Re: The Willows : Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:58 pm  

Rugby league is currently spent in these parts. MK’s interest can't hide the real situation. Too many years floundering and letting football, basically Man U , hoover up new sports interest. Its profile is pretty much bouncing along the bottom. Grassroots is shrivelling – amalgamations at junior level tell you everything. You will never reverse the trend of twenty + years of decline just like that – even if Salford suddenly find a winning team. Consistent big crowds ain’t never going to happen again – anytime soon. And certainly not at Barton. Rugby league is a parochial game it needs to be close to a critical mass of solid support. Where is Salford’s critical mass of support? – Its certainly not Swinton, Worsley , Eccles, Irlam etc- supposedly districts of Salford but hardly teeming with Salford support. The indifference and detachment from Salford rugby is a mirror of the widespread indifference and detachment from Salford as a place . It will take another few years to fix that one – if it can be fixed at all. Salford’s sojourn at Barton is doomed to end in tears on the current trajectory. They may as well get ahead of it and have a plan in place to preserve something. Something they can build from again. And something more secure.

Re: The Willows : Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:31 pm  

The Big Panjandrum wrote:

Rugby league is currently spent in these parts. MK’s interest can't hide the real situation. Too many years floundering and letting football, basically Man U , hoover up new sports interest. Its profile is pretty much bouncing along the bottom. Grassroots is shrivelling – amalgamations at junior level tell you everything. You will never reverse the trend of twenty + years of decline just like that – even if Salford suddenly find a winning team. Consistent big crowds ain’t never going to happen again – anytime soon. And certainly not at Barton. Rugby league is a parochial game it needs to be close to a critical mass of solid support. Where is Salford’s critical mass of support? – Its certainly not Swinton, Worsley , Eccles, Irlam etc- supposedly districts of Salford but hardly teeming with Salford support. The indifference and detachment from Salford rugby is a mirror of the widespread indifference and detachment from Salford as a place . It will take another few years to fix that one – if it can be fixed at all. Salford’s sojourn at Barton is doomed to end in tears on the current trajectory. They may as well get ahead of it and have a plan in place to preserve something. Something they can build from again. And something more secure.

yes

Re: The Willows : Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:40 pm  

A Panjandrum basically is a `know all`. What we have here though is a self confessed `Big Know all`. Dearie me.

If the lad was fighting in 1946 then we would all be speaking German. Come on lad show a bit of positivity. As the Butcher says - look forward not back.

Sale somehow still get 4700 to watch their inferior game. That must be our initial average target though the fixture list was obviously prepared by Nigel Wood to keep MK in a Mr Angry mode.

If we can aim for an equivalent start of 7,000 as with the Wakey game AND put up a decent show I feel very optimistic about the future and thats why imo The Big P is well wide of the mark.

Re: The Willows : Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:52 pm  

The Big Panjandrum wrote:

Rugby league is currently spent in these parts. MK’s interest can't hide the real situation. Too many years floundering and letting football, basically Man U , hoover up new sports interest. Its profile is pretty much bouncing along the bottom. Grassroots is shrivelling – amalgamations at junior level tell you everything. You will never reverse the trend of twenty + years of decline just like that – even if Salford suddenly find a winning team. Consistent big crowds ain’t never going to happen again – anytime soon. And certainly not at Barton. Rugby league is a parochial game it needs to be close to a critical mass of solid support. Where is Salford’s critical mass of support? – Its certainly not Swinton, Worsley , Eccles, Irlam etc- supposedly districts of Salford but hardly teeming with Salford support. The indifference and detachment from Salford rugby is a mirror of the widespread indifference and detachment from Salford as a place . It will take another few years to fix that one – if it can be fixed at all. Salford’s sojourn at Barton is doomed to end in tears on the current trajectory. They may as well get ahead of it and have a plan in place to preserve something. Something they can build from again. And something more secure.

This is spot on.

Re: The Willows : Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:55 pm  

Are you a Salford fan Mario, a question you've been asked a couple of times but studiously avoided.

Re: The Willows : Fri Nov 21, 2014 8:30 am  

I am no fan of the Barton stadium and very critical of its placement.
However I have no choice in where the club play: I either accept it or move away to another pursuit. Nor have I a say in the team selection, the tactics we follow or the price of the half-time pie.
I therefore, as with much of my life, accept things are not perfect.

A ground I really miss is Watersheddings but no one can regret that mixed aroma of hot dogs with onions and old urine that wafted from the left corner of the home stand (Ripponden Road end) (the burger seller was beside the toilet). We had a similar issue in the '70's at the Willows (Wortley Avenue entrance).

Nostalgia always makes imperfection good.

Re: The Willows : Fri Nov 21, 2014 11:08 am  

How many Salford fans actually come from/live in Weaste?

I seem to remember there was once a poll taken asking where fans lived. I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that very few people actually lived in Weaste.

So the whole 'heart of the community' argument doesn't do anything for me.

I don't live in Salford, nor do a lot of other fans.

Re: The Willows : Fri Nov 21, 2014 11:40 am  

The Perry Boy wrote:

How many Salford fans actually come from/live in Weaste?

I seem to remember there was once a poll taken asking where fans lived. I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that very few people actually lived in Weaste.

So the whole 'heart of the community' argument doesn't do anything for me.

I don't live in Salford, nor do a lot of other fans.

This is pretty spot on.

Re: The Willows : Fri Nov 21, 2014 11:48 am  

Its an Urban Myth isnt it?

Re: The Willows : Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:44 pm  

The Perry Boy wrote:

How many Salford fans actually come from/live in Weaste?

I seem to remember there was once a poll taken asking where fans lived. I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that very few people actually lived in Weaste.

So the whole 'heart of the community' argument doesn't do anything for me.

I don't live in Salford, nor do a lot of other fans.

And some of us are not even English, or live in the Salford, let alone Greater Manchester area