New teams for League One

[Eddie]

In this week’s Pro-Am Community RL Show podcast, a chap from the Cornish Rebels stated their ambition to get into League One. Obviously they’ve got a long way to go but it’s good to hear an interview with such a forward thinking and ambitious club, and I’d love to think that in the next 5 years or so there’ll be some new blood in the semi-pro ranks. 
 

Does anyone know of any other clubs who are keen to get into League One? 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

A League One South would be ideal for the Cornish Rebels 

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

A League One South would be ideal for the Cornish Rebels 

I disagree, all the non-heartland L1 teams need to be playing Heartland teams. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Cornish Rebels playing away at Workington and Whitehaven is a long old trip 

[Yakstorm]

From abroad you have NYC (US), Belgrade (Serbia), Valencia (Spain) and Villeneuve (France).

Closer to the UK, there was rumblings that there was going to be a team from Liverpool and I'm sure I read that the Cardiff Blues had long term ambitions to join.

Ireland has talked about a team for a while and same with Scotland, though I feel like they are more wishes than anything else.

[Hela Wigmen]

1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

A League One South would be ideal for the Cornish Rebels 

That time of the month again for your League One South idea? It would be tantamount to murdering those clubs that aren’t in the north. 

[Hela Wigmen]

I don’t think we’re in any position to be admitting any new clubs from a financial point of view or whilst there clearly isn’t a plan for the future of the game (not that there’s ever really been one) at any level. 

The days of Dublin, Red Star Belgrade, New York and wherever Koukash had stuck a pin in a map that particular week seem to be behind us. 

[Oldbear]

55 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I don’t think we’re in any position to be admitting any new clubs from a financial point of view or whilst there clearly isn’t a plan for the future of the game (not that there’s ever really been one) at any level. 

The days of Dublin, Red Star Belgrade, New York and wherever Koukash had stuck a pin in a map that particular week seem to be behind us. 

Very true, plus while we remain under a global pandemic I can’t see any way logistically you could have any new teams join from outside the UK. I would have thought that if you did look to admit any new teams then they would be better coming from areas just outside the heartlands, like the Midlands, although Liverpool is almost certainly still a non starter.

[dealwithit]

5 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

That time of the month again for your League One South idea? It would be tantamount to murdering those clubs that aren’t in the north. 

To help with travel they could play all/some south team (depending on league size) twice and the north teams once to assist with travel whilst not reducing the season length.

[Eddie]

6 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I don’t think we’re in any position to be admitting any new clubs from a financial point of view or whilst there clearly isn’t a plan for the future of the game (not that there’s ever really been one) at any level. 

The days of Dublin, Red Star Belgrade, New York and wherever Koukash had stuck a pin in a map that particular week seem to be behind us. 

I know what you mean, but a ten team league one is woeful. 

[Man of Kent]

I heard there’s going to be a team on Orkney, Twatt Gannets.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

7 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I don’t think we’re in any position to be admitting any new clubs from a financial point of view or whilst there clearly isn’t a plan for the future of the game (not that there’s ever really been one) at any level. 

The days of Dublin, Red Star Belgrade, New York and wherever Koukash had stuck a pin in a map that particular week seem to be behind us. 

Dublin would actually be ideally located for a new club with lots of regular short cheap flights between Dublin and Manchester/Leeds. You say we can’t afford it but haven’t all expansion clubs been funded from private money, they cost no more than having say 5 clubs based in Wakefield.

[Hela Wigmen]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

I know what you mean, but a ten team league one is woeful. 

And equally, a fourteen team Championship, where there’s often a pretty big disparity between teams, is too many. A 12-12-12 set up would go some way to reducing the disparity in the Championship, while offering more games to League One clubs. 

[gingerjon]

8 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I don’t think we’re in any position to be admitting any new clubs from a financial point of view or whilst there clearly isn’t a plan for the future of the game (not that there’s ever really been one) at any level. 

The days of Dublin, Red Star Belgrade, New York and wherever Koukash had stuck a pin in a map that particular week seem to be behind us. 

The only way to do it and not have it be carnage would be to have a fund available (we don't, so it really is moot) to support X teams to become League 1 ready in, say, three years. You could tender the bids in more or less the same way that Leigh filled in some paperwork to become a Super League team. Phased financial support - additional to that available for established teams - for the first five years on their league appearance, subject to certain off-field targets (academy, ground, that sort of thing) being met.

So that's an eight year commitment of support based on the joining club actually developing.

This, "Oh, I hear Cornish Rebels and Valencia want to join, shall we throw them in?" approach will only ever work by the most amazing luck.

[gingerjon]

15 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Dublin would actually be ideally located for a new club with lots of regular short cheap flights between Dublin and Manchester/Leeds. You say we can’t afford it but haven’t all expansion clubs been funded from private money, they cost no more than having say 5 clubs based in Wakefield.

Dublin is on the same longitude as Manchester, more or less, so they'd have to be in League 1 North.

[Harrogate Fire Ants]

There are lots of areas of the UK that should be considered. However short term the structure of Championship/League 1 hasn't been fully decided post Covid/New Sky TV deal. If reducing funding what will that do to the comp and will it turn everyone part time which if so may benefit others more. Although fantastic to have ambition it's a big step up from the South West League to League 1 in terms of what is needed in funding, it would be definitely good to see them in Conference League South first and then in the Challenge Cup. If they are to be sustainable they need the cash and support although would be a good weekend away trip that one! 

[Marauder]

9 hours ago, Yakstorm said:

From abroad you have NYC (US), Belgrade (Serbia), Valencia (Spain) and Villeneuve (France).

Closer to the UK, there was rumblings that there was going to be a team from Liverpool and I'm sure I read that the Cardiff Blues had long term ambitions to join.

Ireland has talked about a team for a while and same with Scotland, though I feel like they are more wishes than anything else.

Yep!! I've noticed if you have two or three people who are good at media they can make a lot of noise without substance (Happened a lot in the RLC days)

[Ramon Rojo]

I wish the Cornish Rebels every success possible but Cornwall is massively a kick & clap county. 

Without wishing to appear negative their current proposed objectives do not appear to be on any of the local news platforms, which is probably how the South West Union Monopoly want to keep it.

On local Cornwall TV News trivial kick & clap reports often appear ahead of major current affairs stories, they worship the Exeter Chiefs who play in the rival county of Devon, even the nearest professional football teams at Plymouth Argyle & Exeter City get little mention when theres a Union snippet to drool over.

When you add this local bias to many of the posts in this thread that only appear to want further Northern or Midlands located newbies to be considered for League 1 the Cornish Rebels have a massive task ahead of them.

They shall have my full personal support in their endeavours. It would be a dream come true to get a Cornwall side recognised at such a level

I fear a long and treacherous road ahead though.

[Marauder]

8 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

I don’t think we’re in any position to be admitting any new clubs from a financial point of view or whilst there clearly isn’t a plan for the future of the game (not that there’s ever really been one) at any level. 

The days of Dublin, Red Star Belgrade, New York and wherever Koukash had stuck a pin in a map that particular week seem to be behind us. 

I read about all these glorious new location that certain people band about on a weekly basis and at times cringe, I'm sure we'd all like to see the game expand into new areas, I know I would but IMO expansion is a long term project and I believe it would work better if done like a creeping barrage, Last week I went to Blackburn to look at a job and got to thinking that an area that includes Blackburn, Preston, Burnley and Accrington, why not target that area as a whole, It's surrounded by rugby league but is a void within where the game is played.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, Marauder said:

I read about all these glorious new location that certain people band about on a weekly basis and at times cringe, I'm sure we'd all like to see the game expand into new areas, I know I would but IMO expansion is a long term project and I believe it would work better if done like a creeping barrage, Last week I went to Blackburn to look at a job and got to thinking that an area that includes Blackburn, Preston, Burnley and Accrington, why not target that area as a whole, It's surrounded by rugby league but is a void within where the game is played.

Pretty much how I suggested it years ago 

find a lower/non league town with a 5 K stadium looking to get more usage of it ( council owned would be best ) close enough to allow players and coaches to travel from the heartlands , the RFL to commit to finance ( say 200k a year ) for 5 years , it would give opportunities for retiring players to get involved in coaching/administration at a lower level , chase local union players to pad out the squads and work with local education with school cup competitions 

I'd have suggested around the Stoke on Trent area , looking to introduce a new club every 3/4 years 

[Davo5]

10 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Cornish Rebels playing away at Workington and Whitehaven is a long old trip 

Good job Whitehaven are in the Championship then.

[dkw]

8 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Good job Whitehaven are in the Championship then.

This season.......

 

 

[dkw]

Is there an airport in Cornwall? Its always amusing when one of these teams crops up and people worry about them travelling to Workington/Whitehaven because its so far, yet no consideration is given to Workington/Whitehaven having to travel all the way to them .

 

[Hela Wigmen]

2 minutes ago, dkw said:

Is there an airport in Cornwall? Its always amusing when one of these teams crops up and people worry about them travelling to Workington/Whitehaven because its so far, yet no consideration is given to Workington/Whitehaven having to travel all the way to them .

 

Exeter has an airport. 

[Marauder]

15 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Pretty much how I suggested it years ago 

find a lower/non league town with a 5 K stadium looking to get more usage of it ( council owned would be best ) close enough to allow players and coaches to travel from the heartlands , the RFL to commit to finance ( say 200k a year ) for 5 years , it would give opportunities for retiring players to get involved in coaching/administration at a lower level , chase local union players to pad out the squads and work with local education with school cup competitions 

I'd have suggested around the Stoke on Trent area , looking to introduce a new club every 3/4 years 

 

2 minutes ago, dkw said:

Is there an airport in Cornwall? Its always amusing when one of these teams crops up and people worry about them travelling to Workington/Whitehaven because its so far, yet no consideration is given to Workington/Whitehaven having to travel all the way to them .

 

I'm sure they'll be one somewhere or do they travel to Bristol, I know when I go to a reunion in Newcastle the lads from that way fly up from Bristol.