20 replies to this topic

[Number 16]

Apparently!

[Bedford Roughyed]

Sad day if so.

[bowes]

Sad news but not a surprise after what Roy Haggerty posted elsewhere Is this completely gone or merged with West London?

[Number 16]

Seemingly it's a merger with a club with no players.

[bowes]

I hope the junior development can be saved at Croydon Hurricanes.

Any idea what the new merged club is called? I know they're looking at playing at Clapham Common.

[Exiled Townie]

Really sad news if true. I always remember that when getting into amateur rugby league here in 'down south' land, South London Storm was the team that led the way in most things. In fact they were always talked about as the club to emulate if you wanted to get on.
The Storm and West London Sharks both seemed to falter when they left their 'big union club' set up and 'downsized'. Hopefully a new club will start up from the joining of these two clubs.

[keighley]

Let's hope it's a one off and the rest of the London teams are still going strong. As someone already mentioned are their junior satellite teams like Croyden and Brixton also gone or are they now seperate entities and still around. ?

[tim2]

It just shows how fragile rugby league is as a sport, and it's not just in London either.

We have to acknowledge this it is a tough sport, and there are many other options available to young lads. Both in sports and outside.

At amateur level, even the best run clubs can suffer terminal decline with the loss of one or two key individuals, or an incorrect decision (which may have seemed correct at the time, don't we all love hindsight).

My club was a whisker from folding a year ago. We hung in and are much better now, but I would say we are a long, long way from being safe.

[gingerjon]

Very sad news this. My glorious rugby league career of 1 match was spent entirely with South London II.

Rugby league in London could do with some good news.

[Tusbab]

The apparent demise of South London Storm raises several important questions..

1, How did an amateur club in clear terminal decline over the past few yearfs manage to attract £250,000 of funding from the RL Facilities Trust? In relative terms this loss of money to the sport is probably greater than the £600,000 lost on Crusaders.

2. What effect will the posssible loss of Community Rugby League Coach positions in South London after March 31 have on Croydon Hurricanes?

3. What has been the role of Giovanni Cinque in all of this?

[Northern Sol]

700k but you are right. This blunder is even worse.

[Number 16]

Okay, as a founder of Storm it's a very sad day, if true. The guys who've attempted to keep the club afloat the past two years have done a sterling jofb in unforgiving circumstances. There's no criticism of them from me. An earlier poster made mention of a former club administrator; where is he, and can he provide us with a copy of the club accounts?

Have more to say on RL in this part of the world, but too late tonight to do so! Suffice to say that RL WILL re-emerge in Croydon next season.

[keighley]

Okay, as a founder of Storm it's a very sad day, if true. The guys who've attempted to keep the club afloat the past two years have done a sterling jofb in unforgiving circumstances. There's no criticism of them from me. An earlier poster made mention of a former club administrator; where is he, and can he provide us with a copy of the club accounts?

Have more to say on RL in this part of the world, but too late tonight to do so! Suffice to say that RL WILL re-emerge in Croydon next season.

Good.

[Wanderer]

What happened to the 250K?

Did a union club get the long term benefit?

[bowes]

What happened to the 250K?

Did a union club get the long term benefit?

A school did for a 5-a-side soccer pitch they can rent out

[RP London]

just picked this up, dont come on this bit that much anymore..

very sad news, Love South London Storm, loved the time i spent there and all those that were included.. sadly that includes Number 16 to my lasting shame

Very fond memories, lasting lifetime friendships etc

very very sad news.. and i'm with N16.. would love to see those accounts after talking to a fair few of the lifelong friends about it in the past few years and about what happened.

Hopefully the schools (including the school the pitch was built in.. mr Cynical bowes hopefully it will still be used for RL in that school.. [i do understand the cynasism though]) and hopefully Harkes and the others still down there can pull something out of this and keep it, like a phoenix, rising.... (Croydon Phoenix?)

[bowes]

I'd call the new club Croydon Hurricanes to link them to the juniors

[RP London]

I'd call the new club Croydon Hurricanes to link them to the juniors

yes so would I (actually i would keep South London Storm if they could but thats just me) but the phoenix bit was too obvious not to put in.

[Marauder]

It just shows how fragile rugby league is as a sport, and it's not just in London either.

We have to acknowledge this it is a tough sport, and there are many other options available to young lads. Both in sports and outside.

At amateur level, even the best run clubs can suffer terminal decline with the loss of one or two key individuals, or an incorrect decision (which may have seemed correct at the time, don't we all love hindsight).

My club was a whisker from folding a year ago. We hung in and are much better now, but I would say we are a long, long way from being safe.

Amateur rugby league is very fragile indeed, this season we've at the most only turned out about 9 to 10 of the players who would be on the best 17 man team sheet, this has been a major problem this season for us, on the up side we've been putting two teams out (except on one occasion) when the first team fixture had to be fulfilled first.

[Pottsy]

yes so would I (actually i would keep South London Storm if they could but thats just me) but the phoenix bit was too obvious not to put in.

I agree. If someone is going to revive rugby league at its spiritual home at Streatham & Croydon RFC and that person also happens to be the original 'Stormlord' himself, then why not keep a much respected name and history alive?

Failing that, then I agree with the other poster who suggested Croydon Hurricanes if there's to be a link with the juniors.

Personally, I think a reconstituted Storm at Frant Rd AND a new club playing on Clapham Common would be a great outcome.