Places in England where RL is more popular than football

[The Frying Scotsman]

2 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

Its not often you down talk RL on here... - Take it you have checked on all areas of the UK

What are you talking about?? The NRL is a fantastic product, and I am very clear on that. 

In England though, football reigns supreme. Back in the day, there were areas where Rugby League was more popular. Now, (as other posters have ALSO said.... )There is nowhere like that left.

As you clearly are looking for a disagreement..... Then name a place where RL is more popular, instead of making needless snidey comments.

[Chris22]

St Helens is a no. I'd say there are more Liverpool fans in this town than Saints, if you expand that to football, it's a huge gap.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

I think in West Cumbria most pubs show RL, everyone talks about the game, especially the amateur games, and the Rugby clubs get better attendances then the local semi pro Football Workington Reds team.

You probably see slightly more Man U and Liverpool tops on the streets than the local RL teams or even Leeds and Saints but not by much.

The Schools don't push RL so the young kids still get exposed to a lot more Football than RL.

Don’t know about now but less than a decade ago RL in the secondary schools was a big thing with the likes of St Benedicts getting to 2 National Finals and others doing well in what was a great well run competition 

[fieldofclothofgold]

There has just been a highly successful European football tournament and it means football is going to take another giant leap forward . There are RL towns who are called rl towns  ,but these towns without a top football team I.E league II , I , championship or fa premiership will still have a high percentage of football fans who follow a neighbouring football club 

[Hela Wigmen]

40 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

St Helens is a no. I'd say there are more Liverpool fans in this town than Saints, if you expand that to football, it's a huge gap.

There’s more Liverpool and Everton shirts around town than Saints these days. Been a big change compared with, say, 15 years ago. 

[bamfordsbeans]

Halifax was definitely a "rugby town " in the 80's and 90's.

Unfortunately relegation from SL and a decline in the amateur game means this is no longer the case.

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

What are you talking about?? The NRL is a fantastic product, and I am very clear on that. 

In England though, football reigns supreme. Back in the day, there were areas where Rugby League was more popular. Now, (as other posters have ALSO said.... )There is nowhere like that left.

As you clearly are looking for a disagreement..... Then name a place where RL is more popular, instead of making needless snidey comments.

Err - my previous post lad - just read it.

[wilsontown]

4 hours ago, Stirlin said:

York RL have been on an amazing journey in the last few years with Jon Flatman and his crew in charge , now in the second tier of RL yet the footy team in the same period have plummeted to the sixth tier , the only team in 

National League North who are full time players. For years previous they ridiculed us in the local press but their bile is now directed at City. Our attendance has increased , theirs is pretty much the same , and above ours.

Still a footy town ? , most definately.

York is weird all round. It's not that small a city, but there haven't been big followings for either City or the Knights in the 10 years I've lived here. I was wandering around today and I've seen no City shirts, 1 Knights, 1 Aberdeen FC, loads of Leeds Utd and several Liverpool.

We're just not a town that's all that interested in sport, sadly. Knights are doing everything right (and the football are not), but it's really going to be a long job.

[wilsontown]

Just to add, York is RL territory. We have community clubs and a decent semi-pro side. This ought to be considered the heartlands.

[Wiltshire Rhino]

I prefer rugby league to football but I prefer Swindon Town to rugby league. 

[Gooleboy]

6 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Absolutely, as I said LUFC are the single biggest sporting institution, but RL as a whole - as in the sport in all its forms, has a lot of latent presence. 

Been to the Pub tonight, Huddersfield v Hull on the big TV, just me and two mates watching it. A good few in, but no interest in the game.

[Gooleboy]

1 hour ago, wilsontown said:

Just to add, York is RL territory. We have community clubs and a decent semi-pro side. This ought to be considered the heartlands.

Agree with you there, but I was surprised at how few were at Wembley last Saturday from York.

[Gooleboy]

1 hour ago, wilsontown said:

York is weird all round. It's not that small a city, but there haven't been big followings for either City or the Knights in the 10 years I've lived here. I was wandering around today and I've seen no City shirts, 1 Knights, 1 Aberdeen FC, loads of Leeds Utd and several Liverpool.

We're just not a town that's all that interested in sport, sadly. Knights are doing everything right (and the football are not), but it's really going to be a long job.

At least no Man U shirts!!

[Stirlin]

2 hours ago, wilsontown said:

York is weird all round. It's not that small a city, but there haven't been big followings for either City or the Knights in the 10 years I've lived here. I was wandering around today and I've seen no City shirts, 1 Knights, 1 Aberdeen FC, loads of Leeds Utd and several Liverpool.

We're just not a town that's all that interested in sport, sadly. Knights are doing everything right (and the football are not), but it's really going to be a long job.

There used to be a lot more amateur sides in York , a side each from Newcastle and Sunderland even played

here. Then there was the Sunday league , mostly pub or WMC sides played home matches on Knavesmire ,

quite a few games it was just an excuse for a punch up.

[Stirlin]

2 hours ago, wilsontown said:

York is weird all round. It's not that small a city, but there haven't been big followings for either City or the Knights in the 10 years I've lived here. I was wandering around today and I've seen no City shirts, 1 Knights, 1 Aberdeen FC, loads of Leeds Utd and several Liverpool.

We're just not a town that's all that interested in sport, sadly. Knights are doing everything right (and the football are not), but it's really going to be a long job.

Have City approached First bus for one of the new electric double deckers to be decked out in their colours on the Monks Cross P&R yet ? 

[Josef K]

10 hours ago, Chris22 said:

St Helens is a no. I'd say there are more Liverpool fans in this town than Saints, if you expand that to football, it's a huge gap.

Most of those though Chris are armchair LFC fans. It’s the same with United, but there will be a few that go watching LFC, United, EFC & WAFC. I know some Saints season ticket holders who are also Tics season ticket holder’s. I know plenty of football fans who have never been to a game watching their club in the Premier League. Most of them probably can’t name 10 clubs in the Championship. 

[Josef K]

9 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

There’s more Liverpool and Everton shirts around town than Saints these days. Been a big change compared with, say, 15 years ago. 

I think that’s always been the case Hela. it’s just that they’ve probably never been to a professional game in their lives. It’s a pity these fans don’t pay a visit to St Helens AFC or Pilkington’s. 

[Josef K]

6 hours ago, Wiltshire Rhino said:

I prefer rugby league to football but I prefer Swindon Town to rugby league. 

Swindon once entered the Challenge Cup didn’t they, when Richard Bacon did the draw. That was hilarious and embarrassing at the same time. 
What was in the minds of the Swindon board to poach Sheridan from WAFC ?. 

[fieldofclothofgold]

10 hours ago, wilsontown said:

York is weird all round. It's not that small a city, but there haven't been big followings for either City or the Knights in the 10 years I've lived here. I was wandering around today and I've seen no City shirts, 1 Knights, 1 Aberdeen FC, loads of Leeds Utd and several Liverpool.

We're just not a town that's all that interested in sport, sadly. Knights are doing everything right (and the football are not), but it's really going to be a long job.

Lovely historic city and very touristy 

[Henson Park Old Firm]

can someone send this to Phil Gould (the old sod)

[Eddie]

11 hours ago, Wiltshire Rhino said:

I prefer rugby league to football but I prefer Swindon Town to rugby league. 

Much the same for me with Norwich. 

[Hela Wigmen]

I imagine Llanelli is more a rugby town than a football one but more Union than the Raiders. 

[Wiltshire Rhino]

5 hours ago, Josef K said:

What was in the minds of the Swindon board to poach Sheridan from WAFC ?. 

The "board" considered of one man who, ALLEGEDLY, was taking as much from the club as possible. 

We now have a new owner (took a court case to solve it) who has done more to engage fans in two days than the previous **** did in 8 years. 

Long way to go but things, at the moment, are looking rosier.

[Eddie]

12 minutes ago, Wiltshire Rhino said:

The "board" considered of one man who, ALLEGEDLY, was taking as much from the club as possible. 

We now have a new owner (took a court case to solve it) who has done more to engage fans in two days than the previous **** did in 8 years. 

Long way to go but things, at the moment, are looking rosier.

Wasn’t Willy Carson your chairman back in the day? I may have imagined that though! 

[Adelaide Tiger]

I recall an interview in a newspaper many moons ago with Sir Bobby Robson.  A key part of his management was to have scouts all over the country but he said that there were two areas where he didn’t bother sending scouts as those areas were solid ‘rugby’ hot beds.  He stated that one area was in South Wales and the other was around Castleford and Featherstone.