RL vs local football clubs

[Eddie]

32 minutes ago, Griff said:

Paris has three.  Apart from PSG, Paris FC play in Div 2 and Red Star in Div 3.

Yeah but they barely register in Paris, any more than London Broncos do in London. 
 

There is also a Serie D semi pro team from Naples. 

[FearNothing]

Wrexham's not great for this kind of thing..when Cru moved North and played at the Racecourse, the soccer lot were very nasty about it all - Wrexham's always been a beer'n'football town, very narrow-minded on such matters.

What really made it bad, though, was when the soccer club became fan-owned and took lease-control of the ground from the Uni, they effectively priced Cru out of playing there, and we were forced to move to Queensway, which, if you've been there, is no comparison but affordable. It also cost us several hundred fans who just wouldn't go to Queensway after the Racecourse

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

11 hours ago, Toby Chopra said:

Genuine question: Why?

Is it that you dislike the sport of football in general, or you perceive a threat to rugby clubs from it? 

The former... Can't stand the game

People on here seem to be assured a strong Leeds/Wigan/Hull soccer team would not affect thier league teams.... I'd rather not take the chance 

[HawkMan]

I think there is some effect on Hull/ Wigan etc when the football clubs were in the Premier League. Attendances rose at the footy clubs, most of the increase was no doubt fairweather fans of the football clubs coming out of the woodwork. But crossover fans of both codes who rarely if ever went to the football probably became enticed to go to a match as an " event" to taste the glamour without caring too much for the game, and it's expensive going to both.

 

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

How many RL teams, that groundshare, have  been blamed by the round ball brigade of ruining the pitch. "That's  reason for recent losses "etc etc. The fact is, in Oldham, the Latics have lost form,  over the years, without the help of the yeds.

[Nate90]

40 minutes ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

How many RL teams, that groundshare, have  been blamed by the round ball brigade of ruining the pitch. "That's  reason for recent losses "etc etc. The fact is, in Oldham, the Latics have lost form,  over the years, without the help of the yeds.

Yes I have heard that argument used on many occasions. However if you look at shared grounds most of the grass damage is normally in the goalkeepers area. Obviously the grass gets kicked on the floor more frequently on football but with league being a ball handling game the pitch doesn't tend to get ruined in the same way

 

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

How many RL teams, that groundshare, have  been blamed by the round ball brigade of ruining the pitch. "That's  reason for recent losses "etc etc. The fact is, in Oldham, the Latics have lost form,  over the years, without the help of the yeds.

Some LUFC fans used to whinge about Hunslet sharing the pitch in the late 80s/early 90s. 

The pitch is still rubbish.

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, HawkMan said:

I think there is some effect on Hull/ Wigan etc when the football clubs were in the Premier League. Attendances rose at the footy clubs, most of the increase was no doubt fairweather fans of the football clubs coming out of the woodwork. But crossover fans of both codes who rarely if ever went to the football probably became enticed to go to a match as an " event" to taste the glamour without caring too much for the game, and it's expensive going to both.

 

I think that there is more of a "buzz" around the likes of Hull City, Wigan Athletic, Huddersfield Town or going back further Oldham Athletic, because being in the premier league is a big thing. Comparatively, for at least Hull and Wigan, being in Super League is taken as a given and in all of those places is it really a big deal?

[Eddie]

22 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I think that there is more of a "buzz" around the likes of Hull City, Wigan Athletic, Huddersfield Town or going back further Oldham Athletic, because being in the premier league is a big thing. Comparatively, for at least Hull and Wigan, being in Super League is taken as a given and in all of those places is it really a big deal?

There is no doubt (and I say that living in Norwich, a proper yo yo club), that getting into the premier league creates a buzz about the place that’s far more then just people looking forward to the match, can’t put my finger on why but it gives a big economic boost too. Even people who’d never otherwise care suddenly give a . Not sure if getting into SL has the same effect sadly. 

[Eddie]

28 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Some LUFC fans used to whinge about Hunslet sharing the pitch in the late 80s/early 90s. 

The pitch is still rubbish.

Hunslet played at Elland Road? 

[Tommygilf]

14 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Hunslet played at Elland Road? 

For quite a few years yes, after the sale of Parkside and the formation of "New Hunslet" till the building of the South Leeds Stadium.

Elland Road was actually the home of Holbeck Rugby Club pre ww1 till they were done dirty by their owners who then formed Leeds United.

[Tommygilf]

17 minutes ago, Eddie said:

There is no doubt (and I say that living in Norwich, a proper yo yo club), that getting into the premier league creates a buzz about the place that’s far more then just people looking forward to the match, can’t put my finger on why but it gives a big economic boost too. Even people who’d never otherwise care suddenly give a . Not sure if getting into SL has the same effect sadly. 

Absolutely. I don't think anywhere can be immune from that, especially given all but 5? clubs have been relegated from the premier league at some point.

Put it this way, there was a full weekend of celebration when Leeds got promoted last summer, there wasn't even a trophy parade when the Rhinos won the treble.

[GUBRATS]

9 hours ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

How many RL teams, that groundshare, have  been blamed by the round ball brigade of ruining the pitch. "That's  reason for recent losses "etc etc. The fact is, in Oldham, the Latics have lost form,  over the years, without the help of the yeds.

I watched the Wigan Athletic match this weekend , the pitch is looking very threadbare ATM 

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

1 hour ago, GUBRATS said:

I watched the Wigan Athletic match this weekend , the pitch is looking very threadbare ATM 

Then there's the problem of re seeding or re laying the pitch which can only be done in the summer. In the middle of the RL season.

[Hela Wigmen]

1 hour ago, GUBRATS said:

I watched the Wigan Athletic match this weekend , the pitch is looking very threadbare ATM 

You could look back at games played there for probably 15+ years and say the same thing. It’s a chronically bad pitch. 

[Ramon Rojo]

8 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

For quite a few years yes, after the sale of Parkside and the formation of "New Hunslet" till the building of the South Leeds Stadium.

Elland Road was actually the home of Holbeck Rugby Club pre ww1 till they were done dirty by their owners who then formed Leeds United.

Remember it well at Elland Road, quite a unique experience for Stones Bitter Division 2 sides. They only opened the Main Stand which gave the stadium a completely different feel after seeing all 4 sides full of football supporters.

Hunslet were one of the top Division 2 outfits alongside Barrow at the time, played some entertaining stuff.

[Hela Wigmen]

Parts of this thread just highlights Rugby League’s insecurities and lack of confidence in its own ability to entertain and offer people a live sporting event that they have to hope for the downfall of others to boost their own profile. 

[Eddie]

16 hours ago, Eddie said:

Yeah but they barely register in Paris, any more than London Broncos do in London. 
 

There is also a Serie D semi pro team from Naples. 

What is it about my comment above that confused you @Hela Wigmen?

[Hela Wigmen]

50 minutes ago, Eddie said:

What is it about my comment above that confused you @Hela Wigmen?

I never knew you were so deeply ingrained into the public psyche in Paris, that’s all. 

[Eddie]

31 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I never knew you were so deeply ingrained into the public psyche in Paris, that’s all. 

I used to live there boss. 

[Leyther_Matt]

4 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

I watched the Wigan Athletic match this weekend , the pitch is looking very threadbare ATM 

That might have a certain amount to do with having a threadbare groundstaff, to be fair.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

14 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

 

Put it this way, there was a full weekend of celebration when Leeds got promoted last summer, there wasn't even a trophy parade when the Rhinos won the treble.

Interesting that 

Do you think that's down to money? Or concern not enough people would show up? 

[Tommygilf]

18 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Interesting that 

Do you think that's down to money? Or concern not enough people would show up? 

I don't know tbh, the Rhinos have done trophy parades in the past, but in the 2010s the club seemed to retreat a bit from the city in a physical sense (no club shop, posters, advertising etc), so I'd argue that was as much to blame. The trophy homecoming was a bit lowkey imo and a bit of a "inside members only vibe" at Headingley when I went.

That has started to change in the past 12 months which might have an impact going forwards hopefully

[Josef K]

14 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

I watched the Wigan Athletic match this weekend , the pitch is looking very threadbare ATM 

I saw the highlights of the League 1 & 2 on Quest on Saturday and some of the pitches looked dreadful. It was like looking at the pitches from the 1970’s. 

[GUBRATS]

1 minute ago, Josef K said:

I saw the highlights of the League 1 & 2 on Quest on Saturday and some of the pitches looked dreadful. It was like looking at the pitches from the 1970’s. 

The Wigan pitch has never been good , but as Leyther Matt suggests , their current financial situation probably makes it even worse , nobody to pay the ' leccy ' bill for the grass lamps