fighting irish

I agree, but as equal partners.

If you'd rather not discuss it with me, that's ok Griff. I suppose I'm just anticipating what might happen, if we are not equal partners in the new stadium project and it seems to me that, anything other than equality leaves us eternally vulnerable (with no leverage in any future negotiations about use of the ground, or share of any revenue generated). Don't you have an opinion about whether they should demand equal status? Or are you saying that (because its a rugby league club) they should be happy as the ''poor relation''?

Well, what's the alternative? I say, if we can't be equals, we shouldn't help them get it done. You may be right and the existing businesses have the upper hand and will not grant equal status but then, stand-by for high rents and no income generating opportunities during home games. How many examples do we have of this disastrous relationship (to learn the lesson from). Then just wait for the ultimate humiliation of being forced out, (by a huge hike in the rent) because the RaRa club got the promotion they always dreamed of and now no longer need a tenant to help pay the bills. Or just as likely, are cajoled to force us out as part of the ''terms'' of their becoming courtiers to Ra, the great god of the Dark Side. Anyway, I'm just asserting my view, that to enter into this kind of second class (cap in hand) relationship would be a folly and ought to be unacceptable to the new club.

Well based on the fact that the brand new club, is a newly constituted business, entering into a relationship with other businesses, in order to fully utilise an as-yet non existent asset, and to provide the basis to justify financial support from local (and maybe) national government. They could take the view ''you need us, to argue that the asset will be fully utilised (in order to get the necessary grant aid) so we demand we partake as equal partners''. The fact that the business is new, doesn't mean that the proprietors are naive, or immature, or in need of patronage, (or to be patronised), or should feel like second class contributors to the future stability of the asset in question.

I think you are right in your assessment of their motives and to be wary of what might happen afterwards as in the Sale/Salford debacle. I think its important that the Cornwall RL team enter into it was equal partners with the other two sporting clubs.

Oh god.

I expected my post to appear straight after the one about stock car racing, but it came out four or five below so created the wrong impression. I'll be more careful in future. The typical post on these forums is so monosyllabic that readers have become conditioned to ''guessing'' what the poster implied. I'm afraid Dave, you've jumped to some erroneous conclusion about what I really meant. I usually try to be more explicit, in my communications. I was just musing about the possible willingness of rugby league fans (in Cornwall) to travel, and put up with the counties poor infrastructure to watch the games. Time will tell I suppose. For what it's worth, I agree with you, that this should have been discussed amongst the clubs and accepted, rather than being foisted onto them without consultation. If the travel is ''unaffordable'' it's not going to succeed long term. That's quite clear. I was just saying in a recent post (praising the North East's 40 year long effort) that just plonking new semi-pro clubs in an area and ''hoping'' for a great turn out won't work. We have plenty of evidence to support that belief. Also, I know very well, that having some detailed, credible plans is an essential feature of any successful project. So, we are in agreement here Dave. God help Eric Perez, Cornwall and League 1.

It does demonstrate, that real fans (and enthusiasts) are willing to go to significant lengths in order to pursue their passion.

Is that Mick Gledhill driving the train?

What are you trying to achieve?

That's Ging'.

Please see my edit?

Why is that boring? Sorry Zy' I read past, your following post. I got your answer.

Hey Langpark I'm in total agreement with everything you said here but I want to challenge those ''others'' who refer to organic (slow) growth as ''boring''. If anyone says that, they are completely discounting the enormous levels of pleasure and satisfaction gained from simply playing the game. When I was young enough to play, looking forward to the weekend's game, occupied 90% of my waking hours. It didn't matter (to me) one iota, at what level I was playing at. I loved it at open age amateur level, semi professional level and at WRL representative level. The standard I played at, at any particular time, had no bearing on the level of my enjoyment. I loved coaching from Little League right up to Senior level. Bug ger me, I even enjoyed refereeing So who says its boring? The armchair critics, who are not really involved in the real game and who have no concept of the sheer uplifting power of Rugby League football, to enhance the lives of our participants are not even qualified to comment on Rugby League. They hold our amateur clubs and players in contempt. How dare they call them boring? They are certainly not true fans of the game, if they don't feel the joy of association that I'm talking about.

Hear hear!

That was great! Any more?

C'mon the Scots!

Yes a real character. He came to Aberavon (in the late eighties I think) with the Scottish Students. We took him to a pub called the Bar Gallois, (pronounced Bar Gallwah) which is French for Welsh Bar. He quickly christened it the Bar Gall eee ose. We still call it that now.

If RFL were really interested in development (at all) they wouldn't let this organisation wither on the vine. Similarly with a commitment to keeping the game vibrant in the armed forces.

Bring back Bev and John Risman, they were well aware of the potential of getting our young students involved. They take the game all over the place with them. Is there still an organisation called the Student Rugby League? If not, why, what happened to it? A few University sides would add to the Scottish Club scene and like I said earlier, would spread the game far and wide when the students move on to work.

Oh flower of Scotland!

Do you know if anything is being done, by the Lebanese International team (and management) to assist or promote development in Lebanon?

Great story, please keep us up to date about any developments in your part of the world?

Tell 'em.

When i worked in junior schools, pushing ''little league'' the course was 6 weeks long. At the beginning of week 4 (i think) we introduced tackling skills and played tackle from then on. That lesson produced a split in the class, in every school we visited, without exception. Our solution was a simple even if simplistic one. We wanted the teacher to keep the whole class engaged so we explained that ''little league'' could be played with tackling, for those that wanted to play tackle and without tackling for those that didn't fancy it. This was how we retained interest and heaps of enjoyment for every kid in the class. If this simple idea is introduced when the kids are young, there is no stigma attached to choosing the non-tackle game. Depending on numbers of course, non-tackle can be played by single sex, or mixed groups.