Vipers improve form to help attendances

NEWCASTLE, UK – Newcastle Vipers will be hoping that their attendances will improve now that the Tyneside based side are once again playing at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle rather than at the Hillheads rink at Whitley Bay.
Vipers played their 3 recent home Challenge Cup home games at Whitley Bay in front of few fans in the first 2 fixtures on North Tyneside. However after a plea from the clubs management that attendances had to improve for Coach Wilson’s side to survive , the Vipers attracted a healthy crowd to Hillheads for the clash against the Belfast Giants in the Challenge Cup even though the Vipers were unable to progress in the competition.
Newcastle’s first 2 home games back at the Arena were last weekend against the Coventry Blaze on Saturday and Elite League strugglers Hull Stingrays on Sunday. Vipers were able to take 3 points from the home double header however neither game attracted a large crowd which will be a worry for the organisation on the whole. It is possible that a number of the clubs fans have been discouraged from attending games now that Vipers are moving between the 2 buildings rather than having a permanent home which the club will play in week in week out.

The Arena has been the organisation’s home venue since the club came into existence in 2005 and the only home games that Vipers have been played away from Newcastle in that time have been when the Arena was unavailable due to prior bookings. However the Vipers management team are now aware that for the club to survive in these tough economic times they have to be viable financially and by playing out of Whitley Bay the organisation’s overheads are significantly reduced which will aid the club as they aim to survive in the Elite League beyond the end of the current campaign.
Newcastle’s next home game is on Sunday when they take on Nottingham Panthers at the Arena. Panthers are one of the best supported clubs in the Elite League and the side from the Lace City will no doubt bring a great number of travelling fans with them which will help to boost the crowd. The visit of Panthers who have a number of quality players in their squad such as player coach Corey Neilson, league leading points scorer Jade Galbraith and top forward Sean McAslan may well also boost the number of home fans who make their way to Arena for the game on the 8^th November (face off 5.30pm).
Vipers have 3 home games at the Arena after the Panthers visit and it is hoped that the games against Cardiff, Belfast and Sheffield will see a greater number of fans watch Coach Wilson’s side in action. The club have launched a “Drive for 5” campaign in the hope of attracting 5,000 fans to the last 2 games that are scheduled to be played at the Arena on the 21^st and 22^nd of November. Attracting such a large crowd seems unlikely as Vipers attendances have only been around the 1500 mark for most of this term, but in true Vipers style they’ll give it their best shot.
Contact the author Chris.MacKenzie@prohockeynews.com