There have been a number of posts on the message board recently, quite a few from people that nobody would consider to be “fair weather supporters”, saying that they would be reconsidering their season ticket purchase come renewal time on the basis that their commitments, journey constraints, unreliability of the fixture list, and possibly other considerations, all lump together to make it uneconomical to buy the “package” in circumstances where there are empty seats available for most games. 

I must come out in sympathy with their views, but on the other side of the coin there is the club’s position to consider – I can’t think of anyone in authority who now thinks that the present ground situation is sustainable in the long term: we are seeing already that just being able to say that you “play for Wasps” isn’t enough to attract the very best names to this club (and I wait for the examples where I am proved wrong … but note the use of “attract” i.e. weren’t developed here, and “best names” i.e. Sackey is now the best winger in England … but he wasn’t before he came here). 

And I wonder ... how long will it be before this lack of spons in the bank leads some of our talent, looking for a decent crack of the salary whip, to put on a tee-shirt that says "Once A Wasp, Always A Wasp, But I Got A Better Offer From ... (Insert Club Here)"?

Having something like 3000 seats less than any Club with a decent ground is (£25 * 3000 * 14) about a million pounds a year we are behind when it comes to budget and whatever this is spent on, be it salaries for players’ unborn children or other salary cap avoidance schemes or general bar staff and pie men, Wasps can’t keep on top and be so far behind in the money market. And we need better facilities! 

Mind you, having said that, I was in HairyQueen’s new stand bar on Monday night … and their beer service was equally as bad as ours, although they were less than charitable about having this pointed out. Why can’t clubs provide decent service? Mr Scrivener, please contact me regarding bar staff in case you need advice. 

And there’s no point trying to market the club to a wider audience.  If we get an audience of say 7500 every week, if a good marketing campaign attracts another 5000 potential, half of these will be told “sorry” and may never come back again … even to the new stadium. 

Ah, the new stadium. 

There’s the rub. 

I have lost count of all the times we have been told “new stadium”. 

I have been to presentations where the latest “new stadium” has been shown. 

The Cure For All Ills.

The Solution To All The Problems.

I’m just wondering. 

Will it ever be built, and if it is, will there be any season ticket holders left to fill it?

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