8 replies to this topic

[HappyDave]

Here's what I posted in one of ParisSurtout's threads:

Newcastle? If you're talking about Tynesiders look at Gateshead... Paris? Is a name on a piece of paper and look what happened to PSG... At least FC Barca Rugby Liga (?) and the other Barcalona team actually exist. I think FC Barcalona's RL team may actually be playing in the Catalonian league. So they have a possible chance of building up to be an SL club in 20-30 years whereas it's just pointless even talking about Paris SF having an RL offshoot as it doesn't exist.

Seems that FC Barca set up an RL team in 2008 who joined the Catalonian League this year. Unfortunately the only mention of an FC Barcalona Rugby team on their website is their 'Union' squad. Only info I could find about them was on Wikipedia & the Catalan Rugby League website. But hey if we're going to talk about long term prospects to make the European Super League truely European then at least we should discuss real teams who actually exist & could possibly be financally stable?

Edited by HappyDave, 14 August 2010 - 06:48 PM.

[Methven Hornet]

Here's what I posted in one of ParisSurtout's threads:



Seems that FC Barca set up an RL team in 2008 who joined the Catalonian League this year. Unfortunately the only mention of an FC Barcalona Rugby team on their website is their 'Union' squad. Only info I could find about them was on Wikipedia & the Catalan Rugby League website. But hey if we're going to talk about long term prospects to make the European Super League truely European then at least we should discuss real teams who actually exist & could possibly be financally stable?

Why?

[steef]

The game in spain should be encouraged to grow but SL would be about 30 years away at best, unless you employ a team of foriegners to play out of Barcelona and that will never work in the long run. Maybe a spanish team playing in the lowest pro level in france would be a start? I would imagine that currently the standard in spain wouldn't be high enough for that yet though.

[ParisSurtout]

The game in spain should be encouraged to grow but SL would be about 30 years away at best, unless you employ a team of foriegners to play out of Barcelona and that will never work in the long run. Maybe a spanish team playing in the lowest pro level in france would be a start? I would imagine that currently the standard in spain wouldn't be high enough for that yet though.

30 years is an unnecessarily pessimistic prediction. Right now we have several amateur teams in Spanish Catalonia, mostly comprised of university students. It is all these teams, not only the FC Barcelona team, which will provide the first generation of semi-pro players and coaches for a semi pro- Barcelona FC club --- as soon as Barcelona FC and the French Elite management feel they want Barcelona FC to begin playing in the French Elite.

Once that semi pro club is set up, it could be less than ten years before a Barcelona FC club is ready for Super League. They have the money and organisation. All they need is players. Ten years is enough to have a core of Spanish players ready, to be joined for sure at the start by eight or so Antipodean players for the first few years. That allowance of imports is standard for new SL expansion clubs, and would not raise an eyebrow with the Barcelona FC management, who love buying their imports for their soccer team.

Thus while 2021 may seem very soon, it is not impossible to imagine that Barcelona FC joins Super League for that new round of licenses. I wouldn't even count out 2018.

Since Paris SF reportedly is preparing for a French Elite team already, I have no doubt that the conceivable arrival of Barcelona to Super League in 2021 would at that time be strongly applauded by the then well established Stade Francais Super League management and their many thousands of Paris based fans.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 14 August 2010 - 10:14 PM.

[ShotgunGold]

Oh god, someone please kill me...

[steef]

30 years is an unnecessarily pessimistic prediction. Right now we have several amateur teams in Spanish Catalonia, mostly comprised of university students. It is all these teams, not only the FC Barcelona team, which will provide the first generation of semi-pro players and coaches for a semi pro- Barcelona FC club --- as soon as Barcelona FC and the French Elite management feel they want Barcelona FC to begin playing in the French Elite.

Once that semi pro club is set up, it could be less than ten years before a Barcelona FC club is ready for Super League. They have the money and organisation. All they need is players. Ten years is enough to have a core of Spanish players ready, to be joined for sure at the start by eight or so Antipodean players for the first few years. That allowance of imports is standard for new SL expansion clubs, and would not raise an eyebrow with the Barcelona FC management, who love buying their imports for their soccer team.

Thus while 2021 may seem very soon, it is not impossible to imagine that Barcelona FC joins Super League for that new round of licenses. I wouldn't even count out 2018.

Since Paris SF reportedly is preparing for a French Elite team already, I have no doubt that the conceivable arrival of Barcelona to Super League in 2021 would at that time be strongly applauded by the then well established Stade Francais Super League management and their many thousands of Paris based fans.

Balls.

[HappyDave]

I thought 'Paris' had written a fairly good post until the last BS paragraph about this ficticious Paris SF.

However I could see another Catalonian based team being invite to apply for a SL licence within the next 30 years however if the French Elite 1 turns professional within that timeframe then maybe a couple of Catalonian teams would join it? I do think that they'd need at least 20-30 years (youth structure setup, kids coming up though the ranks, coaching setup, etc.) before they will be good enough to play at the top flight of RL though.

Edited by HappyDave, 15 August 2010 - 12:29 AM.

[ParisSurtout]

Balls.

That was a very thoughtful response. I liked the way that you marshalled your evidence in support of your conclusions. I was also amazed by your knowledge of the situation on the ground in France and Spain.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 15 August 2010 - 03:20 PM.

[steef]

Ok then provide any evidence that currently there is even 1 player in spain who could be good enough to play for Bramley buffalo's.

You say there are "several" teams in spain, so clearly you don't know any accurate facts about it either.

Your posts are pure fantasy, why would i need to use facts to argue against them seeing as you provide no facts yourself as to how such fantasy can become reality. the word balls was merely my opinion about what you posted. By your logic a super league side can be made viable from several amature clubs in 8-10 years wich is absolute garbage. clubs without roots have a tendancy to fail.