MORE than 2,000 Warrington Wolves fans completed a survey on how the club is performing.

Now, one month later the club is revealing the results and what it intends to do about the issues raised.

Over the next few weeks, the Warrington Guardian will be analysing what you said and looking at what the future holds.

Launched in May some 2,107 fans took part, 1,500 of them within the first 48 hours.

Five key areas of improvement were raised

  • The brand and identity
  • The online platforms – ticketing, retail, website
  • Fan experience (both match day and non match day)
  • The retail operation
  • Engagement strategy with fans

Now a series of fans forums are taking place for more detailed feedback.

Some 849 people are taking part on themes such as membership, fan experience, match day, media, retail, hospitality, stadium and operations.

Warrington Guardian:

A LACK of belonging and identity among Warrington Wolves fans has been highlighted as the first priority for the club to tackle.

Bosses at The Halliwell Jones Stadium say getting this right is the ‘foundation’ in improvement.

Roger Draper, Wolves chief executive, said: “In the feedback, several points kept coming up and these were around the town, the club and the name. 

“Fans feel the town is hugely important; our heritage. Our club, branded as the Wolves, is a great characteristic to have with 51 per cent of fans saying that Wolfie was integral to their fan experience on match days. 

“However in our current offering of ‘Warrington Wolves’ our sense of origin, being ‘The Wire’, has been lost. 

“Supporters of all ages referred to ‘The Wire’ as a crucial part of the club’s DNA.”
Mr Draper says this needs putting right before anything else is done.

He added: “As a result of the fans’ feedback, before we look to launch a new website or membership scheme, we have taken a step back to address the brand. 

“Over the coming months we will be looking at the outcomes of the survey starting next week with the brand. 

“This, in turn, will lead us into August when we will look to pilot a new membership scheme and website portal.”

WARRINGTON Wolves are calling on their fans to help them become the best club in rugby league.

And with more than 2,000 filling in an online survey and many now taking part in face-to-face feedback forums, plenty are happy to be involved.

But as lifelong supporter Gary Daniels says, the proof of how much bosses have been listening will be what happens over the coming months.

The 41-year-old has been to all five forums so far and believes that simply the existence of the survey marks a genuine step forward in the relationship between the club and its supporters.

He said: “This is the first time in living memory that they have done this and just the fact they have done it makes it so important.

“It is like an election. If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to moan. And it is the same here.”

Student Gary, who stands in the South Stand with family and friends from Rylands Sharks, said hints of a membership scheme in the survey were among the most intriguing.

He added: “If it is done right, this could be really good. If it is done as a season ticket by another name it won’t be.

“It can’t just be a credit card, the members must get extras. So in one forum we talked about a members-only polo shirt.

Warrington Guardian:

“Tony Smith and the team have done everything so professionally, from the players to the training pitch. But the club has not been the same.

“If we can do everything 100 per cent, we can be the best. 

“If we can only do it 50 per cent, then we shouldn’t bother.”

And Gary believes setting up a permanent fans forum could be the key to making sure this dialogue continues beyond the current exercise.

“The club is listening but is it hearing? I think a permanent group in place to liaise between the fans and the club would really help.

“The proof is in the eating.

“But the club are as keen as we are. A lot of our frustrations are shared by the club. It is now about them doing it.”