glemiln Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 The background to this is on the main forum but perhaps some local flavour is needed. I thought this topic would surface eventually, after Swinton changed their logo to include Manchester! RFL recently rejected an application from Manchester Rangers to join League1. I expect that our neighbours will have something to say! http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/342428-swinton-considering-manchester-rebrand/ http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/342504-a-fake-manchester-team-will-harm-rugby-league/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion heart 59 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 most of us swinton supporters ,the ones who have stuck with the club over the last 30 years ,have already let our feelings be known , nothing set in stone , and we know something needs to change for us to survive ,Swinton Lions of Manchester , we would not lose any sleep over , but the lose of the name or MACHESTER before SWINTON, is not and never will be exceptable , it will cut the last piece of the cord as far as we are concerned , and most of us would walk away . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayakman Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 12 minutes ago, Lion heart 59 said: most of us swinton supporters ,the ones who have stuck with the club over the last 30 years ,have already let our feelings be known , nothing set in stone , and we know something needs to change for us to survive ,Swinton Lions of Manchester , we would not lose any sleep over , but the lose of the name or MACHESTER before SWINTON, is not and never will be exceptable , it will cut the last piece of the cord as far as we are concerned , and most of us would walk away . Then the Swinton Lions of Manchester it is! I don't see any problem with that name...it is a good strong name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Shoelaces Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 1 hour ago, Kayakman said: Then the Swinton Lions of Manchester it is! I don't see any problem with that name...it is a good strong name. It's a bit of a mouthful. It doesn't exactly trip off the tongue does it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excolt 1 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 When i first started watching Hornets in the mid sixties Swinton where a great side. It was great going to Station road which had a great atmosphere, i remember the posts where the tallest I'd ever seen. It was nearly always a defeat but it was a great place to go too. Players like Fleet would often rip us apart. A shame now its come to rebranding the name because every two name club such as the disastrous mergers means eventually one name dies. I really hope its not Swinton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiddyDave Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Why were Manchester Rangers not allowed into Championship I? Was it because they don`t have a Yank billionaire backing them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glemiln Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 DD - the original money-backed Rangers which made the application to join League1 no longer exists. This link will give you some background, but not the reason MR’s bid was rejected! As you know, the RFL operates in its own mysterious ways. http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/341402-manchester-rangers-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne_r Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 I don't think any Swinton fan would support a name change to Manchester and certainly not a relocation, which history has shown doesn't work. It is however a great pity that the MR bid wasn't successful after all. albeit before my time there were three clubs in Greater Manchester - Swinton, Salford and Broughton Ranger (plus Oldham & Rochdale off course). Broughton Rangers moved to Belle Vue and only lasted a few seasons........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owfener Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 7 hours ago, Excolt 1 said: When i first started watching Hornets in the mid sixties Swinton where a great side. It was great going to Station road which had a great atmosphere, i remember the posts where the tallest I'd ever seen. It was nearly always a defeat but it was a great place to go too. Players like Fleet would often rip us apart. A shame now its come to rebranding the name because every two name club such as the disastrous mergers means eventually one name dies. I really hope its not Swinton. They had loads of great players....my two favourites were both world class....local lad Alan Buckley, one hell of a class centre....and the greatest player ever from Rochdale, one Mr Kenneth Gowers, be it at full back or scrum half. Hornets turned him down because of his stature. Both one club men and great lads, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Jones Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Sadly the relocation has happened, playing in Sale says it all. Malcolm White what that man did to the wider game was sacrilege. Looking back if the game we love was forward thinking Station Road would have been bought and developed as our ground for semi-finals and internationals etc. Rail Station next door it had it all for me. Change the name of "Swinton" NO like "Hornets" I would rather lose the club first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayakman Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 On 07/06/2019 at 15:33, Tyrone Shoelaces said: It's a bit of a mouthful. It doesn't exactly trip off the tongue does it ? It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalf Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 As a Swinton fan and after much soul searching I've realised I could live with the loss of the Swinton bit - we have no connection with the town anymore anyway. Keep the Lions moniker though - stay as just 'Lions' or become Manchester Lions. It's the only way the club has a future imo. Unless a supporter wins the lottery of course. I guess that's the dream of all us lower club fans ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampant Lion 59 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Personally I would be extremely sad to lose our identity as in reality its all we have left. However the reality of the situation with the end of the current TV deal in 2021 fast approaching and recent reports in the press about the future of the sport beyond this point meaning little or no central will inevitably mean a number of small clubs being casualties. All likelihood is only the strongest clubs and those attractive to TV companies moving forward will stand a chance. Cleary at Swinton we have a forward thinking Chairman and management board who are seeing this crossroads ahead and attempting to do something about it rather than chase an impossible dream and head off the edge of a cliff. We haven't in reality been in Swinton for nearly 30 years now, there are sadly now more Salford season ticket holders in M27 than Swinton and this current management team are not responsible for this or any of the mistakes of the past. To focus on Swinton and M27 alone moving forward would be a catostophic mistake and suicidal at a time when the game outside Super League is fast approaching a major cross roads. If a compromise can be found in some way to keep Swinton/ M27 in the clubs brand/ name/ heart and also the history and heritage of the Swinton Lions is preserved and respected within a new brand then I feel 99% of Lions will support and be right behind the club. Every club has a majority of idiots and Swinton are no different but the majority back this current Chairman and board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Shoelaces Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Manchester Lions it is then, or for the really cynical Manchester Lie ons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glemiln Posted June 11, 2019 Author Share Posted June 11, 2019 3 hours ago, Rampant Lion 59 said: Cleary at Swinton we have a forward thinking Chairman and management board who are seeing this crossroads ahead and attempting to do something about it rather than chase an impossible dream and head off the edge of a cliff. Has the process started by Swinton to become part of a new “Manchester” club? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampant Lion 59 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 On 11/06/2019 at 14:38, glemiln said: Has the process started by Swinton to become part of a new “Manchester” club? Our Chairman speaks in some detail on this podcast. https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/podcast-the-final-hooter-2019-18-manchester-special/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robthegasman Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 I am a Swinton Lions fan and I know that something simply has to change because despite us doing well in the league the club has reached a crossroads in it’s history.The fanbase is simply not big enough and there aren’t enough younger fans coming. Then of course there is the location where we play.And I think it is time to call a spade a spade and accept that we will never play in Swinton again,despite the best efforts.And also let’s be frank,blunt and honest Agecroft in my opinion is NOT really the right place unfortunately to build a new stadium as the land is not big enough to accommodate a Championship standard stadium.The area itself has a public transport network and there would be issues with parking,and as more houses have been built there the residents will oppose it(right or wrong)and they would win the argument.And that bit of land by the way is the ONLY land in Swinton that would be available for a stadium and any land that is spare in the town now will be used for housing.And the land at Agecroft I think will probably become a Mini Spar Market or similar.Plus there is nowhere really that a new stadium could be developed in the boundaries of Salford City Council either. So we are now at this crucial point.Wherever we play long term assuming the club survives the shock of the loss of the current central funding it will be out of both Swinton and the boundaries of Salford City Council.And the club need to attract new support and yes the only way to do that is in my opinion embrace Manchester and embrace that we ARE a Manchester club even if not originating from the city of Manchester. And as a fan I have no issue whatsoever with Manchester being added into the official name.But and it is a big one,the name Swinton MUST remain at all costs in the official title and I have no problem with them being known as say Swinton-Manchester Lions,Swinton Lions of Manchester(they are my preferred ones)Manchester-Swinton Lions(I can accept that)or Swinton Greater Manchester Lions(acceptable)I accept that change is coming and am willing to embrace it and even if we could have kept Station Road back in 1992 and seen the ground potentially redeveloped and secured we would be where we are now anyway I think. And for me I am happy for us to stay at Sale FC in the medium to long term and further down the line assuming that a name amendment takes place I would rather that any future stadium that we could move to would be within the boundaries of Trafford and not Salford,even Moor Lane especially the fact that I think Salford Red Devil’s will probably end up at Moor Lane one day possibly soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Jones Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 Good read gasman. Sadly the RFL missed a trick with Station Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartH Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 Manchester Lions would be a brand that was able to be marketed much better that Swinton Lions. I think with the amazing chairman and board they have at Swinton, they will have every avenue researched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion heart 59 Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 its a very difficult balancing act ,to keep the existing loyal fan base and get new supporters to buy into this new brand , some thing as to change ,because the current fan base is getting older and not enough youngters coming through to sustain the club at its current level Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lad Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 4 hours ago, StuartH said: Manchester Lions would be a brand that was able to be marketed much better that Swinton Lions. Unfortunately i think you are right, if clubs want to survive they have to appeal to a big market and making a name change would be a start to that as changing the name to a bigger place will attract more people and investment. But it's a shame that this could be on the horizon for swinton and many more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion heart 59 Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 i think rugby league is at a crossroads and not just my own club thats got some tough decisions to make Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickhornet Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Shuddersfield, received £1million for the merger.still going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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