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Townsville Crocs on the brink?

The Townsville Crocodiles take on the Cairns Taipans, with only pride on the line. (Image: AAP)
Roar Guru
23rd November, 2015
6

NBL owner Larry Kestelman has urged Townsville basketball fans to get behind the Crocs and turn up to matches or face the real possibility of losing them for good.

While the NBL competition as a whole has had a great 2015-16 season to date, the Crocs attendances have dropped to average just 1700 for their home games in Townsville.

Kestelman made the comments while in Townsville for talks with both the club and local businesses. He put the community on notice regarding were the Crocs stand moving forward, wanting to see the fan-base to respond and prove to him and the league that they want an NBL team to continue to be based in Townsville.

“My question to Townsville is, how badly does Townsville want the Crocs?” he said.

“On the court they’ve beaten who I think are still probably the team to beat in Perth twice, and what’s disappointing to me is on the homecoming after having beaten them they still didn’t draw a huge crowd.

“Our league needs Townsville to want the Crocs here and if we see that is the case then they will be here forever.”

The Townsville Crocs entered voluntary administration just before the season started. The team moved back to the Townsville Entertainment Centre this season hoping that the attendance figures would rise but have left shocked with the small attendances to date.

In October, general manager Pat Reidy said they need more people to come to the games and support the club if they are to survive and stay a Townsville-based team.

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But Reidy said they need more people to come to games and show their support for the club if they are to continue their growth as a community-owned club.

“As far as us as a club, we need to get our numbers up if we’re going to keep going forward,” Reidy said.

“We need to be getting 4000 on a semi-regular basis and north of that.

“It’s not about what we’d like, it’s about what we need and that’s why we did the call-out before the game to get this place rocking again and get it filled because it’s what we need to make sure this team stays in the competition.”

Considering the Crocs used to play in front of 5,100 fans regularly in the past, the steep drop off is worrying for the NBL and Townsville. With the Brisbane Bullets set to join the NBL for the 2016 season, they need a strong Townsville team that has been in the NBL season for 23 years. Reidy said in October that they had received great feedback from the fans and we’re trying to iron out some small problems.

Kestelman believes that Townsville is a great sporting city and they need to support their team. “Townsville is an amazing sporting city from rugby league to football to the WNBL, but the Crocs are the only team that carry the Townsville name in prime-time television every week,” he said. “We are here to speak to businesses, here to speak to the Cowboys and here to speak to the ­community and try to promote the fact that we as the league want Townsville here next year.

“People used to line up and be devastated when they missed out on tickets and I wonder why it is that Townsville almost needs to feel like the team is going to disappear before they really get behind it.”

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On the court we are seeing signs that the Crocs are starting to turn things around. They are sitting 4-8 after 12 games and second last on the ladder, but they have been able to beat United and put up a stirring effort without star player Brian Conklin and big centre Luke Schenscher.

With home games coming up against the Taipans, New Zealand Breakers and Adelaide 36ers in early December, fans will get to see some exciting great basketball and need to get behind their team.

The Townsville Crocs are a very important team for this new NBL and need to stay viable. This team needs their supporters to show up to games and make the swamp a daunting trip for rival teams.

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