fan, etc then you'll give a refund; you're saying if he scores its free.  There is no disrespect in that gesture.  As per my earlier point, I just feel your marketing team need to be a little bit more up front about why they are doing this.  I am sure there is nothing under hand, but people in general fear change and it could be easy to misunderstand your intentions; which given the response of the first 3 rounds has probably happened.  In general you should be given a lot of credit for this.

Tango should get photographed with Wray after he kicks the first three match points for his side.

Give him bunny ears, Gav!

Now that's classy disrespect for a total pr!ck.

Bath set to offer refund to Sarries fans if Matt Stevens has white line fever!

 

Scrumpy wrote:Bath set to offer refund to Sarries fans if Matt Stevens has white line fever!