Scottish Rugby Crowds?

Glasgow at the weekend had 3,348
For a big H-cup game this isn't great to say the least.

Scottish teams average Pro 12 attandance is 4127

I've said for a while that Scottish teams attendances should be higher, ok Rugby is a distant second to Football in Scotland (maybe even further than it is in England and GAA in Ireland, don't want to get in that discussion again).

In contrast Connacht had 8,000 at the weekend, and normaly get attendances similar to the Scottish teams in the Pro 12. For me the Scottish teams averaging less than Connacht shows up a big problem for Scottish Rugby.

Both teams are in big population area's, (bigger than most teams in Pro 12, and a lot in Prem), and its not like they are poor teams, (you can understand Zebre, Dragons and Connacht struggling to pull in supporters) but Glasgow are 5th and doing well in League, just droped out of playoff spot, and were in the play offs last year. Edinburgh are 7th and last years H-cup semi finalists. Connacht in contrast are 10th in a small city with a sparse population around it, and argueably rugby is as much a minority sport in Connacht as it is in Scotland (or not much difference).

To me Glasgow and Edinburgh have all the things you could want, local players, decent teams, big population areas, yet fail to bring in crowds of any note.
Why is it other teams can with less of these advantages? yet Scottish teams struggle?

With these crowds are the two teams viable? The SRU have upped funding, but is this based on a model that in a few years the two teams will be getting bigger gates and hence less dependant on SRU?
What can they do? what have they done? why has it failed?
Will it improve over next 2 years or so?

For me The two Scottish teams should be averaging at least 7000/8000 a game, the fact they are not shows that there are issues with the teams.

Treviso are now pulling bigger crowds than both Glasgow and Edinburagh. Their support is really growing.

Yeah Scottish sides have the worst crowds bar Zebre, when you see the national team can fill Murrayfield's 67k, it's really poor but it shows the potential is there.

I just can't work out, why they are so bad, in fairness I mentioned it a few times and it may look like I'm having a go at the Scottish teams. I'm not Glasgow are one of my favourite sides, and I like to see them do well.

and I know that rugby is seen as a posh boys sport it Scotland and most of the population won't have any intrest.

But outside that, they are both University cities with big student populations, they have big overall populations as well, and a big professional population.

But I still think that 7000/8000 is a reasonable figure for both to attract. So why are they failing?

I think that if they could rebrand rugby as a real man's sport over a posh sport they would do much better, Warriors would get 10k a week easy.

I think Ireland is one of the few places where we love sports, and not just a love of one and hater of the rest.

The problem Glasgow had on Friday night was one simply to do with the weather. It was absolutely baltic on Friday night, proper multi layer weather... Also the junior games before the match were called off so that impacted on the numbers there too.

Glasgow have been on the up as regards to numbers in Scotstoun this year with the average about 3,700 for the Pro12 this season and a boosted 6,000 for the Ulster Heino game... Every match has had over 3,300 this year even the Castres game. And they've boosted the capacity by another 1,000 for the 1872 Cup game...

Brendan hits the nail on the head - there is a perception about the game here that it isn't "cool" to go to rugby. Plus Friday night is for getting wellied out of your face, then buying and quickly thereafter honking up a kebab. On the flipside, rugby's reputation does mean that you get a high proportion of women going.
If I was being really cynical, I could say that for a good number of those who stay in the west, there isn't enough bigotry involved in rugby to entice them along.
I must confess, though, that I did think that Glasgow's crowds would increase this year as they moved to a much better stadium which didn't have the smallest pitch in the universe.

I've got a season ticket at Glasgow now and the crowds have been tailing off all season (aside from the Ulster game, because half of Ulster lives in Glasgow!).

There are a great many reasons. In no particular order:

- The weather is not the best
- The team are playing woefully recently, even the wins are boring games
- Large parts of Glasgow's population will never go to a rugby match - it's not the football and the football is a religion.
- The new stadium is a great place and has a good atmosphere when more full but it is 4.5 miles west of the city centre and is the only thing around there of any note (apart from my house obviously...). There's no pub nearby and no chance of any "passing trade". You have to make a definite choice to go to the rugby and then it is a bit out the way for some people.

Scottish rugby is big in the borders. They don't have a team because of many reasons that have been gone into a number of times. People in Glasgow don't give a crap about rugby in general.

Oh, final point on the rant - They haven't engaged the unis very well at all. I suggested this last season on here, I may take it directly to the club this time. They need to flyer the crap out of the two unis and make it easy for students to get there. Market it as a bit of a urine up with your mates, highlight the cheap student tickets, maybe put a deal on.

ok, /rant

The solution to Scottish rugby attendances is very simple.

Win the Heineken cup and Scottish rugby will experience a renaissance in popularity. Thats what its gonna take.

Murrayfield rarely sells out for Scotland games unless the opposition bring a large crowd.

I think the crowds have held up ok this year when you consider the large price hikes there have been recently. 2 years ago you could walk up on the day and pay £15 for the the stand at Firhill. Now for a seat on the day purchase its £25/£30. This year almost all our games have been on the telly, people are getting out of the habit of going to games and we are not generating new fans through the TV channels as the games are stuck mainly on channels where only those who are looking for it will come across it.

Scottish sport in general is now poorly supported, only Rangers are really bucking the trend and that is mainly a protest against the rest of the clubs etc and cheap prices.

A good Glasgow and/or Edinburgh side playing 1/2 rugby will get better crowds as Edinburgh showed in the HC last year. I think 20k regularly is out of the question but 7 or 8 is.

screamingaddabs wrote:Oh, final point on the rant - They haven't engaged the unis very well at all. I suggested this last season on here, I may take it directly to the club this time. They need to flyer the crap out of the two unis and make it easy for students to get there. Market it as a bit of a urine up with your mates, highlight the cheap student tickets, maybe put a deal on.

I absolutely agree with this. I had stopped following rugby closely after about 2002 but started again in 2007, not because the national team had had a good Six Nations or RWC (they hadn't) but because I lived near Firhill and found out that I could get a student ticket for a fiver and pints were £2.50. So, a couple of pints watching the game then walk down to the West End of Glasgow to get hoolet. Everyone's a winner!

Glasgow crowds are really disappointing - a city of 900 000 people really should be able to draw in more than 3/4k (0.3%)

What makes it worse is that the Glasgow area probably has the majority of adult rugby players in Scotland - there's so many rugby clubs in and around Glasgow.

Why aren't they supporting the team? You can say all you want about the football influence, which is huge, but what's happening with all of Glasgow amateur rugby club players?

Now I'm highlighting Glasgow here, but a similar thing can be said for Edinburgh, except we have a much smaller population but don't have as much of a football influence.

Its nothing to do with Posh or Cool. Its that there is no hard core support. we will see 10 000 plus for the derby games, 40 000 at edinburgh last season but the entertainment / £ ratio can be low and people just chose to do other things.

It needs a different pricing strategy - £10 tickets and all kids free to build a support. Bums on seats first

If Edinburgh can get 38000 for the 1/4 v Toulouse is can be done - the product must be right - nothing succeeds like winning. Also Glasgow are almost unwatchable just now - as one of the fellow posters who watched that disgrace posted recently. Friday was the grimmest experience I have ever witnessed at a Glasgow home game in 12 years. The jeers at the end (for those who stayed) were for the players lack of professionalism and the pathetic lack of any coherent game plan by the dismal coaching staff. God only knows what utter dross we will get a week on Friday !

The other issue is advertising - get a buzz going. But the teams tneed to be winning to bring out the occasional supporter

RDW_Scotland wrote:Glasgow crowds are really disappointing - a city of 900 000 people really should be able to draw in more than 3/4k (0.3%)

Especially when you buy into Rutherford's defence of the Borders before they were shut down. They may have been getting crowds of 1, 000 but that's 10% of the area's population. Obviously their population is spread over a wider area so it's not as simple as that.

Personally, I think alongside cheaper tickets and more effective promotion, Edinburgh and Glasgow would be more of a draw if they had been branded as east- and west-coast franchises rather than city teams from the start. There already a lot of Edinburgh fans who live along the Fife Circle towns and Glasgow fans coming from Ayrshire. It's definitely more logical for people to be travelling from Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes to support an Edinburgh-based, east-coast franchise than a Caledonia team to be alternative games between Aberdeen and Perth.

Cheapest adult tickets at the racing game on Saturday were 10 euro, then 14 for sitting on the 22, 18 euro for up to the 10m line then 30 euro for halfway.

Edinburgh is 20 pounds in advance - 25 on the night. Absolutely ridiculous!

I agree with pretty much everything said above - another point has to be made about the way the club relates to its supporters.

I'm really into photography, and I like to take my SLR with me to games at Scotstoun. The last two times I've been (the Leinster and Castres matches) I was stopped by a G4S security chap and told that my camera wasn't allowed. I directed him to the Scotstoun ground rules, of which I held a copy, which specifically allow SLRs with lenses no larger than 300mm (exactly what I have). I was told that, in fact, they were not to allow any cameras into the ground that are of a 'professional standard', which includes cameras with detachable lenses. I asked who I could speak to about this, and Mr G4S just shrugged.

Now, this is a completely arbitrary definition that totally misses the fact that, SLR or no, I'm not a professional (seriously, I can't take a photo for toffee - I just like to look like a ponce). While this is a very particular point relating to me and fellow photography gimps, but it speaks volumes about the club's attitude towards its supporters.

Not only is there a ridiculous rule being enforced, but the club's own website directly contradicts that rule, and there is seemingly no one who can explain the reasoning.

It all just gives the impression of a club more in touch with its media partners (presumably the people most offended by my clandestine telephoto fetish) than with the paying supporters who actually shout for the players.

And... breathe out....

So the plan for next season (or sooner!) for Glasgow SHOULD be:

- Lower the prices (Bums on seats)
- Advertise the crap out of the two (three) universities
- Advertise the crap out of the local clubs
- FREE transport from the west end/city centre
- Make the bar a damn site better
- For christ's sake try and play some half decent rugby

Maybe that would begin to sort it out?

I think the comment about the Irish just loving sport is kind of right. But I feel it's more to do with supporting the Province. Rugby gives the Irish that opportunity.

Some may call it 'bandwagoning' but it is a phenomena that people will come to support the Provinces for important games. Also HC rugby is a fairly new experience for Connacht.

But even when my team (Wasps) were getting to finals, thousands of 'fans' appeared as if by magic. Obviously, the other comment about being a successful team helps massively when trying to improve attendances.

IanBru - that's ridiculous! The security people normally don't give a crap about anything - surprised you found one being so picky.

IanBru wrote:I agree with pretty much everything said above - another point has to be made about the way the club relates to its supporters.

I'm really into photography, and I like to take my SLR with me to games at Scotstoun. The last two times I've been (the Leinster and Castres matches) I was stopped by a G4S security chap and told that my camera wasn't allowed. I directed him to the Scotstoun ground rules, of which I held a copy, which specifically allow SLRs with lenses no larger than 300mm (exactly what I have). I was told that, in fact, they were not to allow any cameras into the ground that are of a 'professional standard', which includes cameras with detachable lenses. I asked who I could speak to about this, and Mr G4S just shrugged.

Now, this is a completely arbitrary definition that totally misses the fact that, SLR or no, I'm not a professional (seriously, I can't take a photo for toffee - I just like to look like a ponce). While this is a very particular point relating to me and fellow photography gimps, but it speaks volumes about the club's attitude towards its supporters.

Not only is there a ridiculous rule being enforced, but the club's own website directly contradicts that rule, and there is seemingly no one who can explain the reasoning.

It all just gives the impression of a club more in touch with its media partners (presumably the people most offended by my clandestine telephoto fetish) than with the paying supporters who actually shout for the players.

And... breathe out....

Sounds like another good excuse for me to rant...

At the Leinster game my friend and I thought that at half time it might be nice to walk around the ground. We started from our seats in the North Stand and walked round the West end of the pitch and tried to walk along past the South stand. We were told we could not go along the south stand as we only had North stand tickets. Fair enough I guess, we were told we had to go round.

At this point we went round the stand by walking out and trying to go around the back of the stand. We then went to re-enter by the east stand. The guy there said that we couldn't come in (despite season tickets with out ID on) because we may have simply given the tickets to someone else and then tried to get ourselves, some kind of scam etc. Again, maybe this is fair enough, you COULD try and scam people in tis way (though if I were them I'd accept the additional crowd numbers!). So we headed back to where we came out to go back in.

Despite there being 2 (that's TWO) g4s goons at that gate who acknowledged that they had seen me and my friend exit the ground, it took 15 minutes (including a few minutes of the 2nd half) for me to convince them to let us back in as it was an honest mistake. The little F%*$ doing most of the talking had this man log eating grin on his face as he did a mini hitler abuse of power. We did eventually get back in, but given that they had let us walk out without warning us that we would not be let back in and given that we were told to go around the stand we were a little peeved that some gobby bar steward in a yellow jacket felt it was his duty to lecture us on the terms and conditions of our tickets. I should also point out that whilst I was (and am still) angry, I didn't raise my voice or swear or anything like that. Great way to treat your fans eh?

/2nd rant

Question for the weedge - is the Scotstoun bar in a gym hall?? Looks like it in all the interviews they do!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Question for the weedge - is the Scotstoun bar in a gym hall?? Looks like it in all the interviews they do!

yes it is

RDW_Scotland wrote:Question for the weedge - is the Scotstoun bar in a gym hall?? Looks like it in all the interviews they do!

Oh, yes. It reminded me of my first school disco when I went in, except this time the shifty looking guy in the corner was allowed to be there.

Of course he was allowed to stay, he plays number 8 (for c50 minutes anyway) for you.

IanBru wrote:I agree with pretty much everything said above - another point has to be made about the way the club relates to its supporters.

I'm really into photography, and I like to take my SLR with me to games at Scotstoun. The last two times I've been (the Leinster and Castres matches) I was stopped by a G4S security chap and told that my camera wasn't allowed. I directed him to the Scotstoun ground rules, of which I held a copy, which specifically allow SLRs with lenses no larger than 300mm (exactly what I have). I was told that, in fact, they were not to allow any cameras into the ground that are of a 'professional standard', which includes cameras with detachable lenses. I asked who I could speak to about this, and Mr G4S just shrugged.

Now, this is a completely arbitrary definition that totally misses the fact that, SLR or no, I'm not a professional (seriously, I can't take a photo for toffee - I just like to look like a ponce). While this is a very particular point relating to me and fellow photography gimps, but it speaks volumes about the club's attitude towards its supporters.



Not only is there a ridiculous rule being enforced, but the club's own website directly contradicts that rule, and there is seemingly no one who can explain the reasoning.

It all just gives the impression of a club more in touch with its media partners (presumably the people most offended by my clandestine telephoto fetish) than with the paying supporters who actually shout for the players.

And... breathe out....

Also speaks volumes about the G4S dicks too !

Ian,

should have asked Clyde (or UiG) to sort it for you !

Think people are being a bit harsh about the Bar. Not really sure what they want the club to do.

They are making the best of what they can with the hall. They are severely limited as the hall gets used at other times so whatever they do as to put up and taken down before and after games. It's not ideal, but it is what it is, I am sure they will look at ways to improve it.

Me and my friends are the sorts of people who are "floating fans" - I was at 4 Edinburgh games last season - none yet this. The product is rubbish, the prices too high and I forget when there is a home game on.

Its a marginal decision for me whether to go or not - it wouldn't take much to tip the balance.

for me the beer is of no importance at all. but the rest of this makes sense

So the plan for next season (or sooner!) for Glasgow SHOULD be:

- Lower the prices (Bums on seats)
- Advertise the crap out of the two (three) universities
- Advertise the crap out of the local clubs
- FREE transport from the west end/city centre
- Make the bar a damn site better
- For christ's sake try and play some half decent rugby

give away free tickets to schools. all kids go free, organise school trips

You need to get people into the habit of going. Better 10 000 folk paying an average of £5 than 2000 folk paying £25. You need to build support and crowds. Get the kids interested

TJ wrote:Me and my friends are the sorts of people who are "floating fans" - I was at 4 Edinburgh games last season - none yet this. The product is rubbish, the prices too high and I forget when there is a home game on.

Its a marginal decision for me whether to go or not - it wouldn't take much to tip the balance.

for me the beer is of no importance at all. but the rest of this makes sense

So the plan for next season (or sooner!) for Glasgow SHOULD be:

- Lower the prices (Bums on seats)
- Advertise the crap out of the two (three) universities
- Advertise the crap out of the local clubs
- FREE transport from the west end/city centre
- Make the bar a damn site better
- For christ's sake try and play some half decent rugby

I have really not enjoyed the rugby this season and trust me I have endured far worse results than this. If I did not have a season ticket, I would have missed at least a couple if games this season.

Bearing in mind we recently won 6 or 7 on the spin and I can remember what a REALLY bad Glasgow team was. It's not results its the way we are playing, bar the Dragons game we have really not played anything coming close to entertaining.

Cryptoyourisan wrote:

screamingaddabs wrote:Oh, final point on the rant - They haven't engaged the unis very well at all. I suggested this last season on here, I may take it directly to the club this time. They need to flyer the crap out of the two unis and make it easy for students to get there. Market it as a bit of a urine up with your mates, highlight the cheap student tickets, maybe put a deal on.

I absolutely agree with this. I had stopped following rugby closely after about 2002 but started again in 2007, not because the national team had had a good Six Nations or RWC (they hadn't) but because I lived near Firhill and found out that I could get a student ticket for a fiver and pints were £2.50. So, a couple of pints watching the game then walk down to the West End of Glasgow to get hoolet. Everyone's a winner!

I keep saying this! Easiest way in the world to get more fans! I work in a college and you should see the dumps students take me to (often out of the way) purely for cheap beer. Lay on a bus and a few free drinks with every ticket on Friday night and you'd be laughing. Some would become real fans, some would not. But it's begging to be done in any uni town.

As far as I know most of the crew are the same as the Firhill Crew from G4S and I've never seen much bother from them... But i suppose it only takes one to have a bit of a power trip... The whole North stand/Main stand thing is kind of understandable as you could just claim you were walking thru and sit down anyway. Still should have told you about walking out.

The bar unfortunately is about as good as it can get in its current form. It's used as a gym normally during the week so they can't make anything permanent there. But knowing the XVIth Warrior crew they'll be on something to try and improve it!

IanBru wrote:I agree with pretty much everything said above - another point has to be made about the way the club relates to its supporters.

I'm really into photography, and I like to take my SLR with me to games at Scotstoun. The last two times I've been (the Leinster and Castres matches) I was stopped by a G4S security chap and told that my camera wasn't allowed. I directed him to the Scotstoun ground rules, of which I held a copy, which specifically allow SLRs with lenses no larger than 300mm (exactly what I have). I was told that, in fact, they were not to allow any cameras into the ground that are of a 'professional standard', which includes cameras with detachable lenses. I asked who I could speak to about this, and Mr G4S just shrugged.

Now, this is a completely arbitrary definition that totally misses the fact that, SLR or no, I'm not a professional (seriously, I can't take a photo for toffee - I just like to look like a ponce). While this is a very particular point relating to me and fellow photography gimps, but it speaks volumes about the club's attitude towards its supporters.

Not only is there a ridiculous rule being enforced, but the club's own website directly contradicts that rule, and there is seemingly no one who can explain the reasoning.

It all just gives the impression of a club more in touch with its media partners (presumably the people most offended by my clandestine telephoto fetish) than with the paying supporters who actually shout for the players.

And... breathe out....

Know your pain, had similar issues with the G4S at Murrayfield on Scotland games. Year or so ago I was just starting to get into photography so stared taking my SLR to games, I'd arrive super early and head down pitch side at the East Stand and get shots like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/34983564@N07/5447711219/in/photostream/lightbox/ of the players training. However some G4S jobsworth took offence and come up to me quite aggressive, demanding that I stop photographing at once. Explained that the SRU site states SLR's with lenses no longer 300mm are allowed and got given the classic "I'll have to check with my supervisor" line and never heard from him again.

Re: Free Tickets

Before the start of the season I attened a supporters club meeting which a GW rep was present. They mentioned that in the last season at Firhill they gave away thousends of free tickets over the season to Rugby clubs and schools. When they had a look they found that out of the free tickets given away the percentage of the free tickets used was barley out of the single figure range.

They could not afford to do this at Scotstoun being a smaller ground and the rent has to be paid.

I think just giving out free tickets, means people take them but don't use them, think they had same issue at Cardiff Blues in CSS, it also cheapens the product slightly.

If it was a case of you had to do something for the free ticket, Phone th eticket line with a code send an email etc it would mean those with intentions of going would be the ones that recieve them.

But free tickets do (rightly) annoy season ticket holders and paying fans.

Edinburgh could have one free game a season, Price deducted from season ticket at start of season, and see can they fill Murrayfield with everyone getting free tickets.

I just want to add that although I have given a big list of things that I think they can do better I do think that they have done well moving to Scotstoun and I think the ground itself is a great venue for the side. I just feel they can do more and I really hope they do.

The biggest point though is what Dorothy Mantooth said:

"It's not results its the way we are playing, bar the Dragons game we have really not played anything coming close to entertaining."

The team are playing dross at the moment. Even when they are winning it seems to be by dragging the other team down. It's not entertaining. If a casual fan had gone to either the Leinster or the Castre games (the last two home games) I would be very surprised if they really fancied going back.

Kingshu wrote:I think just giving out free tickets, means people take them but don't use them, think they had same issue at Cardiff Blues in CSS, it also cheapens the product slightly.

If it was a case of you had to do something for the free ticket, Phone th eticket line with a code send an email etc it would mean those with intentions of going would be the ones that recieve them.

But free tickets do (rightly) annoy season ticket holders and paying fans.

Edinburgh could have one free game a season, Price deducted from season ticket at start of season, and see can they fill Murrayfield with everyone getting free tickets.

I'm not sure free tickets are needed. Student tickets for a fiver or kids tickets for a fiver or even a couple of quid would do it. Or a family ticket for 10 quid for selected games?

To be honest I think it is less a problem of the ticket price (for Glasgow anyway) and more about the lack of promotion to people who may be interested.

I think ticket price for Edinburgh is a big factor - I would probably class myself as a fairly moderate to hardcore Edinburgh fan, and I can't go to every game at 20 quid or 25 quid on the day if I forget to get tickets.

50 quid for me and the missus going to see Edinburgh could be spent on much better things!

It really does beggar belief why they increased the ticket prices from 15 quid.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I think ticket price for Edinburgh is a big factor - I would probably class myself as a fairly moderate to hardcore Edinburgh fan, and I can't go to every game at 20 quid or 25 quid on the day if I forget to get tickets.

50 quid for me and the missus going to see Edinburgh could be spent on much better things!

It really does beggar belief why they increased the ticket prices from 15 quid.

Wow, I just checked and they're the same price for Glasgow (well £25 in the South stand, £20 in the North Stand and £15 standing)! I didn't realise as me and my friends have season tickets. It's a bit ridiculous really.

To be fair the Value of a season ticket has been going down for a while now.

I remmber paying £180 for all Magners League & H Cup home games + Entry to the Edinburgh Leg of the 1872 Cup + 2 tickets to Edinburgh home games + Entry to the GW preason friendly

Then it changed after 2 seasons to same price for above minus the 2 tickets to Edinburgh homes games, which I used since my other half is an Edinburgh fan.

It changed again to take away the entry to the Edinburgh leg 1872 cup tickets.

This season the price increased as well as losing entry to the preason friendly.

The ticket prices had been frozen for a number of years so they had to go up at some point.

I've got an Edinburgh season ticket and I personally don't think it's too bad value.

Thankfully Edinburgh have been appaulling in the HC, so I won't be missing any knock-out games in the HC which weren't included in my ticket....

I do agree that £25 per ticket on the day is steep. I've taken the missus a couple of times this season and begrudge paying that, especially since she just sits and moans about how cold it is!

The Edinburgh season ticket is good value in comparison to the new ticket prices, doesn't look so good in comparison to last years.

I was gonna buy a season ticket this year as well. Dodged a bullet with that one!

It been said many times but Murrayfield just isn't ideal for Edinburgh games, no atmosphere and a bit too far out of town. The proposed development at Raeburn Place (I know there are lots of objections) is the sort of venue that would make for a much better match experience; good Stockbridge pubs and walking distance from the centre of town. That empty hotel/pub beside the ground could be an official Edinburgh venue/shop if things improved attendance wise.
It really shouldn't be that difficult to build a rugby support in Edinburgh surely?

You'd be surprised MacKocked-on!

Raeburn place is a good suggestion, but you'd need to buy the entire area to fit the pitch, stadium and infrastructure in. The main problem with that being that it is Edinburgh Accies ground and they use it for various other sports during the school term. It would be a lovely rugby ground though and could easily get 10 000 people in there if you took over the whole area. Not sure the residents would be happy though!

It's the same story for any other club ground in Edinburgh - there's either not enough room (Boroughmuir, Heriots, Watsons etc) , or there'd not be year round access due to the schools using the pitches.

The SRU are looking at meadowbank as far as I'm aware, Edinburgh and Glasgow could do with taking a leaf out of Harlequins and Saracens book by using smaller stadiums, Meadowbank and Scotstoun, for small matches and using bigger stadiums such as important Heineken Cup matches and play-offs and 1872 cup games at bigger stadiums. Edinburgh could use Murrayfield and Glasgow could use any of Celtic Park, Ibrox or Hampden (probably Hampden because the last thing they should do is show any bias towards one of the old firm at all).
Also, I think club games should not be played on the same day as the pro teams from the area. Another idea would be, if we ever managed to get four teams, a double header at Murrayfield to start the season and another at Hampden to end it, as well as the 1872 cup around December/ January time. They should advertise the 1872 cup everywhere and maybe get a half-decent channel to cover their matches.

There's been plenty chat on here about Meadowbank, but i'd much prefer something on the back pitches. Meadowbank isn't in the nicest area and surrounded by fairly scabby buildings. Plus I wouldn't' overly fancy going to some of the boozers over there! A mini Murrayfield would be absolutely ideal, but probably quite expensive and would have to be financed by the SRU on their own.

I agree that not having fixtures on Saturday afternoons will help, but there aren't many of those really and we generally have no say on them - it's all decided by the TV broadcasters.

RDW_Scotland wrote:There's been plenty chat on here about Meadowbank, but i'd much prefer something on the back pitches. Meadowbank isn't in the nicest area and surrounded by fairly scabby buildings. Plus I wouldn't' overly fancy going to some of the boozers over there! A mini Murrayfield would be absolutely ideal, but probably quite expensive and would have to be financed by the SRU on their own.

I agree that not having fixtures on Saturday afternoons will help, but there aren't many of those really and we generally have no say on them - it's all decided by the TV broadcasters.

What about a groundshare with Hearts, they need money at the moment?

As in a new stadium or use Tyncastle? Tyncastle is a no go - tiny pitch, problems over match schedulling and can't see the SRU wanting to give money to a football team when Murrayfield is empty

Can we turn this into a sticky? Its surely the most debated subject on 606.