65 replies to this topic

[greengrass]

I am at the point now where I am thinking the ground will never happen.

[Bryce]

That's the spirit!

[PhillH]

Politicians of all shades have already started to jump on the bandwagon of Olympic legacy / a push for more sports participation in light of Team GB success in London 2012. Major parts of the predictable agenda should be used to keep up the pressure for support & delivery.

Edited by PhillH, 10 August 2012 - 01:12 PM.

[greengrass]

I have had all my spirit kick out of me by this club

[Bryce]

First league title in 25 years. First season at this level in 10-11 years.
Clubs like Bradford announcing debts of 1.5 mil. All we've done is fail to broadcast the fact we've made a late tax payment. It's not all bad when you think about it.

Why not just wait to see what the club has to say about it at the next meeting. Hopefully we'll also hear some realistic news about the stadium, along with evidence that the project has actaully moved forward in the last 12 months.

146 years and we're still here!

[Barnie]

I think this whole thing sums up the fans relationship with the club and vice versa. There is a lack of trust from both sides. The club thinks they can run the club how they want and they don’t have to tell anybody anything. To a certain point this is fair comment as they put the money in. However, to treat the fans with contempt is not the best way of getting more bums on seats and a more open club would, in fact, make most people happier.

I think that this club is facing its biggest ever crisis. If something isn’t done then the remaining 200 or so die hards will get fed up and find better things to do with their Sunday afternoons. With no fans the club will not get a new ground. As for all these muppets that say they will only come back to watching Swinton when the new ground is built, well we all know that isn’t going to happen. We have lost two generations of children, and stand to lose many more generations.

Being a Swinton fan is not the easiest thing. 99% of people that turn up bleed blue blood. As a fan all I want is a bit more transparency from the club and the whole set up to be a little bit more approachable. It seems that we are own worst enemy and some serious soul searching needs to be done.

[marshy1]

First league title in 25 years. First season at this level in 10-11 years.
Clubs like Bradford announcing debts of 1.5 mil. All we've done is fail to broadcast the fact we've made a late tax payment. It's not all bad when you think about it.

Why not just wait to see what the club has to say about it at the next meeting. Hopefully we'll also hear some realistic news about the stadium, along with evidence that the project has actaully moved forward in the last 12 months.

146 years and we're still here!

Most sensible quote made about this episode. Well said.

[duffymoon]

If the club is to have a viable future we need the stadium!.We have lost most of the fans who had their passion for the club rekindled when we played at Salford last year.The fans will come if we get to Agecroft,a bit of publicity on the Swinton People Facebook page has brought six fans now regularly attending matches.That might seem like a drop in the ocean but it's a start!

[DemonUK]

Maybe we`ll be seeing links to court cases for libel actions?

Nothing libelous in taking info from an official court list. Why was it not removed in July? Were they waiting to see if they delayed the next payment?

[mark richardson]

Nothing libelous in taking info from an official court list. Why was it not removed in July? Were they waiting to see if they delayed the next payment?

Never said it did..did I? Read everything again and quote me on that.

Edited by mark richardson, 10 August 2012 - 06:01 PM.

[PhillH]

46-4 to Fev at half time. Are we sure this news hasn't effected morale of the team?

[Bryce]

Why don't you go and ask them instead of speculating on here Phill?

Or would that be too easy and not as controversial as you'd like?

[mark richardson]

Phil I thought you provided the answers not the questions

[PhillH]

86-12 full time and that's a fact.

[Bryce]

86-12 FT. Al Hurst with 2 and Daz Hawkyard with the other (according to BBC). I couldn't go today due to a christening, but we got demolished. No Morty, or I have no doubt it would have been 86-18...not really much consolation. I also have no doubt that it was nothing to do with what happened last week, what with it being a non-event.

See you all at the Keighley match!

Come on you Lions!

[Bryce]

I didn't think you dealt in facts Phill.

Here's some for you...

1st season at this level for 10 years (I think the NFP ended in 2002)
3rd bottom finish guaranteed - a position which would have seen us safe even if relegation was in for this season.
Highest average attendance for at least 10 years (probably more)
Quality entertainment (York H/A, Hunslet H/A, Halifax H, Fev H, Batley H, Dewbury H/A, Sheffield H) in all but what? 2 games this season?

And I thought this season wasn't about results on the pitch Phill? Why are they suddenly so important? We weren't going to get a p/o place since we lost at York. We've been beaten by the best team outside SL IMO, a team fighting for the league leaders shield.

[RobinHoodHawk]

Nothing to be ashamed of in that result as many teams have been hammered before at POR this season.

It is well known that HMRC is over zealous with sports club and it seems an weekly occurrence that a club gets a winding up order. I can name a dozen clubs in the last eighteen months who have had the same predicaments ... Some even being very 'well run' clubs who have only been late with a VAT bill.

Unfortunately the RFL is riddled , nay overwhelmed, by officers who are funded by government bodies such as Sport England which proves embarrassing for the RFL when their own clubs don't pay their due taxes.!!

As for communications my club is being run by a trust who let absolutely nothing out about finance etc and since they took control communication has become very limited causing a rift between supporters who are pro trust and those who just want some transparency. So you are no different to other clubs.

Well done Swnton for putting out a competitive team this year. It must be lovely to celebrate the occasional and regular victory !!

[Phil Loxton]

Swinton were obviously outclassed today...but they too played some attractive football at times; You have some good players at your club and whilst this might be easy for me to say being a Fev fan, I would like to add we were a tad lucky to beat you away from home;

[PhillH]

I didn't think you dealt in facts Phill.

Here's some for you...

1st season at this level for 10 years (I think the NFP ended in 2002)
3rd bottom finish guaranteed - a position which would have seen us safe even if relegation was in for this season.
Highest average attendance for at least 10 years (probably more)
Quality entertainment (York H/A, Hunslet H/A, Halifax H, Fev H, Batley H, Dewbury H/A, Sheffield H) in all but what? 2 games this season?

And I thought this season wasn't about results on the pitch Phill? Why are they suddenly so important? We weren't going to get a p/o place since we lost at York. We've been beaten by the best team outside SL IMO, a team fighting for the league leaders shield.

You make many valid points (not about York away, can't let that go - even Ian Watson admitted it was an awful performance and he was spot on). Clearly a defeat at Fev was predictable, but surely not on that scale. Over a point a minute let in? I'm certain it made very uncomfortable viewing indeed for Steve McCormack and he will have labelled it an unacceptable effort. The dip in performance in the last 2 games is cause for alarm. The side is capable of much better if applying itself properly, such as in some of the games you've pointed out. Hopefully that is what will happen to a greater extent now that home games are back on the agenda to close out the season.

Its been a season of missed opportunities. Starting with a favourable Northern Rail Cup draw that wasn't exploited. Then a string of near misses in league games, from which 4 wins was a meagre return - the side just didn't quite have that winning mentality when it mattered. Continuity of playing personnel from one season to the next is not what it used to be - witness about 50% churn of the squad this year. We had a chance this season of getting much higher up the table, as a handful of players were in the fold who would naturally fit into sides higher up. It remains to be seen what sort of squad can be assembled for next year, whether the key players will be retained, and this will determine the context of 2012 - a laying of foundations, or a flash in the pan. This is one of the reasons why a drop in form at this point matters - it will hinder the chances of recruiting well for 2013, and it is notable that nobody has been signed up yet and other clubs are busy getting ahead in this respect.

I guess my concern centres on a feeling that part of this recent loss of momentum on the field reflects a short-term mindset off it. If players could see their current performances matter in light of going into next year, perhaps the level of application would be higher? As things stand, many may not see themselves as stakeholders in what happens at Swinton next season - already got their minds elsewhere?

Attendance-wise direct comparison with 2011 isn't possible due to the change in league and change in home venue, but in terms of the home support my feeling is that a decent proportion of those attracted back into the fold at the Willows in 2011 have drifted away again. I'd say a drop from about 650 to about 450. This goes to show that Agecroft IS more important than what happens on the field, and that will be the case every season until a new ground is built. Sadly "Rumour Mongering and Idle Gossip" has been our only option on that subject for best part of a year as there has been nothing firmer to go on.

PS There is hard fact behind all my postings on this string.

[Little Lion Man]

I can appreciate your concern about the ground and the affect it has on attendances but to attribute last seasons attendances to playing closer to "home" seems a bit narrow sited. How much of the attendances last season were down to good rugby and most importantly a successful team. Surely the effect of a championship winning side was more influential than you are crediting and even the Salford fans that swelled last seasons numbers came to watch good rugby. With or without a home ground we will struggle to attract new people to the package if we play like yesterday. I nearly made the mistake of taking my nephew for the first time....