Confirmation has come from Coventry Rugby Supporters Club that they are bringing four coachloads of supporters, and our friends at Earlsdon RFC are bringing a coachload too.

That's on top of the supporters who'll be coming by car , and the handful using the train.

We'd probably outnumber them by about 4000 to one had it been at the BPA 

Aye, it'd almost be as bad as the RFU being unable to run a p-up in a brewery.

Ah, but you've probably got twice as many pitches as the RFU. 

The RFU don't seem to agree. Take yesterday's game: an 'estimated' (why?) crowd of 1400, with an alleged majority of travelling support. Had this game been allowed to be played at the BPA, and the Cov club made many representations to the RFU to have it moved, there would almost certainly have been a capacity attendance, and that would have done a huge amount to raise the utterly lacklustre profile of this unloved competition. 

But no, the body that rules our 'community' (sic) game insisted it should be played in SW London at the ground of a club with possibly some of the least-committed support in the division, in competition with games at Twickenham, Wembley, and elsewhere. Again, why?

Fit for purpose? I don't think so.

So you wanted even more people to see Coventry lose? I'm confused about the point of this post. Okay, I'm not really confused, but I am pretty tired of people going on about Ealing's 'lack of support'. Tired, tired, tired.

That said well done on such a good season, I really wish you had been allowed into the Premiership . . next season?

“Least committed support”?? That’s a bit harsh. The numbers may not be high but the level of commitment is as high as anywhere. As for choice of venue for the final, it was clearly laid out in the competition rules from the start. It was done in an attempt to even out the number of home games, given that the league champions did not play in the first round. 

Mind you, I didn't see many of those committed Ealing supporters at the BPA not so many weeks ago.

All teams in the Championship have a lack support. The numbers are very low throughout the league. I have sat in the big stand at Coventry several times and at best it is half full.

The Coventry crowd is normally between 2000 and 2500, ignoring special occasions.

A supporter of a club which makes up suspiciously rounded figures of 600, finally claims an average of 1000 for the season, and which for a cup final, with a computerised QR code entry system can only estimate a crowd of 1400, and admits to being outnumbered by the away visitors is really in no position to speak for all the clubs in the division.

You have an unsupported club, dependent totally on the funding of one man's vanity project. How many more years will he have to fund before promotion is granted? 

On the point of estimated crowd sizes, I would suspect that it is due to the generous policy of not charging entry for children. I will agree that a more accurate tally should be possible.

A competition that has bad marketing 

Run by a sports body that wishes it dead

Yet locally, other sports have had a season of major publicity, dominating local sports news (a weekly free sheet) despite playing 8th tier of their sport. Whilst two, second tier rugby clubs are in the same catchment area.

The diagnosis for patient Championship is with help, it could achieve more 3,000+ attendances.

However just like a health system, it needs investment, leadership with passion to see it survive. 

Sadly the sports body concerned is more than happy to remove the care package, life support.

Thankfully they still had bottled water, so I survived. But it appeared desperate for those wanting more flavoursome liquids.

On arrival I went to the main bar, passing the shipping container bar, which at that time did not appear to be open. The only bitter on offer was Greene King IPA - I cannot imagine why any bar still serves that dreadful stuff now it is not part of a mandatory sponsorship deal to do so.

The poor chap serving it pulled through line cleaning water for ages  until one of his colleagues told him the beer was connected on the single unlabelled tap next to the labeled one he was using.

There was no food served in the bar, but outside, beyond the servery counter I got an excellent chicken wrap for £7.50. A colleague got something from the other van for £9.00..

I forgot to check whether the container bar was open as I headed around to my position for the match by the player benches.

After the match I was photographing on the pitch while presentations were made, and when I finally left the pitch it looked as if the container bar was shutting up shop - so zi would  guess it had been open.

I left without going back into the main bar - I had several hundred photos to sort out.

I've not heard andy reports that they did sell out - but given the choice of bitter I feel it would be unlikely!

As said, the externally-sourced wrap was excellent.

I am not sure how marked the decline in attendance is. In the last season of National 1 the average attendance was 1,744 and in the last season before covid it was 1,614 numbers from Statbunkler so to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Could it get to 3,000? The attendance in the Soccer Championship is roughly a third of that in the Premiership, so not unreasonable.

But only with a huge marketing effort.  And that is only going to come from the 12 clubs pulling together. The impression I get is currently the 12 clubs have about 24 opinions  And the likelihood of a concerted joint effort is infinitesimal - especially if it means spending money.

It's 40 percent for 20/21, (16000 vs 40000 rounded) but irrelevant to rugby as AF is the national game. Apples, pears etc.

To add to the irrelevance, it'll be closer next season with Sunderland added (30k+) and Bournemouth (sub 10k) and Posh (10k)  taken away (Prem attendances will likely lower slightly, and Champ should increase a bit).

As you were. 

Actually it is relevant, as in Previous seasons the Rugby Championship figures has in the past been boosted by the presence of a relegated Premiership team, with home gates of 10,000 and 2,000 away fans. Though perhaps only Northampton and Quins back brought quite that many.

The key thing is build it, and they will come is a Hollywood myth. You need to go and tell it on the mountain and keep telling it until you are bored with the message. Only then will others have started to hear you.

How many 13 year olds go to university, out of interest?

Nick at his finest ....rude, inaccurate and no understanding of a man ( Sir Mike Gooley ) who has contributed more to rugby than any other individual I can name. 

To say my club is unsupported is insulting to the faithful , dedicated  supporters that follow their club home and away.

The sources of revenue are way above any other club in the Championship. There is not a blade of grass or 3G, all floodlit  that is not used day and night .

 I have always travelled to the away games at Coventry and always enjoyed my visit win or lose. I have watched from all sides but have sat in the main stand on the last four occasions and always been able to sit close to half way line a few rows back. My only gripe is the booing home  crowd whenever a decision does not go their way. It is a particular dislike of mine and really belongs at a football match.

My guess is probably 1 or 2 a year but I’m guessing you are being facetious. 

Probably for another thread but that sounds like a challenge... are we talking rugby in general, or one club/local area? And financially only, financially and other things, or just other things? 

Dickie Evans would probably be up there, Keith Barwell (on a slightly larger scale) maybe, sure there are others. Tony Rowe - he's probably done for Devon rugby what Mike Gooley is still trying to do for Ealing.

On the other hand, I'm sure there's a kit man somewhere who has worked hard behind the scenes for decades and doesn't have the money to have bought a club, so seems a bit unfair to rule them out amongst all the millionaires who chose rugby as the beneficiary of their largesse rather than steam engines or Rolls-Royces. 

In fact, I'd be tempted to discount the moneymen from any competition on who has contributed the most to rugby.

The bar was well-manned/womanned and efficiently run, with the staff all sporting cup final t-shirts specially made for the day (unfortunately not available for general purchase). I resorted to drinking Guinness in the absence of a drinkable ale/bitter, which was a bit disappointing.

As for support - the ealing crowd in our corner, whilst obviously outnumbered, gave it their all in shouting for their team and clearly had a passion for the club.

All in all a nice little set up but I was left wondering why they would want to give it up for a crack in the premiership.  They would surely have to move and attract a totally new set of supporters - where from is the question...

Unacceptable, but by no means the only place where it happens.

billesleyexile wrote: ... all the millionaires who chose rugby as the beneficiary of their largesse rather than steam engines or Rolls-Royces.

Alan Pegler as a rugby club owner would have been an interesting proposition ... how many times did he go bankrupt thanks to the Flying Scotsman?

I think even he had stopped having fun by the end. 

Thanks Rob C - I would only add a few points:

1. The shirts were on general sale at the club store kiosk (set up between the shipping container bar and the clubhouse). If you really wanted one, you might still be able to get one by mailing the club. There were some left when I walked by around 65 minutes.

2. I feel that in terms of attracting supporters, the requisite numbers can be attracted with the right match ups available. I've seen 4k there for a match against London Irish.

That's the last time I believe what a barmaid tells me...