The Salford Red Devils have recently introduced a community ticket scheme which allows registered charities, community groups and clubs to keep 50% of the revenue generated to fund their respective causes, by selling tickets on behalf of the club.
Dubbed the ‘East Stand Initiative’ by Salford Red Devils Director Andrew Rosler, the Salford community ticket scheme will see a generally unused stand filled with locals who are passionate about furthering the interests of their community.
Whilst only in its infancy, the scheme has already gathered a handful of community groups who are reaping the benefits.
Mr Rosler said:
“One of our challenges is to get people to understand the scheme and take advantage of it, increasing the profile of the initiative, sooner rather than later. We will be targeting some community groups, having the players go in to see them, distributing the tickets etcetera.
“There may be a perception at the minute that it’s (only) local sporting groups that can benefit, but it’s any community group.”
Salford Red Devils itself, is now owned by a community interest group and as a result is looking to further involve itself within the community.
The group’s main objectives is to promote the club, increase local participation in sport and, more generally, any community interests in Salford and the wider region, as can be seen with the East Stand Initiative.
Mr. Rosler said:
“As the uptake increases the club will be increasing its profile in the local community and be able to showcase the Club, Rugby League and the stadium. There may be more people who have not had the opportunity or advantage of going to a game before so we want to facilitate this and also give those who have never played the game an insight into how they can get involved. If interest exists, they will be encouraged to join community clubs or even the under-16’s foundation program which runs at the stadium.”
There is also a hope that the ‘East Stand Initiative’ will benefit the Salford Red Devils’ first team; more funding for local clubs will further player development from a grassroots level, resulting in Salford’s own talent coming through.
Mr. Rosler said:
“Obviously if we can find some home grown talent based on the proceeds of the foundation then, the community is actively taking a part in funding, finding and developing players from the local area right into the first team which is something the clubs hasn’t managed to sustain in its recent history.
“The club doesn’t have any girls or women teams that play rugby league, so we will be looking to increase the profile rugby league in the schools. Rugby League is a family game and we are actively encouraging more girls and women to get involved.
“The advantage of this initiative is that there may be people who would not normally have bought a ticket from the club, but they feel encouraged to help out their local community club or chosen Charity. Clearly this may effect and improve the lives and areas that the community clubs serve and it’s a different way of helping out.
“If the club is able to help them facilitate some additional revenue whilst helping itself and issue a development program, then it’s a way of binding the club to the community that it never has managed to engage before.”
Join us on our new initiative to help raise money for the great causes in our community. pic.twitter.com/omrQ10akLa
— Salford Red Devils (@SalfordDevils) January 20, 2018
Another benefit of the ‘East Stand Initiative’ is that seats in an otherwise empty stand are now full. As a result of this, the atmosphere the stadium produces gets better and better as the scheme grows.
“The most important thing from my own perspective is getting the stadium full, having it full of people that have a genuine interest in the community. Those community groups will hopefully prosper and then, the additional fans then may become fans for life.
“In addition to showcasing the game, the stadium itself is open 365 days a year, we only play 14 games so we are hoping the community will experience the stadium and that some of those community groups will look at having events at the stadium which again improves the viability of the stadium which is positive for the City and in turn good for the community.” Said Mr. Rosler.
Salford Red Devils RLFC
✍ Salford Red Devils Director Andrew Rosler discusses the East Stand, the Community Ticket initiative which was launched last month and the Salford Red Devils Foundation’s involvement in the scheme.
Read ➡ https://t.co/8V7SiorhHP pic.twitter.com/hR0XxAEqdr— DH Salford Red Devil (@DHRedDevilFans) March 2, 2018
Tickets are priced at £20 for Adults, £10 for u16’s and u11’s enter for free with a paying adult.
To find out more on the many ways the East Stand Initiative can earn money for your good cause, contact Salford Red Devils at: communitytickets@salfordreddevils.net
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