63 replies to this topic

[Distorted1]

Just found this on the BARLA website.

Following a despairing four months of the RFL’s summer experiment which has seen his club’s finances fall way below expectations, Leigh East’s Chairman Phil Johnson has put out a rallying call for a return to winter.

An open letter from the Easts Boss, which highlights lost revenue, fall in attendances and family committments, as just three of the reasons as to why the RFL’s move to summer is failing.

To all,

"As chairman of Leigh East I applaud the work Ron and his family have undertaken to keep the league going when we all thought summer rugby was the future and sailed our ships in a new direction.

Now after sampling the first part of the summer season we at Leigh East are strongly in favour of moving back to the winter leagues.

The reasons for this are stacked against the summer leagues, firstly finance our crowds are down which reflects on the bar takings. We have missed out on revenue from weddings, christenings and a major one for us is that the players have a duty as family men to attend weddings, stag parties along with family holidays as well as giving time to their young families.

We all have obligations to our families in order to keep and maintain healthy relationships in our private lives and the usual break in the summer used to give us the time to regenerate our love and passion for the game. I think for the good of the game BARLA & NCL should get together and put egos to one side to prevent our clubs and this great game going into decline.

I am sure this is the case at other clubs, I watched Leigh Miners against Hull Dockers the other week and what would normally be a three hundred crowd plus was a mere one hundred and fifty due to holidays and people spending time with families.

Ladies & Gentlemen we need to sort this and quick or we risk of our clubs futures."


Kind Regards Phil Johnson (Chairman Leigh East)

Edited by Distorted1, 11 July 2012 - 07:39 AM.

[once a ref always a ref]

Hopefully it will start an outbreak of common sense.

[Marauder]

I think he is only echoing what is being said at the majority of grounds I've been to and heard from people who I've got to know through work and playing the game.

I do believe there is a place for summer rugby and that the RFL had it right in the mid 2000's, probably the over area that was missing was a road between the heartland clubs and the better of the expansion clubs, this was being fixed with the RLCN which could have easily added a second division.

[Marauder]

Hopefully it will start an outbreak of common sense.

Pennine are getting a load of enquiries, not sure if they will lead to much this season but could well do the following.

[bowes]

I think he is only echoing what is being said at the majority of grounds I've been to and heard from people who I've got to know through work and playing the game.

I do believe there is a place for summer rugby and that the RFL had it right in the mid 2000's, probably the over area that was missing was a road between the heartland clubs and the better of the expansion clubs, this was being fixed with the RLCN which could have easily added a second division.

Not sure which RLCN you remember, but it struggled to field one division of 10 so not sure where it would get 2 divisions from? Unless you mean include the NCL sides who wanted summer? The RFL's solution to this problem seemed to be to put the better expansion clubs in Championship 1 but they increasingly seem to prefer plastic clubs and universities (with the noble exception of Hemel) so NCL is the only realistic option for proper strong expansion amateur clubs. In winter would be difficult as the reserve league would be in summer though I guess if some NCL clubs go back to winter there'll be others who stay summer leaving something in place much better than the RLCN at the very least.

Things will be a lot better in a nicer summer so I'd hope clubs give it a 2nd season before deciding. Then they can say they've tried it at least. Would be nice if we could be a normal sport with one season and a pyramid though

[Rolly]

Well said Phil Johnson. I hope other clubs have the balls to express their opinion of summer rugby.
I watch Elland, Ovenden & Siddal when I can, but the crowds are all down on the usual gates they used to get in the winter.
The standards have dropped & you never know if a side is at full strength from one week to the next due to players other commitments.

I don't know why the RFL tampered with the NCL -" Don't fix something that isn't broken" which is what they have done & now it is slowly breaking down.

[Marauder]

Well said Phil Johnson. I hope other clubs have the balls to express their opinion of summer rugby.
I watch Elland, Ovenden & Siddal when I can, but the crowds are all down on the usual gates they used to get in the winter.
The standards have dropped & you never know if a side is at full strength from one week to the next due to players other commitments.

I don't know why the RFL tampered with the NCL -" Don't fix something that isn't broken" which is what they have done & now it is slowly breaking down.

Not sure which RLCN you remember, but it struggled to field one division of 10 so not sure where it would get 2 divisions from? Unless you mean include the NCL sides who wanted summer? The RFL's solution to this problem seemed to be to put the better expansion clubs in Championship 1 but they increasingly seem to prefer plastic clubs and universities (with the noble exception of Hemel) so NCL is the only realistic option for proper strong expansion amateur clubs. In winter would be difficult as the reserve league would be in summer though I guess if some NCL clubs go back to winter there'll be others who stay summer leaving something in place much better than the RLCN at the very least.

Things will be a lot better in a nicer summer so I'd hope clubs give it a 2nd season before deciding. Then they can say they've tried it at least. Would be nice if we could be a normal sport with one season and a pyramid though

Run correctly and with a longer season I'm sure we would have gone for the summer season in the mid-2000's like a few more clubs in the North, but it became apparent that players where being put under pressure from their better halves and with Holidays and the other distractions our numbers fluctuated between having 40+ to 15 on some match days.

[bowes]

Run correctly and with a longer season I'm sure we would have gone for the summer season in the mid-2000's like a few more clubs in the North, but it became apparent that players where being put under pressure from their better halves and with Holidays and the other distractions our numbers fluctuated between having 40+ to 15 on some match days.

Yeah the short season was/is really stupid. Glad the days of teams of Chester being all Widnes players, Crewe all Warrington players, Manchester all Oldham players, Liverpool all St Helens players, Worksop all Doncaster players and Bridlington all Hull players are gone. The RFL once banned a real Crewe club from the RLC on the grounds that Crewe Wolves already played there, at the time their home ground was Crosfields and don't think they had a single player from Crewe

[Marauder]

Back on topic, Leigh Easts are not one of the NCL clubs I've been told about so is this problem even a more far reaching problem than meets the eye, is there many more clubs not letting on at the moment and can they risk withstanding poor bar takings in back to back seasons?

It's obvious the RFL spin doctors did their work excellently in promoting the summer game by IMO Infiltrating the amateur game with the weekly rugby league papers and the Rugby League World doing their bit in also promoting summer rugby, all three of these magazines (with the exception of a little bit in a column by Phil Hodgson) have given no coverage of the sudden unrest within the now based summer clubs, I'm sure the editors will state that they have not been given info from the disgruntled (Yet again no mention in this months RLW of any news from a BARLA club/league/player)

I'd say surely the editors/reporters now have the inclination that there is a serious problem brewing and must been deemed newsworthy, maybe a good old fashioned interview with the clubs having problems is a must or is that against the ethics of the RFL?

Maybe they are scared of a reversal of their propaganda? Le'ts not forget the NWC league flooded into the summer in the end after starting with a drip

[gillmeister]

Back on topic, Leigh Easts are not one of the NCL clubs I've been told about so is this problem even a more far reaching problem than meets the eye, is there many more clubs not letting on at the moment and can they risk withstanding poor bar takings in back to back seasons?

It's obvious the RFL spin doctors did their work excellently in promoting the summer game by IMO Infiltrating the amateur game with the weekly rugby league papers and the Rugby League World doing their bit in also promoting summer rugby, all three of these magazines (with the exception of a little bit in a column by Phil Hodgson) have given no coverage of the sudden unrest within the now based summer clubs, I'm sure the editors will state that they have not been given info from the disgruntled (Yet again no mention in this months RLW of any news from a BARLA club/league/player)

I'd say surely the editors/reporters now have the inclination that there is a serious problem brewing and must been deemed newsworthy, maybe a good old fashioned interview with the clubs having problems is a must or is that against the ethics of the RFL?

Maybe they are scared of a reversal of their propaganda? Le'ts not forget the NWC league flooded into the summer in the end after starting with a drip

Its inevitable that some clubs are going to be more suited to the summer season format and others will revert back to the Winter or as Phil Hodgson once described it summer to spring season. The NCL wont be affected for all the clubs that may drop out others will come in. As an example Kells will be a tremendous addition to the NCL but it looks like it will be there young players with no family commitments, the older guys who have will just play in there A team and stay local. Summer rugby will only work if games are played on a local basis through the peak times in the summer to allow games to be played on a Thursday/Friday night etc long trips to Hull/Wath Brow arent viable. The revenue angle is an interesting one, my own club is probably circa 17k up on last years revenues but we have made a concerted effort to put bands, family events etc on

Either way its time for people to make there views known to the relevant people so the chinese whispers can stop and it can be sorted and people can move on and play rugby at a time of year that they want to play it.

[Marauder]

Its inevitable that some clubs are going to be more suited to the summer season format and others will revert back to the Winter or as Phil Hodgson once described it summer to spring season. The NCL wont be affected for all the clubs that may drop out others will come in. As an example Kells will be a tremendous addition to the NCL but it looks like it will be there young players with no family commitments, the older guys who have will just play in there A team and stay local. Summer rugby will only work if games are played on a local basis through the peak times in the summer to allow games to be played on a Thursday/Friday night etc long trips to Hull/Wath Brow arent viable. The revenue angle is an interesting one, my own club is probably circa 17k up on last years revenues but we have made a concerted effort to put bands, family events etc on

Either way its time for people to make there views known to the relevant people so the chinese whispers can stop and it can be sorted and people can move on and play rugby at a time of year that they want to play it.

We had 7 seasons playing in the summer, at first everything was rosey but in the last couple of seasons we started to get more and more players where forced (partner) to be more family orientated.

Will the method your saying Kells are going to employ at their club work and yes let people play where and when they want, but lets not employ the big brother rugby union bully tactics and can you ask someone at the RFL to use their imagination and call their new found leagues something original and not to confusing.

Edited by Marauder, 11 July 2012 - 03:15 PM.

[gillmeister]

Kells have a crop of fantastic young players under the age of 20 who are BARLA standard so I think that it will work for them and there A team will be a very formidable team with talented lads between 25-32 year old who can play locally and fit in with there outside commitments I would imagine. Its a good point you make though that family commitments can be a big stumbling block so teams will need a good supply of youth players to make it work

Again I agree, let clubs play where they want to play and lets respect that. The last thing the game needs is resentment and further divisions, I dont suppose it took long for the RFL to come up with the names for there leagues did it and they should have made sure that they were names cleary different from the NWC and Yorkshire league

[thestatman]

The NCL isn't going back to winter anytime in the foreseeable future. Leigh East's current crop of players will not accept playing in the NWC League, so it strikes me that Mr.Johnson's comments may look a bit foolish come next February when Leigh East are still playing summer rugby in the NCL!

[mr chairman]

just wondering if they are phils personal views or that of the full committee at leigh east , just got told that phil didnt mean to send it to everyone as he pressed the wrong button .
its too early to start stamping your feet at the summer revolution . it needs time to adjust . yes there are problems but winter also had its problems . for me its the same old story barla trying to score points against the RFL and the rfl ignoring barla , bit like kids in the schoolyard , pathetic really

[Marauder]

Kells have a crop of fantastic young players under the age of 20 who are BARLA standard so I think that it will work for them and there A team will be a very formidable team with talented lads between 25-32 year old who can play locally and fit in with there outside commitments I would imagine. Its a good point you make though that family commitments can be a big stumbling block so teams will need a good supply of youth players to make it work

Again I agree, let clubs play where they want to play and lets respect that. The last thing the game needs is resentment and further divisions, I dont suppose it took long for the RFL to come up with the names for there leagues did it and they should have made sure that they were names cleary different from the NWC and Yorkshire league

Don't forget the "Mens" I'm sure this was used to indicate a superior standard to the innocent onlooker.

[Marauder]

The NCL isn't going back to winter anytime in the foreseeable future. Leigh East's current crop of players will not accept playing in the NWC League, so it strikes me that Mr.Johnson's comments may look a bit foolish come next February when Leigh East are still playing summer rugby in the NCL!

Not far to the Pennine league and a lot less distance than Hull. But there again 10 clubs voted against going into the summer and only went because they didn't want to be left behind, but now BARLA look to be coming up with a conference league for the better clubs left behind and those who may want to return.

Edited by Marauder, 11 July 2012 - 04:30 PM.

[mr chairman]

dont be daft , east playing in the pennine league , never . leigh east are one of the most well run clubs in the league they will always strive to play at the top level at all ages . again i say that i dont think they were views of the committee , spoke with jim hoffman our social chairman and leigh are not losing money through the switch to summer

[Marauder]

Drig, Queens, Hunslet OB, Sharlston, to mention a few

[gillmeister]

Interesting to read the posts of Mr Chairman, Just a personal oppinion I think its a shame that BARLA didnt have more guys of the forward thinking nature of Phil Johnson, Stuart Prior and Paul Williamson of the Cumberland league at the top table maybe then progress could have been made in key areas

[bowes]

Don't forget the "Mens" I'm sure this was used to indicate a superior standard to the innocent onlooker.

More to emphasise there's also a women's and juniors game? Though I'm not convinced either, but names including NW and Yorkshire were unavoidable