Fans will vote with feet after Euro woe
SO, that’s the excitement of a European campaign over again for Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors. No wonder the fans are getting frustrated.
Their teams are packed full of Scottish internationals, yet still they can’t even get close to making the final of the second-tier Challenge Cup.
In Saturday’s quarter-finals, Wasps beat Edinburgh at the DAM Health Stadium, while Glasgow were ahead until the 70th-minute away to Lyon before they imploded when the pressure was on.
Both sides also failed to make the top four in the United Rugby Championship and are facing tough away matches in the play-offs.
It’s understandable that supporters of the two teams, particularly those at Glasgow who have never bought into the appointment of Danny Wilson as head coach, are losing patience.
They have remained loyal but they aren’t daft — and are starting to vote with their feet.
Look at the Edinburgh game as an example.
Wasps brought a lot of their supporters north for a match that should have been a sell-out well in advance. Instead, the crowd of 6,431 was well short of the 7,800 capacity. The sold-out signs haven’t been seen much either at the 7,400 capacity Scotstoun stadium. They were a regular occurrence in years gone by.
The derby between Edinburgh and Glasgow still attracts massive interest. And their final league match of the regulation season at BT Murrayfield in a fortnight’s time is of no little significance either.
The winner goes straight into next season’s Heineken Champions Cup, where the pay day is high because of the lucrative television contract. The losers, by contrast, will play in the Challenge Cup. where only the knockout stages are televised.
An attendance of more than 20,000 is expected on May 21. But that level of crowd is very much a one-off now.
The inability of Edinburgh and Glasgow to sell out their respective grounds for regular league matches this season will hit both of their finances hard.
Reduced money will limit the number of new players they can sign for next season.
So far there have been no exciting additions made by either club, so where are the signs that they can challenge in Europe next season or lure back fans who have lost interest?
Edinburgh have lost the services of back-row forward Magnus Bradbury, who was man of the match against Wasps.
He’s been tempted away by a big-money offer from Bristol Bears. At least they have signed Scotland international Sam Skinner from Bath, who is the best signing to date by either Scottish side.
Glasgow are losing fans’ favourite Rob Harley at the end of the season, as well as second row Kiran McDonald, who is joining Wasps, while centre Peter Horne has retired.
They have brought in second row J P du Preez from Sale Sharks and Tongan No8 Sione Vailanu from Worcester Warriors.
With the best will in the world, these new signings aren’t going to pack them in at Scotstoun.
Higher-profile players must be sought to make up for the loss of the likes of Harley.
Fans of both clubs need a boost. And it has to come in the shape of new investment from the SRU which shows they are determined to end the days of being nearly men in European rugby.