koli

1.VAT needs to be deducted from the head line prices so net to club is 20pct lower. 2.A significant number of tickets are sold at prices below the headline -concessions,season tickets,complimentaries etc. Net to clubs is more like 12 to 14 per pax.

The published accounts of the various clus.

To add a bit more context today's Sky money of approx 1.8mil per club is bigger than any clubs current total gate money. I think Premiership RU clubs with similar tv and gate money get an extra 6mil or so from the RFU from the internationals.

Absolutely.The top turnover SL clubs are spending 50 to 60pct of revenue on combined wage bills.Bang in line with Premier League soccer.RU premiership is spending an unsustainable 75pct plus. For salaries to grow singificantly then top line needs to also. One lesson of our history I would say is that overspending on players has never worked out well. .

1926.

As was the case from circa 1902 to 1973 .The CC n Championship winners remembered but not the League Leaders (nor the Lancashire n Yorkshire League winners,other than in all 4 trophies context.)

They certainly did and also to semi finals and Championship finals. My first solo trip to London was as a teenager on a special from St Helens Central to Euston for the 76 final. A week later it was a special to Swinton for Salford in the premiership final.

A great analogy I think.More skillful but never spread widely ...maybe because of the higher skill level needed .

Perth probably has large numbers of NSW n QLD "expats". As we find with London getting people who already support a club team from "home" to watch a new club in their host town week in week out is a whole different thing.

Back in the 50s Oldham were getting gates as big as Warrington n Saints and were a top club. Then struggled from the mid 60s onwards on the field but kept a hard core 4k and potential with success to be a lot bigger. Going bust and losing the ground at a point where demographics changing quickly was a real double whammy. Now in a pre Ken Davey Huddersfield situation where older supporters no longer being replaced.

In a sense it is the same "Vichy" being the hone of famous mineral water and the seat of Petain's infamous government in WW2.

Giving up the Xmas/New Year slots has been the biggest negative I think. The drop in gates in August exceeds the traditional pre Xmas dip. The chill of Feburuary n March in the old days had the excitment of the CC to encourage which the early rounds of the new season doesnt have.

Great centre partnership him and Mike Cronin.

Early 60s.61/62 and 62/63 before reverting back to one big league but bringing in a top 16 play off. Same issues then as now-too many "nothing games" but a move to two divisions (which was tried n failed in the early 1900s) was opposed by smaller clubs fearing loss in revenue if they lost the games against their county's big boys.

We did of course take the limited tackle idea directly from NFL in the 60s. I believe introducing the 1 forward pass per set was also considered at that time.