The General 'Toronto Wolfpack' Discussion Thread

[TIWIT]

18 minutes ago, TheReaper said:

In general it's not about quality or selection of merchandise. 

The point stemmed from the discussion of the popularity of US sports in the UK.

 

To me the overall point is that the American leagues, and tbh a few top soccer leagues, have transcended their appeal beyond any actual attachment to the sport. Fashion items, big events, celebrities, etc. So there may not be a horde of die hard football fans in the UK, but that's no reason not to sell a horde of merch and tickets.

Achieving that is very hard, I don't know if anyone can really just set out to do it.

You have to spend money to make money.

No guarantees that you will either. David Argyle is proof of that.

[Kayakman]

2 hours ago, SL17 said:

Well let’s see. I have replica shirt, a bob cap a scarf and a centurion pint pot when I get home using key on a centurion key ring.

And opening my bottle with a centurion bottle opener.

I am obsessed by the looks of things: Then again all have been bought for me.

You are singing my tune Baby but you are just a little out of harmony...if you switched allegiance to the Wolfpack it would sound SO much better!

[TheReaper]

3 hours ago, SL17 said:

No, you have to speculate to accumulate. We have proof of both. 

How is not the same thing @TIWITsaid?

[TheReaper]

4 hours ago, TIWIT said:

You have to spend money to make money.

No guarantees that you will either. David Argyle is proof of that.

Yes absolutely. I mean that it (becoming "transcendent" ) not something you can just decide to do, and do it.  But taking your best shot at achieving recognition is essential for any business, and is the essence of marketing and branding. 

You can't just go, we'll never be the NFL so why bother.

[TIWIT]

25 minutes ago, TheReaper said:

How is not the same thing @TIWITsaid?

I would have no idea what he said. I put him on the ignore list a long time ago.

[Big Picture]

Dream or Nightmare: A Tale of Toronto on 5 live Rugby League.

[TIWIT]

3 hours ago, TheReaper said:

Yes absolutely. I mean that it (becoming "transcendent" ) not something you can just decide to do, and do it.  But taking your best shot at achieving recognition is essential for any business, and is the essence of marketing and branding. 

You can't just go, we'll never be the NFL so why bother.

Hey, Reaper, we're both on SL17's ignore list and then he PMs us to tell us that. Congrats!

[Man of Kent]

3 hours ago, Big Picture said:

Dream or Nightmare: A Tale of Toronto on 5 live Rugby League.

Good listen. I wonder if Noble is owed any money that would be paid if Toronto come back. He sounded ever so slightly desperate.

[RP London]

10 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

So are you suggesting all the clubs only stock playing shirt replica's, and nothing else ?

no because that would be stupid and would go against everything i, and many others, have posted..

[RP London]

14 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Actually, I have found that to be a good 'ice breaker' with RL fans, we are in a deep minority chasm compared with fans of the round ball game, but if you talk to those who don the RL shirts you find that they are fans who actually attend games (the reason they have a shirt) and good conversations can be had, but as has been said previously I should think to most wearers of football shirts that it is a 'fashion' item and they probably couldn't name more in the team than the name on the back of the shirt.

Just saying. 

I had someone on our street in Sheffield stop me as i was putting the family bikes on the top of the car a few weekends ago and ask if i was the one he had seen wandering around our area in RL shirts as he was a Cas fan.. had a bit of a chat which was nice. 

 

[ATLANTISMAN]

14 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Actually, I have found that to be a good 'ice breaker' with RL fans, we are in a deep minority chasm compared with fans of the round ball game, but if you talk to those who don the RL shirts you find that they are fans who actually attend games (the reason they have a shirt) and good conversations can be had, but as has been said previously I should think to most wearers of football shirts that it is a 'fashion' item and they probably couldn't name more in the team than the name on the back of the shirt.

Just saying. 

You are right there Harry I remember having a great conversation with some Wakefield fans on the train from Barcelona to Figures last year (I was coming back from my wifes office on a Friday to go home to Peralada) they were off to Perpignan for a match on the Saturday v the Dragons (I was wearing an old Dragons fleece jacket:)

 

P 

[RP London]

10 hours ago, SL17 said:

Well let’s see. I have replica shirt, a bob cap a scarf and a centurion pint pot when I get home using key on a centurion key ring.

And opening my bottle with a centurion bottle opener.

I am obsessed by the looks of things: Then again all have been bought for me.

This has been my point... look at scubby and his mug obsession... seriously why does England/GB not have a bloody mug you can buy?!? i'd have one too

You can sell the licence to your branding to companies and they have to do all the leg work.. and yet they dont seem to even want to do that (super league could do this as a group).. (back to the caps) do the New York Yankees commission New Era to make the caps and then the baseball club sell them into the retailers, no New Era will buy the licence to the branding, new era will then use their sales force to get them into the shops.. companies want to buy licences as its a cheaper way of developing designs and brands and for the most part they are recognisable to general public and especially buyers more so than any brand you can come up with...

If you go to a licencing fair (i've been to a few) the stuff you can licence is unbelievable! the owner of the brand does little as it is up to the licencee to sell the product, i know most of the licencees for vimto products in the UK and they work independently of vimto and sometimes they work together to bring the offering to places, but the people who make the bon bons are different from those making the lollies, the chew bars and so on.. and they all sell in separately.. we were going to buy a vimto licence at one point but things changed and we decided to step away.. but it was, initally, an easy win and an easy way of breaking into some retail outlets we couldnt get through the door of with our own products.. 

You still also sell these products yourself on your club shop but it is up to the company who buys the licence to make the most of it, it is in their interests.. and it doesnt distract you from the day to day of running the club, nor does it mean you have to employ new staff in sales or purchasing etc.. this is all done by the licencee.. 

i'm not saying that would definitely work or work for everything/everyone but its that type of thing that is very very low risk with a potential high reward. within the brand guidlines they could have a "club badge" along with a "subtle logo" which can be used on more leisure wear for example.. 

Its just an example of one way you can develop things without it being a massive drain on the club, maybe they have tried this but, as i say, i've been to these fairs and i have not seen any RL type stuff. (not being funny, as a northern centric company with most of our business done in the north, it is a licence i would potentially look at down the line if it was priced right, i could see some easy wins).

[Kayakman]

10 hours ago, Big Picture said:

Dream or Nightmare: A Tale of Toronto on 5 live Rugby League.

Good podcast that just about sums it all up....SL would be crazy not to take in Toronto....its all there for the taking....

[GUBRATS]

On 15/09/2020 at 12:02, RP London said:

 

Some of the stuff in the club shops is nice, totally agree and some clubs are doing it really well but some are not.. but again its not just about game wear its the other ancillary stuff you can pick up that you can wear on an "everyday" basis.. where the badge shouldnt be huge but maybe a nice classy simple "logo" would look nice... stuff that cuts through away from just your store.. 

 

So what exactly do you mean by this ?

[RP London]

1 minute ago, GUBRATS said:

So what exactly do you mean by this ?

not really sure what you dont understand in the post to be honest. 

[TIWIT]

1 hour ago, Kayakman said:

Good podcast that just about sums it all up....SL would be crazy not to take in Toronto....its all there for the taking....

So it's a no then. 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, RP London said:

not really sure what you dont understand in the post to be honest. 

Are you saying none of the clubs have ' ancillary ' stuff you can wear everyday ?

[RP London]

20 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Are you saying none of the clubs have ' ancillary ' stuff you can wear everyday ?

No FFS!

firstly i said "Some of the stuff in the club shops is nice, totally agree and some clubs are doing it really well but some are not" .. so no im not saying "none of the clubs"

in general they dont have enough and its not good enough and they could do more and it could be better.. 

seriously read the posts.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Kayakman said:

Good podcast that just about sums it all up....SL would be crazy not to take in Toronto....its all there for the taking....

As Knobby said, there are a lot of SL clubs that need convincing and apparently a lot of fans according to those who who view other Social Media platforms.

In that the majority view on these pages are in favour of the Wolfpack returning don't take that for granted they are very good at getting things oh so wrong, they have devoted hundreds of pages slapping each other on the back and foretelling Brexit would never happen, Boris would never become PM, Trump would not be President, as for me I will offer 'Smug Mode' on all 3 of those counts, as for Toronto returning.............

[Tommygilf]

46 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

As Knobby said, there are a lot of SL clubs that need convincing and apparently a lot of fans according to those who who view other Social Media platforms.

In that the majority view on these pages are in favour of the Wolfpack returning don't take that for granted they are very good at getting things oh so wrong, they have devoted hundreds of pages slapping each other on the back and foretelling Brexit would never happen, Boris would never become PM, Trump would not be President, as for me I will offer 'Smug Mode' on all 3 of those counts, as for Toronto returning.............

Remember H, we actually agree on everything but Toronto!

[Oldbear]

10 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Good listen. I wonder if Noble is owed any money that would be paid if Toronto come back. He sounded ever so slightly desperate.

Having listened to the podcast I wondered if Noble was also owed money, there was a slight hint when Dave Woods raised a “disagreement “ with Mr Argyle. There was also more than a few hints that TWP were under resourced off the field. Once again raises questions about what was really going on and why people left (Perez, Fogerty, Noble and I’m sure a few more whose names we will never know).

I suspect the desperation stems from Noble realizing what an opportunity a well run, well capitalized TWP could be, but thanks to the chaos of the past year irreparable damage may have been done and now it’s time to plead for their life. 

[Kayakman]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

As Knobby said, there are a lot of SL clubs that need convincing and apparently a lot of fans according to those who who view other Social Media platforms.

In that the majority view on these pages are in favour of the Wolfpack returning don't take that for granted they are very good at getting things oh so wrong, they have devoted hundreds of pages slapping each other on the back and foretelling Brexit would never happen, Boris would never become PM, Trump would not be President, as for me I will offer 'Smug Mode' on all 3 of those counts, as for Toronto returning.............

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE HARRY STOTTLE!....I have you on the record that you think Toronto will be back in....you posted it!

[Kayakman]

35 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

but thanks to the chaos of the past year irreparable damage may have been done and now it’s time to plead for their life. 

I take it that you are referring to the SL owners...these folks have to get their act together!....I know the SL owners are pleading (along with the RFL) for Toronto to stay in SL at all costs....I guess we will stay: but they had better treat us right this time!

[PhilCarrington]

57 minutes ago, Kayakman said:

I take it that you are referring to the SL owners...these folks have to get their act together!....I know the SL owners are pleading (along with the RFL) for Toronto to stay in SL at all costs....I guess we will stay: but they had better treat us right this time!

There you go slagging off the other clubs yet again.

Maybe TWP should treat the other clubs right if there is a next time. Brian Mac's appearance on Sky didn't fill me with confidence that things were really going to change. Still no news on whether TWP will pay their RFL creditors.

[TIWIT]

32 minutes ago, PhilCarrington said:

There you go slagging off the other clubs yet again.

Maybe TWP should treat the other clubs right if there is a next time. Brian Mac's appearance on Sky didn't fill me with confidence that things were really going to change. Still no news on whether TWP will pay their RFL creditors.

Your ignorance of the situation vis-a-vis TWP and SL is showing. SL treated TWP appallingly badly. And no, that is not just my opinion. It is a fact. MPG last year anyone?