Eric Perez buys Hemel’s licence, with plans to create second Canadian club (Merged Threads)

[Oliver Clothesoff]

Reported by Matthew Shaw. 

Perez wants a second Canadian club in the game in 2020. 

[Damien]

Interesting.

[Kayakman]

Is it Hamilton?...Is it Hamilton?....   errr....let me guess....its Hamilton.

[TBone]

I didn’t think the RFL was still in the franchise market, so what is this ‘licence’ that has been ‘bought’?

[Kayakman]

Might be Montreal?...could be Montreal?..I think its Montreal.

[Man of Kent]

Shaw reports Perez bought the whole club, which is clearly bullocks, and that he’s looking at Montreal not Hamilton.

I suspect that is a tissue of whoppers.

The League Weekly story about the licence and Hamilton might have a semblance of truth. 

Question is what is a license for a club now in the Southern Conference worth?

LE reporting Eric Perez has bought Hemel Stags RLFC is just such basic inept journalism/fiction that I don’t really believe anything about this story.

[Hemel Stag]

Errr, about the "licence", has Eric told Hemel yet ? Has anyone asked the club for an official comment ?

[Mr Plow]

Just now, TBone said:

I didn’t think the RFL was still in the franchise market, so what is this ‘licence’ that has been ‘bought’?

Effectively this is like the Wimbledon- MK Dons scenario. We don’t have licensing like we had between 2008-2014 but each club is a member of the RFL, effectively Perez has bought Hemel membership/ license and wil use it to fast track his team into the pro leagues, League 1

[Hemel Stag]

1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

Shaw reports Perez bought the whole club, which is clearly bullocks, and that he’s looking at Montreal not Hamilton.

I suspect that is a tissue of whoppers.

The League Weekly story about the licence and Hamilton might have a semblance of truth. 

Question is what is a license for a club now in the Southern Conference worth?

Club stated they had an agreement with RFL to take one year out from League 1 to concentrate on the community development projects, re-group and then return to League 1. A bit like taking unpaid leave from work, on compassionate grounds, not the same as resigning permanantly. 

[Scubby]

1 minute ago, Hemel Stag said:

Club stated they had an agreement with RFL to take one year out from League 1 to concentrate on the community development projects, re-group and then return to League 1. A bit like taking unpaid leave from work, on compassionate grounds, not the same as resigning permanantly. 

That is certainly what you would call widening the community if the rumour is true.

[Man of Kent]

Just now, Hemel Stag said:

Club stated they had an agreement with RFL to take one year out from League 1 to concentrate on the community development projects, re-group and then return to League 1. A bit like taking unpaid leave from work, on compassionate grounds, not the same as resigning permanantly. 

Someone is telling porkies then.

[Evil Homer]

12 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Someone is telling porkies then.

There's obviously been some sort of prompt for both League Weekly and League Express to be running the story at the same time, particularly as Perez hasn't been heard from for over a year. That said I agree it does sound pretty dubious.

[Hemel Stag]

From the Hemel Stags Official Website, News Section. First posted 23.Oct.18

Has not been take back, taken down, amended, superseeded or contradicted by the club since then.

Hemel Stags have agreed with the Rugby Football League to withdraw from the Betfred League One competition for the 2019 season, with a view to returning in 2020. 

After a challenging 2018 campaign, the Stags – who were founded in 1981 as an amateur club, and had played in a number of different competitions before joining the semi-professional ranks in 2013 – have requested to concentrate on developing their community programme, with a special emphasis on open age players.

They have already submitted an expression of interest in joining the tier four Southern Conference competition that will be launched in the spring of 2019 – one of 14 expressions that have already been received. 

At this stage there are no plans for them to be replaced in Betfred League One in 2019, meaning the fixture list is being drawn up for an 11-team competition.

Bob Brown, the club’s founder and chairman, said: “Following discussions between the RFL and Hemel Stags, it has been agreed by both parties that the club will not take part in the 2019 League One season. A return to League One is planned for 2020. In 2019, Hemel Stags will concentrate on developing its community programme with a special emphasis on post 16 years community rugby league.

“In September the Stags had 21 players selected in London Origin representative teams at U14, U15 and U17 levels. The club is proud of its record of developing southern rugby league talent over the last decade and more, and this move will assist the club in being able to build on this progress, and position itself to continue cultivating talent for years to come.”

(My Personal Comment: They said they would develop the community game further - New Community Head Coach Ken Kerr has been appointed, with Shane Hurley another new appointment to head up the community department. They said they had registered an expression of interest in the new Southern Conference, for this season, and they are included as members in the latest RL announcements as made at the launch, at Broncos v Castleford 23.Feb.19 I know things can change, but they have been very consistent to what they said they would do and have done, to date).

 

 

[Man of Kent]

13 minutes ago, Evil Homer said:

There's obviously been some sort of prompt for both League Weekly and League Express to be running the story at the same time, particularly as Perez hasn't been heard from for over a year. That said I agree it does sound pretty dubious.

It seems Hemel has first dibs on the 12th place in L1 so I guess if they chose to remain in the SC that licence could be repurposed for a new club, perhaps.

[TheLegendOfTexEvans]

1 hour ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Reported by Matthew Shaw. 

Perez wants a second Canadian club in the game in 2020. 

Where mate?

[Hemel Stag]

2 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

It seems Hemel has first dibs on the 12th place in L1 so I guess if they chose to remain in the SC that licence could be repurposed for a new club, perhaps.

Yes, always a possibility.

Another way of looking at it is that League 1 is only running with 11 teams this Season. With York & Bradford both promoted to the Championship and Hemel taking a year out, you could still say there are vacancies for two clubs to replace the Knights and the Bulls, in order to refill League 1. Two spare spaces to my view.

The rumour(s) has come via Twitter, I have come across a recent source "TheGameCaller" Feb 21 citing, Fox News and "TheFullEightyRL" (which lists the gamecaller as a major contributor). We get to Steve Mascord Feb 20th writing about New York City RL, where he rounds up various speculative moves from recent times, and makes a throw away comment about a possible Hemel transferred to Hamilton Ontario by Eric Perez, whilst in the same article dismissing this as something that will not happen. This seems to link back to reports posted in Sep & Oct '18 by journalist John Davidson where he notes various of Mr. Perez's ideas, including possible back up plans for how he could secure entry for a team to RFL. The latest tweet in this veign from a Mr. Shaw suggests this story has the ring of truth, as he heard about it via "League Express". The rumours dating back to Sep/Oct '18 were effectively quashed by the clubs own statement, posted on their website 23.Oct.18 which sets out very clearly what their own plans are. Set up in 1981,  an independent club, owning their own premises, financially self sufficient, and run by the visionary Bob Brown, Hemel have contributed a lot to the game over the years.

I think what we may be looking at here is old news; not even news, old rumours really, which are being recycled off the back of slight comments referring to things that might have been in someone elses thoughta six months ago.

[TheLegendOfTexEvans]

2 minutes ago, Hemel Stag said:

Yes, always a possibility.

Another way of looking at it is that League 1 is only running with 11 teams this Season. With York & Bradford both promoted to the Championship and Hemel taking a year out, you could still say there are vacancies for two clubs to replace the Knights and the Bulls, in order to refill League 1. Two spare spaces to my view.

The rumour(s) has come via Twitter, I have come across a recent source "TheGameCaller" Feb 21 citing, Fox News and "TheFullEightyRL" (which lists the gamecaller as a major contributor). We get to Steve Mascord Feb 20th writing about New York City RL, where he rounds up various speculative moves from recent times, and makes a throw away comment about a possible Hemel transferred to Hamilton Ontario by Eric Perez, whilst in the same article dismissing this as something that will not happen. This seems to link back to reports posted in Sep & Oct '18 by journalist John Davidson where he notes various of Mr. Perez's ideas, including possible back up plans for how he could secure entry for a team to RFL. The latest tweet in this veign from a Mr. Shaw suggests this story has the ring of truth, as he heard about it via "League Express". The rumours dating back to Sep/Oct '18 were effectively quashed by the clubs own statement, posted on their website 23.Oct.18 which sets out very clearly what their own plans are. Set up in 1981,  an independent club, owning their own premises, financially self sufficient, and run by the visionary Bob Brown, Hemel have contributed a lot to the game over the years.

I think what we may be looking at here is old news; not even news, old rumours really, which are being recycled off the back of slight comments referring to things that might have been in someone elses thoughta six months ago.

Could the license have been bought and we are looking somewhere else for the club.

A lot of people are in states at the moment in the Rugby League world.  Could it be a US club that is being brought in?

 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

15 minutes ago, TheLegendOfTexEvans said:

Where mate?

On his Twitter. It’s in the League Express tomorrow. 

[TheReaper]

Have not heard anything here in Hamilton about it.

[Hemel Stag]

1 minute ago, TheLegendOfTexEvans said:

Could the license have been bought and we are looking somewhere else for the club.

A lot of people are in states at the moment in the Rugby League world.  Could it be a US club that is being brought in?

New York seem to be banging loudly on the door at the moment. I think the licence thing is a bit of a red herring as the RFL could invent any number of licences that they wanted to. I see two spare empty spaces in League 1 and a Championship club in dire straights that's up for sale. I have no idea really but maybe a Toronto style club manifesting itself out of New York would tick a lot more boxes for a lot more people?

[TBone]

1 hour ago, Mr Plow said:

Effectively this is like the Wimbledon- MK Dons scenario. We don’t have licensing like we had between 2008-2014 but each club is a member of the RFL, effectively Perez has bought Hemel membership/ license and wil use it to fast track his team into the pro leagues, League 1

Interesting because there isn’t any licence and the RFL Articles of Association state that membership is not transferable. Ergo he must have bought the club? In which case he would be vetted by the RFL as all owners are. To move the club he’d need permission from the RFL (and maybe the other members).

[TheLegendOfTexEvans]

1 minute ago, Hemel Stag said:

New York seem to be banging loudly on the door at the moment. I think the licence thing is a bit of a red herring as the RFL could invent any number of licences that they wanted to. I see two spare empty spaces in League 1 and a Championship club in dire straights that's up for sale. I have no idea really but maybe a Toronto style club manifesting itself out of New York would tick a lot more boxes for a lot more people?

My guess would be buying the license avoids clubs blocking a new entrant in someones mind.

The licenses for Oxford and Gloucester have been revoked I believe.

 

[TheLegendOfTexEvans]

Just now, TBone said:

Interesting because there isn’t any licence and the RFL Articles of Association state that membership is not transferable. Ergo he must have bought the club? In which case he would be vetted by the RFL as all owners are. To move the club he’d need permission from the RFL (and maybe the other members).

I dont thinking getting permission from the RFL will be an issue.

[TBone]

i don’t understand, why bother with Hemel ? a) they aren’t in League 1 so they’d have to apply for membership of L1 the same as anyone else; and b) a club playing in North America is actually a new club (it’s not the same club moving to, say, Northampton) .

[JCXV]

What happens to people who like/play/watch Rugby League in Hemel Hempstead/Herts/Bucks/N.W. London?