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Anita Bath

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A Canadian press version of the announcement

 

http://www.thestar.com/sports/2016/04/27/toronto-wolfpack-billed-as-first-transatlantic-professional-team.html

 

Don't come in April - two of the last three sundays there have been major snow storms. Middle of summer is often very hot and humid (temperatures in 30 degree C not unusual).  Stays warm through the summer well into September.

 

Stadium is quite a sparse concrete stadium (bring a cushion!) in a nice area known as liberty village with plenty of bars and restaurants.  Short tram ride from downtown and very close to the MLS (soccer) stadium.  The CFL (sort of Canadian NFL) team the ARGONAUTS also play at the MLS stadium.  MLS runs April to October, CFL runs July to November.

 

 

 

 

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In my opinion this is a complete farce but what you come to expect from the RFL.

 

In Championship 1 virtually all the players are part time so how can they fly out on Friday night, then play a match and return in time for work on Monday. If they go out earlier or come back later they may lose wages. Clubs may have to field a weakened team if employers will not allow players time off work. What happens if they are injured in Canada and can't fly home with the rest of the team?

 

Will the Canadians pay for my travel, hotel expenses and health insurance if I wished to watch a Hornets match in Toronto?

 

Will it be a level playing field or will the Toronto team be full time and not have to abide by a salary cap?

 

Expansion is all well and good but even the football and RU authorities haven't come up with such a harebrained scheme. Expansion teams in this country are struggling. 

 

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Yeah unbelievable,but there you go,somebody at GHQ will be getting a bung for this crackpot idea. How the hell can working people like the part timers who play in Hornets league,be expected to take time off work for the five day round trip to fly to Toronto? Not only that,but they`ll have to get passports and presumably visas to enter Canada too.

Talk about Fred Carno`s,this one takes the biscuit.

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What an absolutely barmy idea. If the Rugby League have money to splash around how about spending it on former clubs like Blackpool, Nottingham etc.

Another thing with this Canada larky is you cannot be guaranteed the weather. The team, and maybe a couple of rich supporters could travel all the way over there and find the game postponed because of the snow.

No, if the Rugby League want to expand the game them may I suggest they admit Trinidad Trotters to the league.

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No doubt another propped up team without a salary cap and full-time status. Were Toulouse to fail (if allowed) this season, in their perceived right to be in a higher league, it could mean two full time clubs in League 1 next year.  Hopefully we (and others) can help bring about this scenario.  Unfortunately, given that teams with this financial back-up* should be promoted, it means that the long established and newer teams will have to know their place for another year!  Or until the next one is parachuted in from another far off destination.

 

*The RFL should state how much in Euros or C$ Toulouse and Toronto each will receive (in addition to exterior backing) compared with other clubs in League 1 - I believe about £75k each per season?

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crazy!

 

 

I believe they are well backed financially, but how long will that last? So much so that they are paying all the travel costs of the opposition teams, that's all well and good for now but who will cover the 2 days wages (minimum) the opposing part time players will lose.

 

Absolute crack-pot idea

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In my opinion this is a complete farce but what you come to expect from the RFL.

 

In Championship 1 virtually all the players are part time so how can they fly out on Friday night, then play a match and return in time for work on Monday. If they go out earlier or come back later they may lose wages. Clubs may have to field a weakened team if employers will not allow players time off work. What happens if they are injured in Canada and can't fly home with the rest of the team?

 

Will the Canadians pay for my travel, hotel expenses and health insurance if I wished to watch a Hornets match in Toronto?

 

Will it be a level playing field or will the Toronto team be full time and not have to abide by a salary cap?

 

Expansion is all well and good but even the football and RU authorities haven't come up with such a harebrained scheme. Expansion teams in this country are struggling. 

 

My thoughts exactly Pedro

Lee Morton

 

Raiders have risen from the ashes

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Apparently the teams will fly out of England on Thursday, games will be played Saturday.  Now some more wrinkles

 

1. Flights from UK to Toronto are day time but the only direct flights from manchester are charter/discount airlines which are unlikely to be conducive to a bunch of large athletic blokes who are about to play a professional game.  That means using a commercial airline (BA, Air Canada via London or KLM via Amsterdam) - which adds to the travel time (and time off work). I suspect they will have negotiated a sponsorship deal if they are to pay costs and if so I expect such a deal would be with Air Canada (all speculation on my part).  Air Canada fly out of the furthest satellite of the new terminal 2 (a hell of a walk from check in) and  changes in london would involve additional terminal changes from that hell hole named terminal 5!

 

2. Flight from London is about 8 hours. There is a five hour time difference so will need friday to adjust to jet lag.  I dont know about others but I find I need far more than one day to get into a reasonbable sleep pattern when I travel to N. America.

 

3. If the intention is to fly back Saturday night (all flights are overnight) straight after the game that will mean games have to be played saturday afternoon (last flight to London is around 11pm). Return flight is about 7 hours plus 5 hour time difference means 11pm flight arrives in London (if on time) at 11 am sunday - then transfer to a manchester flight after clearing customs means most optomistic arrival time in Manchester would be mid afternoon - then drive home.  More jet lag and you are a wreck on Monday morning.  For the NFL games played at Wembley (and as of this year other locations) the teams fly to the UK immediately following the previous weekend's game to give them a full week to 'acclamatise'

 

4. In the summer afternoon kick offs would be horrendously hot and humid. Most sports play in the evening but they would be up against the major league baseball team who play games at 1.00 pm and at the moment are selling out all weekend games (50,000). Saturday afternoon games at the baseball are promoted as 'kids day' with discount prices, family tickets, free gifts, rides etc and the opportunity to 'run the bases' after the game. 

 

5.  Canadians are puritanical about all matters alcohol - all to do with history not any significant problems with drunkeness or violence.  At games played at the stadium there is a beer tent behind one end which has limited capacity (maybe 100-150 people max.)  You are not allowed to take beer outside of the beer tent area because of the stadium licence.  With temperatures in the 90s and occasionally reaching 100F  there might be excess demand shall we say.

 

6. Every one of the canadian teams opponents will be playing with the effects of jet lag.  The canadian team are to make two or three trips to england each involving multiple away games.  So they will only be playing two or three games with the effects of jet lag (or possibly none if they choose to fly out to England earlier in the week).

 

7. The playing surface at the stadium is artificial.  All other stadia hosting professional sports in Toronto are artifical (The MLS soccer team did convert to grass but having to rip it up to comply with the rules of the Canadian football league). The stadium has no cover - snow is not unusual in April (had two large snow storms on consecutive weekends at start of april this year.  Ground can be frozen (still having frost in the evenings this week) and temperatures can be very low. Toronto folk not used to sitting outside in freezing temperatures to watch sport - (ice) hockey and basketball played indoors (and their seasons including play offs go on until end of June) while the baseball stadium has a retractable roof so you are guaranteed the game will be played and in ambient temperatures.

 

8. They dont sell meat pies or bovril at the game! And the mass produced beer on sale at the stadium tastes like it has already been through a horse's bladder.

 

Other than that its a great idea!

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The Wolfpack to-date....http://www.torontowolfpack.com/

first match 1 March 2017 Lamport Stadium, Toronto ko 7pm.

Check your Parkas and snow boots, just in case we do not get promoted!

 

Apparently, League 1 clubs have given thumbs up to the decision to take in TW.

I am sure our marketing efforts will maximise any opportunity that should arise.

I strongly suspect that will be changed because

 

1.  That makes it 12 midnight in UK and reduces any opportunities for live TV

2. Could quite easily be -15 to -20 degrees c at game time

3. Probability of snow significant

4. Clashes with Hockey night in Canada - the most watched weekly TV programme that shows the Toronto Maple leafs game live on free to air CBC.

5. Winter storms play havoc with airline schedules.  7pm start would mean a sunday night return flight IF ALL GOES WELL weather wise.

 

 

Now having said that they do now have a 'bubble' that goes over the stadium in winter (but only over the field to allow practices, not over the seating/spectating areas. So maybe they will play it under the bubble without any speccys!

 

I have done the flight on many occasions and could write a book of the various forms of flight mishaps. delays etc including once missing the SL grand final at Old Trafford and on another occasion missing the champions league final (Yes I was ###### off!)  both times because of weather causing delays to departures.

 

As of new regulations introduced in 2016 visas are required to enter Canada for most nationalities.  I dont have the full list at hand but pretty sure it includes UK, Australia and NZ citizens.

 

The mind boggles at the extremes of stupidity that can be reached.  But then I have always underestimated the RFL and the club representatives who support/vote for these things. Whatever next?

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One final thought - if you go up the CN tower with a strong pair of binoculars you will be able to watch the game in the warm confines of Toronto's top tourist attraction!

 

But beware - I once got stuck up the very top with Puggy when there was a thunderstorm and a power cut!  Who else would you prefer to be stuck up the CN tower with than much missed Puggy.  Answers on a postcard to the RFL

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One final thought - if you go up the CN tower with a strong pair of binoculars you will be able to watch the game in the warm confines of Toronto's top tourist attraction!

 

But beware - I once got stuck up the very top with Puggy when there was a thunderstorm and a power cut!  Who else would you prefer to be stuck up the CN tower with than much missed Puggy.  Answers on a postcard to the RFL

 

Are, but did you walk on the glass floor ?. I put a foot gingerly on it, and that was my lot, even though a few kids were playing on it,

A large VAT Dave please.

Allso known as Teodozjusz Matuschanskavasky

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Arthur,

 

 

It was actually the 'upper viewing platform' where we got stuck - just a viewing platform and no facilities!

 

I did have puggy jumping on the glass floor on the lower level (before he had his second amputation).  Mind you he didn't half scare the life out of the old lady stood on the side.

 

Good memories.

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