Club statement on future

[Gerrumonside ref]

The following statement has been issued from the Chairman and Board of Swinton Lions RLFC. 

The Swinton Lions Board met this week to discuss at length the potential implications facing Championship and League 1 clubs post-2021 and the end of current Sky TV contract.

The immediate task at hand is to concentrate on the playing strength of the team, owing to the necessity of staying and progressing in the Championship, not just just for 2019, but for subsequent years. This is especially important given the aforementioned uncertainties facing the sport post 2021.

Our off-field task is to build a wider support base and increase our attractiveness to commercial partners and to the broadcast market to enable us to steer the club in a financially sensible and sustainable manner, and to progress the team on the field. In other words, we have to be preparing for season 2022 NOW.

At the same time we must recognise who we are, and to retain respect for our incredible history and heritage.

It would be incorrect to suggest that at present we have all the answers, as no doubt some of the current uncertainties have still to unfold. It is intended therefore that the Board will consult with supporters on these serious issues facing both the club and the sport.

The full detail of the consultation process will be announced over the coming weeks. No further comment will be made in the meantime.

[Robthegasman]

Well at least the future is very much in the minds of the board because the end of 2021 season will come round very quickly.

There is no time to waste.

[Manxmanc]

Without trying to stir things up unnecessarily, I wonder whether this is the point at which serious consideration is given to a name change, with paragraphs two and three touching on reconciling the need for a wider fanbase with the desire to respect history and heritage.

[Gerrumonside ref]

17 hours ago, Manxmanc said:

Without trying to stir things up unnecessarily, I wonder whether this is the point at which serious consideration is given to a name change, with paragraphs two and three touching on reconciling the need for a wider fanbase with the desire to respect history and heritage.

I think that’s the obvious inference tbh.

It’s important they hold a consultation exercise with the Swinton fans to set out their position properly and show the research they’ve done into the benefits of anything radical.

It’s a shame it’s even an issue in what has obviously been a good season for Swinton (after everybody had wrote them off at the start of the year).

[Robthegasman]

On 14/07/2019 at 10:49, Gerrumonside ref said:

I think that’s the obvious inference tbh.

It’s important they hold a consultation exercise with the Swinton fans to set out their position properly and show the research they’ve done into the benefits of anything radical.

It’s a shame it’s even an issue in what has obviously been a good season for Swinton (after everybody had wrote them off at the start of the year).

The unfortunate truth is that and it is the most obvious one  we haven’t played in Swinton itself in 27 years,a generation ago.We have lost a lot of fans as well as many who went to Station Road will sadly have passed(R.I.P fellow Lions)many will not come anymore for their own reasons etc etc.There are of course other factors such as for example I don’t think we are over the Financial Crisis of 2008 by a long way and many working class people have to be careful with their brass still.The town of Swinton has also changed a lot as well and I will say it and I don’t care if people say I am racist but there are more and more non Nationals in Swinton now from cultures that are completely different to ours shall we say.And their population will grow very fast,and I don’t think they will be into rugby league being honest .And even if we played in Swinton still had Station Road been saved and redeveloped over a period of time I doubt the attendance figures would be that much better than now,and I also note that other Championship Clubs probably don’t get the attendance figures they used to again for many reasons.

There is no one given answer to the issues faced today though no doubt many questions.

Now the club are indeed coming towards a cross roads as is for that matter the game of rugby league outside Super League with what will no doubt be the loss of the current central funding,and I have no doubt that some clubs will sadly die or go amateur and possibly eventually die.And I think it is absolutely vital that the club carry out a consultation exercise so they can set out their stall and give us all the facts benefits etc etc of anything radical.They must work with the fans on this and together and between us all we can reach the correct conclusions.

Now I Personally think that at some stage the name Manchester will be included in the name of the club somewhere as part of a rebrand to hopefully increase the profile of the club and hopefully see new big and hopefully Blue Chip sponsors on board,and maybe by casting the net out wider we will see new fans flock to the Lions den.Maybe one day soon the club will be rebranded say Manchester-Swinton Lions,maybe that will be what evolves after being away from Swinton for 27 years,maybe even if we had have been able to stay at Station Road Maybe too that is what might have evolved anyway.

Now I for one have no objection to an amendment being made to the name of the club if it is seen to be of benefit.I would have no objection to say Manchester-Swinton Lions,Swinton-Manchester Lions,Swinton Lions of Manchester(one of the latter two would if it was to happen be my first choices)but and I make this absolutely crystal clear that the name Swinton MUST remain in the title no matter what as I do not want to see 150 plus years of proud history be thrown in the dustbin.To change to Manchester Lions is to me a no no.A very strict NO NO.

We will no doubt see how things develop over the next two years.