16 replies to this topic

[Penfold7]

Under the RFL's New Proposals for the restructure of the Championship & C1 in 2012, Your Club currently don't meet the Criteria proposed for the Championship, which according to some could see you Winning the C1 Grand Final and not being Promoted !

I am not trying to be negative just trying to see if Plans are a Foot etc for your Club to meet the Stipulations set out by the RFL ?, would be a shame if not as it seems you have got things right on the Pitch looking at your Squad and recent Results

[PaulT]

Out of curiosity what is the criteria for the Championship?

Ground wise, I know the Willows is up to Championship standard.

[PhillH]

Out of curiosity what is the criteria for the Championship?

Ground wise, I know the Willows is up to Championship standard.

The Rimmer Report is currently being consulted on amongst the clubs and has not been ratified as yet - that is due to happen on 1st March.

The leaked headline requirements to play in the Championship in 2012 are for a ground capacity of 3,000, a minimum of 500 covered seats, plus floodlights. This is a reduction on the previously stated threshold level to get in the Championship of 5,000 that was not in the event rigourously applied by the RFL in the cases of Hunslet and York (and possibly also Dewsbury). Doubtless there will be many other minimum requirements for things like changing rooms, access, hospitality facilities, medical facilities, etc.

If the development of Barton goes to plan, the Willows will not be available in 2012. Park Lane would not meet the criteria as things stand, albeit its probably not a million miles away from meeting the proposed standards but would still require significant investment and agreements with Bury Council. Much better for that investment to be made in M27!

Another part of the Rimmer proposals is rumoured to be a wholesale shake-up of the way RFL funds are distributed which would see Championship One clubs receive approximately half of the money that will go to Championship clubs. Only a third of the funding will be non-conditional, the other two thirds will be dependent on RFL's assessment of different aspects of club performance.

[Penfold7]

Out of curiosity what is the criteria for the Championship?

Ground wise, I know the Willows is up to Championship standard.

http://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/clubs-consulted-over-championship-review

[Keith T]

I believe there was a meeting of all Championship and Championship 1 clubs yesterday to discuss this review in detail and the finished article will be announced on 1st March. I know the Oldham Chairman on their website was asking that clubs don't rush in to the new set-up and to get it right. Or was it because their stadium currently couldn't meet the criteria?

[Penfold7]

I believe there was a meeting of all Championship and Championship 1 clubs yesterday to discuss this review in detail and the finished article will be announced on 1st March. I know the Oldham Chairman on their website was asking that clubs don't rush in to the new set-up and to get it right. Or was it because their stadium currently couldn't meet the criteria?

You've hit the nail on the Head !

[marshy1]

The Rimmer Report is currently being consulted on amongst the clubs and has not been ratified as yet - that is due to happen on 1st March.

The leaked headline requirements to play in the Championship in 2012 are for a ground capacity of 3,000, a minimum of 500 covered seats, plus floodlights. This is a reduction on the previously stated threshold level to get in the Championship of 5,000 that was not in the event rigourously applied by the RFL in the cases of Hunslet and York (and possibly also Dewsbury). Doubtless there will be many other minimum requirements for things like changing rooms, access, hospitality facilities, medical facilities, etc.

If the development of Barton goes to plan, the Willows will not be available in 2012. Park Lane would not meet the criteria as things stand, albeit its probably not a million miles away from meeting the proposed standards but would still require significant investment and agreements with Bury Council. Much better for that investment to be made in M27!

Another part of the Rimmer proposals is rumoured to be a wholesale shake-up of the way RFL funds are distributed which would see Championship One clubs receive approximately half of the money that will go to Championship clubs. Only a third of the funding will be non-conditional, the other two thirds will be dependent on RFL's assessment of different aspects of club performance.

Phil, I have to ask this question....how the hell do you know that the Willows will not be available in 2012 if barton is ready?.

Are you privvy to both the Salford board and the council plans.

Whilst i know your dying to get a response from Messrs Kidds about next season lets stop making assumptions until the facts are presented.

[pc6090]

Phil, I have to ask this question....how the hell do you know that the Willows will not be available in 2012 if barton is ready?.

Are you privvy to both the Salford board and the council plans.

Whilst i know your dying to get a response from Messrs Kidds about next season lets stop making assumptions until the facts are presented.

from what i recall it was made quite clear that the deal to play at the willows was only for one year

the report on the councils dealings in the link below seem to suggest the land has been sold to a developer to build housing on

http://menmedia.co.uk/salfordadvertiser/news/s/1408436_anger_at_salford_councils_risky_rugby_deal_with_reds

if the facts were presnted we could stop making assumptions, but the information isn't forthcoming from the club so its fair to make assumptions based upon the information out there

[PhillH]

Phil, I have to ask this question....how the hell do you know that the Willows will not be available in 2012 if barton is ready?.

Are you privvy to both the Salford board and the council plans.

Whilst i know your dying to get a response from Messrs Kidds about next season lets stop making assumptions until the facts are presented.

John Wilkinson on behalf of Salford City Reds recently signed an agreement to play at Barton from the beginning of the 2012 Super League season, one of 3 agreements between the City Reds, Council and developers that were trumpetted recently in order to put a smile on various faces from the RFL who will be judging which clubs get the next set of SL licenses.

It has also been made clear from other sources that repayment of the £20m loan and further financial support from the Council that has facilitated development at Barton is in part expected to come from timely development at the Willows, both the main stadium and the car park. Such is the financial and political climate, the longing to release that equity is bound to be immediate.

All around there is a clear marketing message that this season is going to be the last at the Willows. Do you honestly think Salford City Reds would allow the Swinton Lions to ursup that and use the ground next year? Do you honestly believe that Swinton Lions is in a sufficiently strong economic position to upkeep the Willows without Salford Reds being around?

Salford City Reds will be acutely aware of the threat that in the process of relocating to Barton they may lose a proportion of current walk-on support. This risk will be heightened if that walk-on support is given the alternative option of watching Swinton Lions at the Willows. I cannot see Salford City Reds being prepared to take that risk.

The weight of evidence suggests that Swinton Lions need to have at least a contingency plan for next year, to play at another ground that is already of Championship standard. Agecroft is simply not going to happen in time. Park Lane is not to standard. The Willows in all probability will not be available. Moor Lane is not to standard.

Still why should we worry - Paul Kidd is driving things forward off the field so what could possibly go wrong? And besides that the club is doing some great community development work that you can read about on the RFL website, only catch is that its happening in Clitheroe.

[Bryce]

John Wilkinson on behalf of Salford City Reds recently signed an agreement to play at Barton from the beginning of the 2012 Super League season, one of 3 agreements between the City Reds, Council and developers that were trumpetted recently in order to put a smile on various faces from the RFL who will be judging which clubs get the next set of SL licenses.

It has also been made clear from other sources that repayment of the £20m loan and further financial support from the Council that has facilitated development at Barton is in part expected to come from timely development at the Willows, both the main stadium and the car park. Such is the financial and political climate, the longing to release that equity is bound to be immediate.

All around there is a clear marketing message that this season is going to be the last at the Willows. Do you honestly think Salford City Reds would allow the Swinton Lions to ursup that and use the ground next year? Do you honestly believe that Swinton Lions is in a sufficiently strong economic position to upkeep the Willows without Salford Reds being around?

Salford City Reds will be acutely aware of the threat that in the process of relocating to Barton they may lose a proportion of current walk-on support. This risk will be heightened if that walk-on support is given the alternative option of watching Swinton Lions at the Willows. I cannot see Salford City Reds being prepared to take that risk.

The weight of evidence suggests that Swinton Lions need to have at least a contingency plan for next year, to play at another ground that is already of Championship standard. Agecroft is simply not going to happen in time. Park Lane is not to standard. The Willows in all probability will not be available. Moor Lane is not to standard.

Still why should we worry - Paul Kidd is driving things forward off the field so what could possibly go wrong? And besides that the club is doing some great community development work that you can read about on the RFL website, only catch is that its happening in Clitheroe.

That's the spirit Phill!!!

[Shizonamy]

From what has been discussed on here, and if the Willows is unavailable the only option may be to play at the new stadium at Barton until the great transition post-92 finally ends.

I for one worry about that as we may just get a bit comfy

[PhillH]

Read all about it...... latest coverage in the Advertiser which reports on the meeting of the Council's scrutiny committee that considered the most recent loan to the City Reds - states that development of the Willows is expected to take place 2012-2016, with the car park being done in 2016.

http://menmedia.co.u..._deal_with_reds

Norman Owen refers to the decision being unfair w.r.t. land in Pendlebury not being developed, but its not clear whether this is a reference to Agecroft or not as there is no explicit mention of Swinton Lions - there blinking well ought to be, if the needs of the Lions truly are on the agenda with "the powers that be".

Honestly cannot see Barton working as a base for Swinton Lions, but lack of progress with any feasible alternative may not leave much choice.

[mark richardson]

Who would have thought we would ever end up at the Willows so who knows whether Barton is out of the question for next season.
If it is it must only be as a stop gap until we have our own little ground in Agecoft.
I wonder why the RFL is bringing in any criteria now when everyone and everything is financially delicate!? Why do we need or indeed anyone need a 3000 capacity minimum when no one gets above 1000 fans at our level?

Oh and Phil glad to see you are now using the Advertiser for your quotes/information too.

[Keith T]

Mark, you only need 200 seats and 200 Lux standard floodlights at our level!!!! The 3000 with 300 seats and 300 Lux lights is for the Championship.

[Penfold7]

Mark, you only need 200 seats and 200 Lux standard floodlights at our level!!!! The 3000 with 300 seats and 300 Lux lights is for the Championship.

If you stay at The Level your at now your Funding will be Massively Reduced(Possibly to a level where only Travel Costs are met !) and the Introduction of Amateur Teams from the National Conference/Summer Conference will be competing against you, Plus you will still need a ground to meet minimum standards.

[Keith T]

If you stay at The Level your at now your Funding will be Massively Reduced(Possibly to a level where only Travel Costs are met !) and the Introduction of Amateur Teams from the National Conference/Summer Conference will be competing against you, Plus you will still need a ground to meet minimum standards.

All the clubs in Championship 1 meet the current minimum standards and the only thing we know about any new minimum standards for the same division is that they must have 200 seats and floodlights with a 200 Lux standard. As far as funds go it was leaked that Championship 1 clubs would only receive 50% of Championship clubs but would laso have their transport costs paid by the RFL. This is to assist the new clubs they are wanting to bring in like Hemel Hempstead or Coventry, etc.

Until the full review is announced we do not know what other minimum standards may be introduced, if any.

[duffymoon]

Personally I cannot see any long term viable future for clubs left in Championship One.I would find it very difficult to to be enthusiastic about playing the likes of Hemel Hempstead,Coventry etc.

I think most fans accept that its imperative for Swinton Lions to be playing at Agecroft asap.We have already been told that it wasnt viable for the club to continue at Sedgley and I cant see that playing at Barton even short term would help the club.