London Broncos "Dark Horses"?

[nadera78]

39 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

On a serious note to do you think London can draw big enough crowds to justify the cost of a bigger stadium in London?

Even when we had a good CEO in Nic Cartwright and the best team ive seen on the pitch in the Brentford days we still only drew crowds over 4k on occasion against the likes of Leeds and Saints and often it was around 3k.  I remember a midweek game against i think Wakey in the cup when there were 1.5k there in that era. 

I think London offer a lot to the game but moving stadiums again and spending money we don't have is surely a recipe for disaster?

If the criteria is 5K, with 2K seated, then the club need look for absolutely no more than that. It essentially amounts to one nice little stand, a few concrete steps, a couple of bars and some bogs. At that size it would probably be a good atmosphere with a couple of thousand people in it. Can TFSC accommodate that? Maybe, but the residents wouldn't like it.

I'm going to throw in a mention for Hayes and Yeading FC here. A little bit further west than most would like, but with a Crossrail (opening 2018) station at Southall (a 15 minute walk once they build the bridge across the canal). 1,500 seat stand they can't quite find the money to finish off, with enough space around it to hit the 5K mark.

[ojx]

15 minutes ago, Trojan said:

I'd have thought a move to somewhere in North London would be advantageous.  I went to the Stoop in 1998 to see them play Hull and I reckon it took the best part of two hours from Kings X to Twickenham.

Truth is London needs more teams, folks don't want to travel two hours across the city on their weekend for a home game. It has to be convenient and fun. A couple more teams in the league pyramid along with the Skolars and Broncos would make the game much more accessible and create some rivalries.

[nadera78]

Just now, ojx said:

Truth is London needs more teams, folks don't want to travel two hours across the city on their weekend for a home game. It has to be convenient and fun. A couple more teams in the league pyramid along with the Skolars and Broncos would make the game much more accessible and create some rivalries.

Where are the players coming from to staff these clubs?

[ojx]

9 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

Where are the players coming from to staff these clubs?

From the North and some wandering antilopeans. Where do they come from for Hemel, Gloucester, Oxford, North Wales etc?

[THE RED ROOSTER]

The Club,s official statement on this

Quote

Q: Does moving to a small ground not fit for Super League show a club that is aiming down and not up?
Not at all. The ground can be made to suit the Super League standards, the move enables the club to move towards sustainability.

https://londonbroncosrl.com/trailfinders-qa/

Michael Channing interviewed in Rugby League World recently said that David Hughes had told the players that Trailfinders would be accepted in Super League by the RFL if the club won promotion.. Personally much like some politicians recently, you can make as many promises as you like if you never think you are going to have to actually keep them. The problems will start when the club actually does get promotion which would be the acid test.

[westlondonfan]

I saw David Hughes speaking in the bar at Trailfinders with Stevo the Sunday before last and I got the impression he really wants London to get promotion.

i have to say I find Man of Kent's comments very odd. Let's not dream about pie in the sky. Let's look at where we actually are now. For the first time in a good few years London are improving on and of the field. Let's build on that, and not throw it all away as a result of where we think RL 'SHOULD' be in London?

[DEANO]

1 hour ago, ojx said:

From the North and some wandering antilopeans. Where do they come from for Hemel, Gloucester, Oxford, North Wales etc?

Err. In Hemels case, dewsbury

[Tre Cool]

2 hours ago, Trojan said:

I was really keen on a London presence when it started in 1980.  And there were promising crowds too.  IIRC 15K in the cup V Wakey.  With Fulham FC's money behind them they should have really been able to make it crack.  But Fulham lost interest and kicked them out, and they moved from ground to ground, with the crowds declining all the time (hardly a surprise)  until eventually they ended up being relegated.  It appears that from the football standpoint relegation did them a favour.  But the crowds are dire.   I'm planning to go on Sunday, but getting their from the north appears to be quite a project,.  And let's be honest, the north is where all the away support will come from.  I'd have thought a move to somewhere in North London would be advantageous.  I went to the Stoop in 1998 to see them play Hull and I reckon it took the best part of two hours from Kings X to Twickenham.

I used to get from Euston to Twickenham in 45 -50 mins pretty comfortably even on a Sunday.  And you can't choose a stadium based on accessibility to away fans.  The Barnet stadium was in the north near the M1 but still 3 hours from Yorkshire, i don't think another 25 mins to Ealing makes much difference.  What they have never had is a decent long term plan or stadium deal.  Thats what they need and if they can get it that should be the aim.  A long term partnership and a stable (neigh) home.

[Man of Kent]

55 minutes ago, westlondonfan said:

I saw David Hughes speaking in the bar at Trailfinders with Stevo the Sunday before last and I got the impression he really wants London to get promotion.

i have to say I find Man of Kent's comments very odd. Let's not dream about pie in the sky. Let's look at where we actually are now. For the first time in a good few years London are improving on and of the field. Let's build on that, and not throw it all away as a result of where we think RL 'SHOULD' be in London?

Odd? Why?

Andy Henderson is doing a superb job but Ealing is a dead end. 

Surely you're not saying Broncos' revival is down to playing at Ealing and not Henderson?

[Number 16]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Surely you're not saying Broncos' revival is down to playing at Ealing and not Henderson?

A beneficial coincidence, I'd say. 

As for promotion, I reckon that the RFL would allow it, but maybe with some small improvements, maybe like a second temporary stand behind the other sticks to help cater for larger crowds. However, I'm certain they'd demand a more permanent solution within an agreed timeframe, like 3 or 5 years.

[Southern Reiver]

Any trip to a home game is a project for most of the Broncos fans be it from Essex or Hampshire. The ground might meet criteria if the right promises have been made to the RFL as Number 16 suggests. In terms of improvements a temporary seated stand behind the sticks similar to the other end but with no cover might be low enough not to pee off the neighbours. It really is the number of loos and areas for F&B that need increased for larger crowds. 

As for dark horses, the next two weeks will give an indication of whether we are realistic challengers for the eights. Taking that form into the eights and catching out a SL team or two is however a different proposition. I suspect we are maybe one or two players short of the team or squad to deliver particularly if injuries come in.

However it's a long time since we've enjoyed the journey and provided the players play to their peak you can't ask for more than that.

[westlondonfan]

Dead end - definition

an end of a road or passage from which no exit is possible.

"the path came to a dead end"

12 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Odd? Why?

Andy Henderson is doing a superb job but Ealing is a dead end. 

Surely you're not saying Broncos' revival is down to playing at Ealing and not Henderson?

 

It is not a dead end because they could move if it was in their interests to do so.

Yes I do think playing at Ealing has contributed to their improved performance.