London Broncos Moving Update

[Click]

1 hour ago, Oldbear said:

On the back of my last post, I have a serious question for Broncos fans, who actually go to games. If the Broncos were happy to stay as a stable, solid Championship team, winning most weeks and finishing in the top 3-4, but never ever looking like they were going to go any further, but at the same time providing you with entertainment and the chance to see the start of some great careers, then would you be happy with that and still go, or would the limited ambition put you off? Yes I know you could ask that of the fans of any top Championship team but honestly I can only currently see the Broncos, and the Bulls, who both find themselves in the position where to get to SL is going to require a ground move, but that move in itself may do more harm than good. So maybe a question for Bulls fans too?

Personally, I would go to a few games if we were to stay a Championship club for the rest of our existence, but without wanting to sound smug, I really am not that interested in watching us play small towns. I want to watch some of the best players in the country play for the Broncos and play against us, as exciting as Championship rugby can be, I prefer watching SL. 

I've said my opinions on moving grounds previously, I am not a fan of Trailfinders at all for match day experience. 

[Oldbear]

8 minutes ago, Click said:

Personally, I would go to a few games if we were to stay a Championship club for the rest of our existence, but without wanting to sound smug, I really am not that interested in watching us play small towns. I want to watch some of the best players in the country play for the Broncos and play against us, as exciting as Championship rugby can be, I prefer watching SL. 

I've said my opinions on moving grounds previously, I am not a fan of Trailfinders at all for match day experience. 

Serious question, remember I left the UK in 2009 so I have never been to Trailfinders. The current location may be fine for a solid Championship outfit, but does playing there actually put people off attending regularly? I used to go to games at Chiswick Polytechnic stadium, and there was no where more basic than that. I was just happy there was a game to watch, so looked beyond the facilities, however I was single at the time and maybe I wouldn’t have cared to take the family there unless it was a nice dry sunny day. Does any of that apply to Trailfinders?

[Click]

8 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Serious question, remember I left the UK in 2009 so I have never been to Trailfinders. The current location may be fine for a solid Championship outfit, but does playing there actually put people off attending regularly? I used to go to games at Chiswick Polytechnic stadium, and there was no where more basic than that. I was just happy there was a game to watch, so looked beyond the facilities, however I was single at the time and maybe I wouldn’t have cared to take the family there unless it was a nice dry sunny day. Does any of that apply to Trailfinders?

It isn't that bad in terms of that - my dad has been a ST holder for the Broncos since the Fulham days, so also remembers the Chiswick days ! 

Trailfinders is OK, if you want a seat, you can probably get one (mostly due to the lack of people there). If you are playing in front of crowds around the 1k mark then it is a perfectly acceptable stadium. But when you get more than I'd say 2k it becomes disjointed and hard to enjoy your experience (for me anyway). You can stand at pitch side by the bar, but unless you're at the front, its 3 deep so you can barely see anything, and being pitch side you can't see whats going on anyway. If you are a ST holder you can be in the "main stand" which has some crappy seating thats raised a few feet so your view isn't too bad, you also have the upper area that the VIPs, etc I haven't been up there, i am sure it's nice. You have the new stand which is where the away supporters gather, so unless you enjoy being surrounded by people cheering for the other team, then you don't sit there. You have the far side of the pitch which is just another 4G pitch and you stand on the bank. And you also have the other stand which is about 3 - 4 deep, and isn't particularly great.

The description that has been made in the past and always stuck with me is "wedding venue". You don't get any atmosphere whatsoever - Obviously with the Broncos we haven't got many fans, and only a section of those chant, sing, etc, but they are all so far apart from each other that  it adds nothing to the atmosphere in my opinion. It isn't a ground that I want to get my friends to come and watch RL at, I try to get them to attend internationals in London instead, or like when Wigan played at Millwall. 

My dad still recalls in the early days of Trailfinders when players and fans shared the same toilets and walking in to see a Broncos player standing up at the urinals. (Obviously that isn't the same now !)

I think one of my worst experiences at an RL match was during the middle 8s when we played Leeds and there was just no where to stand or sit and ending up in a corner sitting on the edge of the other 5G pitch just isn't fun.

[Oldbear]

3 minutes ago, Click said:

But when you get more than I'd say 2k it becomes disjointed and hard to enjoy your experience It isn't a ground that I want to get my friends to come and watch RL at

Thanks, I picked on the above 2 points in your post as I think these are crucial. If it’s not a good experience when crowds exceed 2K then you have a problem, since the chance of first timers being attracted back are small and if you can’t grow your crowds beyond 2K then your ambition is severely limited unless you move, which presents a whole bunch of risks. Also if you don’t feel you want to bring your friends to Trailfinders then again how do you introduce new people to the game? Again it appears that if London really wants to progress it has to consider a move, however that is also risky and would require a great deal of off field organization to make such a move successful. But this is the Broncos, not known for off field organization, so where do you go from here?

[Man of Kent]

5 hours ago, westlondonfan said:

Does anyone have any updates?

There’s a Dons Trust meeting (of sorts) on Wednesday. I’ll ask about the Broncos situation and post here if there’s any new news.

[Click]

7 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Thanks, I picked on the above 2 points in your post as I think these are crucial. If it’s not a good experience when crowds exceed 2K then you have a problem, since the chance of first timers being attracted back are small and if you can’t grow your crowds beyond 2K then your ambition is severely limited unless you move, which presents a whole bunch of risks. Also if you don’t feel you want to bring your friends to Trailfinders then again how do you introduce new people to the game? Again it appears that if London really wants to progress it has to consider a move, however that is also risky and would require a great deal of off field organization to make such a move successful. But this is the Broncos, not known for off field organization, so where do you go from here?

That's kind of the issue with Trailfinders, I am 28, so relatively young still (I hope !). As so many people have said in the past, people want to attend events, they don't want to travel to basically the middle of no where to attend a sport they have only briefly seen before (referring to my own friends and me making them watch various videos, etc) and there is either around 1,000 people there at a ground that is literally tucked away behind rows of houses, or to a game there with over 2k there and you are struggling to find somewhere for you to go so you can actually enjoy the game. 
People want to go to a sport and lose themselves in the atmosphere, in the entertainment on the field, but if there is barely one and the other you can barely see, it becomes not worth it.

It's also the problem with being a Championship team, we will still continue to produce great young players, but any of those that do turn out to be "best of the bunch" are instantly going to move to a club in SL. Whereas if we were looking to improve and start to become a mid table SL team, and looking to challenge sometimes, then some of those players will want to stay in London and play those games for us rather than elsewhere. 

[Oldbear]

2 hours ago, Click said:

That's kind of the issue with Trailfinders, I am 28, so relatively young still (I hope !). As so many people have said in the past, people want to attend events, they don't want to travel to basically the middle of no where to attend a sport they have only briefly seen before (referring to my own friends and me making them watch various videos, etc) and there is either around 1,000 people there at a ground that is literally tucked away behind rows of houses, or to a game there with over 2k there and you are struggling to find somewhere for you to go so you can actually enjoy the game. 
People want to go to a sport and lose themselves in the atmosphere, in the entertainment on the field, but if there is barely one and the other you can barely see, it becomes not worth it.

It's also the problem with being a Championship team, we will still continue to produce great young players, but any of those that do turn out to be "best of the bunch" are instantly going to move to a club in SL. Whereas if we were looking to improve and start to become a mid table SL team, and looking to challenge sometimes, then some of those players will want to stay in London and play those games for us rather than elsewhere. 

Totally get it. One of the reasons Toronto was so successful on the crowd front is that their marketing team built games up as events, and although Lamport was hardly the most salubrious stadium, there was the advantage that everyone could get a decent view from your seat and the only people at pitch side were those in the beer garden (and the amount of alcohol consumed no doubt affected the view as much as being pitch side!). I only got to 1 TWP game, to see Thunder in the L1 playoffs, but what struck me as significant was that there were a number of first timers, or at least non regulars around me, and all were impressed by the event and atmosphere, plus they got a good view, relatively close to the action, at an affordable price (by comparison if you sell a kidney you might score an NHL ticket way up in the nosebleeds, where vertigo comes free with every seat). Now as you say London seems stuck between comfortably accommodating crowds of 700-1200 at Trailfinders, but then it feels low key to a first timer or non regular, or a much better atmosphere with over 2000 on, but then it’s uncomfortable and there’s restricted viewing, which doesn’t encourage a return either.

[newbe]

A little birdy told me Trailfinders were asking for a big rent increase, so they decided to look at other options. If they have got to pay more rent might aswell get to get a Stadium to match SL requirements. 

[Magic XIII]

I am probably jumping to conclusions borne out of my ever increasing distant feeling from the club I have followed for most of my adult life but I see two scenarios in play now

the club are up sh!t creek with no paddle as their gamesmanship around a new hook up has fallen flat

the management are hedging their bets on all games being played at neutral venues through the season meaning no requirement for a `home` ground and saving a load of cash 

[westlondonfan]

18 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

Loubser's New Year message said all would become clear in "mid to late January" ...

This year?

[Archie Gordon]

We always fall out with the landlord. And given the frequency this occurs, one wonders what the common denominator is.

I was not encouraged to see that in discussions with AFCW unrealistic crowds were projected, sowing the seed for the next fallout perhaps.

It is so disheartening. We currently have no home ground and have sold zero season tickets and zero replica shirts.

[ATLANTISMAN]

My own personal opinion (For what its worth) is Wimbledon will not see an upturn in crowds in fact the opposite.

Playing in front of 7000 empty seats  no thanks its a turn off better to stay in a nice compact stadium .

Empty stadiums look awful and its almost impossible to introduce new fans and sponsors to the game.

It has to be West London anywhere else will not work long term.

 

Paul

 

[Wire quin]

34 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

My own personal opinion (For what its worth) is Wimbledon will not see an upturn in crowds in fact the opposite.

Playing in front of 7000 empty seats  no thanks its a turn off better to stay in a nice compact stadium .

Empty stadiums look awful and its almost impossible to introduce new fans and sponsors to the game.

It has to be West London anywhere else will not work long term.

 

Paul

 

Any thoughts where that would/could be?

[Bleep1673]

On 17/01/2021 at 12:16, redjonn said:

Yep, guess it is more like old friendly London RU clubs.

I always enjoyed the visits to Trailfinders -  although it always seemed to be warm weather and hence good walking around, enjoying a drink from the large bar facility, plus the clubhouse was lively after the game, the BBQ food facilities all added to a good day out.

The crowd was always seemed a reasonable size, only issue looking ahead I guess was the end with the scoreboard, I guess if that had a stand/terrace it would be quite a "cute" crowd for a lower level team.

I guess if aspirations if being in higher league the current ground may be an issue but for the current level its seems good to me as an away traveller.

We always drove but on the away travel train/bus others have brought up, don't most fans either come on club coaches or drive - although parking is an issue if you can't park in the ground - but then I guess in London that will always be an issue..

Parking would only be an issue for those whose backsides are glued to their car-seats, West Ealing and Ealing Broadway stations are only a short railway journey from Hayes & Harlington Station, which in itself is accessible from the M4/M25, Ealing is not South Korea, the last 15 years I lived in West London, I never needed a car, 24 hour public transport was more than enough for getting around.

[Bleep1673]

5 hours ago, newbe said:

A little birdy told me Trailfinders were asking for a big rent increase, so they decided to look at other options. If they have got to pay more rent might as well get to get a Stadium to match SL requirements. 

Brentfords new Stadium?

[DI Keith Fowler]

Just now, Bleep1673 said:

Brentfords new Stadium?

Watching them against Leicester in the FA Cup right now, ground looks brilliant. Also looks way too big and expensive for London Broncos. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

2 hours ago, Wire quin said:

Any thoughts where that would/could be?

I would have stayed at Ealing WQ I was just getting into it again the last 2/3 seasons, Wimbledon not for me even though its nearer.

 

P 

[Hela Wigmen]

And now Eddie Battye is off too. London will have the greatest ground in the bottom half of the Championship at the rate they’re going. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

3 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

And now Eddie Battye is off too. London will have the greatest ground in the bottom half of the Championship at the rate they’re going. 

I heard he was staying where to Wakefield ? P 

 

 

[Hela Wigmen]

6 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I heard he was staying where to Wakefield ? P 

 

 

No idea. London have released a statement that’s about three sentences long. No destination listed, barely a thank you and they’ll make no further comment. 

[THE RED ROOSTER]

7 hours ago, newbe said:

A little birdy told me Trailfinders were asking for a big rent increase, so they decided to look at other options. If they have got to pay more rent might aswell get to get a Stadium to match SL requirements. 

I doubt that , Mike Gooley Chairman of Ealing Trailfinders is seriously cashed up with a personal wealth of £ 240 million acording to The Sunday Times rich list.

Indeed if the RFU slammed the door in Ealing Ttrailfinders face regarding promotion and Mr Gooley decided to invest in League instead it would be transformational to say the least for the London Broncos.

The original reason given - The Super Leagues selective interpretation of ground standards is correct. I may only have been educated at a comprehensive, but to pay a Soccer club ground rental and a Rugby Union club Training ground rental is a tad morer expensive as will be proved once the London Broncos Season Ticket prices are announced.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

3 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

No idea. London have released a statement that’s about three sentences long. No destination listed, barely a thank you and they’ll make no further comment. 

https://londonbroncosrl.com/news/battye-departs-london/

Eddie Battye wants ti play in Super League and good luck to him - never gave less than 100% for the club.

[Rioman]

24 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I heard he was staying where to Wakefield ? P 

 

 

Wakefield. 3 year deal.

 

[Tommygilf]

4 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

My own personal opinion (For what its worth) is Wimbledon will not see an upturn in crowds in fact the opposite.

Playing in front of 7000 empty seats  no thanks its a turn off better to stay in a nice compact stadium .

Empty stadiums look awful and its almost impossible to introduce new fans and sponsors to the game.

It has to be West London anywhere else will not work long term.

 

Paul

 

What compact, sub 8000 capacity West London ground is there? 

I'm not saying I disagree with you, such a ground would be fantastic, but I fear you're searching for a unicorn.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

2 hours ago, Bleep1673 said:

Brentfords new Stadium?

Nope. I think that London Irish are in there. Also I seem to remember that we left Griffin Park due to the rental demands that were equivalent to our entire gate receipts!