London Broncos Moving Update

[Ivarr the Boneless 297]

I can see this move MAY work if Broncos invest in fan engagement and growing the crowd. Experience tells me they will slap some rugby posts down and announce we kick off at 15.00 on xx/xx/21 and be surprised by a  poor gate.

I've been critical of the club for ignoring offers of help in growing the crowd. I hope they have done so as they have a sensible plan. If so I'll apologise to a certain "loud mouthed club official". If not, there probably won't be a club left standing when I am due to hit my 25th anniversary as a season ticket holder (not that far away...)

Edited December 19, 2020 by Ivarr the Boneless
Correction to spelling

[DI Keith Fowler 355]

2 hours ago, Ivarr the Boneless said:

I can see this move MAY work if Broncos invest in fan engagement and growing the crowd. Experience tells me they will slap some rugby posts down and announce we kick off at 15.00 on xx/xx/21 and be surprised by a  poor gate.

I've been critical of the club for ignoring offers of help in growing the crowd. I hope they have done so as they have a sensible plan. If so I'll apologise to a certain "loud mouthed club official". If not, there probably won't be a club left standing when I am due to hit my 25th anniversary as a season ticket holder (not that far away...)

Is that the bloke who used to post on RLFans?

[Ivarr the Boneless 297]

I ought to repeat an offer I have previously made elsewhere. I am a minor shareholder in Dulwich Hamlet. The two men who wrote and executed the revitalisation plan were long standing friends.

As I said one is now deceased but the other is known to me and a Broncos season ticket holder. If Broncos wish to contact me I will pass their contact details on to him. I genuinely don't know if he'll be willing to assist now given how he's been treated in the past but I will ask.

If Broncos talk to Dulwich and decide their route won't work for them, I will shut up. That's their opinion and they entitled to it. To repeatedly fail to take free advise from a club that has won two national awards for fan engagement in the same timespan Broncos have devastated their fan base is just daft.

If Broncos have lost his contact details, the offer is there. They should have them mind, as I say one of their employees met him in the summer....

 

[nadera78 2,750]

9 hours ago, Toby Chopra said:

As a spectator, TFSG's biggest problem is the open side. Unless you're right on the rail, it's an appalling place to watch from. During the superleague year, I got a seat 3 times, and it was ok, but for the Leeds game I had to stand, saw nothing, and left early.

So the effective real capacity is about 2500 max. That's OK for the Championship I suppose, but only with Hughes' extra money. Otherwise, that's not going to be enough to fund a full time team, and if the club goes part time with the inevitable fall in playing quality, I fear it could put the club into a death spiral. 

I'm the first to admit Trailfinders isn't great, and I was distinctly unimpressed the first time I visited, but it has improved tenfold since then. In terms of capacity, if that is the only real issue, then it's fixable.

The new stand (1,000 seats) only runs 2/3 the width of the pitch and is easily extendable, in fact you could see them sliding the sections together during construction. That's another 500 people. At the other end the small temporary stand has a temporary building behind it (housing a gym) and then some trees and a school playing field. Without even touching the trees you could replicate the new stand opposite it. Do that and you've comfortably got yourself 3,000 seats in those two stands. The main stand holds about 500 or so. Plus people who choose to stand around the pitch - and some do prefer that - and you're getting close to 5,000 capacity. In all my time supporting the club we've only averaged that once or twice.

Now, it obviously won't look spectacular on television - but how many RL stadiums do?

All that said, as a few Broncos fans have clearly stated on this thread, the stadium/location is a minor issue - the club fundamentally fails to do the most basic things you would expect of a professional sports club. Deal with those before even thinking about finding the 'right' location.

[City RL 6]

If the Broncos move out, does that mean potentially a new West London RL club (League 1) could take their place at Trailfinders assuming there is enough interest and finance?

[Hopping Mad 1,094]

22 hours ago, Ivarr the Boneless said:

Ironic you mention Dulwich Hamlet. It was the two people who wrote and masterminded their revitalisation strategy that offered to share their knowledge / ideas with Broncos for free and were rejected.

One sadly has since died so his experience is lost to the club. A Broncos employee was at the Hamlet over summer, they didn't ask a single question about fan engagement despite the other person who wrote the DHFC strategy, he is a Broncos season ticket holder, being present.

Goodness, that's depressing to hear. Certainly in terms of increased attendances, Dulwich Hamlet are one of non-league football's biggest success stories. Why would Broncos think they couldn't learn something from them?

Edited December 20, 2020 by Hopping Mad

[RoverBear 88]

On 20/12/2020 at 10:08, City RL said:

If the Broncos move out, does that mean potentially a new West London RL club (League 1) could take their place at Trailfinders assuming there is enough interest and finance?

There's too many wannabes already kicking around that think they'll be in L1 in 5 years. Truth is L1 is likely to have less clubs not more in that time period. Getting a junior club going in West London has been so hard I doubt it would be worthwhile without heavy investment, and even then I can't see it being sustainable. 

 

 

 

[Hela Wigmen 2,863]

On 20/12/2020 at 10:08, City RL said:

If the Broncos move out, does that mean potentially a new West London RL club (League 1) could take their place at Trailfinders assuming there is enough interest and finance?

No. 

[Oxford 5,179]

4 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

No. 

Don't sugar coat it, give it to him straight!

[THE RED ROOSTER 1,089]

Jason Loubster has confirmed that the club will be moving away from Ealing Trailfinders for the 2021 season . The club has been in negociation with two other parties (one of which is Wimbledon FC) and will not comment further until they have approval from the other party.

The club will also be moving to a new Training facility

The reason given is that Super League has stated that the ground is unsuitable for Super League and they are unable to develop commercial activities.

No season tickets will be on sale until the move is confirmed thought to be in mid to late January.

[Damien 12,946]

3 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Jason Loubster has confirmed that the club will be moving away from Ealing Trailfinders for the 2021 season . The club has been in negociation with two other parties (one of which is Wimbledon FC) and will not comment further until they have approval from the other party.

The club will also be moving to a new Training facility

The reason given is that Super League has stated that the ground is unsuitable for Super League and they are unable to develop commercial activities.

No season tickets will be on sale until the move is confirmed thought to be in mid to late January.

Interesting. This obviously means the return of minimum standards for Super League.

[Tommygilf 7,816]

8 minutes ago, Damien said:

Interesting. This obviously means the return of minimum standards for Super League.

And explains why Wakey have brought out some new drawings!

[Damien 12,946]

7 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

And explains why Wakey have brought out some new drawings!

We should have known!

[Archie Gordon 192]

I would love to see the Broncos' recent Super League application.

Home ground? We're hoping so.

Facilities? Probably.

[Tommygilf 7,816]

Just now, Archie Gordon said:

I would love to see the Broncos' recent Super League application.

Home ground? We're hoping so.

Facilities? Probably.

In all seriousness that does put them above 2 incumbents

[Click 806]

Rumour is Sammut has signed up again for the 2021 season - 

Hard to say, but if we had kept ahold in our 2019 season, who knows what could have happened in SL that season !

[Man of Kent 7,904]

Latest from the Wimbledon side is there will be a meeting convened by the Dons Trust specifically to discuss a Broncos groundshare swiftly followed by a formal vote. Earlyish new year. 

[The Daddy 2,473]

52 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Jason Loubster has confirmed that the club will be moving away from Ealing Trailfinders for the 2021 season . The club has been in negociation with two other parties (one of which is Wimbledon FC) and will not comment further until they have approval from the other party.

The club will also be moving to a new Training facility

The reason given is that Super League has stated that the ground is unsuitable for Super League and they are unable to develop commercial activities.

No season tickets will be on sale until the move is confirmed thought to be in mid to late January.

I'm guessing the other ground is Brentford 

[Davo5 5,112]

52 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

And explains why Wakey have brought out some new drawings!

The latest one from Cas must be delayed because of Covid.

[ATLANTISMAN 1,169]

Last minute offer to share Brentford with London Irish (If so) IMHO better than moving to Wimbledon.

 

P 

[Click 806]

4 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Last minute offer to share Brentford with London Irish (If so) IMHO better than moving to Wimbledon.

 

P 

I would be happy with either to be honest - I understand the reasons behind people liking Trailfinders, and its positive points, I just don't see the Broncos as a Full Time Professional RL team in 3 - 4 years if we are still there.

[ATLANTISMAN 1,169]

4 minutes ago, Click said:

I would be happy with either to be honest - I understand the reasons behind people liking Trailfinders, and its positive points, I just don't see the Broncos as a Full Time Professional RL team in 3 - 4 years if we are still there.

Trailfinders is fantastic as a championship ground with 800/1500 nice facilities but that is about it.

 

P 

[Oldbear 976]

On 19/12/2020 at 18:39, nadera78 said:

All that said, as a few Broncos fans have clearly stated on this thread, the stadium/location is a minor issue - the club fundamentally fails to do the most basic things you would expect of a professional sports club. Deal with those before even thinking about finding the 'right' location.

Every time I hear heartland fans saying that RL doesn’t work in London I keep coming back to this point. The truth is that the organization of the Broncos has probably been as damaging to the progression of RL in the capital as any other factor, it’s really quite scary how they seem to constantly fail to get the basics right. I wonder where RL would be in London if it was even semi competently run.

[DI Keith Fowler 355]

10 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Last minute offer to share Brentford with London Irish (If so) IMHO better than moving to Wimbledon.

 

P 

Preferable as it would be closer to Ealing, I'd be concerned that Wimbledon is too much of an uprooting. To be honest my first choice would have been Brentford anyway. 

[Man of Kent 7,904]

51 minutes ago, DI Keith Fowler said:

Preferable as it would be closer to Ealing, I'd be concerned that Wimbledon is too much of an uprooting. To be honest my first choice would have been Brentford anyway. 

Shame about the 18k capacity, tho’...