Not as MASSIVE as we would be.

[Guest pwilkysowls]

if newcastle had spent the last 15 or wot ever years on there arse then they wouldnt have none of that,and i dont think they would have got the crowds we have managed either

yes were miles behind ,thats why the premiership is were its at..........

newcastle fans have been very loyal and you have to admit a bigger fan base than we have just now

[oh_weds_we_love_you]

OK, my mistake, 10 miles compared to 5 between Hillsborough and the lane.

Not a lot of difference.

Have another go!

[since59owe]

I rumbleing hate Newcastle.

Been there when there was about 12000 inc. 2000ish of us.

Self proclaiming myth mother fookers.

Won me £30 in '74 when they lost f.a. cup 3-0.

[Pompeyowl]

Before I get slated for posting this, please read the whole thing and look at the possitive message I am trying to project.

Am in Newcastle for a day trip and decided to take a trip to their ground. I have to admit, the difference between them and us is huge.

Obviously the stadium is much bigger but it is so much more up to date. It has several businesses incorporated into it as well.

The shop is at least twice as big and has four times the stock. Because the stock is in much bigger bulk it is much cheaper as well. £7 for a golfing umbrella, £11 for a hoodie etc.

You go into a newsagents and there are several fanzines available. Can't remember the last time I saw a Wednesday fanzine.

So why am I pointing this all out? I'm not doing it to slag Wednesday off, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps getting to the Premiership will do it, but I suspect we need to be more proactive than that e.g. Get the stadium upgraded, improve the commercial side, get the club a bigger image in the local area etc.

The good news is that I think we have an infer structure in place now that will allow us to start making these changes. Having been so impressed with the size of Newcastle United, I can't wait until we can start to catch up to teams like this.

But don't rebrand Hillsborough to the Suggs Sport stadium please.

I think this is the most fundamental key to growing. Get local shops selling Owls merchandise again so the kids have it shoved in their faces everywhere they go..... After all, they are the future, so why not do all we can to get them on the clean side of the city?

It doesn't effect me, but why is it that you go into sports shops and can't get the local team's shirt like you used to? Nowadays you can only get the Arsenals, Manures, Chelseas etc. Why not make it so you can pick up a kiddie's Owls shirt in whichever sports shop without having to make a trip down to HIllsborough?

Years ago Pompey used to sell programmes in the local newsagents, why not try that?

Sheffield Wednesday shouldn't be just a Saturday afternoon/Tuesday evening thing..... Push it on people to make it a more 24/7 thing!

[Bluesteel]

Before I get slated for posting this, please read the whole thing and look at the possitive message I am trying to project.

Am in Newcastle for a day trip and decided to take a trip to their ground. I have to admit, the difference between them and us is huge.

Obviously the stadium is much bigger but it is so much more up to date. It has several businesses incorporated into it as well.

The shop is at least twice as big and has four times the stock. Because the stock is in much bigger bulk it is much cheaper as well. £7 for a golfing umbrella, £11 for a hoodie etc.

You go into a newsagents and there are several fanzines available. Can't remember the last time I saw a Wednesday fanzine.

So why am I pointing this all out? I'm not doing it to slag Wednesday off, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps getting to the Premiership will do it, but I suspect we need to be more proactive than that e.g. Get the stadium upgraded, improve the commercial side, get the club a bigger image in the local area etc.

The good news is that I think we have an infer structure in place now that will allow us to start making these changes. Having been so impressed with the size of Newcastle United, I can't wait until we can start to catch up to teams like this.

But don't rebrand Hillsborough to the Suggs Sport stadium please.

I live in Newcastle and have made similar comparisons. Newcastle have a great club shop and a bar which does business in addition to top class conferencing facilities and break out areas to make money during the week, the big difference being though that Newcastle is the regional driver for the North East and that it is also slap bang in the city centre.

Sheffield Weds cant match that given our location and Sheffield isnt the main business centre in Yorkshire, Leeds need to make the most of that. But we do need to find a way of making money during the week at Hillsborough if possible.

On the plus side, I'm currently on holiday in Bali, full of Aussies and Japanese, but I put my Wednesday shirt on today and a couple of Wednesday fans suddenly came over to me to talk about our promotion season, Wednesdayites are everywhere I tell thee!

[Bluesteel]

Toon not that MASSIVE ! Who remembers them in old 2nd division 12,000 crowds FACT.

SKY created Newcastle United as it is today, they have been on the telly constantly for 20 years now. The boss at Sky is a MASSIVE Toon fan, plus the Keegan/Shepherd era generated so much more interest. That club has moved on from 12,000 fans, they generate so much more money than we can realistically hope for.

Their wage bill in the Championship shouldve crippled them but their ST sales coupled with their revenue from corporate events during the week saved them. Circumstances, TV and their Geographical location give them a MASSIVE advantage unfortunately. They are a very big club now and I cant see it changing.

[Bluesteel]

Don't forget the mighty Gateshead!

Toon screwed Gateshead and voted them out of the league to secure themselves, whereas we created Sheffield United!

[Bluesteel]

true, but it depends how you define it

st james park is only 6 miles from the stadium of light

there are two clubs in the Tyne-Tees conurbation

With the Toon and the Mackems its generally that the Toon can draw from much of Cumbria and Northumberland too, whilst Sunderland also takes a fair few from County Durham (which is also full of Toon fans). Thats where the crowds come from, our crowds are great to say that we have Leeds and Manchester within spitting distance not to mention the Dingles, Chesterfield, Rotherham on our doorstep. Even Darlington have fallen away in the North East now.

[Guest pwilkysowls]

Don't forget the mighty Gateshead!

and jon shaw?

[Ian_D]

Queen said MASSIVE yesterday, now thats a worthy mention.

I heard that too

[31Dec1966]

I honestly don't think there is a club in the country who would have maintained the support we have given the 15 years of crap abuse and failure we have. There certainly aren't many who could pull 38k v wycombe in the third division, and we still hold the record for the biggest ever third division gate.

I've said this before. Man City had one season in L1 and had huge crowds, they wou;ld equal us, but like plonk says, put Arsenal, Chelsea, even MU in our position, certainly Newcastle and they would NOT average 20,000. Most of the fans of these clubs are there because they're on TV, for the "fame". It's a myth that Newcastle have "great" support, with 2 clubs in the third division Sheffield's average attendance isn;t far short of theirs NOW!.

[S26UTO]

One club city = more support

Not entirely true; Manchester, Liverpool/Mersyside, London, Birmingham.

to be fair a City as big as Sheffield should have at least 1 team in the prem......... and the other in league 1.

We are MASSIVE though.

[FreshOwl]

Before I get slated for posting this, please read the whole thing and look at the possitive message I am trying to project.

Am in Newcastle for a day trip and decided to take a trip to their ground. I have to admit, the difference between them and us is huge.

Obviously the stadium is much bigger but it is so much more up to date. It has several businesses incorporated into it as well.

The shop is at least twice as big and has four times the stock. Because the stock is in much bigger bulk it is much cheaper as well. £7 for a golfing umbrella, £11 for a hoodie etc.

You go into a newsagents and there are several fanzines available. Can't remember the last time I saw a Wednesday fanzine.

So why am I pointing this all out? I'm not doing it to slag Wednesday off, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps getting to the Premiership will do it, but I suspect we need to be more proactive than that e.g. Get the stadium upgraded, improve the commercial side, get the club a bigger image in the local area etc.

The good news is that I think we have an infer structure in place now that will allow us to start making these changes. Having been so impressed with the size of Newcastle United, I can't wait until we can start to catch up to teams like this.

But don't rebrand Hillsborough to the Suggs Sport stadium please.

What are pointless thread. Why do you think the toon are miles ahead of us all over? they haven't been in the doldrums for 15yrs, I don't get the comparison

[horny owl]

newcastle fans have been very loyal and you have to admit a bigger fan base than we have just now

Not true^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Newcastle got pi$$ poor crowds when they were sh!te and certainly less than we got in the lower divisions even though they are a one team city.

Wednesday fans are better...........FACT.

[killaowl]

The north east conurbation is well over a million and has a fantastic transport infrastucture especially with the light railway/metro which makes it very easy for fans traveling from whitley bay/north shields to get to St James's, so its not surprising the crowds they now get. We do need more commercial revenue and if you have alook at wolves new stand it incorporates a MASSIVE sports bar and club superstore which is what we need when we rebuild. The idea of having the programme available in newsagents is a great idea surely they could print it on a sunday to be in the shops monday, then any left could be picked up sat morning to be sold later in the day, I know it wouldn't be possible every week with midweek games but you could have all week to read it not just 15mins at half time. This would surely create more interest for big games and ultimately sell more tickets.

[Leaping Lannys Perm]

The north east conurbation is well over a million and has a fantastic transport infrastucture especially with the light railway/metro which makes it very easy for fans traveling from whitley bay/north shields to get to St James's, so its not surprising the crowds they now get. We do need more commercial revenue and if you have alook at wolves new stand it incorporates a MASSIVE sports bar and club superstore which is what we need when we rebuild. The idea of having the programme available in newsagents is a great idea surely they could print it on a sunday to be in the shops monday, then any left could be picked up sat morning to be sold later in the day, I know it wouldn't be possible every week with midweek games but you could have all week to read it not just 15mins at half time. This would surely create more interest for big games and ultimately sell more tickets.

This is the big thing for me, creating more interest in the club. Getting our shirts in sports stores, selling programs further afield, holding more community events. They will all pay off in the long run.