TWP's Bob Hunter interview

[frank]

AT the end of the day Harry, it does not matter who is in SLbecause it won't be Leigh Leigh don't do anything for SL and the clubs don't want you.

Better to be a top dog in the Championship where you belong.

Toronto and a few teams from other countries could work wonders for SL and give our game new life which it sorely needs.

[Hela Wigmen]

I don’t think Toronto are any worse off than any other side in this pandemic. Perhaps the difference being the loyalty of rugby league fans and local businesses in the UK, who have followed clubs over a couple of generations or so.

 

[TboneFromTO]

29 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Who would buy it Tbone?

It would have to be someone or a consortium with as much wealth as Mr Argyle, and as I have said in the past it is not yet proven if Toronto are a good fit into the British League system, the time of the year of the season commencing will not alter and the fact that games cannot be played in Toronto therefore they have to play a reduced number of their games at home as Mr Hunter eluded to is not good on the financial aspect.

I doubt it will ever be a money making concern, it will have to be someone who is in love with the sport to buy it, me thinks.

Completely agree Harry!  If the pack go away it will be a fold, I don't see them relocating as I don't think anyone would buy em, just as I can't see argyle moving them to the UK!  

[Harry Stottle]

24 minutes ago, Omott91 said:

Did you get a reply yet from Twp on your queries from the other day?

Out of curiosity, how did you contact them, through email, Facebook?

Email

[CanadianRugger]

6 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

I’m certainly struggling to think of another rugby stadium where one end is essentially a pub.

Very common in sport over here.  

[TIWIT]

4 minutes ago, CanadianRugger said:

Very common in sport over here.  

Exactly. It's not an either/or proposition. So long as they're there and enjoying themselves they'll be back and isn't that all that matters?

[TboneFromTO]

4 minutes ago, TIWIT said:

Exactly. It's not an either/or proposition. So long as they're there and enjoying themselves they'll be back and isn't that all that matters?

No.  They must watch the rugby, they must bleed the rugby.  Sports is not a social event! How dare they!

[TIWIT]

10 minutes ago, TboneFromTO said:

No.  They must watch the rugby, they must bleed the rugby.  Sports is not a social event! How dare they!

And they must lose and be made to suffer. 

And blame the referees.

And always stand in the cold and the rain and the wind.

Ah yes, those are the 'true' fans. Every sport has them.

The fewer the better as far as I'm concerned.

[Big Picture]

6 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Excuse my ignorance, but who are Blair & Brunt and in what capacity do they operate in?

Edit. I went further down the thread and saw the link for the podcast, curiosity satisfied.

I don't know much about Jeff Blair, but Stephen Brunt was a sports writer for Toronto's Globe and Mail for quite a few years before he went into broadcasting.  He's been covering the pro sports scene in Canada for many years now.

[iffleyox]

17 minutes ago, TIWIT said:

And they must lose and be made to suffer. 

And blame the referees.

And always stand in the cold and the rain and the wind.

Ah yes, those are the 'true' fans. Every sport has them.

The fewer the better as far as I'm concerned.

In all seriousness, and it's the same in most English sports, there is a whole subculture of supporting your local team regardless of their quality, entirely on proximity. In football/soccer there are 92 professional league clubs in England (which is bonkers for a start, compared to anywhere else on the planet), before you even get into the relatively large number of professional non-league clubs, just in England. So it stands to reason that most fans most years have got nothing to smile about. There was a long period (in my head I want it to be 2 decades but can't remember) where Rochdale FC basically finished near the bottom of the bottom pro division every year, without being quite bad enough to get relegated. Supporting the consistently 89th worst pro team in England has got to have an effect on you.

But don't misunderstand the English fan, in the immortal words of John Cleese in Clockwise "it's not the despair Laura, I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."*

*That* is the English sporting psyche. 

 

*edited to add, it has suddenly struck me that Pink Floyd got there even before John Cleese did...

"hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way"

This is always going to be the difference between a true multinational league and an English league with a couple of exotic oddities - Toronto and Catalans are essentially guests/a minority in another culture's psychodrama. 

[TIWIT]

6 minutes ago, iffleyox said:

In all seriousness, and it's the same in most English sports, there is a whole subculture of supporting your local team regardless of their quality, entirely on proximity. In football/soccer there are 92 professional league clubs in England (which is bonkers for a start, compared to anywhere else on the planet), before you even get into the relatively large number of professional non-league clubs, just in England. So it stands to reason that most fans most years have got nothing to smile about. There was a long period (in my head I want it to be 2 decades but can't remember) where Rochdale FC basically finished near the bottom of the bottom pro division every year, without being quite bad enough to get relegated. Supporting the consistently 89th worst pro team in England has got to have an effect on you.

But don't misunderstand the English fan, in the immortal words of John Cleese in Clockwise "it's not the despair Laura, I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."

*That* is the English sporting psyche. 

TBH, I prefer them to the 'fair-weather' fans who attach themselves to clubs like Manchester United or the New York Yankees because they're always on or near the top. Losing always makes the winning so much better.

Generally though I can do without either extreme.

[iffleyox]

17 minutes ago, TIWIT said:

TBH, I prefer them to the 'fair-weather' fans who attach themselves to clubs like Manchester United or the New York Yankees because they're always on or near the top. Losing always makes the winning so much better.

Generally though I can do without either extreme.

If you haven't (I've got no idea of your background) go on YouTube and watch Another Bloody Sunday. 

"Doncaster are different. They lose."

[Oldbear]

Somewhere further up this thread, someone mentioned the part the Canadian authorities will play in all this, I think this is the key point.

For example, here in British Columbia, our leaders have told us, no international travel, and no spectators at sports until a vaccine is found. Obviously if the team were the Vancouver Wolfpack, the future of the team would look very grim, but it’s not, it’s home field is in Ontario and therefore it’s immediate future lies in the hands of Mr Ford and the Ontario Provincial Government (and maybe Mr Trudeau at a federal level). The way I see it, those decisions which will govern how we move and what we do in our leisure time will influence Mr Argyle and what he does, now it may be that Mr Hunter has an insight to the thinking’s of our politicians, hence the less than upbeat attitude, or it may be the interviewers we’re putting 2+2 together and making 5, but the reality is that any sport that needs international competition to survive is going to be under pressure from now on as staging events like Olympics, World Cups, International Championships and Tours has just got a lot more difficult.

[Toby Chopra]

6 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Somewhere further up this thread, someone mentioned the part the Canadian authorities will play in all this, I think this is the key point.

For example, here in British Columbia, our leaders have told us, no international travel, and no spectators at sports until a vaccine is found. Obviously if the team were the Vancouver Wolfpack, the future of the team would look very grim, but it’s not, it’s home field is in Ontario and therefore it’s immediate future lies in the hands of Mr Ford and the Ontario Provincial Government (and maybe Mr Trudeau at a federal level). The way I see it, those decisions which will govern how we move and what we do in our leisure time will influence Mr Argyle and what he does, now it may be that Mr Hunter has an insight to the thinking’s of our politicians, hence the less than upbeat attitude, or it may be the interviewers we’re putting 2+2 together and making 5, but the reality is that any sport that needs international competition to survive is going to be under pressure from now on as staging events like Olympics, World Cups, International Championships and Tours has just got a lot more difficult.

I think you're broadly right, the omens aren't good. I suppose the only counterargument I could make would be that assuming Ontario isn't going to give up on international tourism for good, then Wolfpack do potentially offer a way to maintain a connection with the UK market through its unique access. The big commercial partners are already Transat and Toronto Tourism, maybe Wolfpack become more valuable to them? A stretch I know, but surely tourism isn't over for good? I've been to Whistler 3 out of last 5 years, surely BC isn't giving up on that? 

[Big Picture]

26 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Somewhere further up this thread, someone mentioned the part the Canadian authorities will play in all this, I think this is the key point.

For example, here in British Columbia, our leaders have told us, no international travel, and no spectators at sports until a vaccine is found. Obviously if the team were the Vancouver Wolfpack, the future of the team would look very grim, but it’s not, it’s home field is in Ontario and therefore it’s immediate future lies in the hands of Mr Ford and the Ontario Provincial Government (and maybe Mr Trudeau at a federal level). The way I see it, those decisions which will govern how we move and what we do in our leisure time will influence Mr Argyle and what he does, now it may be that Mr Hunter has an insight to the thinking’s of our politicians, hence the less than upbeat attitude, or it may be the interviewers we’re putting 2+2 together and making 5, but the reality is that any sport that needs international competition to survive is going to be under pressure from now on as staging events like Olympics, World Cups, International Championships and Tours has just got a lot more difficult.

Those politicians are extremely naive to think that these burdensome restrictions can be maintained for any long time without severely damaging the economy and making us all poorer.  JCPenney filing for bankruptcy in the US is just the tip of the iceberg awaiting us all if the restrictions aren't loosened up sooner rather than later.

[Oldbear]

22 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

I think you're broadly right, the omens aren't good. I suppose the only counterargument I could make would be that assuming Ontario isn't going to give up on international tourism for good, then Wolfpack do potentially offer a way to maintain a connection with the UK market through its unique access. The big commercial partners are already Transat and Toronto Tourism, maybe Wolfpack become more valuable to them? A stretch I know, but surely tourism isn't over for good? I've been to Whistler 3 out of last 5 years, surely BC isn't giving up on that? 

I agree with your comments, the situation in BC is really interesting, especially that the provincial government relies on an alliance with the Greens to stay in power. Tourism and hospitality is one of BC’s big industries, currently Vancouver has 22% unemployment due to COVID, as opposed to a normal 3%. Also at the federal level Trudeaus Liberals have a minority government and although in general his handling of the pandemic has been widely approved the next 6-12 months will be key, Canada needs international links, too many people are like myself, not born here and with family still in their home countries, plus tourism is huge so governments need to find a way to make things work. As long as David Argyle stays interested and involved then TWP will no doubt also find a way to make things work, I just worry because I went through losing my team when Gateshead were moved to Hull and I would hate that to happen to Toronto’s fans.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, TIWIT said:

TBH, I prefer them to the 'fair-weather' fans who attach themselves to clubs like Manchester United or the New York Yankees because they're always on or near the top. Losing always makes the winning so much better.

Generally though I can do without either extreme.

Your getting your Manchester clubs mixed up 

[TIWIT]

2 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Your getting your Manchester clubs mixed up 

Actually, as a Liverpool fan, I don't like either.

[Harry Stottle]

14 hours ago, Oldbear said:

Somewhere further up this thread, someone mentioned the part the Canadian authorities will play in all this, I think this is the key point.

For example, here in British Columbia, our leaders have told us, no international travel, and no spectators at sports until a vaccine is found. Obviously if the team were the Vancouver Wolfpack, the future of the team would look very grim, but it’s not, it’s home field is in Ontario and therefore it’s immediate future lies in the hands of Mr Ford and the Ontario Provincial Government (and maybe Mr Trudeau at a federal level). The way I see it, those decisions which will govern how we move and what we do in our leisure time will influence Mr Argyle and what he does, now it may be that Mr Hunter has an insight to the thinking’s of our politicians, hence the less than upbeat attitude, or it may be the interviewers we’re putting 2+2 together and making 5, but the reality is that any sport that needs international competition to survive is going to be under pressure from now on as staging events like Olympics, World Cups, International Championships and Tours has just got a lot more difficult.

It is exactly the same here in the UK, we can only do as we are told what we can do 'what and when', the sporting bodies can make provisions by all means then sit back and await the word 'go' they simply have no jurisdiction in the matter.