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London Broncos Moving Update


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Dons Trust meeting/AFC Wimbledon chief executive update:

Broncos are expected to play five/six games at Plough Lane this summer in July, August and September post-pitch renovation.

Broncos will pay for a floodlights upgrade if they get promoted to Super League. If Wimbledon are promoted before Broncos, the former will play. If the two are promoted at the same time, they will split the circa £80k cost.

Broncos will have desk space available at Plough Lane but it’s not a wholesale move.

AFCW will encourage their fans to get behind Broncos to make it a success, go to games, have a beer in the stands etc.

The chief exec was very big on this. He said he’d “bet his house” on Broncos being promoted within three years and he wants AFCW fans to help make it happen by backing them to increase their playing budget and so forth.

The chief exec thinks 3k crowds are doable in the Championship if enough Wimbledon fans get behind them. Double that in Super League, maybe more.

Broncos have asked AFCW about giving ticket discounts to AFCW fans. They are keen for AFCW fans to watch LB. Nothing confirmed.

The two clubs will collaborate on community work so that Broncos become “ingrained in Merton”. Broncos feel SW London is the best area for them.

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7 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Dons Trust meeting/AFC Wimbledon chief executive update:

Broncos are expected to play five/six games at Plough Lane this summer in July, August and September post-pitch renovation.

Broncos will pay for a floodlights upgrade if they get promoted to Super League. If Wimbledon are promoted before Broncos, the former will play. If the two are promoted at the same time, they will split the circa £80k cost.

Broncos will have desk space available at Plough Lane but it’s not a wholesale move.

AFCW will encourage their fans to get behind Broncos to make it a success, go to games, have a beer in the stands etc.

The chief exec was very big on this. He said he’d “bet his house” on Broncos being promoted within three years and he wants AFCW fans to help make it happen by backing them to increase their playing budget and so forth.

The chief exec thinks 3k crowds are doable in the Championship if enough Wimbledon fans get behind them. Double that in Super League, maybe more.

Broncos have asked AFCW about giving ticket discounts to AFCW fans. They are keen for AFCW fans to watch LB. Nothing confirmed.

The two clubs will collaborate on community work so that Broncos become “ingrained in Merton”. Broncos feel SW London is the best area for them.

The Broncos have about 250 season ticket holders, and average around 900 in the Championship, so this would mean finding over 2,000 new fans. The club will claim they have a plan to attract newcomers, which is fair but unproven, but we know we always lose existing fans when we move. Given that AFCW average about 4,300 you're talking about 50% of AFCWs fanbase becoming regulars at Broncos games. That would be unprecedented in any move the club has ever made.

As for averaging 6,000 in SL, well, we've never averaged that in our 40-year existence.

"Just as we had been Cathars, we were treizistes, men apart."

Jean Roque, Calendrier-revue du Racing-Club Albigeois, 1958-1959

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10 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Dons Trust meeting/AFC Wimbledon chief executive update:

Broncos are expected to play five/six games at Plough Lane this summer in July, August and September post-pitch renovation.

Broncos will pay for a floodlights upgrade if they get promoted to Super League. If Wimbledon are promoted before Broncos, the former will play. If the two are promoted at the same time, they will split the circa £80k cost.

Broncos will have desk space available at Plough Lane but it’s not a wholesale move.

AFCW will encourage their fans to get behind Broncos to make it a success, go to games, have a beer in the stands etc.

The chief exec was very big on this. He said he’d “bet his house” on Broncos being promoted within three years and he wants AFCW fans to help make it happen by backing them to increase their playing budget and so forth.

The chief exec thinks 3k crowds are doable in the Championship if enough Wimbledon fans get behind them. Double that in Super League, maybe more.

Broncos have asked AFCW about giving ticket discounts to AFCW fans. They are keen for AFCW fans to watch LB. Nothing confirmed.

The two clubs will collaborate on community work so that Broncos become “ingrained in Merton”. Broncos feel SW London is the best area for them.

Thanks for the update. I've said all I'm going to say before the move is confirmed. London need this to work.

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)

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2 hours ago, nadera78 said:

The Broncos have about 250 season ticket holders, and average around 900 in the Championship, so this would mean finding over 2,000 new fans. The club will claim they have a plan to attract newcomers, which is fair but unproven, but we know we always lose existing fans when we move. Given that AFCW average about 4,300 you're talking about 50% of AFCWs fanbase becoming regulars at Broncos games. That would be unprecedented in any move the club has ever made.

As for averaging 6,000 in SL, well, we've never averaged that in our 40-year existence.

There was an element of salesmanship in his answers, Nadger, as he and the DT board are strongly in favour of the groundshare. 

Then again, these sorts of crowds might be doable with the support (in all senses of the word) from Wimbledon and the London RL community/diaspora.

The chief exec was speaking as if it’s the duty of Dons fans to back the Broncos - ie go to games in summer and have a beer etc. - out of a sense of enlightened self-interest. That was encouraging to hear.

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2 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

There was an element of salesmanship in his answers, Nadger, as he and the DT board are strongly in favour of the groundshare. 

Then again, these sorts of crowds might be doable with the support (in all senses of the word) from Wimbledon and the London RL community/diaspora.

The chief exec was speaking as if it’s the duty of Dons fans to back the Broncos - ie go to games in summer and have a beer etc. - out of a sense of enlightened self-interest. That was encouraging to hear.

Well obviously, they're desperate for a guaranteed £200,000 a year for next to no work and need the members to sign off on it.

Doesn't change anything as far as the Broncos are concerned, it's still a bad idea.

"Just as we had been Cathars, we were treizistes, men apart."

Jean Roque, Calendrier-revue du Racing-Club Albigeois, 1958-1959

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2 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

Well obviously, they're desperate for a guaranteed £200,000 a year for next to no work and need the members to sign off on it.

Doesn't change anything as far as the Broncos are concerned, it's still a bad idea.

I can understand your POV.

If Wimbledon do as they say and send a powerful message from the top - and the top is well respected by Dons fans - to back the Broncos - help them, help us etc - then it will work.

It could be somewhat like the original Fulham concept except the Broncos have their own identity and - 40 years later - there’s a London player development conveyor belt churning them out.

 

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47 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

Well obviously, they're desperate for a guaranteed £200,000 a year for next to no work and need the members to sign off on it.

Doesn't change anything as far as the Broncos are concerned, it's still a bad idea.

It is word for word - with the exception of starting from the Championship not Super League - what was said when we moved to Charlton. I can even remember the photo shoots of Broncos players cycling around outside The Valley.

I'm in a trying-to-be-positive frame of mind so if we are to do this damn fool thing then let's make sure that those 5-6 games later in the year are as welcoming to all people new to the game of rugby league as possible - whether they be deviants who follow AFCW or not. Basics like explaining rules over the tannoy, what that klaxon means, properly introducing the players etc, free tickets if you bring a friend. And make it as distinctively rugby league and welcoming as possible.

For this to work (my reservations apply) the Broncos are going to have put a lot more effort into both matchday experience and (social) media and engagement than they've shown any ability to do for quite some time.

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)

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58 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

It is word for word - with the exception of starting from the Championship not Super League - what was said when we moved to Charlton. I can even remember the photo shoots of Broncos players cycling around outside The Valley.

I'm in a trying-to-be-positive frame of mind so if we are to do this damn fool thing then let's make sure that those 5-6 games later in the year are as welcoming to all people new to the game of rugby league as possible - whether they be deviants who follow AFCW or not. Basics like explaining rules over the tannoy, what that klaxon means, properly introducing the players etc, free tickets if you bring a friend. And make it as distinctively rugby league and welcoming as possible.

For this to work (my reservations apply) the Broncos are going to have put a lot more effort into both matchday experience and (social) media and engagement than they've shown any ability to do for quite some time.

And, to repeat myself, need a winning side on the park. The complexion of that side is irrelevant, full of London lads or full of martians, it needs to be winning. No-one gets behind a loser. Based on Saturday, and granted all the caveats that apply, I worry.

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AFCW’s average attendance in 19/20 was 4,383. I expect an initial jump when they eventually get fans into the new stadium but converting roughly 50%+ of their fans (based on taking away fans out of the equation) is optimistic, to be kind to both clubs. 

It’s a fine line to tread as well from an AFCW point of view. Their fans have partially funded their stadium and own the club, to ask them to spend more money, at this time, is a bit of a delicate thing to do. 

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45 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

AFCW’s average attendance in 19/20 was 4,383. I expect an initial jump when they eventually get fans into the new stadium but converting roughly 50%+ of their fans (based on taking away fans out of the equation) is optimistic, to be kind to both clubs. 

It’s a fine line to tread as well from an AFCW point of view. Their fans have partially funded their stadium and own the club, to ask them to spend more money, at this time, is a bit of a delicate thing to do. 

I don't want to be Mr Doom and Gloom either but these numbers they are hoping for are waaayyy too optimistic and simply plucked out of the sky. If they get 10% (so say 400 people) coming to Broncos as well as forking out for their own team in a different sport that would be amazing.

There's just too much salesmanship going on expecting/telling the landlords you'll bring in an average 3K for Championship at £25 a pop when you are nowhere near this at the minute.

Hope though that I'm proved wrong and the move is a success in the end.

 

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1 hour ago, Hela Wigmen said:

AFCW’s average attendance in 19/20 was 4,383. I expect an initial jump when they eventually get fans into the new stadium but converting roughly 50%+ of their fans (based on taking away fans out of the equation) is optimistic, to be kind to both clubs. 

It’s a fine line to tread as well from an AFCW point of view. Their fans have partially funded their stadium and own the club, to ask them to spend more money, at this time, is a bit of a delicate thing to do. 

Kingsmeadow gates are redundant, to be fair. That average was 90% capacity - home ends more or less sold out every game.

I think 2k Dons fans is unrealistic in the Championship but a coalition of current Broncos fans, lapsed Broncos fans who want to watch in a proper stadium, Dons fans, locals, general sports fans, the London RL community, schools etc should push gates towards 'decent' level.  

 

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1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

Kingsmeadow gates are redundant, to be fair. That average was 90% capacity - home ends more or less sold out every game.

I think 2k Dons fans is unrealistic in the Championship but a coalition of current Broncos fans, lapsed Broncos fans who want to watch in a proper stadium, Dons fans, locals, general sports fans, the London RL community, schools etc should push gates towards 'decent' level.  

 

That’s the last figure we can go off. As I say, I expect it to rise at the new place but the numbers they’re quoting seem way off. 

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5 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

If this really hinges on converting 2000+ AFCW supporters then the strategy really ought to be name change with the blue/yellow kit becoming reality!

Actually that's not a bad idea. If You can have Quins RL you can have Dons RL playing in the famed Yellow and Blue. Seriously if your going to get Dons fans to bond with another sport. A sport which they have never bothered watching before despite having the opportunity in various parts of London, a rebranding as Dons RL makes sense.

The Loyal and Loud (or rather what's left of them)  instead of singing "Were Quins RL, Were Quins RL" can then sing "Were Dons RL, Were Dons RL"

4 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

I think 2k Dons fans is unrealistic in the Championship but a coalition of current Broncos fans, lapsed Broncos fans who want to watch in a proper stadium, Dons fans, locals, general sports fans, the London RL community, schools etc should push gates towards 'decent' level.  

 

Come on MOK - Head on the Block time, for London v Swinton Lions what's "decent" and how many will be paying?

Having been brought up in the Wimbledon area, I can state with some certainty that there is no craving for "Rugby" full stop in SW London  But are not Dons Fans concerned that the tenants are not going to be around in three years time far less in Super league so what financial gurantees are being given to AFC Wimbledon?

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Rugby is WEST LONDON (Union and League) anywhere else is a complete waste of time IMHO for what its worth.

The joint share with a football club (Call it the football bounce) lasts no more usually than 1 match 

FULHAM/CARDIFF/CARLISLE/SCARBOROUGH/MANSFIELD/PSG/CHARLTON etc etc etc 

Paul

 

 

 

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