114 replies to this topic

[The Parksider]

they could always play at whitebank home to their partner club

It's not particulary funny, but ironic that Mo Lyndsay reckoned Oldham and Salford should have merged to become "Manchester".

[keighley]

It's not particulary funny, but ironic that Mo Lyndsay reckoned Oldham and Salford should have merged to become "Manchester".

Oh, Saint Mo again, the guy of the bridge of the foundering ship when the Sky salvage tender pulled alongside. A real visionary leader he was.

[matt newsholme]

Of course I'm fully aware of this

Harris and scully were massive losses to the club.


I'd just wish bulls would show some respect to Salford and see at happens......that's my point...

Like wire are showing respect talking to broughton as is being talked about as if its a done deal on various wire forums?. If you read the article linked to it actually say long has spoken to several SL clubs. Like I said all the Salford players and staff are going to be talking to other clubs to have a backup plan in place should the worst happen. They would be stupid not to. Gentlemans agreement notwithstanding most of bulls squad had deals lined up at other clubs should we have not pulled through and I don't blame them in the slightest.

[1976PMJwires]

Like wire are showing respect talking to broughton as is being talked about as if its a done deal on various wire forums?. If you read the article linked to it actually say long has spoken to several SL clubs. Like I said all the Salford players and staff are going to be talking to other clubs to have a backup plan in place should the worst happen. They would be stupid not to. Gentlemans agreement notwithstanding most of bulls squad had deals lined up at other clubs should we have not pulled through and I don't blame them in the slightest.

IMHO it's wrong, as I did say when wires put bids in on Bateman , whitehead and kopcak


Vultures

[Pottsy]

I dunno - just what was said at the meeting. To be honest all this money ###### is doing my head in - I just want to watch my team play rugby. I don't care about rich men's problems and they way it is going I would rather see our club run & financed by fans, playing in CC1 - than staggering along in SL, waiting to go bust or reliant on the finances of 1 person.

Same here. Would sooner enjoy trips to Oxford etc than stumble in as a debt-hobbled super league club

[roughyedspud]

they could always play at whitebank home to their partner club

as they won't be a super league club the partnership will be dissolved.

[Pottsy]

as they won't be a super league club the partnership will be dissolved.

Irrelevant and hypothetical but I'd guess Moor Lane football stadium is a possibility.

[The Parksider]

Oh, Saint Mo again, the guy of the bridge of the foundering ship when the Sky salvage tender pulled alongside. A real visionary leader he was.

He called things right. He knew both Salford and Oldham could not make it alone.

Mo Lyndsay 2 keighley and his prejudices 0

[roughyedspud]

yet theres absolutely no evidence "manchester" would have worked...

so u can knock mo back down to 1

[Padge]

Oh, Saint Mo again, the guy of the bridge of the foundering ship when the Sky salvage tender pulled alongside. A real visionary leader he was.

He didn't get his own way though did he, now maybe if he had?

[The Parksider]

yet theres absolutely no evidence "manchester" would have worked...

so u can knock mo back down to 1

The point is Lyndsay knew the smaller clubs would never work in the modern world.

I suppose he could have called for them to just give up, however he called for them to try something to get out of the depression they were in. He tried to be positive.

Salford and Oldham ignored him. That was their choice, and one club is barely alive as a professional club, the other may die soon.

All that proves is Lyndsay tried to help, and the clubs shoved their heads in the sand.

[Dave T]

The point is Lyndsay knew the smaller clubs would never work in the modern world.

I suppose he could have called for them to just give up, however he called for them to try something to get out of the depression they were in. He tried to be positive.

Salford and Oldham ignored him. That was their choice, and one club is barely alive as a professional club, the other may die soon.

All that proves is Lyndsay tried to help, and the clubs shoved their heads in the sand.

So by that reasoning he thought that Warrington and Widnes were not big enough to survive in SL. Doesn't Warrington's growth rather prove him wrong and lose him a point?

[The Parksider]

So by that reasoning he thought that Warrington and Widnes were not big enough to survive in SL. Doesn't Warrington's growth rather prove him wrong and lose him a point?

Lyndsay called 14 clubs Dave and guess what?

That's what we have.

He knew Widnes had been a top club but as a small town club heavily overstretched themselves financially, Widnes however had a fantastic record of junior development.

Wire didn't have that but had a great fan base in a bigger town, so he saw that between the two clubs (and lets be fair, I've travelled the very very short road from Wire to Widnes) they could rival Saints and Wigan.

So the call he made at that point in time was bang on.

As it transpired, Widnes sank further and their junior system dried up. Wire however bumped into a man called Moran, and under his excellent patronage and from his wealth Warrington have really come on fantastically.

So you need to take into account at the time Mo called it. Mr. Moran was not doing the business.

The problem here with people having a go at Lyndsay is he could say it as he saw it in 1996, but he didn't have a crystal ball and could not know what events would change the RL scene. For instance in 1996 he dismissed Huddersfield out of hand.

But how was he to know Ken Davey's wife would take a shine to the Fartowners.

I think we need to be balanced and fair over Lyndsay, but sadly other people's nasty petty prejudices often over ride that.

[41hound]

Ah hindsight!

How many teams in this country have sucessfully merged into a new club? Me and Spud both love our clubs - for better and for worse and the fans of Oldham want to support Oldham & the fans of Salford want ... er Salford. NOT Manchester mde up something. It probably doesn't make business sense, but since when did supporting a rugby team need to make sense - its not a rational thing to do really ...

[Padge]

So by that reasoning he thought that Warrington and Widnes were not big enough to survive in SL. Doesn't Warrington's growth rather prove him wrong and lose him a point?

Widnes had been on the edge for a while, they had been having money trouble continually. Lindsay pulled Widnes out of it by buying Lydon for £100,000, Wigan later again got them out of the financial mess when they bought Offiah for £440,000. Widnes had to off-load Davies on a free transfer to Warrington to save them from getting in it once again.

At the time there was nobody on a white charger riding in to save them, Warrington were playing in a dilapidated stadium bumping along at the time with once again no sign of anyone coming to the rescue.

If we had carried on would these two clubs have found a saviour, we don't know, we do know they were both heading for trouble (more so Widnes), did the creation of SL spark an interest from well financed backers for the clubs, maybe, but in reality we don't know.

What I think we do know is that we couldn't carry on as we were and where we were wasn't in a place that a lot of clubs were going to survive in.

It doesn't really matter whether clubs merged or not, in the brave new world those that sort themselves out will survive, others may be lost. The clubs voted for a fight to the death when they rejected mergers. Lindsay didn't want that but the clubs did.

[Padge]

Ah hindsight!

How many teams in this country have sucessfully merged into a new club? Me and Spud both love our clubs - for better and for worse and the fans of Oldham want to support Oldham & the fans of Salford want ... er Salford. NOT Manchester mde up something. It probably doesn't make business sense, but since when did supporting a rugby team need to make sense - its not a rational thing to do really ...

But you are both going to die or at best be on life support for years until you do.

[41hound]

But you are both going to die or at best be on life support for years until you do.

You are absolutely right. BUT it is easy to suggest these things - but would you want it to happen to your club?

As I said supporting a sport team is about loyalty etc ... not comon sense

[Padge]

You are absolutely right. BUT it is easy to suggest these things - but would you want it to happen to your club?

As I said supporting a sport team is about loyalty etc ... not comon sense

I have always said that of the survival of rugby league in Wigan depended an some form of merger with someone I would back it.

I do not have the right to deny future generations of Wiganers the pleasures of RL just because I want to hang on to some failed past.

Sorry but you do not have the right to kill off RL in Oldham because you want to remain rooted in your failed past either.

[41hound]

I have always said that of the survival of rugby league in Wigan depended an some form of merger with someone I would back it.

I do not have the right to deny future generations of Wiganers the pleasures of RL just because I want to hang on to some failed past.

Sorry but you do not have the right to kill off RL in Oldham because you want to remain rooted in your failed past either.

You have good but rare attitude - most of us just couldn't do it - we are too selfish. Be honest though and say how many Wigan fans would agree to a merger with Saints or Wire.

[The Parksider]

You are absolutely right. BUT it is easy to suggest these things - but would you want it to happen to your club?

As I said supporting a sport team is about loyalty etc ... not comon sense

Fair call there Mr. Hound.

I can't criticise the heart of any RL fan.

If Oldham and Salford fans all want to say that despite Lyndsays call he could stick a merger.

And despite the fact (as it stands) that both clubs are decimated 17 years on he can still stick it....

Then fair enough

The two clubs may disappear/survive as low level semi pro entities, and delight their diehards in doing so.

Thes rest of Lancashire and north Cheshire will carry on supporting Wire, Widnes, Saints and Wigan......