gingerjon

Now, remind me, why did it go down? Was it because the SL contract went down and the RFL’s own commercial arm and events also declined? And isn’t that what IMG is there to attempt to solve?

Oddly, I agree with a lot of your worries about the retrenchment of the game. But that’s a process that’s now over a decade along. It is a thing that exists outside of the IMG partnership. It is quite remarkable how badly RL fluffed its chance with the women’s game. We were so far ahead of other sports and then decided to just … moan and do nowt to grow it sustainably. If anyone cares, there’d be a book to be written about that failure.

And, without the SL contract, the pyramid has no money.

I love the idea that the “elite” are (a) elite (have you seen the size of our biggest clubs?) and (b) have always acted exclusively in their own interest, as if the TV money for Super League (and before that the shared ticket levy) hasn’t been the biggest income for the whole game for decades.

The point is the argument seems to be that there will now be no investment in rugby league outside Super League. I assume you're using EuroLeague basketball as a way of making the argument that IMG will be bad for the game because they will lead to that outcome. And yet, EuroLeague is not a closed shop because clubs go into and out of it. And basketball outside of EuroLeague seems to be stronger than ever. There seems to be nothing there for rugby league to be scared of or be concerned about.

So, just to check, outside of EuroLeague, no one is investing in teams?

So, not a closed shop as clubs can enter and leave it? And how about the investment in teams and leagues not in the EuroLeague?

What are attendances, investments, sponsorships like for those outside EuroLeague? That's kind of important to know and I don't immediately have the answer. Also, looks like a team was relegated for this season (Valencia) and a team promoted (Paris).

I still struggle to accept that Bromley are allowed to call themselves a league club.

There’s some interesting stories in that mix. Bangor had a proper “getting shafted by an owner” from which they are only now recovering. They even had the classic two clubs at the same time for a bit of a season, I think.

Slightly ahead of when I would have a clue so I’ll need to Google!

Looks like they're groundsharing with Marine now? My nephew follows them (Marine) quite a bit these days.

South Liverpool! One of the ones I remember from devouring the classified results in the Sunday papers.

I thought the whole tri-fold restructure RFL / RL Commercial / Super League was because of the IMG/RFL partnership? I may have that wrong. Either way, this link says IMG have a representative on the boards of both the RFL and RL Commercial. https://www.rugby-league.com/governance/about-the-rfl/rl-commercial-board

One favourite photo from each game is here: https://jonsmalldon.wordpress.com/2024/12/31/2024-that-was-a-year-of-football-photos/

You don't even need to dig too deep - look at how Shohei Ohtani's is structured. AFAIK, Soto's is unusual because he is actually getting the money in the straightforward way you would expect, albeit, he will not be playing when he is 41.

So, anyway, non league …

With the exception of prices - and I know that is a massive massive “with the exception of” - the game at all levels has never been more fan friendly. I don’t miss being caged in like animals in decaying death trap stadiums.

Still not sure how that’s relevant to what is meant to be a non league thread. And the PL champions were meant to be Man City. That was predictable and predicted option at the start of the season, whilst Liverpool were meant to be in a rebuild. The only alternative to a City title was meant to be Arsenal.

Around half the current members of the EFL have played in the Premier League. Ipswich have just beaten Chelesa. Manchester United are more likely to be in a relegation battle than playing for European places. Nostalgia, clearly, ain't what it used to be. @Eddie- you started the thread but I don't think you've said which, if any, non league team you folllow?

At least, basically, the Glazers made it clear they had no interest in running a football club, rather they just wanted a cash machine to pay out to them. Radcliffe believes he can run a successful football club and is now showing just how good he is at that.

What's frustrating is that the narrative of a high profile women's Ashes would have easily fitted the framing the BBC have used. But, as far as I'm aware, absolutely nothing beyond a one-off, randomly timed, Las Vegas test is in the diary?

Not much of a fan of the honours system but that's a good haul for rugby league and nice to see different levels of the game getting recognition.

The original Ilford were merged into Dagenham & Redbridge. The Essex Senior League side are a phoenix club - on wiki they do have the original side’s honours etc.

I think most of the posts on there are about either Beverley Town or which out of Bexhill United or Hastings United I've seen most recently. Aberystwyth Town are my one true love, though. And, as ever, it looks like this will be the season we finally, after 30 odd years of fluking it, go down. Most recent game I was at.