Tradition
A slightly tangential issue brought up on occasion is that the inclusion of ‘foreign’ teams, Toronto especially, prevents supporters from attending all their team’s matches. Fans who follow their club on the road say that they simply can’t afford the money or time to go to these away games, and they’re upset about that fact.
While it definitely is disappointing that one can’t follow one’s personal tradition of going to every game, the fact remains that it’s not a requirement. A club is not going to turn away a supporter because they didn’t follow them across the English Channel, or over the Atlantic, or through the Pennines for that matter. Support your club as you feel is right for you, and as your pocketbook allows.
The Australian Experience
Teams in the NRL and their supporters provide an excellent comparison point. There are a number of clubs that are physically very close together, in the Sydney area. At the same time there are clubs much further afield. The New Zealand Warriors require flights, and trips to Melbourne, North Queensland, Brisbane, and Canberra require either very long drives, or a plane trip. What is their experience with away supporters?
With the Sydney-based teams, supporters will follow them, especially within Sydney. Lack of public transport can make it difficult to get to some venues in the area, like Brookvale (Manly-Warringah), which reduces visitors. Newcastle, Melbourne, and Brisbane have a significant contingent of fans supporting their team on the road but, again, greater distances to the opposition reduce those numbers. Other clubs outside of Sydney bring very few fans with them.
Another factor is the availability of a team’s matches on Pay TV in Australia. If one can’t easily go to a game, chances are it can be seen on TV. While some see this as detrimental to attendances, others see it as crucial for both the revenue and the people who simply can’t attend.
Time, money, and the realities of geography in the NRL make it highly unlikely one would hear anywhere near the level of complaining that certain teams don’t bring away supporters.
