Bradford chairman claims Catalans is costing UK game millions of £

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

This is another example of all the crud we've had to field in London about special treatment, hidden subsidies etc. etc. Just another knuckle dragging Neanderthal who doesn't want the effort of actually doing something to advance the game.

[Damien]

Chalmers loves a right moan doesn't he.

[sentoffagain2]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

(Seriously though does anyone know what he means about Catalans being privileged?)

  Where would you rather live South of France or Bradford.

[Tonka]

Yeah fair point. 

[Chris Taylor]

What a crazy thing to come out with. 

Before moaning about other clubs, look at your own first. (I include my own team in this)

[Lounge Room Lizard]

He is lucky that Bradford got this week to play in Toronto and not the weekend gone like Swinton . Funny how little Swinton never moan and alongside the fans enjoy the unique experience. They get on board with all the promotion.  But the Swinton Chairman is a top bloke who doesnt just think of himself. A real Gentleman. 

[Errol Stock]

Please do take note - there are very few (if any) Bulls fans who actually look forward or agree with these outbursts.

It does the club no good whatsoever and just fuels the fires that already exist.

He rarely makes sense, and when he does, he has lost so much credence - it carries no weight.

He even makes Chris Caisley look like a diplomat

[Manfred Mann]

14 minutes ago, Lounge Room Lizard said:

He is lucky that Bradford got this week to play in Toronto and not the weekend gone like Swinton . Funny how little Swinton never moan and alongside the fans enjoy the unique experience. They get on board with all the promotion.  But the Swinton Chairman is a top bloke who doesnt just think of himself. A real Gentleman. 

Swinton has set the example. Now it is time for others like Bradford to follow.

[TrueBull]

I assume he's talking about TV money and how it's shared and proportions and new income streams etc.

But it's technically SL (Europe).  I don't really know for sure based on that mishmash of an interview.  In the beginning 1/14th of the cash went to the Paris club. Then a period where the TV cash went to all English clubs, then 1/14th went to Catalans and now, for the past few years, 1/12 of the (Super League proportion) cash  is going to Catalans. I think his point is how much income is Catalans making in the French broadcast market and what proportion is coming back to SL? Are they allowed to sell independently in france? Does there need to be flexibility with the current broadcast partner to allow that?

Then extrapolating that forwards to other overseas clubs.

[saintspete83]

2 hours ago, Copa said:

Goodness....

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/bradford-chief-questions-integrity-of-toronto-on-the-road-games/

“I won’t repeat my arguments of the past but Catalans Dragons privileged position sucks millions of pounds out of the British game – for what?

“A sunshine weekend away for supporters to fill the coffers of the Perpignan’s hoteliers and restaurateurs?

“Hardly looks like smart business from a British Rugby League perspective. Hoping the problem goes away isn’t a resolution.”

Yep it's terrible that fans from the UK have to go over to perpignan and are forced to spend time and money in a beautiful picturesque town drinking beers and wine in the sunshine of the South of france when they would rather have Bradford back in SL and they can get a pint and scampi fries in the pub over the road from odsal. 

[Lowdesert]

2 hours ago, Copa said:

Goodness....

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/bradford-chief-questions-integrity-of-toronto-on-the-road-games/

“I won’t repeat my arguments of the past but Catalans Dragons privileged position sucks millions of pounds out of the British game – for what?

“A sunshine weekend away for supporters to fill the coffers of the Perpignan’s hoteliers and restaurateurs?

“Hardly looks like smart business from a British Rugby League perspective. Hoping the problem goes away isn’t a resolution.”

Chalmers appears to have no class and seems to have an agenda with most things.  

Until I seen him bringing innovation and positive headlines into the game, as TWP, Catalans, Perez and others too many to mention are doing I’ll always have that view.

 

 

[tim2]

35 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Where would you rather live South of France or Bradford.

I know, why has God made it that the South of France is sunnier and warmer than Bradford?

Still, climate change will soon sort that out!

[TBone]

To the 'angry crowd'...

If you read the actual article on the Bull website (article) I'm sure that you can find even more to vent your spleen about. Enjoy

[RP London]

40 minutes ago, saintspete83 said:

Yep it's terrible that fans from the UK have to go over to perpignan and are forced to spend time and money in a beautiful picturesque town drinking beers and wine in the sunshine of the South of france when they would rather have Bradford back in SL and they can get a pint and scampi fries in the pub over the road from odsal. 

to be fair I do like a pint and a packet of scampi fries though... 

[cookey]

The Odsal ground is no longer fit for professional sport.That's where he should be concentrating his attention.

[fairfolly]

Cookey,

     Tell that to the Bradford Council who own the ground or the R.F.L who own the lease.

[JonM]

3 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

Bradford's bitter little Chairman spews forth his "Little Englander" perspective.

Presumably when he was chairman of the New Zealand RL he had similar opinions on the poor Aussie clubs having to fly to play the Warriors in NZ.

[paulwalker71]

1 hour ago, Errol Stock said:

Please do take note - there are very few (if any) Bulls fans who actually look forward or agree with these outbursts.

It does the club no good whatsoever and just fuels the fires that already exist.

He rarely makes sense, and when he does, he has lost so much credence - it carries no weight.

He even makes Chris Caisley look like a diplomat

I'm inclined to agree

Wherever he makes a good point, and sometimes he does, he then ruins it by the constant moaning about SL chairmen, Lenighan, Carter, Hudgell. 

It's embarrassing for the club and I wish he'd just zip it.

[Just Browny]

3 hours ago, Tonka said:

Copa - are you saying NZ Warriors don't play all their home games at home?  I didn't know that.

 

They don't play everyone home and away in the NRL, so some teams won't go over there in certain years.

[Just Browny]

3 hours ago, Tonka said:

Copa - are you saying NZ Warriors don't play all their home games at home?  I didn't know that.

 

They don't play everyone home and away in the NRL, so some teams won't go over there in certain years.

[Mr Plow]

2 hours ago, scotchy1 said:

Chalmers is an embarrassment. Every week he has a dig at someone somewhere with some wierd poor lickle Bradford victim mentality.

If it's not lenagan its rimmer, if it's not Rimmer its Barwick, if it's not Barwick its 'Super League Chairmen who think they own the game' if it's not 'Super league chairman' its whitehaven, if not whitehaven its Toronto, if not Toronto, its Les Catalans. Constant whining and moaning and bitching about other clubs and other people. 

Well he’s got column inches to fill 

[Gooleboy]

1 hour ago, Errol Stock said:

Please do take note - there are very few (if any) Bulls fans who actually look forward or agree with these outbursts.

It does the club no good whatsoever and just fuels the fires that already exist.

He rarely makes sense, and when he does, he has lost so much credence - it carries no weight.

He even makes Chris Caisley look like a diplomat

That is some accolade!

[The 4 of Us]

57 minutes ago, cookey said:

The Odsal ground is no longer fit for professional sport.That's where he should be concentrating his attention.

Reckon it would be okay for Pig racing. 

On another note. Can you imagine the hypocrisy of Chalmers if he had ever headed up a national organisation with a single representative in another country’s comp.

[Kris]

1. He was willing to put a wellington franchise into SL - where clearly there would have been a huge advantage to the wellington team playing at home for blocks of games based on his views in the leading article and the T&A website - Bradford will go to Toronto at no greater expense than any other away game. Meanwhile Toronto have to play in the UK like disaffected nomads never on the same pitch twice. Minimal fanbase and derided as much as adored if not more so over here. Not ideal. This is swings and roundabouts at best, gamesmanship by Chalmers at worst as he may be expecting to lose and appears to need an explanation why

2. Bulls should be in SL but not until and if they have the financial muscle to be there. Developing some of the best talent in the game isn't enough - see Widnes for that. If he aspires to be there he needs to look at his business plan and stop seemingly being envious of anyone else's good fortune - his own worst enemy at times. Michael Carter on not a lot has bought his grounds freehold and has plans to redevelop the ground. Chalmers? What are the blockers there? Did the RFL accept mediocre but stable over the messes they had allowed before Chalmers when he arrived on the scene? This isn't Australia there are no pokie machines, mass TV deals or huge merch deals to get a team financially over that red line - so perhaps he is the limiting factor in Bradford's progress. Again don't know but you stick your head over the parapet prepare to get scrutinised. Not sure anyone has done that? He has provided stability, but is he willing or able to provide that launch pad for the next step? If he had the lease could he develop or is he the third party introducer? He is after all in a partnership as I understand it. There is a 'team' behind him.

3. Catalans had one piece of fortune and that was being stopped from relegation in their first few seasons - they don't suck anything from the British game at sponsorship or event level they add to it - if he means from the pockets of fans that could be in his opinion better spent visiting Bradford than Perpignan he should say so - but as noted above Bradford or Perpignan? - which one is the event, you choose, which one creates more headlines in the wider market, again decide for yourself - which one clearly draws more sponsorship and £££££ to the game - again make your own mind up - you could argue that Catalan's don't bring away fans but as Chalmers would have stated about Wellington so what? In a global sports market you should be able to generate your own crowd.

We are in a stagnant limited capped financial asset market space - we have limited growth within our own market available because you speculate to accumulate and there simply isn't the cash that I have seen to do that on a soccer or RU level - and the RFU is haemorrhaging money so even then it doesn't always work does it?

If Wellington had been allowed in it would have been based on all the arguments Toronto are about to be allowed in on - new market (except NZ isn't!) - new sponsorships (except the warriors would have the best of those, far better return on the advertising dollar locally and regionally) easy to get there for blocks of games (which in the Wellington case it really isn't) - - with the added bonus that a minimal number of fresh NZ talent would now be in SL - the best would still be in the NRL - and I cant find anywhere that the travel and accommodation would have been covered by Wellington, or that they would waive their SL monies for any period It doesn't even work as a back door to the NRL money machine.

So while he clearly has Bradfords future at the heart of his ramblings, I do tend to take what he says with a pinch of salt and find his discussion on his own team and the positivity he can create their far more readable - and I do hope Bradford are successful eventually, whether he is in charge or not - SL does miss them.

[dkw]

26 minutes ago, Mr Plow said:

Well he’s got column inches to fill 

I'd say he's got skull inches to fill too after reading that garbage.