Eddie Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 If this article is correct, the RFL were planning to open this year’s Bash with a game featuring one of the two local teams - Blackpool Scorpions or Blackpool Stanley - but have cancelled it because it would cost them £4K. I knew the RFL aren’t awash with money but didn’t realise the state of the game’s finances was so dire - surely in the long run this exposure in a town the size of Blackpool would be worth £4k. A quick look at their websites suggests both clubs are serious and well run too. https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/off-the-record-rugby-league-rumours-and-gossip-200/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Stottle Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Not at all surprised, as I reported from New Zealand Mr Rimmer had to take public transport - a bus - for a near 4 hour journey from Auckland to Rotarua to watch the Community Lions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 6 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said: Not at all surprised, as I reported from New Zealand Mr Rimmer had to take public transport - a bus - for a near 4 hour journey from Auckland to Rotarua to watch the Community Lions. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that personally, he’s hardly going to go in a private jet so how else would he get there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 £4K is a lot for a park game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 2 hours ago, Eddie said: If this article is correct, the RFL were planning to open this year’s Bash with a game featuring one of the two local teams - Blackpool Scorpions or Blackpool Stanley - but have cancelled it because it would cost them £4K. I knew the RFL aren’t awash with money but didn’t realise the state of the game’s finances was so dire - surely in the long run this exposure in a town the size of Blackpool would be worth £4k. A quick look at their websites suggests both clubs are serious and well run too. https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/off-the-record-rugby-league-rumours-and-gossip-200/ We really don't have any money. I agree it's shortsighted but see my first line. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Stottle Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 8 minutes ago, Eddie said: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that personally, he’s hardly going to go in a private jet so how else would he get there? Really, he is the Head Honcho of the Rugby Football League which takes in the community game as well these days, it is a bloody poor show if someone of his position has to sort out his own transport to such an occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Click Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 17 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said: Really, he is the Head Honcho of the Rugby Football League which takes in the community game as well these days, it is a bloody poor show if someone of his position has to sort out his own transport to such an occasion. I am sure his PA organised the bus ticket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 6 minutes ago, Johnoco said: Yes but £4K? Really? I'm not disagreeing. I think it's almost certainly a false economy. But if you look at our accounts, £4,000 is a lot of money to rugby league. Because we're skint. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunbar Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 I'm keen to understand from those saying that the decision is short sighted what return the RFL would expect to see from hosting this fixture before the three planned Championship games on the day. "The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby. "If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allora Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Eddie said: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that personally, he’s hardly going to go in a private jet so how else would he get there? Most people would hire a Car. Is he unable to drive? Talent is secondary to whether players are confident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RP London Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Allora said: Most people would hire a Car. Is he unable to drive? he could at least have spun it as an "environmental choice"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Dunbar said: I'm keen to understand from those saying that the decision is short sighted what return the RFL would expect to see from hosting this fixture before the three planned Championship games on the day. More people from Blackpool buying tickets to the event - friends and family of the local players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Allora said: Most people would hire a Car. Is he unable to drive? Maybe he wanted to have a beer, I know I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Dunbar said: I'm keen to understand from those saying that the decision is short sighted what return the RFL would expect to see from hosting this fixture before the three planned Championship games on the day. Exactly this. It’s much of a nothing story, this one, I’m afraid. I’m really not sure what benefit short or long term there would have been from hosting this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunbar Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 8 minutes ago, Eddie said: More people from Blackpool buying tickets to the event - friends and family of the local players. My fag packet calculation shows that there would need to be 140 tickets at full value (£25) and 40 tickets at concession value (£12.50) in order to recover the £4k costs in hosting the additional match. I really don't know if shifting an additional180 tickets at face value is realistic for a curtain raiser. If it is realistic then the match should have gone ahead. The problem with all if these decisions is we don't know definitively if it is down to ticket sales. Even if we were able to look at where the buyers come from and see a % of Blackpool residents, we don't know how many were planning to attend the event anyway. I guess the clubs planned to be involved could have been given the target of ticket sales as that would have been a definitive link. "The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby. "If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havenwarrior Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Why have they agreed to so much a match, surely it should just be a flat rate for the weekend. HW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyther_Matt Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 6 minutes ago, Havenwarrior said: Why have they agreed to so much a match, surely it should just be a flat rate for the weekend. HW It will be a rate for the hours of opening for the weekend. Incorporating an extra few hours would then mean having to pay the additional hours staffing which, when bearing in mind the length of the event, might have meant bringing in extra staff rather than just paying existing staff for the extra hours worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Also, does the £4K cover staffing costs of turnstiles, catering, stewarding etc because you could then be looking at another four figure cost to factor in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gittinsfan Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 I can just see the newspaper headline. RFL cancel curtainraiser because they can't afford 4K. Brilliant PR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Click Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 4 minutes ago, gittinsfan said: I can just see the newspaper headline. RFL cancel curtainraiser because they can't afford 4K. Brilliant PR. Luckily, no one cares about RL, so it won't hit the "proper" media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gittinsfan Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 4 minutes ago, Click said: Luckily, no one cares about RL, so it won't hit the "proper" media. The negative stories manage to get noticed by the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Click Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Just now, gittinsfan said: The negative stories manage to get noticed by the media. Even this may be too small time for even them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Highlander Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Eddie said: Maybe he wanted to have a beer, I know I would. Is drinking beer on public transit buses in New Zealand allowed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyther_Matt Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 59 minutes ago, gittinsfan said: I can just see the newspaper headline. RFL cancel curtainraiser because they can't afford 4K. Brilliant PR. 'Amateur fixture not scheduled to take place at former Premier League stadium does not take place at former Premier League stadium' Not sure it'll be hitting too many headlines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 44 minutes ago, Cameron Highlander said: Is drinking beer on public transit buses in New Zealand allowed? When he got there. Or maybe he’d rather get the bus than drive 4 hours himself. What I’m saying is that Rimmer isn’t royalty and him getting on a bus isn’t shocking at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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