44 replies to this topic

[THE PIMPERNEL]

Taken today from the Salford Advertisers webchat. Friday February 4, 2011 to Cllr John Merry

Will you be supporting(financially and otherwise) a new stadium for Swinton Lions at Agecroft?

The reply was: Cllr John Merry: We are willing to talk to Swinton Lions about what support they need.

Edited by THE PIMPERNEL, 04 February 2011 - 03:47 PM.

[ROONEY]

if i see paul or john kidd tonight i will pass this message on cheers

[PhillH]

Taken today from the Salford Advertisers webchat. Friday February 4, 2011 to Cllr John Merry

Will you be supporting(financially and otherwise) a new stadium for Swinton Lions at Agecroft?

The reply was: Cllr John Merry: We are willing to talk to Swinton Lions about what support they need.

Hardly ringing with positivity. Mr Merry could hardly say anything less. Frankly sounds a million miles away from having a plan in place that will deliver a new ground for 2012.

[pc6090]

Hardly ringing with positivity. Mr Merry could hardly say anything less. Frankly sounds a million miles away from having a plan in place that will deliver a new ground for 2012.

spot on, surely the council should alreadybe having detailed discussions with Swinton Lions about funding/support for Agecroft, in which case a councillor would be falling overthemselves in trying to gain public favour

[lions4eva]

Jesus Phil, another negative post? whats new?

[juliancaine]

phil's post may be negative but he's talking about the real world not just fantasy at the moment a new swinton ground is a pipe dream in the minds of the owners and will never happen unless proper dialogue/action happens lets face it we cant even run a proper website with online merchendising i know the club may find it difficult to order and pay for merchendise upfront so why not get people to pre order and see what interest there is that way the club dosent have to shell out up front.

Edited by juliancaine, 05 February 2011 - 09:19 AM.

[PhillH]

Jesus Phil, another negative post? whats new?

Presumably you believe its positive for the club to have no clear proposal as to where it is going to be playing in 2012, except the mantra for the blindingly loyal who are prepared to invest their faith in a new stadium being constructed at Agecroft in the next 11 months despite all tangible evidence pointing to this being incredibly unlikely.

Meanwhile, the Council pours millions after millions into Salford City Reds and says it is "willing to talk" to the Lions.

Where is the challenge to this from the leaders of the Lions???? Whose version of the truth should we believe?

[juliancaine]

personally phil i wouldnt believe any of them given their past statements/utterings people who do believe them must be clueless if they think salford council would give swinton lions money, or swinton having a new ground in under 11 months, lets face in we havent even played in swinton since 1992.

[GLENNGARY]

Here we go again the same two so called fans spouting there negativity against the lions. One day I may here one or the other showing some solidarity for the club ,but i'm not holding my breathe.Yes it's probable that the new ground is a pipedream and that we are facing a uncertain future.But I like to believe that the directors have all the facts about the way the rugby league council are thinking and are working behind the scenes to give the lions a viable and successful future.What is certain is that they are having to do it without the aid of a very biased council.John Kidd said at the Moorside meeting that they didn't need monies from the council, so they must be persuing other avenues even if thoses avenues come to a dead end.What I won't believe in is that the directors of this club are not doing there best to obtain a new ground and future for the lions.What i am certain of is that neither of you so called fans were at the Willows last night offering your support for the lions both vocally and financialy but it doesn't take any effort on your parts to put the boot in.Go and watch the Lions, show your interest for the club and then maybe Iwill have some respect for your views.

[who cares?]

Here we go again the same two so called fans spouting there negativity against the lions. One day I may here one or the other showing some solidarity for the club ,but i'm not holding my breathe.Yes it's probable that the new ground is a pipedream and that we are facing a uncertain future.But I like to believe that the directors have all the facts about the way the rugby league council are thinking and are working behind the scenes to give the lions a viable and successful future.What is certain is that they are having to do it without the aid of a very biased council.John Kidd said at the Moorside meeting that they didn't need monies from the council, so they must be persuing other avenues even if thoses avenues come to a dead end.What I won't believe in is that the directors of this club are not doing there best to obtain a new ground and future for the lions.What i am certain of is that neither of you so called fans were at the Willows last night offering your support for the lions both vocally and financialy but it doesn't take any effort on your parts to put the boot in.Go and watch the Lions, show your interest for the club and then maybe Iwill have some respect for your views.

a few questions then...

how long has agecroft been "in the pipeline"?


what has happened since that time? (apart from gypsies moving onto the site and it becoming a derelict wasteland again.....)

how long has it taken for salfords ground to actually START construction?

how long will it take to actually complete construction at irlam?

what stage is planning at for a ground at agecroft?

what funding is IN PLACE ready to start building should it be given the green light at agecroft?

phil and julian have every right to be critical about the process that has gone on with getting a ground of our own up and running, its farcial, nay comical at best.

[marshy1]

I am just wondering if messrs Caine and Hudson were in attendance at the launch of the tales of the Lions project?

I know the answer to be no.

Had they been they would have heard very positive comments made by Clr John Fergusson,the coucilor for the Pendlebury ward who was clear in his comments that the council is and will do all it can to assist Swinton in building at Agecroft.Indeed his closing shot at that meeting was and I quote as closely as I can "I would like to invite you all back here in two years time (refering to the end of the project)not necesarily to here (ie the town hall) but to the new stadium at Agecroft".

Now i know for some they are words easily said and currently are not backed up with anything tangible but for me they were a clear sign that the club is/has been in dialogue with the council.

It is agreed that anyone is entitled to an opinion on here but time after time Mr Hudson and his side kick Mr Caine better known as Phil and Julian consatntly from their armchair position take great delight in looking for the negative.

Please lads continue to be supporters of the Lions but do exactly what the word suggests and support.!!

[marshy1]

a few questions then...

how long has agecroft been "in the pipeline"?


what has happened since that time? (apart from gypsies moving onto the site and it becoming a derelict wasteland again.....)

how long has it taken for salfords ground to actually START construction?

how long will it take to actually complete construction at irlam?

what stage is planning at for a ground at agecroft?

what funding is IN PLACE ready to start building should it be given the green light at agecroft?

phil and julian have every right to be critical about the process that has gone on with getting a ground of our own up and running, its farcial, nay comical at best.

I believe Salford was banding about a new satdium fo as many as 5 years ago and it is only now with the assistance of loans and Peel holdings that the venture has slowly started to take place.
As for Agecroft becomming a derelect place ...you clraly havn't driven past at a weekend when junior football is being played on a well groomed pitch.

[lions4eva]

Unbelievable some fans, we play our best game in a few years and have a promising year ahead. Nobody needs part-time fans spouting off facts about who said what with regards to a new stadium. ALL we can do as fans is support the team on the pitch and hope for the best for the future, rather than sit behind a computer screen rattling off negative comments. So what if its unlikely we get a new stadium? What can we do about it? NOWT. (Unless someone wins the lottery.)

[Bryce]

I know people are allowed to have their own opinions on here but we really have heard it all before. The fact is that we have a really good team on the pitch this season and have been tipped as favourites to win the league by many fans, opposition coaches and players. Mr Kidd stoop up at the end of last year and told us the facts, we have hope and that things were moving in the right direction in terms of talks with the council. Another thing he told us is that we need to get more fans through the turnstiles to show that we are a proper club that would be worth the council investing their money and giving us the support we need. As has been stated before with the new Lions heritage project, the council have shown us support which is yet another positive. And the council has the land which we need for the ground to be built, everything is in place for the stadium to be built, we just need the investment, whether it be from the council or via private sponsors. and I really have no time for people having a go at the website or sob stories about not being able to buy a shirt because they can't order one by effectively using no effort sat in your house. If you want to buy a shirt you'll buy a shirt, simple. Personally I'd like to remain positive, support the lads on the pitch and back Mr Kidd to Perform the minor miracle we need to move the club forward. Whilst the lions of Swinton continue to roar, why not give them all the support you can, instead of laying into them at every opportunity, it's getting really old and less and less people seem to care...

[mark richardson]

Very well said Bryce. We had this same thread only a few weeks ago. The timing was bad then and its even worse now.
Yes everyone is entitled to their opinion but why voice it after one of our best perfoRmances and home crowds for ages?
As I helped my 76 year old dad down the steps feeling sad about the life changing challenges he now faces, and how such a sporting sprightly man limped badly now ,I wondered HOW MANY MORE EXCUSES I could hear for not attending games from so many with BAD things to say about OUR GREAT CLUB.

[Christophe]

Unbelievable some fans, we play our best game in a few years and have a promising year ahead. Nobody needs part-time fans spouting off facts about who said what with regards to a new stadium. ALL we can do as fans is support the team on the pitch and hope for the best for the future, rather than sit behind a computer screen rattling off negative comments. So what if its unlikely we get a new stadium? What can we do about it? NOWT. (Unless someone wins the lottery.)

Well said USA..and a pity your Patriots got thrashed in the play offs. haha..2011 is the year of the Lions and the Redskins..have a safe journey home..maybe i ll come and visit you and watch the two do battle one year
chris

[PhillH]

Guys - no doubt whatsoever the team (and coach) is looking really good for 2011, I feel sure there is more improvement still to come too and probably a promotion campaign awaits for the first time in donkey's years. Of course it is great to have the chance to enjoy having a properly decent and well coached team, but surely we cannot stick our heads in the sand regarding what is going to happen next season? What is the purpose of trying to win Championship One in 2011 at the end of the day? Presumably to go into 2012 at a higher level of rugby, but playing where? Surely Mr Merry's straight bat answer is genuinely alarming to all who hold Swinton Lions dear - at this point in time he ought to be saying something much more promising. We all ought to be banging the drum, by "we" I mean everyone who cares about this key issue, irrespective of whether people can attend matches at this present moment in time or not. What should really matter is getting every like minded view heard, in the right ears and maximum volume. Why is it that no concerted campaign is being waged on the council / MPs / grant awarding bodies etc - be it through letters, phone calls, articles in the press, whatever? Why is it not fair game to express genuine concern about such a non commital answer from Mr Merry without being castigated? If the leader of Wakefield Council said that about Castleford or the Wildcats there would be instant uproar and rightly so. Reason being that other clubs pushing for a new ground have a support base united and engaged in applying overt pressure - with Swinton Lions for some unknown reason there are always petty agendas getting in the way. But for some perverse reason when the leader of the council says something like that, in the case of Swinton Lions its not expedient to pick up on it! Why should this be? Protectionism of the status quo? Hidden agendas? Good news culture? Call it what you want - I just find it very very sad indeed that this rubbish continually gets in the way of the full power of the pro-Swinton Lions agenda being heard for maximum influence. We just never seem capable of focussing properly on the true barriers to taking the club forward and working together to overcome them.

[Bryce]

Like I said, I'd rather just be positive rather than sticking my head in the sand and not taking full advantage to get behind the players and the club in general at the start of what could be a pivotal season for the Lions. You want to go on a hate campaign against the people who will at the end of the day decide whether we get our new stadium? fair enough, I doubt it will help matters though. Get behind the club, that would be a much more helpful approach surely?

[mark richardson]

Guys - no doubt whatsoever the team (and coach) is looking really good for 2011, I feel sure there is more improvement still to come too and probably a promotion campaign awaits for the first time in donkey's years. Of course it is great to have the chance to enjoy having a properly decent and well coached team, but surely we cannot stick our heads in the sand regarding what is going to happen next season? What is the purpose of trying to win Championship One in 2011 at the end of the day? Presumably to go into 2012 at a higher level of rugby, but playing where? Surely Mr Merry's straight bat answer is genuinely alarming to all who hold Swinton Lions dear - at this point in time he ought to be saying something much more promising. We all ought to be banging the drum, by "we" I mean everyone who cares about this key issue, irrespective of whether people can attend matches at this present moment in time or not. What should really matter is getting every like minded view heard, in the right ears and maximum volume. Why is it that no concerted campaign is being waged on the council / MPs / grant awarding bodies etc - be it through letters, phone calls, articles in the press, whatever? Why is it not fair game to express genuine concern about such a non commital answer from Mr Merry without being castigated? If the leader of Wakefield Council said that about Castleford or the Wildcats there would be instant uproar and rightly so. Reason being that other clubs pushing for a new ground have a support base united and engaged in applying overt pressure - with Swinton Lions for some unknown reason there are always petty agendas getting in the way. But for some perverse reason when the leader of the council says something like that, in the case of Swinton Lions its not expedient to pick up on it! Why should this be? Protectionism of the status quo? Hidden agendas? Good news culture? Call it what you want - I just find it very very sad indeed that this rubbish continually gets in the way of the full power of the pro-Swinton Lions agenda being heard for maximum influence. We just never seem capable of focussing properly on the true barriers to taking the club forward and working together to overcome them.

The reason your posts bring such strong responses Phil is firstly you insult those of us who attend- "the blindingly loyal" as though we are stupid,and you time it on the same night as our season opens and we nearly pull off the win of the season.
Who has the "petty agenda?" You and John Kidd obviously have a history.
And surely we will have more chance of a new stadium if we keep getting crowds around the 1000 mark like we did on Friday?
I think the more of us who actually turn up at games will prove more than writing letters ever will.

[PhillH]

Like I said, I'd rather just be positive rather than sticking my head in the sand and not taking full advantage to get behind the players and the club in general at the start of what could be a pivotal season for the Lions. You want to go on a hate campaign against the people who will at the end of the day decide whether we get our new stadium? fair enough, I doubt it will help matters though. Get behind the club, that would be a much more helpful approach surely?

Bryce, quite where you get the idea of a hate campaign from is a complete mystery and shows you are blatantly missing the point. Many times over the years I have heard supporters and even owners / mangers of Swinton Lions show a degree of hate towards Salford City Council and apparently believe that the club is itself strong enough to prosper without support of the Council, including continuing to play outside of the area. Easy thing to say when the Sky money was at its peak and Hughie Eaves was putting his money in. But to me that stance was always incorrect and I have consistently taken the view that if Swinton Lions is ever going to mean very much to the people of M27 ever again, there is simply no choice other than to work with Salford City Council and try to influence the likes of Mr Merry in a positive way towards the Lions. Otherwise where are the new supporters going to come from, when the club has no clear idea of its own identity and which community it is trying to represent? The only alternative is a withering away of a support base established in the Station Road days, which is exactly what has been witnessed.

Democracy working is all about people engaging with the powers that be to represent their views. We have a safe seat area. Thus what is needed is an overt and targetted campaign to promote Agecroft in order to put the strongest possible representation for the site being developed, making clear the potential benefits and showing why financial and other backing from the Council is deserved. To have maximum political impact those benefits would need to go beyond direct use of the facility by Swinton Lions. Only when the club can show statements of support from across the community can it say that it has truly maximised the strength of its message. Not about hating anyone!