25 replies to this topic

[chrisl1]

This is my favourite bit....



Does anyone know what the SLE strategy is ?

Or is it a thinly veiled way of saying they'll pick whoever they like and justify it by the use of the 'strategic aims' argument, just as they did with Celtic Crusaders ?

I think the SLE strategy relates to expanding the game. I'm sure Richard Lewis referred to it after Celtic Crusaders were awarded a licence. The RFL should set out what it means on their website.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Very cleverly written in politicians speak so a number of sentences can be interpreted in a variety of ways

At this stage the Super League will remain at 14 clubs in 2012. If a Championship Club meets the minimum criteria and the Super League competition remains at 14 clubs, a Super League club will be displaced

.

So room for a 15 club league if the RFL felt threatened by litigation from one of the excluded.

Those Championship clubs that meet the minimum criteria but do not obtain a Super League licence in March 2011 still have a chance of obtaining a Super League licence. These clubs will have their suitability for a licence assessed with the Super League clubs who submit applications in April 2011

Guards against insolvency of one or more Super League clubs. The expansion club woes are well known but certain Heartland clubs have quite a large debt to service to the banks. So with a double dip recession looming if clubs become insolvent or are unable to gain funding for ground development to meet RFL criteria. A solvent Halifax might find themselves unexpectedly included.

The licenses will be allocated to those clubs that the RFL board believes are the most suitable, taking into account the:
a. Extent to which each club helps meet the SLE Strategy and the strategic aims and objectives of the Licensing process;

Seen as the expansion clause due to the reference to the Super League Europe strategy.

New stadiums or redevelopments of existing stadiums will only be taken into account if the RFL is satisfied that the stadium will be open or the redevelopment finished by the start of the 2012 season.

That the problem for some clubs

[gazza77]

I've had an idea, one the RFL don't seem to have considered. How about deciding upon a set of rules and criteria for SL teams to meet, publishing them for all the world to see, and then sticking to them, rather than constantly tweaking and modifying them.

[Bomb Jack]

How about deciding upon a set of rules and criteria for SL teams to meet, publishing them for all the world to see, and then sticking to them, rather than constantly tweaking and modifying them.

But if they did that they couldn't massage the structures to place in Super League who they wanted.

[bowes]

Very cleverly written in politicians speak so a number of sentences can be interpreted in a variety of ways

.

So room for a 15 club league if the RFL felt threatened by litigation from one of the excluded.

No, because they've committed to Millennium Magic it's either 14 or 16 as it has to be even to make the fixtures work. On the other hand a theoretical French TV contract could allow 16 teams even if it's 1000000-1 agains it happening ready for 2012

[intheshed]

Interesting update from the RFL, its good to get some level of clarity on what is happening and when. It does however seem to confirm a glaring disparity in the way existing license holders and aspirants will be treat and assessed.

If you accept the idea of licensing, a separate debate and not really relevant to a discussion of how licensing is administered, then having minimum standards for aspiring members to achieve before they will be considered makes perfect sense. However, taken at face value, the RFL document seems to indicate that no such minimum standards apply to those already in SL, this seems to make no sense and lacks consistency and/or fairness.

To take the attendance requirement of 2,500 as an initial example, the only logical reason I can see for having it and setting it at 2,500 is that the RFL is of the belief that there is a minimum level of attendance that is sustainable in SL and has, by whatever process, arrived at the conclusion that the equivalent attendance for a Championship club is 2500.

In the interests of transparency and equality I suggest this notional minimum SL attendance should be published and any existing SL club not meeting it should be prevented from applying If there is no minimum attendance level considered to be required for a SL club what is the logic which dictates there is one for aspiring clubs and how, other than by plucking a figure out of the air, do we arrive at 2,500?

A similar logic could be applied to the turnover on field performance requirements.