Moseley's Proposed Fixtures For Stage 2 - Group C

[Communications Team]

Playoff Group C - Moseley's Proposed Fixtures

Friday 9th March - Plymouth Albion (H)

16th-18th March - London Scottish (A)

Friday 23rd March - Esher (H)

30th March-1st April - Esher (A)

Saturday 14th April - London Scottish + Old Players Reunion (H)

Saturday 21st April - Plymouth Albion (A)

Kick Off Times + Away Fixtures To Be Confirmed.

[lboromose]

reposted from another thread


2 out of 3 home games on a Friday. Clearly the club does not listen at all to what many fans have consistently said on this site. People travel from distance and support the club all season and when it comes to the games that matter they chose a night when travelling is difficult especially for those who work (no wonder when I went to the members AGM last year I was one of the few non-retired people there!). Moseley has (had?) many fans who travel a good distance to support the club and surprisingly have to work too. If I had known at the start of the season this I would happen I wouldn’t have bothered buying season tickets. I wont be bothering next season which ever league it is. And yes I know I can use the extra tickets to bring friends to the one match I can get to – but my main objective in buying tickets was to support the club not to give them away to people who, if they were that bothered could get their own.

I appreciate that there are people who play Saturdays and cant come then but can get to the Friday games. I hope these couple of times a year supporters who are more valuable to the club will shell out for a season ticket just for the two matches and drink a seasons worth of alcohol in the bar so the club don’t lose out!

[gary]

Apart from simply being awkward to away teams and supporters (surely we can't be as petty minded as this) can the 'Communication Team' explain the logic behind having 2 of our 3 home play off games on Friday nights? Are there financial reasons? - Do the players and coaches want it?

It seems strange to announce the dates so quickly after the game this afternoon so I presume the decision must have been made some time ago.

Although I will be able to attend I have a lot of sympathy with those like Iboromose and I must say that many supporters will surely not welcome the decision. I would also have thought that it might be easier to 'market' a Saturday 3pm game more easily than a 'cold' Friday night fixture.

Is it too late for a rethink?

[Mr Steve]

Quite right Gary, although I can make it on Fridays I know there are many who can't. For such important games surely its best to stick to the traditional Saturday 3pm kick offs?

[bunji]

I'm going to keep this simple as Ive said my view about Friday night games. I go every home Saturday game with 2 family members but will now not be interested in what happens in the playoffs .I will always support Mose but I am going to keep my money in my pocket next season.

[Admin]

I must say I'm a bit confused as to why people are still disagreeing with Friday night fixtures. I understand that there are travel elements for some but the stats show that we simply play better on a Friday night. Also both home and away support is usually higher on a Friday than a Saturday. What also concerns is the fact that so many are quick enough to simply say that will no longer 'support' Moseley because of 2 Friday night games. Where's the logic? Perhaps if we spent a little more time backing the team then the world would be a happier place

[Rich]

Well said Neil, I'm with you (although not sure we get bigger crowds!?).

I hope we can wrap up safety before those final 2 games!!

[vincebrum]

I looked at this and I thought I must be in a nightmare! Are the club completely mad! A large number of us are not going to be able to get to the Friday games. And we have paid for these matches! For me this is probably the last straw after 40 years of supporting Moseley. Why should I bother spending money on a club that obviously doesn't care about its supporters.

[lboromose]

In response to Neil – you are easily confused the argument is quite clear! I am also surprised that you seriously think that the fact Moseley have won some games on a Friday is due to the fact we played on a Friday!!!! (Statistically there is not a significant sample size to say this anyway). So with your 'logic' its the Friday thats a ‘lucky charm’ for the club. With this sort of thinking its no surprise we are in the playoffs for the third year on the trot – when other clubs think that good players, good coaches, tactics and fitness may be the answer – we are relying on the fact we can play on our ‘lucky night’! Surely this is just Neil’s view and not put forward by the club as a serious consideration for Friday night games!

Also no-one has said that they will not support the club anymore – just that they will not buy season tickets. Also I would like to guess the people making these statements have ‘supported’ the club for longer then you have and travel further to do so – so I would not doubt their commitment through thin and thinner in recent years! It is also impossible to support the club if you cant get to the games to do so. Clearly not a problem for you.

I will be happy to put the clubs considerations above my own if someone can explain, a serious reason, to how the club gain from it.

The debate about Friday fixtures has been on this thread several times and it was my impression the club said we may play the odd (maybe one) game on a Friday but that would be it. (maybe I was dreaming). But there was never any doubt about the difficultly it creates for many long term supporters. Maybe we could have a response from the club to explain the decision and this understanding will help bring those of us who have problems with this back on side.

Or maybe the most significant pre-season signing next year will be a lucky rabbits foot!

[welshexile1963]

I HATE fri night matches I come by 2 buses and then get home very late, I have to leave work early travel from walsall to Kingstanding then from Kingstanding to the ground, and if I have to bring my girls as well due to my wife working a fri night it makes it even more of a pain. I will seriously have to reconsider coming to the fri play off matches and also buying a season ticket next season, I like my rugby on a Saturday. But I will still support the club next season by coming to the Sat matches.

[Admin]

I still stick with my comment, and as I said I do feel for traveling fans, but we are getting more and more away fans travel each week, no matter the day. And also withdrawing from season tickets in my eyes is giving up support. Season ticket sales are a massive income for the club, and are also cheaper than paying for every game. To decline season tickets over 3 Friday night games in a season seems a strange idea to me but hey as I as I said I'm sticking to my comments and others will with theirs. It's a shame to see crowds dropping season after season and Friday nights seem to be a main reason for non renewal of season tickets.

Can I just say that my comments are in no shape or form the opinions of the MSA, they are my own individual opinions.

[lboromose]

Its not just three Friday night games. It is 2 of the 3 most important games of the season and an argument in favour of Friday fixtures would be more convincing of it affected the person making the statement.

I have no idea what the away fans have to do with the argument especially if it doesn’t change whatever the night.

You are suggesting that we should support the club by buying season tickets when we cant get there to support the team – not my idea of support at all.

Every decision the club make will have a consequence and presumably some benefit to trade off. The decision that has been made has benefits that I for one cannot see. The known consequence is that the support of many who have to travel to watch Moseley and have to work are dispensable. The message to these fans is clear – we want your money but you are not valued by the club! Crowds are dropping if the club really think the answer to that is Friday night fixtures - all fixtures would be on that night. I have no doubt the attendances for the 2 play-off games, due to their importance, will be good. People where possible will make an effort that they could not do week in week out. This decision will in my opinion accelerate the crowds dropping.

My last comment on the subject – will see if we get any feedback from the club on what the perceived benefits are – which would be appreciated.

[stevep]

No kick-off time is going to keep everyone happy. I wouldn't have been able to make the Plymouth and Esher play-off games if they'd been on saturday afternoons, so personally I'm pleased to see how the fixtures have been arranged. Others clearly aren't. But I'm guessing it's fair to assume that the club has taken into account the likely effect on attendance of a friday night game (the Plymouth game in regular season attracted a healthy crowd on a filthy night), and any possible advantage over our opponents. Given that these next few games determine whether Moseley stay in the Championship or drop into League One (with all the implications of the loss of RFU funding), I'm happy for them to do whatever they think is best for the future of the club.

Btw, my opinion would have been the same if the two fixtures had been on saturdays. Yes, I'd have had to miss them, but I'd still have been urging Moseley on. I hope to be doing so in the Championship again next year. :-)

[bunji]

Fair enough one game on a Friday v Plymouth tit for tat I think untill the clubs states otherwise, but the Esher game,have they announced Friday night home games ,is that it? By the way the London Scottish game has been kept to a Saturday,is this because of the old players reunion and people having to travel on a Friday night is difficult for some. Hopefully the club may let the fans know.

[bunji]

Moseley finished the season in tenth place so surely mose should play their last match in the playoffs at home .I know this was mentioned we wanted if we ended up nineth, miffed by that ,well the whole playoff system in my opinion is a joke.By the way Eshers home games in the playoffs are all Saturdays ,well done to them on that.

[blackandredhead]

I think its time to move on and focus on suporting Moseley winning our playoff games including the friday night games !!!

[studleyken]

I agree rugby should be played on a Saturday at 3 O'clock as tradition has dictated through history but today people seem to try to play mind games to "phase" the opposition. It does not work. For fully professional teams it does not matter when they play. None of the players or club officials have to re-arrange schedules (leave work early etc) to get to the game if it is not played on a Saturday, it is just a part of their working week. It is teams like Mosely who are semi-pro with volunteer workers and part time players with full or part time jobs who it probably affects the most.
The worst situation for most long distance traveller fans is a Friday night fixture. I fully sympathise with you. But, judging by the message board response to the play-off fixture list, for and against, the people that have posted messages and replys are obviously all true fans, many of long standing, but I feel that no matter how aggrieved and obviously dissopointed you are, threatening to stop coming to the club or not buy season tickets next year will in the long run be a bit like cutting of your nose off to spite your face. You will be taking away what is an important, and, hopefully, very pleasurable part of your lives, which will not be easily replaced.
I am not saying it is time to move on, I am saying please continue to support Mosely whatever the situation and carry on trying to change the situation if you think it warrants it but from the inside not by stopping your support. Carry on posting your oppinions, have a say at meetings, ( there is one with Kevin Maggs etc shortly, admittedly on an evening) and talk to club officials on match days, they are normally in the club house before and after the game and are approachable.
I hope we all want the best for Moseley RFC, your responses seem to suggest that it is the case, so lets keep supporting the team/club especially during the playoffs, we want/need to stay up.
Come on you Mooooose.

[watcher]

The message said "Moseley's PROPOSED fixtures" so we should wait until this is checked out to see if this can be done and the actual dates have been determined and confirmed. The main thrust of the message seemed to me to be advising who we would be playing on what weekends now that the play off positions had been determined rather than a definitive statement about times. Hence the word "proposed"! I'm sure that the powers that be will take all the factors and views into account when making the final decision.

[Littlemissminx]

Seriously guys and gals lets just get behind the team. It blows that were in the play offs for the 3rd year in a row so we need to get behind the team even more than ever !
You can never please everyone whether it be fixtures, clothing prices in the club shop or drinks prices in the bar ! but one thing is sure we need to support our players !!!!!

[welshexile1963]

I want to be there to support the team at every game, the odd night game during the regular season I can stand but 3 of the 4 home play off games being Fri night games I cannot do, so the club will lose what I usually spend on a Sat when I bring my girls, we are not all fortunate enought to be able to drive there or live in very close proximity to the ground. I will probably do one of the Fri night games and the Sat game, as for not buying a season ticket next season that is my prerogative.

[CJB1]

Feb 27, 2012 16:58:52 GMT welshexile1963 said:

I want to be there to support the team at every game, the odd night game during the regular season I can stand but 3 of the 4 home play off games being Fri night games I cannot do, so the club will lose what I usually spend on a Sat when I bring my girls, we are not all fortunate enought to be able to drive there or live in very close proximity to the ground. I will probably do one of the Fri night games and the Sat game, as for not buying a season ticket next season that is my prerogative.

It's just 2 of 3 home games, Welshie, assuming it's confirmed.

I have to say that it's no problem for me, I live a 10 minute walk from the ground, but I do hear the grumbles from those further away and hope that their views are not ignored. What does irk me more is an increasing tendency by some of our opponents to schedule nearly all their home games on Sundays. But I guess that we can't do anything about that.

[robheap]

Unfortunately I shan't be able to make the Plymouth game on 9th March, due to a previous engagement, but I will be going to the other 2 home games, even if one of them is on a friday night. we may also go to the last game at Brickfields in Plymouth.

if welsh exile needs a lift to any of the games, as I live in sutton and have to go through Kingstanding to get to Billesley, then I would be happy to give you a lift to the ground.

[CJB1]

Any news from Scottish yet?

[studleyken]

Looks like Richmond are at home on the Sat. so the LS game will almost certainly be on the Sunday. Looks like we will have to find a nice little pub to have our Sun. lunch in. The food at the ground is worse than useless.
Come on you Mooooose.

[londonexile]

If you're thinking of having Sunday lunch in Richmond I can recommend The Duke's Head. It's about 15mins from LS ground but well worth it. Young's, London Pride & a beer from the Twickenham Brewery on tap:
www.dukesheadrichmond.com/
Closer to the ground is The Sun (wall to wall rugby memorabilia) but it's pricey - nearly £4 for a pint of Pride!

[johnnie1958]

i also read about if we finished 9th we would finish the play offs with a home game am i right in saying that according to the rugby paper the r f u are scraping the play offs and having it the same as the premiership but it has to get approval

[CJB1]

Feb 28, 2012 16:27:26 GMT johnnie1958 said:

i also read about if we finished 9th we would finish the play offs with a home game ...

We finished 10th, so start with a home game and finish away.

[CJB1]

Feb 28, 2012 13:23:48 GMT CJB1 said:

Any news from Scottish yet?

Answering my own question, the Scottish site is showing Sunday 18th at 2pm.

[studleyken]

Thanks Londonexile. We will look it up on the website and probably give it a go.
Come on you Mooooose.

[watcher]

I don't believe that Scottish will be permitted to play their game on Sunday 18th. The rules clearly stipulate that all the final games will kick off at the same time of 3pm on Saturday 17th. This is to ensure that no one club can gain an advantage over another by knowing exactly what they have to do to stay up. If Scottish do not have primacy of tenure at their ground and have read the rules they will have to play on the specified date. If they don't then one possible sanction would be to ignore any points obtained on the Saturday. That would be tough on their opponents but also could possibly be dangerous for them. I see a bit storm brewing on this one! (We play the Scottish away on March 17th so it will not affect us but will Esher I think Scottish's last opponents). Scottish should have known the rules before promotion and if they did not then they should have familiarised themselves with them! Why should other clubs be put out becuase. It is bad enought that we have to accommodate clubs sharing with cricket clubs who "cannot" pay at home during April or early September!)