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Swinton Lions rebrand,and what are other clubs outside Super League doing in anticipation of 2021?


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7 hours ago, Robthegasman said:

A lot has been said here and elsewhere about the rebrand that is happening at Swinton Lions to be known as Manchester Lions on the field in anticipation of the potential loss of funding for clubs outside Super League,and there are certainly some robust opinions on that given what it is.

But what is going on elsewhere at other clubs?are some other clubs looking at rebranding on the field in an attempt to gain a wider audience and new sponsors?are some clubs meeting in secret on a regular basis to discuss mergers be it 2,3 or more way ones?or are some clubs just happy to sit back until the last moment and potentially see themselves either die or become amateur clubs?Of course some may well survive in their current format.

And let’s be frank,it has been suggested that potentially Super League itself could be reduced to 10 clubs depending on the money available(and we all know they will grab it)and it has I believe been suggested that the only division below Super League will be 16 clubs.That therefore means we could see 11 clubs disappear altogether from the competition.

So what is going on with the rest of the clubs then?

And is it a case that Swinton Lions and the Chairman Andy Mazey are the first club to come out and set out their plans,and as such take the bricks that are being thrown at them?

 

If this is a troll RTGM then it is a very detailed one.

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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9 minutes ago, Tim Streets tache said:

As a Swinton fan, i have followed all this closely. The board had a secret meeting with "select fans" - mainly Mazeys brownnosing mates. Suddenly this gets leaked in The Sun.

Being a member of numerous fan sites and seeing the chairmans reaction on twiiter and answers to any sort of compromise (Mancherster SL) being one, i think its pretty much a given that the club willl be Manchester Lions next season.

This may not mean much to fans of other clubs, but i think you can understand the frustration of current fans who after nearly 3 decades of not playing in the town, the name Swinton - being the only identity left to the club/town. Their/Our club/town. 

i'm from Sheffield so yes seen my club go on its little travels and disappear up to Huddersfield and out of existence... however, if it needed to change its name to South Yorkshire to give it a better shot I wouldn't care one iota as I would rather do that than the club just die.. 

yes you may have a vested interest etc but you have to look at this realistically too, your post was saying that you hadnt seen anything change.. of course it hasnt as nothing will change until the announcement is official (no matter whether it is a foregone conclusion or not), it also not going to be a flash in the pan solution it is going to take time. 

if you want to push a product then the product needs to be well placed in a market and the name is very important all the marketing in the world can be done but if the name is wrong then it will have no traction.. Manchester could be the difference between the money being pumped in working and it being basically pumped down a drain. 

 

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the decision for someone like Swinton seems stark.. do something to get more people through the doors to pay the bills or slowly die in the next few years (or quickly die depending on the next funding cycle).. it does seem strange to me that fans of a club would prefer that fate to a name change that may (and i stress may) see them survive and perhaps prosper.

(Eagles are very much in the boat of not enough people through the door to potentially be viable so we could easily be told to sling our hook as well in the next year or so, i am not one of those looking from a high and lofty perch thinking "well its not going to happen to us")

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Swinton sadly have very low Crowds and fan base. I am guessing that selling "Swinton" to people is difficult, especially as the Club plays and functions in an area not really near to the Swinton area. I can understand the frustration/anger of Swinton fans on the name change. But is it better to have the Club survive under another name or risk the Club completely disappearing in a year or two? ALL Championship Clubs need to make some harsh decisions in the coming years, as they will receive less money from the RFL etc. Mr Mazey will no doubt feel he is doing the best to make the Swinton Club survive in some form. Whether that actually happens is to be seen. Maybe if Swinton had some more people on its board with money then Mr Mazey would feel different about the name change. But least he seems to have a plan for the future unlike others in the Championship. That has to be a positive for me.

 

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4 hours ago, Eddie said:

Everton have c.50% of the fan base in Liverpool without being called Liverpool, and same with Aston Villa - Swinton can still get fans from elsewhere while being called Swinton. 

Evertons fan base was built over a hundred years ago , and has matured over decades since mostly through family ties , do they still draw in New fans from families with no allegiance to any football club ? 

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40 minutes ago, Lobbygobbler said:

People in Bury don’t have Manc accents, and it is outside the Manchester ring road (the M60), as is Oldham, Sale, Stockport, Ashton-Under-Lyne etc

And they also still play in Bury 

Swinton haven't played in Swinton for how many years ?

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6 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Do you mean the non SL clubs specifically ?

Here’s a clue from the thread title...

Swinton Lions rebrand,and what are other clubs outside Super League doing in anticipation of 2021?”

 

- Adepto Successu Per Tributum Fuga -

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Me as an Oldham fan, I don't know what the future holds at our club beyond these new sky talks. Our club hasn't to my knowledge said anything. I expect it to go bump without central funding and me to support Saddleworth rangers, an Oldham club in the ncl. What I would like know is why would people flock to watch Swinton when it's name is changed to Manchester. The lack of fans may be just down to not as many people being interested in rugby league as they once was. The profile of the game is rubbish and it isn't promoted enough. If things carry on like this the game will die. That's my thoughts anyway. 

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10 hours ago, Swansea Jack said:

I know that West Wales Raiders have a a big big mountain to climb. But Kim Williams told me that he will be our coach again next year and that is good news to me,

That’s brilliant news, Kim will be a hundred times wiser to the game in South Wales and everything he has against him. Can get into recruitment a lot sooner as well.

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7 hours ago, Eddie said:

No, it doesn’t work. 

Catalan are a merged team.

Visit my photography site www.padge.smugmug.com

Radio 5 Live: Saturday 14 April 2007

Dave Whelan "In Wigan rugby will always be king"

 

This country's wealth was created by men in overalls, it was destroyed by men in suits.

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14 minutes ago, Padge said:

Catalan are a merged team.

Ok fair enough I hadn’t thought of them. They were all from the same town though, I don’t think it would work with teams from different towns so unless Hull and HKR or Leeds and Hunslet merge, both completely pointless, I don’t think any other merger would work. 

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44 minutes ago, Manx RL said:

Here’s a clue from the thread title...

Swinton Lions rebrand,and what are other clubs outside Super League doing in anticipation of 2021?”

 

? Sorry mate , I got confused over the other rebranding thread 

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30 minutes ago, Padge said:

Catalan are a merged team.

So if we can get Oldham and Rochdale to merge they'll get a spot in SL , as Catalan did , they merged to get a team in a different higher competition , that is different 

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47 minutes ago, moorside roughyed said:

Me as an Oldham fan, I don't know what the future holds at our club beyond these new sky talks. Our club hasn't to my knowledge said anything. I expect it to go bump without central funding and me to support Saddleworth rangers, an Oldham club in the ncl. What I would like know is why would people flock to watch Swinton when it's name is changed to Manchester. The lack of fans may be just down to not as many people being interested in rugby league as they once was. The profile of the game is rubbish and it isn't promoted enough. If things carry on like this the game will die. That's my thoughts anyway. 

I totally see what you're saying regarding the popularity of RL. That is however why I think if Swinton are to change names to Manchester there has to be total change in mindset and approach to how to sell the game and matchday experience.

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25 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Ok fair enough I hadn’t thought of them. They were all from the same town though, I don’t think it would work with teams from different towns so unless Hull and HKR or Leeds and Hunslet merge, both completely pointless, I don’t think any other merger would work. 

Swinton and Salford are from the same city*, though Swinton now choose to play in a different one.

 

*For avoidance of doubt this is a little bit tongue in cheek.

Visit my photography site www.padge.smugmug.com

Radio 5 Live: Saturday 14 April 2007

Dave Whelan "In Wigan rugby will always be king"

 

This country's wealth was created by men in overalls, it was destroyed by men in suits.

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