82 replies to this topic

[petesmithfan]

What a terrible idea.

Why? i

[gingerjon]

Playing each other three times is a decent idea so there's precious little chance of it happening.

[TheMancunianCandidate]

As a club chairman, I'm trying to work out how I would feel if I were the chairman of a club that had recently been admitted to C1, but that also later found out that I had a massive hole in my figures after finding out that there would only be 9 clubs instead of 10.

Crikey. I'd be sweating at the thought that I'd have taken a step into the unknown...it makes me shudder.

[stewpot01]

So Coventry are so unprepared that a club that didn't exist until this week is better prepared for next season. You couldn't make it up!

My thoughts too. Once again those at the top of decision making are about to make a complete pigs breakfast of it, absoloutely bonkers.

[stewpot01]

As a club chairman, I'm trying to work out how I would feel if I were the chairman of a club that had recently been admitted to C1, but that also later found out that I had a massive hole in my figures after finding out that there would only be 9 clubs instead of 10.

Crikey. I'd be sweating at the thought that I'd have taken a step into the unknown...it makes me shudder.

Top answer

[bowes]

So Coventry are so unprepared that a club that didn't exist until this week is better prepared for next season. You couldn't make it up!

Oxford have on off been in since about May. Coventry were until recently not expecting to get in.

[TheMancunianCandidate]

Top answer

Thanks. I dont often have sleepless nights but, i know that i woud be having them if id taken my club up a step only for the goal posts to be moved. There is far too much uncertainty in RL at the moment to risk any major steps. Our opinion is that we retain the ambition to move up but we'll wait a couple of years to see what the next whole sport plan and economic cycles bring and then revisit it.

[stewpot01]

Thanks. I dont often have sleepless nights but, i know that i woud be having them if id taken my club up a step only for the goal posts to be moved. There is far too much uncertainty in RL at the moment to risk any major steps. Our opinion is that we retain the ambition to move up but we'll wait a couple of years to see what the next whole sport plan and economic cycles bring and then revisit it.

It is very worrying right now, even with the restructuring. I read a couple of months back that the RFL did plan to eventually implement a pyramid system similar to football, I hope they have the finances to give grants to these clubs who may want to step up in the long term. Am I correct in thinking they require a minimum capacity of 3,000/

I also found it interesting that the chairman of Northampton gave one of his reasons for deciding to pull out was he felt the attendances for rugby could have been greater than those for football and the football club must come first.

[Derwent]

As a club chairman, I'm trying to work out how I would feel if I were the chairman of a club that had recently been admitted to C1, but that also later found out that I had a massive hole in my figures after finding out that there would only be 9 clubs instead of 10.

Crikey. I'd be sweating at the thought that I'd have taken a step into the unknown...it makes me shudder.

Its only 1 less home game than this season and, to be honest, at that level its 1 less game to make a financial loss on.

[Ponterover]

What a terrible idea.

Reasons?

[Lobbygobbler]

Reasons?

It isnt a different town. We need new towns in pro RL or at least new clubs representing parts of cities unrepresented

[Roughyedz]

its another rl mess thats leaves traditional clubs like oldham and rochdale in the dire .

What leaves "Traditional" clubs in the mire is rank bad management over the last 110 years

[Johnoco]

As a club chairman, I'm trying to work out how I would feel if I were the chairman of a club that had recently been admitted to C1, but that also later found out that I had a massive hole in my figures after finding out that there would only be 9 clubs instead of 10.

Crikey. I'd be sweating at the thought that I'd have taken a step into the unknown...it makes me shudder.

Have a game of handball as an add on?

[stewpot01]

It isnt a different town. We need new towns in pro RL or at least new clubs representing parts of cities unrepresented

Yes we do, but only if they are sustainable in the long term. It's all well and good handing out the licence as long as they don't end up been another Kent/Southend Invicta or a Bridgend.
I would love to see these new clubs in CH1 making a go of it, but what happens once the 'novelty' factor wears off and interest starts to dwindle. For instance, if one - all three- start getting pasted every week.

Edited by stewpot01, 23 September 2012 - 02:08 AM.

[MidlandsRugbyLeague]

As a club chairman, I'm trying to work out how I would feel if I were the chairman of a club that had recently been admitted to C1, but that also later found out that I had a massive hole in my figures after finding out that there would only be 9 clubs instead of 10.

Crikey. I'd be sweating at the thought that I'd have taken a step into the unknown...it makes me shudder.

How much do you expect you'd be missing out on by? (Bearing in mond thats two games you no longer need to foot wages for!)

[TheMancunianCandidate]

How much do you expect you'd be missing out on by? (Bearing in mond thats two games you no longer need to foot wages for!)

I think that's the point I'm trying to make - you wouldn't know! You can't run a profitable business on unknowns. No of fixtures = unknown. No of spectators from away teams = unknown. No of teams in league = unknown (OK we know that one now but, you know what I mean)

[TheMancunianCandidate]

Have a game of handball as an add on?

Aye, we could. It's going we'll too. The schools in South Manchester are very keen in handball. A golden opportunity really.

[TheMancunianCandidate]

Its only 1 less home game than this season and, to be honest, at that level its 1 less game to make a financial loss on.

Ha, yes. I suppose that's one way of looking at it...

[keighley]

Yes we do, but only if they are sustainable in the long term. It's all well and good handing out the licence as long as they don't end up been another Kent/Southend Invicta or a Bridgend.
I would love to see these new clubs in CH1 making a go of it, but what happens once the 'novelty' factor wears off and interest starts to dwindle. For instance, if one - all three- start getting pasted every week.

In the history of RL we have lost several hundreds of clubs. Establishing clubs is hard. Ask Liversedge, Brighouse Rangers, Tyldesly, Runcorn etc.
However, history has also demonstrated that we need to persevere with our expansionary policies as, even though, most seeds fall on stony ground and fail to thrive, occasionally one will take root and the game will progress. Castleford, Featherstone, Doncaster,London Broncos, London Skolars, Sheffield, Whitehaven, Workington and all the Australian and French game are examples of that..

We need this expansion as, like everything, things eventually fail or die and we need to carry on nevertheless. We have , Hunslet,Oldham, Rochdale and Swinton teetering on the edge. We have lost long time member teams like Blackpool,Bramley, Broughton and Prescott/Huyton/whatever.

So, to me, this expansion of the CC1 is good news. Yes it may fail ( it already lost Northampton), but if we get one long lived club out of the lot it will be a good thing. Yes we lost Bridgend/ Cardiff, Carlisle, Celtic Crusaders,Gateshead ( original version), Kent Invicta, Mansfield/Nottingham and Scarborough. However, we have Gateshead ( new version), both Londons, both Welsh teams and amateur teams in all those areas as survivors, who, hopefully, have long term prospects.

Could this latest expansion have been planned better? I think so and the fixtures might be a little chaotic but overall it's a good move. Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

[stewpot01]

In the history of RL we have lost several hundreds of clubs. Establishing clubs is hard. Ask Liversedge, Brighouse Rangers, Tyldesly, Runcorn etc.
However, history has also demonstrated that we need to persevere with our expansionary policies as, even though, most seeds fall on stony ground and fail to thrive, occasionally one will take root and the game will progress. Castleford, Featherstone, Doncaster,London Broncos, London Skolars, Sheffield, Whitehaven, Workington and all the Australian and French game are examples of that..

We need this expansion as, like everything, things eventually fail or die and we need to carry on nevertheless. We have , Hunslet,Oldham, Rochdale and Swinton teetering on the edge. We have lost long time member teams like Blackpool,Bramley, Broughton and Prescott/Huyton/whatever.

So, to me, this expansion of the CC1 is good news. Yes it may fail ( it already lost Northampton), but if we get one long lived club out of the lot it will be a good thing. Yes we lost Bridgend/ Cardiff, Carlisle, Celtic Crusaders,Gateshead ( original version), Kent Invicta, Mansfield/Nottingham and Scarborough. However, we have Gateshead ( new version), both Londons, both Welsh teams and amateur teams in all those areas as survivors, who, hopefully, have long term prospects.

Could this latest expansion have been planned better? I think so and the fixtures might be a little chaotic but overall it's a good move. Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

I agree with a lot of what you say, and yes, it could have been planned better. But i don't think those at the top end of decision making have learned from past lessons.
I know all about clubs going to the wall, my family were involved with the original Hunslet club on both the playing and supporting side since its inception. But one of the main contributing factors to their downfall was the regeneration of the area and the hard core of the support been scattered around, some, no doubt closer to a successful Leeds united side or dare I say Leeds RL.
Some of the sides you mention, particularly in the latter years had little if no following in their death throes, wasn't it Southend who got something like 60 people for a game v Huddersfield?
There is need for expansion, but right now the RFL needto be looking at more local issues, for now, it's no good setting up three clubs in the south if we lose two in its traditional heartland.