Good evening and welcome to the Hangar for the final Saturday home game of 2013. Our next two home fixtures are Sundays and we don’t play the weekend after meaning this is our last Saturday meeting before 2014. Make no mistake we still have a couple of crackers in the countdown to Christmas as next weekend we play Basingstoke at home and the weekend after a away and home weekend with MK Lightning.
Last weekend was another tough one with a home loss to Phantoms followed up by a road win at the newly affluent Telford Tigers. It’s tough times right now as the Jets adjust to the new streamlined squad and it gets no easier as the Flames are the opponents tonight. Guildford are right up there challenging for yet another league title this season and will want to leave here with points to add to that quest this evening. Looking back the last meeting between the two teams saw the Jets take away the points from a Spectrum trip so let’s see what tonight brings.
Despite what some people have said the average attendance still isn’t heading in a healthy direction. Over the month of November the season’s average to date has dropped by 21 people (5.5%) which makes a massive difference. Attendance isn’t all just about income. It’s about atmosphere, it’s about promotion, and it’s about family. Traditionally we’ve always had a great family environment at home games so imagine the horror last weekend when I found out that a family had asked for a refund and then left midway through the first period because they felt uncomfortable in a negative and unwelcoming atmosphere! That’s the first time I’ve heard of someone asking for a refund for that reason but it’s not the first time I’ve heard of that said by new supporters that haven’t been seen again! We know we are better than that so let’s leave the politics, the squabbling and the arguing and let’s get back to a warm, welcoming united family which encourages and positively greets newbies. Everyone was one once so let’s all work had to support the club’s efforts in bringing newbies into the Jets family.
Enjoy the game
Mark
