21 replies to this topic

[Blind side johnny]

http://www.lasttackl...nistration.html

No surprise at all but sad from the RL community point of view. i suspect that they will not arise from these ashes and that CC1 will be at least one club short by the beginning of next season.

Let's just hope that they're the only one.

[marzy]

http://www.lasttackl...nistration.html

No surprise at all but sad from the RL community point of view. i suspect that they will not arise from these ashes and that CC1 will be at least one club short by the beginning of next season.

Let's just hope that they're the only one.

More bad news for the game outside of super league. Very sad indeed. As i have said before i am worried about the future of the semi-pro game. Answers anyone

[fredm]

More bad news for the game outside of super league. Very sad indeed. As i have said before i am worried about the future of the semi-pro game. Answers anyone

1. Players, and more especially agents, asking for and agreeing to terms which are affordable by clubs.
2. Chairmen who only offer terms which they are 100% sure their club will be able to afford - not pie in the sky figures that they will achieve if they win the NR Cup, draw Wigan in Challenge Cup etc.

[marzy]

1. Players, and more especially agents, asking for and agreeing to terms which are affordable by clubs.
2. Chairmen who only offer terms which they are 100% sure their club will be able to afford - not pie in the sky figures that they will achieve if they win the NR Cup, draw Wigan in Challenge Cup etc.

Good points fred. I know its all been debated before, But i have a problem with no promotion and relegation to and from super league. This is slightly off the blackpool topic, but all this talk of ticking this box, ticking another box, clubs busting a gut, to achieve the promised land of super league. For mine, fev should have been promoted, this year, end of. It wrangles with me, all this stadium criteria ect ect. I am no lover of the round ball game, but looking at the premiership with all its money, there is still room for a small club like blackpool.
Rant over

[Sir Jekyll Stocking]

Good points fred. I know its all been debated before, But i have a problem with no promotion and relegation to and from super league. This is slightly off the blackpool topic, but all this talk of ticking this box, ticking another box, clubs busting a gut, to achieve the promised land of super league. For mine, fev should have been promoted, this year, end of. It wrangles with me, all this stadium criteria ect ect. I am no lover of the round ball game, but looking at the premiership with all its money, there is still room for a small club like blackpool.
Rant over

With you 100%.
Try ranting in French. You may receive a more sympathetic hearing (but only until they work out what you've said).

[Blind side johnny]

Good points fred. I know its all been debated before, But i have a problem with no promotion and relegation to and from super league. This is slightly off the blackpool topic, but all this talk of ticking this box, ticking another box, clubs busting a gut, to achieve the promised land of super league. For mine, fev should have been promoted, this year, end of. It wrangles with me, all this stadium criteria ect ect. I am no lover of the round ball game, but looking at the premiership with all its money, there is still room for a small club like blackpool.
Rant over

Are you saying that P&R was LESS problematic for the financial health of clubs than the current situation?

If so then I strongly disagree with you.

Blackpool's problems are simply related to trying to establish a product (in this case semi-pro RL) where there was no demand in the first instance. P&R to and from SL have no bearing whatsioever on their fate.

[marzy]

Are you saying that P&R was LESS problematic for the financial health of clubs than the current situation?

If so then I strongly disagree with you.

Blackpool's problems are simply related to trying to establish a product (in this case semi-pro RL) where there was no demand in the first instance. P&R to and from SL have no bearing whatsioever on their fate.

No bsj, as i said in my post, i was going slightly off the Blackpool topic. Its just my general feelings about life outside super league. Any club now with any thoughts of playing in the highest division, have not just to think about the playing squad, its all the other expensive boxes to tick as well. I dont buy into all the stadia criteria ect. Take our 85/86 season, the last time we were in the top flight. So ok we were in our old stadium. we did not win many, we took some beatings, but the memorys are there for players and supporters. I just think it takes away so much from our game that there is no automatic promotion from our division. i know that super league has been a great success, the sky coverage has been fantastic, and new supporters both young and old have been attracted to the game. But for all this, are clubs like ours any better for this. For us our goal is to be competitive and to stay in this division, maybe perhaps the chance of lifting a trophy, but surely a chance of promotion would be the real icing on the cake.

It must be nearly boxing day now

[NickD]

Blackpool's problems are simply related to trying to establish a product (in this case semi-pro RL) where there was no demand in the first instance. P&R to and from SL have no bearing whatsioever on their fate.

Astute comments as ever BSJ. However one could argue that Harlequins are a good example of trying to establish a product where there is no demand, but in their case they are bailed out by the powers that be. Were Blackpool to be in London (perish the thought) I suspect the fairy godmother would have been dropping in. On a sinilar note one suspects a little more help from the RFL might be forthcoming if Balckpool relocate to Wales or France

[Blind side johnny]

Astute comments as ever BSJ. However one could argue that Harlequins are a good example of trying to establish a product where there is no demand, but in their case they are bailed out by the powers that be. Were Blackpool to be in London (perish the thought) I suspect the fairy godmother would have been dropping in. On a sinilar note one suspects a little more help from the RFL might be forthcoming if Balckpool relocate to Wales or France

A touch cunical Nick, don't you think? Clearly a syndrome of which i could never be accused.


Once more I may have to disagree a little, though. Other than what you might have been told by a bloke in a pub, what evidence do you have of London having been "bailed out by the powers that be" (sic)?

I know that the RFL's push for expansion may have been handled a little clumsily at times but it does help to separate fact from folk tales, don't you think?


Back to Blackpool - i hope that they are the last casualty but I live in fear of others joining them. We have to be massively grateful for the commitment of our directors, without whom we would be in the doo doo too!

[FrankDrebin]

What makes this situation worse is that when Blackpool were recruiting all those high-profile (well, relatively) players during the close season, many of us were questioning their outlay and predicting doom for them. Unfortunately, the director/directors who were sanctioning their big-spending obviously didn't forsee any problems!
If it was obvious to the waifs and serfs that they weren't going to be able to stay afloat whilst dishing out big wages on crowds of 200, why wasn't it obvious to those in charge at Blackpool? Thats the most worrying aspect for me!

[alienboy]

It does also beg the question why the RFL sanctioned contracts of players signed by Blackpool that were clearly going to take the club over its salary cap limit. I would have thought that they look at the financial implications that each contract gives each player and add them up as they go along. When thay reach the amount of money that the cap allows, then they should not allow further signings.

[PooingDog]

It does also beg the question why the RFL sanctioned contracts of players signed by Blackpool that were clearly going to take the club over its salary cap limit. I would have thought that they look at the financial implications that each contract gives each player and add them up as they go along. When thay reach the amount of money that the cap allows, then they should not allow further signings.

The problem is that the money wasn't paid as a salary, and Blackpool did actually breach the salary cap. The payments came in the form of a "bonus", but yes the RFL should have been on top of this sooner.

[sandgrownun]

The problem is that the money wasn't paid as a salary, and Blackpool did actually breach the salary cap. The payments came in the form of a "bonus", but yes the RFL should have been on top of this sooner.

Please note for the last time, Panthers have not,and did not,at any time breach/brake the salary cap limit.The club,whilst Bobby Hope was chairman,made illegal out of contract payments.For this the remaining directors and supporters have had to bear the brunt.The RFL probably should have acted sooner, but then again if they had of done that years ago Wigan would have been relegated instead of Castleford!

[guest from down under]

Please note for the last time, Panthers have not,and did not,at any time breach/brake the salary cap limit.The club,whilst Bobby Hope was chairman,made illegal out of contract payments.For this the remaining directors and supporters have had to bear the brunt.The RFL probably should have acted sooner, but then again if they had of done that years ago Wigan would have been relegated instead of Castleford!

Please note blackpool did breach the salary cap and in the process misinformed the rfl ( lied) . the only reason that they did not appear before the rfl over the salary cap breaches was because they went into administration first , they were in line for a fine and a ten points penalty thereby breaking the world record for points deductions .

[FarOutRam]

It makes you wonder how clubs manage to keep going. Even Super League clubs are having to offer cut price deals for fans. I notice The Bulls selling season tickets for 60 quid. They were down to 6,000 season ticket holders last season. Its all very well trying to spread the word in France and Wales etc, but even in the heartlands people are a bit disillusioned

[sandgrownun]

Please note blackpool did breach the salary cap and in the process misinformed the rfl ( lied) . the only reason that they did not appear before the rfl over the salary cap breaches was because they went into administration first , they were in line for a fine and a ten points penalty thereby breaking the world record for points deductions .

Can you provide evidence to back up your alleged allegations, otherwise would you please withdraw your last posting as it otherwise has been put on here without foundation.

[guest from down under]

Can you provide evidence to back up your alleged allegations, otherwise would you please withdraw your last posting as it otherwise has been put on here without foundation.

Allow me to clarify , over two days of this past week , wed and thurs there has been a seminar of championship club representatives meeting with the rfl . all clubs were involved along with executive officials of the rfl .At this seminar relative matters concerning championship clubs were discused and representatives of the clubs were briefed on situations , plans and details of apertaining matters within the championship . Amongst other things one of the situations discussed and debated was blackpool panthers .It is now general knowledge within other clubs of what has happened at blackpool .

[Wakefield Ram]

I have said this before, but one of the reasons we stayed up this season was our better financial management than Whitehaven and Keighley who both suffered from financial problems.

Which is a credit to our directors.

[John North]

No apology from Sandgrownun yet ?

[guest from down under]

No apology from Sandgrownun yet ?

I certainly dont want an apology from sandy , i sympathise deeply with the blackpool supporters . it aint their fault that the club has been mismanaged and i really dont want them to lose their club .