149 replies to this topic

[Honor James]

Couldnt the RFL move out of red hall and buy The George Hotel?

Absolutely the sticking out a mile thing to do.

The positives are so many that listing them could take me all day, so I'll just start with:

HISTORIC CONNECTION
PRIME ACCESSIBILITY
BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDING
IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL-OLD-BUILDINGED SQUARES IN ENGLAND
IDEAL INTERNAL FACILITIES ALREADY IN PLACE
IDEAL LARGE CORPORATE FUNCTION FACILITIES
and a veritable stream of
CONCOMMITTANT INCOME GENERATING POSSIBILITIES
started bouncing off the top of my head when I first heard the news yesterday, like little white rabbits off an apprentice sorcerers broomstick.

:-)

Edited by Honor James, 03 January 2013 - 02:44 PM.

[fieldofclothofgold]

The Rugby League museum which is located in the George Hotel is nothing to do with the RFL so I think the likelihood of them wanting to get involved in anything to do with this is zero. They proved how much they value the sport's history in 1995 when the centenary passed virtually unnoticed.

Some time ago (four years or so) each club was asked by the RFL to nominate a Heritage Officer and I took on the role for Barrow RFC. After 15 emails to the guy at Red Hall charged with coordinating all of the heritage stuff I gave up trying to contact him. I know he was receiving them because in the end I contacted somebody else at Red Hall who ensured he received them all - I was copied into their emails). I am still waiting for a reply from this very, very ignorant man (I won't name him but I would really like to!!!). As far as I am aware he is still getting paid a regular salary despite his rudeness!! And yes, I did complain to his masters but got no response .

Historically (no pun intended) the RFL has for years ignored the game's heritage and much valuable archive stuff has been lost (especially old film footage which was kept in wet conditions for years). Tony Collins has done much to retain what little has been salvaged down the years and the museum at the George Hotel represents only a very, very small part of the sport's history. I think most of the stuff currently displayed comes from Stevo's private collection (though I am not 100% certain of this).

It sure needs keeping in one place but it needs to be built upon in larger premises. Compared to the National Soccer Museum (originally at Preston but now in Manchester) the display at Huddersfield is very small, though excellent. The soccer museum was funded largely from the National Lottery Heritage Fund so I see no reason why a similar venture for RL could not be funded the same way.

As far as I am concerned I would like to see it located at the George Hotel which (if funding was available) could perhaps be purchased and converted into a massive museum and research centre for the sport's historians. Surely the fact that RL was "born" at a meeting within the building makes the George worth saving as a building of some significance.

very interesting thanks very much

the RFL needs to sell red hall and move too media city...not the george hotel

I'm certain the RFL do not own REDHALL.Leeds city council provided them with RedHall for next to nothing when they said they intended to leave Chappy road

[Just Browny]

Absolutely the sticking out a mile thing to do.

The positives are so many that listing them could take me all day, so I'll just start with:

HISTORIC CONNECTION
PRIME ACCESSIBILITY
BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDING
IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL-OLD-BUILDINGED SQUARES IN ENGLAND
IDEAL INTERNAL FACILITIES ALREADY IN PLACE
IDEAL LARGE CORPORATE FUNCTION FACILITIES
and a veritable stream of
CONCOMMITTANT INCOME GENERATING POSSIBILITIES
started bouncing off the top of my head when I first heard the news yesterday, like little white rabbits off an apprentice sorcerers broomstick.

:-)

Doesn't the RFL have a historic connection to Red Hall too? I've only ever been past but I understand it's a beautiful building too. I'd have thought using beds as desks would be less than ideal unless you're some sort of hippy cloud computing company, and the concommittant income generating possibilities don't seem to have been exploited by the existing hotel company.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the George preserved and its links to RL maintained. However, those who seem keenest for the RFL to take over correlate astonishingly with those who want the RFL to be doing everything from keeping every poorly-run club alive to achieving world peace - and this doesn't seem like a priority.

Those who want the RFL to 'market the game' can forget about it if they expect the RFL to splash out a cool million and some for the sake of a nice building - a nice building that could just as easily be bought out by an RL-friendly business tomorrow and the heritage centre maintained as part of it.

If the George Hotel was about to be knocked down tomorrow then I'd be encouraging the RFL to do what they could to stop it. For the time being, they've got a full season of rugby league and a World Cup to sort out... and if they are going into the real estate business they need to get a move on with those sponsorship negotiations.

Edited by Just Browny, 03 January 2013 - 03:19 PM.

[gingerjon]

Doesn't the RFL have a historic connection to Red Hall too? I've only ever been past but I understand it's a beautiful building too. I'd have thought using beds as desks would be less than ideal unless you're some sort of hippy cloud computing company, and the concommittant income generating possibilities don't seem to have been exploited by the existing hotel company.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the George preserved and its links to RL maintained. However, those who seem keenest for the RFL to take over correlate astonishingly with those who want the RFL to be doing everything from keeping every poorly-run club alive to achieving world peace - and this doesn't seem like a priority.

Those who want the RFL to 'market the game' can forget about it if they expect the RFL to splash out a cool million and some for the sake of a nice building - a nice building that could just as easily be bought out by an RL-friendly business tomorrow and the heritage centre maintained as part of it.

If the George Hotel was about to be knocked down tomorrow then I'd be encouraging the RFL to do what they could to stop it. For the time being, they've got a full season of rugby league and a World Cup to sort out... and if they are going into the real estate business they need to get a move on with those sponsorship negotiations.

*searches for the recommend button*

[JohnM]

For more information, click here and here and here


Niel Wood, the Rugby Football League's communications director, said the hotel held "a special place in the history of rugby league" and the league was sorry to hear the venue had closed. Mr Wood said the building housed the Rugby League Heritage Centre and said it was "sad that an attraction which houses such a wealth of sporting treasures is no longer open"."The George Hotel has changed hands on several occasions in recent years so hopefully new owners will be found to reopen as a going concern," he added. Colliers International said the heritage centre was separately owned and not part of the sale of the hotel.

Edited by JohnM, 03 January 2013 - 03:28 PM.

[Honor James]

Doesn't the RFL have a historic connection to Red Hall too? I've only ever been past but I understand it's a beautiful building too. I'd have thought using beds as desks would be less than ideal unless you're some sort of hippy cloud computing company, and the concommittant income generating possibilities don't seem to have been exploited by the existing hotel company.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the George preserved and its links to RL maintained. However, those who seem keenest for the RFL to take over correlate astonishingly with those who want the RFL to be doing everything from keeping every poorly-run club alive to achieving world peace - and this doesn't seem like a priority.

Those who want the RFL to 'market the game' can forget about it if they expect the RFL to splash out a cool million and some for the sake of a nice building - a nice building that could just as easily be bought out by an RL-friendly business tomorrow and the heritage centre maintained as part of it.

If the George Hotel was about to be knocked down tomorrow then I'd be encouraging the RFL to do what they could to stop it. For the time being, they've got a full season of rugby league and a World Cup to sort out... and if they are going into the real estate business they need to get a move on with those sponsorship negotiations.

Right ........... so that's put me in my place.

Teach me to be enthusiastic, that will. There's nowt use bein' enthusiastic lass, as both my northern grandmothers would likely have said, if they had been here to see me write that.

Enthusiasm may be all very well, they'd say, but it won't buy the baby a new bonnet.

Edited by Honor James, 03 January 2013 - 04:32 PM.

[Ant]

Like I said earlier, the George will reopen, and any new owners would be idiots to miss out on the marketing opportunities - like the old owners did...

[Lounge Room Lizard]

For me, its not the RFL´s responsibility to buy a building, that happened to house a meeting over 100 years ago. While its a shame to see the George in such a state, the RFL has other things that it should spend money on. Its not the end of the world should the George stay closed forever. The game is more than about some historic building or a couple of clubs etc. Whilst History should be respected and is important, it shouldnt hinder the future. If the RFL were daft enough to throw amillion or so on a building from the past, it would cause massive damage for the game in the future as such money should be used on such things as Development Officers. The historic items are safe and are not going to get destroyed. And there is no reason why the items could not be housed elsewhere in time at another museum. People crying over a old building need to get a grip. The RFL has wasted enough money on things like Bradford and Crusaders. I hope the RFL doesnt waste further money on something that is not going to benefit the game or help it grow, especially after now making massive cutbacks due to less money being available.

[JohnM]

Right ........... so that's put me in my place.

Steady on! There are too many sensitive souls on here as it is!

Just guessing here but....£1.5 million to buy it, £1.5 million to convert it to offices, £250 professional fees, £50k for you, £50k for me. ..makes £3.35 million. We'd need plans to see how much office space we could rent out out, at what rate of course. Now, where could we get that sort of money?

Edited by JohnM, 03 January 2013 - 05:11 PM.

[southstand loiner]

Steady on! There are too many sensitive souls on here as it is!

Just guessing here but....£1.5 million to buy it, £1.5 million to convert it to offices, £250 professional fees, £50k for you, £50k for me. ..makes £3.35 million. We'd need plans to see how much office space we could rent out out, at what rate of course. Now, where could we get that sort of money?

double the total and then add a bit and you wil be nearer the mark

[marklaspalmas]

After all the RFL did for Bradford, it's a disgrace they've done nothing about this. And they let Blackpool go to the wall.

I'd have thought converting a hotel into office space would be a pretty expensive job - the RFL have more pressing things to spend money on.

Well I wouldn't know anything about that, my club are in SL.

You don't get measured for a flat cap. Any size will do as long as it covers your eyes and your ears. That may be why you didn't see the Centenary celebrations - unless of course you chose to boycott them on moral grounds.

Can I be the first to declare my official boycott of the new RFL Hotel?

On moral grounds.

So.....the RFL are now responsible for our economy now? I knew it!

How on Earth did the George Hotel get a 3 year license?

Questions need to be asked, and heads must surely roll at the RFL for the downfall of this hotel that has got absolutely nothing to do with them.

I'm OUTRAGED!

So the RFL can step in here while my local B&B goes to the wall? Its a disgrace.

its immoral and unfair
I blame Wood.

All a bit unnecessary, donchathink?

[Lesmets]

Super League clubs and RFL and even the Aussies should all chip together and buy it and turn it into a proper RL Hall of Immortals ,somewhere the greats of the game can be enshrined for all time similar to what Australia does with the Immortals!

[terrywebbisgod]

Super League clubs and RFL and even the Aussies should all chip together and buy it and turn it into a proper RL Hall of Immortals ,somewhere the greats of the game can be enshrined for all time similar to what Australia does with the Immortals!

Then it would be boycotted by fans from Championship clubs on moral grounds

[marklaspalmas]

Then it would be boycotted by fans from Championship clubs on moral grounds

LOL

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[terrywebbisgod]

LOL

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oh dear,take a deep breath and reeeeelaxxxxxx.

[marklaspalmas]

Oh dear,take a deep breath and reeeeelaxxxxxx.

Don't worry dear, Im quite relaxed. But you are really boring.This, and the other quoted posts in my previous thread border on trolling. There's just no need.

[John Rhino]

I can't think of a bigger white elephant and drain on resources for the RFL than a ruddy great hotel that nobody wants to stay in.
The cost of converting to modern offices (im sure even the RFL have computers) would be astronomical.
Most of the stuff in the museum does belong to Stevo and yes there is a hall of fame there too.

Forget the hotel, it can't be knocked down as a Grade 2, and lets campaign for a decent home for the collection.

[John Rhino]

Oh, and the idea of chipping in to buy it as a museum is also madness.
The cost of maintenance on a building that age would bankrupt the RFL.

[Old Frightful]

Unfortunately, I can't recall the name of the guy who has put so much time and effort into the centre. Is he around in the winter?

Sam.

(Not the fireman, btw.)

[Johnoco]

All a bit unnecessary, donchathink?

Not really when some people are trying to pin this on the RFL as another failure or that it's their fault somehow. In fact the parallels are very similar to blaming them for Blackpool etc going under.