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HENSON PARK; why can't we?
Topic Started: May 10 2008, 08:19 PM (748 Views)
archivistcraig
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went to Henson Park today and there was about 2500 people and the place was jumping with the newtown song being played when the jets run out and when the jets scored and at fulltime win loss or draw.they just market that club so well it is great.SO WHY CAN'T WE?
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Staks
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You went to Henson ? :rolleyes: Toyota Park was only another 10 minute drive mate B)
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archivistcraig
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i didn't drive so had no choice
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Staks
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Back to the topic I think one of the reasons that the Jets get a good a turnout is that they aren't part of any NRL club anymore - there fans have only got the Jets. Us Wests fans have both the Wests Tigers & Magpies (well most of us). Hard to explain but something along those lines.
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KellyCodyHornery
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Newtown is the feeder club for the Sydney Roosters, so you could say they are part of an NRL club. However, they promote themselves very well as a separate entity and have a hardcore supporter group.
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Andrew Waite
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Newtown is definitely a club we take a keen interest in and look closely at what they do.

They do have a few factors that work in their favour at this level.

Firstly the area is more alternative and bohemian - you probably can't get less mainstream than sitting on the hill at Henso sucking back KB's and watching the Jets. This also seems to work at the sponsor level as well. They have a lot of smaller businesses that identify strongly with the area and are happy to get on board with the Bluebags. 100 years of identity in a very small area can do that for you I suppose - the sort of continuity and tradition we had to trade for the opportunities offered by relocation.

Secondly the lack of identifiable link to an NRL side helps them now that they actually get NRL quality players. The vast majority of Wests fans are happy to follow the Tigers. A good number remain interested to see how the Magpies are fairing in the lower grades, but they just get an update here or on the Tigers forum. They don't seem to want to come to the stand alone NSW Cup games. The Birchgrove game showed how fantastic this level of comp could be with a couple of thousand fans enjoying 'old school' footy, but sadly unless it's a one off special event like that was there just doesn't seem to be enough people who would turn up every second week to make it happen.

And lastly never underestimate the value of winning. back in 02/03 when we were making the semis under Bob Lindner we used to get some pretty fair (and vocal) crowds. Not huge, but had we been able to keep winning and moving up the ladder I'm sure those crowds would have grown also. Sadly we went backwards on the field and so many of even those most passionate supporters have drifted away. You can't blame them - we all know it's no fun watching your team get flogged every week. Newtown (and Norths) since linking with NRL sides have gone from the competition's whipping boys to powerhouses both going within absolute whiskers of winning a comp in the past two seasons. That isn't hurting the atmosphere at Henson and I'm sure NSO is a bit more lively these days than the last time I got out there in 05.

So yes we do look at what other clubs are doing, especially the Jets, but not everything they do is directly relevant to us.
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archivistcraig
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THANKS ANDREW glad to see that the club is taking an interest in what other clubs are doing.mate i hope you know for a change i wasn't trying to bag the club was just trying to put up some ideas to help the club.
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Gobbs
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I think majority of things said in here be it suggestions or criticism (the constructive kind) should be looked upon favourably. Alot can be misinterpreted and read in the wrong context, but this forum provides the Football club and those representatives like Andrew and co. with feedback, and hopefully it is taken on board, considered and implemented for the better. To improve the club as a whole.

As Craig said, great to know that the club does keep a close eye on it's rivals activities and strategies and initiatives that this club can adopt and use to help strengthen areas of sponsorship, gate receipts, brand awareness etc. My biggest beef is that Wests Tigers Home Games at Campbelltown do not mirror those at Leichhardt.

Year after year, i envy the Balmain Football club, as they take the opportunity of an NRL fixture time and time again, with a large and live audience to market their tradition and history with player parade's of team's from past era's, Laurie Nichols tribute day etc and it generates all levels of exposure of the Black & Gold's history. Not once has Campbelltown ever had a similar initiative since the JV has been established.

There was word that a Tommy Day was to be held this year, but nothing has really been spoken about since. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but i find it disappointing that the Football club does not capitalise upon it's NRL investment's fixture's to market their brand awareness to a live, national audience.
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Fadge
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I think that Gobbs you missed the point. The topic was how Newtown market their stand alone games. How we can market ours to get a similar atmosphere has little to do with Tigers games be they at Leichardt or Campbelltown. What Tigers do at Leichardt has minimal effect on Balmain games compared to what Newtown have achieved as Easts feeder club. My suggestion for a starting point to what Newtown do is to look for a smaller intimate ground for stand alone games. That way we at least have home ground.
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archivistcraig
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the few games we played at concord oval where great its a great little ground to watch footy at and galahs can get real close to them goalkickers.so i like your thinking FADGE.
Also gobbs good point about putting the Wests Magpies Brand out there at Campbelltown JV Games,Thats what our little banner is about but the footy club could get some old players out there and stuff.
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innsaneink
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I wonder how many Jets fans have jumped on because it was trendy to do so, as opposed to being long term jets fans?
Not that theres anything wrong with that, whne you become a fan shouldnt make a difference, Im sure clubs dont discriminate on this.
But I see it as being chic for a lot of their fans, the area as yappy said is very cosmo, lots of students and young people with cash...newtown represent the very opposite of what the NRL stands for, News - Channel 9 etc etc.
The Magpies have a different product/Brand Im afraid....personally, what really appeals to me at leichhardt oval is nostalgia, however that is diminished by the overriding crap the NRL theme brings with it, Henson has even more of it,concord a little, cambo none - but that just me, I love nostalgia and things always appear different as a kid.
Im sure there are plenty that attend Jets games at henso that love the nostalgia. Its only a small part though, it hasnt helped BRET a hell of a lot.
I think there relationship with easts has little to nothing to do with it other than the fact their players help with success onfield, I get a feeling it wouldnt be very different off field if there was minimal success on it.
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Jeffles
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Good to hear you enjoyed your day Craig.

It's always great to see a good turnout of Western Suburbs fans at Henson Park. Long may that continue and long may we continue to take you guys on.

It is true that Wests officials take a keen interest in Newtown and it's not just the Tooheys Old. :lol:

As Andrew says, there are many points of difference that work to Newtown's advantage. Our core of fans are not as predisposed to following NRL clubs as your core of fans. Our onfield results have helped in recent years. I think we're also helped by the fact we play on Saturday afternoons. It's a good time as junior RL in the area is played on Sundays AND other junior sports are usually over by Saturday lunchtime.

At the same time there are things in Western Suburbs favour. The inner city where we play is highly concentrated with other elite clubs and codes. Campbelltown remains a bit more isolated. Further, your facilities are much better than those at Henson Park.

It is a lot of hard work believe me. We've built up an email databse of supporters whom we email twice a week with match reports and news. There are around 2000 on that (though a lot less when the obsolete emails are taken into account). The week of a home match, some directors are allocated around half a dozen pubs each to visit and display posters. For a long time, local papers didn't give us much coverage (many still don't). We try and make it as easy for them as possible by sending them our own match reports and photos so they don't lift a finger. That works well.

We've been doing this for eight years and slowly the fans make a habit out of attending games but it is a hard slog. Wests can create their own experience.

See you in Round 12!
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Andrew Waite
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G'Day Jeffles.

This is a great thread and I would encourage anyone with ideas to post them here. As Jeffles said we can (and are definitely attempting to) create our own rugby league experience. Unfortunately an experience that ends with your team losing yet again is a hard sell in any market so we've focussed most heavily on trying to get things right on the field. More results like the last three rounds will give us a much stronger foundation to work from.

Bring on the ideas.
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Dallas
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bring a game to Alice :D I mentioned that eariler, but I dont think it will happen! hehe. Seriouslly, just as an aside - if the club was to come here and play a trial against an NT invtational side then it might help promote the club further... Just an idea for down the track - The NRL previouslly held trials up here, but they scrapped that in favour of coastal places which offered THEM more money...

Back on track - Ive had chats with certain people who believe moving from the Stadium would be a wonderful thing - and the more I think about it, the better. But, we need to find a place suitable. Somewhere with an excellent A1 surface. Something with facilities which are suitable for the best club in the competition, being the Magpies. One ground in particular springs to mind, and thats the field that All Saints use at Liverpool. That way, we keep Ashfield and our traditional home, we keep Campbelltown, which is alto a home now (of sorts), whilst playing half way in between. Get the council to organise a grant to spruce the place up a bit, and wellah, we have our own henson park.

Sure it aint got the tradition, but we can work on that... Its small. Its intimate. Its accessable, and above all, it would be a HOME for the Mighty Western Suburbs Magpies District Rugby League Football Club!!!
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innsaneink
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Moving, you keep moving you dont plant roots, get established, its one reason imo Wests dont have what Newtown do have, is the move from Ashfield/Lidcombe to Cambo...I know it was necessary...but you lose so much by relocating.

The team is improving, positive results...thats always the first thing reqd to get bums on seats.
Being smart is the second thing - capitalising on the onfield success. But I do think dallas has a point somewhat in that Wests suffer in where they are, Cambo is miles from anywhere
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Jeffles
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innsaneink
May 14 2008, 12:19 AM
Moving, you keep moving you dont plant roots, get established, its one reason imo Wests dont have what Newtown do have, is the move from Ashfield/Lidcombe to Cambo...I know it was necessary...but you lose so much by relocating.

The team is improving, positive results...thats always the first thing reqd to get bums on seats.
Being smart is the second thing - capitalising on the onfield success. But I do think dallas has a point somewhat in that Wests suffer in where they are, Cambo is miles from anywhere

Good points innsaneink.

Try and use the isolation as a plus. There are fewer competitors. In the inner west, we're close between Homebush and Moore Park, not to mention the city, Darling Harbour etc.

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girvie
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The Windsor Wolves have built up a strong following in the Jim Beam Cup and now NSW Cup. One reason for their success is that most people who live there probably don't travel to Penrith or Parramatta games but they will go to watch Windsor.

Also there is probably not as much to do around the Windsor and Richmond areas as there is closer to the city. People go there to socialise and not just to watch the footy.

At Campbelltown you have the similar advantage.
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Dallas
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You need to remember that Windsor is very different to Campbelltown.

Population - you are talking 300,000 in my former home, as opposed to about 100,000 in the windsor area

Windsor still has Country to it, where as Campbelltown is firmly URBAN.

Windsor has 1 league team - the Wolves. Campbelltown has Wests Tigers, Wests Magpies, Campbelltown Eagles, Ingleburn RSL, Minto, etc etc.

Campbelltown has alot of other sports on too - AFL, League, Union. Windsor doesnt have any of this.

So, to compare Campbelltown and Windsor is very off the mark, and I dont see any results in comparing the two.
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Knuckle
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I'm in the camp that Andrew mentions above that comes in here to see how the Maggies are going in the lower grades. I would never go out and see a game unless I had a good reason to. Like the Birchgrove game that I wanted to go to but couldn't for family reasons.

I suppose for me I want to spend my time seeing the best players going around and that happens in the NRL ......... I'm so lucky that Wests still have a presence through the JV otherwise I would have given it away alltogether. Especially if we were forced to join up with Canterbury as was rumoured at one time.

If I lived close to the ground where the Maggies were playing it might be different but they don't play near Lidcombe these days.
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innsaneink
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Quote:
 
If I lived close to the ground where the Maggies were playing it might be different but they don't play near Lidcombe these days.


They do this week Bob.

But yes, its hard when the very reason you began supporting the club - the reason in those days why most supported a particular club - was because they were your local club, and then they left.
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