LEIGH 24 LEEDS 7

[The Parksider]

 Look how Union, playing a very similar game to us have grown their crowds playing in winter.  Plus of course if we played in our winter, there'd no longer be a difficulty for touring teams to come here.

 

The switch to summer facilitated SKY

 

Yes SKY

 

Obtaining an all year round broadcasting of Rugby for our major sponsor.

 

SKY pay us £200,000,000 a contract for that, which is always conveniently forgotten

 

No switch back to winter is possible without SKY and I doubt they want to allow this and will want rugby league to carry on with the great spectacle of high speed running rugby on dry grounds.

 

Under SKY we grew crowds IN SUMMER way above what they used to be.

 

No SKY = No pro game and then where will crowds be?

[bobbruce]

But the things I listed are not there in the winter. I go to as many Fev games as I can in the summer, but I also go on holiday, and cut the grass (on a weekend) plus there's always my daughter and grandchildren who live in Salisbury, I love Fev but I love them more. There are loads of distractions in the summer and less in winter. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Look how Union, playing a very similar game to us have grown their crowds playing in winter. Plus of course if we played in our winter, there'd no longer be a difficulty for touring teams to come here.

RU have gone from amateur (at least in attitude) to a well run pro sport which gets great media coverage. That has a much bigger effect on their crowds than playing in winter. The part about tours is laughable we couldn't get the Aussies over for a game this year and you think they might do a ten game tour. If your talking about us going their again there's no way the Aussies would disrupt their season to accommodate us going there.

[damp squib]

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.  Look how Union, playing a very similar game to us have grown their crowds playing in winter.

 

Before Union's crowds grew they also played in winter, so why did winter suddenly become a factor in the growth of crowds? If they had switched from summer to winter and then saw a growth in crowds you might have a basis for claiming a connection but even then there are so many other radical changes that have occurred in Union that it couldn't be boiled down to the time of year they play.

 

It is a fact that when RL switched to Summer, crowds grew. There is a much stronger claim for causation here than for Union, but even then it would still be simplistic to say that summer rugby was wholly or even majorly responsible for the increase in crowds.

[ELBOWSEYE]

I don't believe Murphy is on the plinth for those two games. His early career on a level of any of today's superstars both at club and international level, he then took a small club to Wembley were they caused one of the biggest upsets at the time.

[Bartholemew Smythe]

I don't believe Murphy is on the plinth for those two games. His early career on a level of any of today's superstars both at club and international level, he then took a small club to Wembley were they caused one of the biggest upsets at the time.

I don`t buy into one of the biggest upsets theme. In the 70/71 league of 30 teams Leeds finished 3rd on 56 pts and Leigh 4th on 52 pts. I agree with your sentiments about what Murphy brought to the game as a whole is why he is part of the Wembley Statue. The reason it upsets some for his inclusion based on two specific Wembley appearances beggars belief. 

[Trojan]

I don`t buy into one of the biggest upsets theme. In the 70/71 league of 30 teams Leeds finished 3rd on 56 pts and Leigh 4th on 52 pts. I agree with your sentiments about what Murphy brought to the game as a whole is why he is part of the Wembley Statue. The reason it upsets some for his inclusion based on two specific Wembley appearances beggars belief. 

I think you'll find that he behaved in a fairly controversial manner in the 1966 final too.  I doubt if many Wigan fans of that vintage have much time for A J Murphy either.

[sweaty craiq]

Hi Guys n Gals, been away for a while but have just been told Fev are now Leeds A team - is that true Trojan? Totally agree about Murph and fully supported the Fev teams of 70's and 80's being granted Nihil Obstat, did many get canonized??

[Stan Doffarf]

I don`t buy into one of the biggest upsets theme. In the 70/71 league of 30 teams Leeds finished 3rd on 56 pts and Leigh 4th on 52 pts. I agree with your sentiments about what Murphy brought to the game as a whole is why he is part of the Wembley Statue. The reason it upsets some for his inclusion based on two specific Wembley appearances beggars belief. 

 

I saw Murphy play numerous times, live and on TV. He was a cynical cheating conman in pretty much every one of those games.

[Trojan]

Not that black and white we have always played February, March and April.....

 

I do think we get a dip in the summer holidays and I do think we got dips in the bad winter weather.

 

I also think the dry grounds help the spectacle massively

 

On balance I think a return to winter could kill it - Imagine the sodden pitches over the last several weeks.

Or the sodden pitches in 2007?

[Trojan]

The switch to summer facilitated SKY

 

Yes SKY

 

Obtaining an all year round broadcasting of Rugby for our major sponsor.

 

SKY pay us £200,000,000 a contract for that, which is always conveniently forgotten

 

No switch back to winter is possible without SKY and I doubt they want to allow this and will want rugby league to carry on with the great spectacle of high speed running rugby on dry grounds.

 

Under SKY we grew crowds IN SUMMER way above what they used to be.

 

No SKY = No pro game and then where will crowds be?

TBH I don't think Sky give a damn when we play.  They used us 1995 to get what they wanted in Oz.   They never advertise the game, all their vans feature various sports, but never SL.  I think we should look elsewhere.

[The Parksider]

TBH I don't think Sky give a damn when we play.   I think we should look elsewhere.

 

We did and SKY is the only cheque in town.

 

Not that you think we should look elsewhere. If you do its an about turn from your idea the game should go back to semi-pro.

[Adelaide Tiger]

But the things I listed are not there in the winter.  I go to as many Fev games as I can in the summer, but I also go on holiday, and cut the grass (on a weekend) plus there's always my daughter and grandchildren who live in Salisbury, I love Fev but I love them more.  There are loads of distractions in the summer and less in winter.  The proof of the pudding is in the eating.  Look how Union, playing a very similar game to us have grown their crowds playing in winter.  Plus of course if we played in our winter, there'd no longer be a difficulty for touring teams to come here.

Of course there are more distractions in summer.

It is not so simplistic to say that RU grew from one man and his dog watching club games in the 90's to the average crowds that clubs now purely due to pkaying in winter.

What you have failed to take into account is that during the amateur era RU internationals were sold out; top RU players were treated as sporting gods by the scribes; the broadsheets had many RU journos writing about the game; the old school tie links were already entrenched between the sport and business.

By moving from amatuer to professionalism RU had all the pieces in place to take immediate advantage and to develop income streams to underpin growth.

RL fans knew that this was inevitable once RU went professional.

[The Parksider]

Of course there are more distractions in summer.

It is not so simplistic to say that RU grew from one man and his dog watching club games in the 90's to the average crowds that clubs now purely due to pkaying in winter.

What you have failed to take into account is that during the amateur era RU internationals were sold out; top RU players were treated as sporting gods by the scribes; the broadsheets had many RU journos writing about the game; the old school tie links were already entrenched between the sport and business.

By moving from amatuer to professionalism RU had all the pieces in place to take immediate advantage and to develop income streams to underpin growth.

RL fans knew that this was inevitable once RU went professional.

 

very good post

[Trojan]

very good post

But nonetheless rubbish.  As I posted there are loads of alternatives to going to watch rugby on a fine summer Sunday,  but on a fine winter Sunday?  I'm not saying Union haven't cashed in on the social cache of their game.  But for all the preaching about Sky, it's Sky that has helped to popularise it, meanwhile virtually ignoring our product, in terms of promotion.   We have a game that is superior in every respect to theirs on the field, but they out perform us in terms of crowd.   There are loads of factors that create the difference.  But the main one is when the competitions are played.  When I first started watching RL in 1960, the first live game I saw was Leeds v Wakefield at Headingley on Boxing Day morning, 14000 species, with nothing else to do on Boxing Day but get out into the fresh air and watch rugby. The second was the second round cup tie between Wakey and Wigan at Belle Vue - 28000 on a gloomy Saturday in February.  So why these big crowds, and why the decline so shortly afterwards?  Because of course people found other things to do.  And that's the case in summer, there are other things to do.  There are less of them in winter.

Family makes demands, young children want to be entertained by their dads on a weekend, people like me visit distant relatives, because the weather's better.  I think the move to summer has proved a disaster. Whether there's any way back is another matter of course.  But I think someone should look at it seriously.

[Trojan]

We did and SKY is the only cheque in town.

 

Not that you think we should look elsewhere. If you do its an about turn from your idea the game should go back to semi-pro.

If what I've said gives you the impression I want the game to go semi pro you are wrong.

But none of this has anything to do with Leigh beating Leeds in 1971, and Murphy's fitness to be on the plinth at Wembley.  As usual Parky (or is it Perky the mate of Pinky) you have subverted a perfectly proper thread about something that happened a long time ago to your of repeated agenda.

[Ant]

Things to do on a winters Sunday "these days"

Diy

Cinema

Travel (since families now have cars unlike days of yore)

Games consoles

Streaming media

Tourist events of any kind - ice rinks, Xmas fair etc

Sales of any kind

Foreign holidays

The world is a fundamentally different place now than to the 60s, even to the 80s - the time of year the season runs affects only the quality of the games played and not the spectator base

And Amy consideration to revert to winter rugby is about as sensible as returning to lineouts and 15 players

[Ant]

Oh and as for AJ Murphy - cynical player who bent the rules? Yes he played halfback for saints (though Wigan are as bad)

But imo he's the coach that changed the fortunes of Huddersfield so he's a hero in my book

[The Parksider]

If what I've said gives you the impression I want the game to go semi pro you are wrong.

 

 

When you last posted a massive anti-SKY rant that lasted pages and pages, I posted a thread about the games reliance on SKY and what would happen if we didn't have them.

 

The result of that was the majority, some willingly with enthusiasm for the great benefits embraced the idea we rely on sky, some very begrudgingly admitted without SKY the game would wither badly, even those whose clubs have withered due to SKY. The honesty of the debate is what makes me remember it.

 

I remember that debate crystal clear and only two posters took the view that they did not care for SKY regardless and would not have a problem with it reverting to part time. Those two people were the mighty Marauder and you. 

 

At the time I respected your view, now you deny it it's end of debate.

[JohnM]

How Murphy's presence can be justified on the plinth at Wembley is beyond me.

one of the game's greatest ever players. Allways exciting, always passionate, highly skillful, no compromise. Aggressive, irritating, and more. The player everyone loves to hate.

In fact, everything that is missing from half-back play in today's game.

[The Parksider]

one of the game's greatest ever players. Allways exciting, always passionate, highly skillful, no compromise. Aggressive, irritating, and more. The player everyone loves to hate.

In fact, everything that is missing from half-back play in today's game.

 

Top star, awarded the OBE, incredible career and a great life long loyalty to the game.

 

I saw him very late on in his career at Parkside and even then literally no Hunslet player could lay a finger on him, he was never once tackled with the ball.....

[fieldofclothofgold]

Great player,in the top three most famous RL players ,but he was an awful TV RL commentator

[Trojan]

When you last posted a massive anti-SKY rant that lasted pages and pages, I posted a thread about the games reliance on SKY and what would happen if we didn't have them.

 

The result of that was the majority, some willingly with enthusiasm for the great benefits embraced the idea we rely on sky, some very begrudgingly admitted without SKY the game would wither badly, even those whose clubs have withered due to SKY. The honesty of the debate is what makes me remember it.

 

I remember that debate crystal clear and only two posters took the view that they did not care for SKY regardless and would not have a problem with it reverting to part time. Those two people were the mighty Marauder and you. 

 

At the time I respected your view, now you deny it it's end of debate.

I certainly would not want to go back to part time if it can be avoided.  But then what do I care?  My team has been subverted by Leeds.  At things stand it doesn't matter because the whole comp has been devalued by Leeds.  ]

As for Murphy, he was a cheat, (and I did seem in his pomp) nothing more nothing less.  We should be ashamed he's on that plinth.

[fieldofclothofgold]

The whole Super League concept has created this elitism that was predicted by Peter Fox when it first came out.

[JohnM]

eh? the whole sport is founded on one player stiving to be better than another, one team striving to be better than another, one club striving to be better than aother, one country strving to be better than another.

[The Parksider]

The whole Super League concept has created this elitism that was predicted by Peter Fox when it first came out.

 

The first division was the Elite pre Superleague.

 

Not sure of your point?