London to go part-time from next year

[Man of Kent]

1 minute ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Having done a few things for the club back then, I can tell you we were barely doing that volume (in real sales), and certainly still not that £/person, at The Stoop when we had a squad on the edges of the playoffs with people like Scott Hill and Henry Paul in it…

Good to know....

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

Good to know....

Sorry to be the bearer of a harsh reality 

 

Broncos under Hughes is like an abusive relationship. He keeps the club afloat, but in reality only in a slow, 2 decade death spiral due to his lack of desire to allocate some of his investment to marketing and community engagement in order to create a sustainable platform. This was still possible in Brentford, and could have been done with the QuinsRL re-brand, but every step of the way he chose to spend an extra £200k on an ageing marquee rather than not make that one hire and invest in audience activation with the money. I could talk at length about the whys and wherefores of this, but it’s far too late now and won’t help…!! 
 

 

[ATLANTISMAN]

Personally I think the football bounce will be just one match (With a carry over after that of no more than 10%) that is historically what its been when a football team links with a RL side (Apart from Fulham first season which was unique) however even then the crowds dropped in the 1st division from memory.

IMHO for what its worth London Broncos max support in SL will be around 1500 home fans + away following in SL 2 (Championship) call it what you want with the right promotion 7/800 + away support.

Unless there is a massive amount of money thrown at it + some major signings I think thats our realistic target at present.

I would love to be proved wrong though:)

 

Paul

 

 

[Man of Kent]

2 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Sorry to be the bearer of a harsh reality 

 

Broncos under Hughes is like an abusive relationship. He keeps the club afloat, but in reality only in a slow, 2 decade death spiral due to his lack of desire to allocate some of his investment to marketing and community engagement in order to create a sustainable platform. This was still possible in Brentford, and could have been done with the QuinsRL re-brand, but every step of the way he chose to spend an extra £200k on an ageing marquee rather than not make that one hire and invest in audience activation with the money. I could talk at length about the whys and wherefores of this, but it’s far too late now and won’t help…!! 
 

 

Definitely feels like one last throw of the dice but Ealing will be the graveyard of the Broncos if they don't move. I'd rather they went down fighting - by moving to Plough Lane - than sinking without trace. 

[Man of Kent]

4 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

IMHO for what its worth London Broncos max support in SL will be around 1500 home fans + away following in SL 2 (Championship) call it what you want with the right promotion 7/800 + away support.

1500 max support in Super League?! Blimey. And here's me thinking you were one of the less pessimistic ones! I'd like to know how you arrive at that conclusion (and please don't say 'because Ealing'!)

[crashmon]

The issue is not Plough Lane, as we all agree its a much better venue than Ealing.  The issue is London right now can't afford 200K for rent without going out of business.

Now if there was a way that London could play at Plough Lane for say 80K in 2022, with the assumption if they get into SL2 in 2024, then rent could then increase based on what type of attendances we have, then you would have a lot more supporters here.

Is not that we don't want to move, its that we know that 200K kills us.  Thats the problem, if we could play at PL for the same cost of Ealing then you would find everybody happier.  But Wimbledon (quite rightly) is a business, and you also need to get something out of the relationship

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

1 hour ago, crashmon said:

The issue is not Plough Lane, as we all agree its a much better venue than Ealing.  The issue is London right now can't afford 200K for rent without going out of business.

Now if there was a way that London could play at Plough Lane for say 80K in 2022, with the assumption if they get into SL2 in 2024, then rent could then increase based on what type of attendances we have, then you would have a lot more supporters here.

Is not that we don't want to move, its that we know that 200K kills us.  Thats the problem, if we could play at PL for the same cost of Ealing then you would find everybody happier.  But Wimbledon (quite rightly) is a business, and you also need to get something out of the relationship

London can pay £200k at Plough Lane for as long as Hughes is prepared to pay that rent. And given he’s decided to do this, he clearly is. It’s simply a question of how much his wife, kids and grandkids will put up with - god knows they’ve seen enough of their future inheritance go down a rugby-ball shaped drain!

 

For me the core points are, PL only makes sense in Super League (no need otherwise), and so right now only with a full-time Championship squad and maybe giving it 2 more years to get back in. And regardless of that, even then it only makes sense if David is prepared to invest in marcomms (and a front office team) to get 3-4k into the ground IF promotion was possible. He never has before, so if you mapped all of those factors out on a little ‘decision tree’ you have to ask “what’s the point of the first decision in this process?” 
 

Total exercise in futility 

[westlondonfan]

Super League allowed us to play at Trailfinders and we never sold out at Trailfinders.

Personally I found the last years at the Stoop and at Barnet a bit underwhelming in terms of match experience really. 

[crashmon]

48 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

London can pay £200k at Plough Lane for as long as Hughes is prepared to pay that rent. And given he’s decided to do this, he clearly is. It’s simply a question of how much his wife, kids and grandkids will put up with - god knows they’ve seen enough of their future inheritance go down a rugby-ball shaped drain!

With any other owner I would agree with you, but David Hughes has history for throwing toys out of the pram when things don't go his way (see Barnet for last time this happened). He agreed to this before

• his disastrous decision to hike ST prices up from 99GBP to 250GBP saw a core support of around 800 drop to 300,
• before he alienated the long standing supports club (LBSA), by setting up an offical supporters club who shall we say do not like critsism,
• before the RFL decided to pull the plug on central funding.
• before the "squad" he assembled to challenge for promotion was getting there asses handed to them by whitehaven, halifax, bradford etc

He now has decided we are going PT next season, I don't think he was planning that at the beginning of the season when he agreed the 200K with Wimbledon.

So is he prepared to pay the rent? based on all the changes above.... I'm not convinced he will pay more than 1 year 2022, if the squad we have next year are in a relegation battle rather than challenging at the top.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

58 minutes ago, crashmon said:

With any other owner I would agree with you, but David Hughes has history for throwing toys out of the pram when things don't go his way (see Barnet for last time this happened). He agreed to this before

• his disastrous decision to hike ST prices up from 99GBP to 250GBP saw a core support of around 800 drop to 300,
• before he alienated the long standing supports club (LBSA), by setting up an offical supporters club who shall we say do not like critsism,
• before the RFL decided to pull the plug on central funding.
• before the "squad" he assembled to challenge for promotion was getting there asses handed to them by whitehaven, halifax, bradford etc

He now has decided we are going PT next season, I don't think he was planning that at the beginning of the season when he agreed the 200K with Wimbledon.

So is he prepared to pay the rent? based on all the changes above.... I'm not convinced he will pay more than 1 year 2022, if the squad we have next year are in a relegation battle rather than challenging at the top.

If he changes his mind on PL we’ll find out soon enough. I’m sure we’ll have a break agreement in that deal, and likewise with their 4G set-up Trailfinders will be more than happy if we reverse and stay. Let’s see eh. 

[Ivarr the Boneless]

It was confirmed by Dons that both parties have break agreements though no details were given surrounding how, when etc they can be served.

[lucky 7]

4 minutes ago, Ivarr the Boneless said:

It was confirmed by Dons that both parties have break agreements though no details were given surrounding how, when etc they can be served.

From afar i don't think the Broncos will be playing at Plough lane any time soon as a part time club, but if a restructure of Super League qualifies them for a new formated Super League they would go full time again and possibly play out of Plough Lane

[zylya]

Just posted in the Coventry Bears thread, but it's a huge shame that most of the non-heartlands teams are in Championship and League 1 and will therefore the funding cut will have a huge impact on the growth of the game in the South/Midlands.

[The Frying Scotsman]

From Brentford football stadium, Richard Branson, Canterbury kit deal, Wembley, Dennis Moran, Steele Retchless, Jason Hetherington, Richie Barnett etc etc.....

To playing on a fenced off 2nd Division union field in the sticks, outside a leisure centre with the same no-name kit supplier as 'Sproatley Juniors' and 'Pickering Town FC', and a bunch of part time players. 

An absolutely disgraceful catalogue of mismanagement.

They are done. 

[Guest]

On 07/09/2021 at 09:52, Mumby Magic said:

Egodo is easily Championship level.

Awful player - and seems to have lost interest.

[westlondonfan]

38 minutes ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

From Brentford football stadium, Richard Branson, Canterbury kit deal, Wembley, Dennis Moran, Steele Retchless, Jason Hetherington, Richie Barnett etc etc.....

To playing on a fenced off 2nd Division union field in the sticks, outside a leisure centre with the same no-name kit supplier as 'Sproatley Juniors' and 'Pickering Town FC', and a bunch of part time players. 

An absolutely disgraceful catalogue of mismanagement.

They are done. 

It’s been a while since I have heard the London Borough of Ealing as being described as being ‘in the sticks’.

It will be interesting to see where Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club are in five years time too…

[The Frying Scotsman]

41 minutes ago, westlondonfan said:

It will be interesting to see where Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club are in five years time too…

Really? What will be "interesting" about it?

[Mumby Magic]

10 hours ago, Leonard said:

Awful player - and seems to have lost interest.

Seen him play well for Newcastle, Oldham and ourselves. I'd gladly have it at Bradford.

[westlondonfan]

11 hours ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

Really? What will be "interesting" about it?

I imagine that they will still be at Ealing Trailfinders and planning for the future while we will be leaving PL to move someone else.

There are no shortcuts to success . 

[Toby Chopra]

6 hours ago, westlondonfan said:

I imagine that they will still be at Ealing Trailfinders and planning for the future while we will be leaving PL to move someone else.

There are no shortcuts to success . 

Nope, in fact the opposite. They are favourites to go up next season when the top tier expands, and they have committed to move to share a football stadium when that happens. 

Trailfinders isn't suitable for top tier sport of any stripe. 

It may however be suitable for Broncos in L1, which is their future when they go part time. 

[Man of Kent]

32 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Nope, in fact the opposite. They are favourites to go up next season when the top tier expands, and they have committed to move to share a football stadium then that happens. 

Trailfinders isn't suitable for top tier sport of any stripe. 

Quite.

Baffles me why some Broncos fans find this so hard to grasp. Unless they live round the corner.... 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

22 hours ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Having done a few things for the club back then, I can tell you we were barely doing that volume (in real sales), and certainly still not that £/person, at The Stoop when we had a squad on the edges of the playoffs with people like Scott Hill and Henry Paul in it…

 

The idea a side struggling in the Championship (or more likely getting mullered, with an academy-heavy squad…) could get anywhere near it is one of the funniest things I’ve seen on here in ages 

 

Plough Lane will be the final suicidal act of an organisation that’s previously only made a habit of shooting itself in the foot. This time; it’s a head shot…!! 
 

 

 

I'm not far done with the club since supporting them as a kid 30 years ago

I'll go to some games but am planning on more regular trips up north for SL games instead

I feel like I've done my bit and want to watch something better than the 3 trips to Ealing I have made this year 

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Balanced article from Matt Shaw

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/london-broncos-part-time-rfl-21527544

[Damien]

4 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Balanced article from Matt Shaw

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/london-broncos-part-time-rfl-21527544

It's a good summary, almost like a compilation of posts on here.....

[Man of Kent]

Latest from the Dons Trust is Plough Lane is still on and they intend to boost Broncos gates through marketing of matches and ticketing initiatives (which I take to mean discounts for Wimbledon fans although that wasn’t made explicit), as well as hosting joint events.