Funding cuts could mean the end for Coventry Bears

[The Daddy]

And other League One clubs

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/coventry-bears-owner-warns-funding-24938063.amp?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&__twitter_impression=true

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

28 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

And other League One clubs

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/coventry-bears-owner-warns-funding-24938063.amp?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&__twitter_impression=true

It’s a terrible tragic decision, expecting League One clubs to take an 80% reduction is so ludicrously selfish from both Super League and Championship clubs. It’ll mean 23 years hard work at the likes of Coventry will all go to waste.

[northamptoncougar]

The RFL can give 500k for Nigel not to leave the sport but can’t find 60k a year for 10 clubs.

Rimmer should consider himself solely responsible as this has been coming forward years yet the close the eyes and hope for the best method hasn’t worked.

Such a shameful self serving regressive sport.

[The Daddy]

2 minutes ago, northamptoncougar said:

The RFL can give 500k for Nigel not to leave the sport but can’t find 60k a year for 10 clubs.

Rimmer should consider himself solely responsible as this has been coming forward years yet the close the eyes and hope for the best method hasn’t worked.

Such a shameful self serving regressive sport.

I don't blame Rimmer, he was left this sh*t show by Nigel Wood and the clubs when he took the position. 

[EssexRL]

Really depressing.

[Damien]

I can't support any decision that would result in a club like Coventry ceasing to exist. 600k funding for 12 clubs at 50k each is chicken feed. Please do the right thing the RFL and the clubs.

[owls]

It will be disgusting if Coventry are forced out, a club based in a big city with much potential , 

Shame Shame Shame

[Jack Russell]

For the love of God, surely someone from the hierarchy at the rfl will be reading this and come to their senses. 

[RigbyLuger]

Seems a shame that a club building from the bottom, not wasting money on imports or chasing impossible dreams could be lost.

[lucky 7]

12 minutes ago, Jack Russell said:

For the love of God, surely someone from the hierarchy at the rfl will be reading this and come to their senses. 

I seriously doubt anyone from the RFL reads these or any other forums related to Rugby League. In my opinion the RFL are the most incompetent professional sport governing body in the UK. If anybody knows a worse governing body of a professional sport in the UK please post it here

[Yorks Tim]

The timing is terrible for the club. The investment of time and effort in creating the three community clubs could have led to a proper growth in support but the benefits of this won't be apparent until we get past the pandemic and people return to sport in better numbers.

Bears could be building on the momentum they have achieved this season and gone on to repeat the achievement of a club like NW Crusaders. It feels like this chance was in our grasp but has now been snatched away. 

 

 

 

[DavidM]

Let the SL clubs take the hit , it’s their product Sky want to pay less for due it being increasingly average . Give more money not less to clubs further down the pyramid in championship and league one , neglect them and super league will cut itself off at the knees in time . And give them more exposure on telly rather than the same old tedious repetitive stuff . Take the blinkers off , rugby league isn’t just super league 

[lucky 7]

Robert Elstone was on £400,000 a year in his roll plus the cost of his staff and the £750,000 finders fee for PE scheme which was never going to be accepted by a majority of the clubs. That money alone would have given the League 1 clubs a future. I could say about his idea about replacing the TWP with Leigh for a better TV deal. That's worked out well hasn't it 

https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2073712-robert-elstone-announces-decision-to-step-down-from-super-league

[Dave T]

37 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Let the SL clubs take the hit , it’s their product Sky want to pay less for due it being increasingly average . Give more money not less to clubs further down the pyramid in championship and league one , neglect them and super league will cut itself off at the knees in time . And give them more exposure on telly rather than the same old tedious repetitive stuff . Take the blinkers off , rugby league isn’t just super league 

It is just SL that is being being paid for though. If we further cut SL funding doesn't that further weaken the division and lead to further cuts next time? 

Im not sure the anger towards SL clubs is right here - they are the only ones who are bringing in the money. 

The challenge is that the game is not generating enough income at any level. It can't rely solely on SL funding, it isn't a big enough number. 

And I don't say this as someone who believes we should get rid of teams, I'm just not sure what the other options are. We'll, maybe they are what we all discussed 25 years ago. 

[moorside roughyed]

Really sad and unfortunate situation. The games knackered. Held to ransom by you know who. 

[Dunbar]

I have an idea that may address issues we are seeing at both ends of the professional game.

At the top end of Super League there are clubs that have wealthy backers who want to spend beyond the cap to attract talent... Australian or other nationalities from the NRL or even top class Union players etc.

Maybe even more wealthy individuals could be attracted if we were not artificially holding the talent acquisition back.

And here, we have lower tier clubs suffering through funding shortfalls.

So how about we let clubs at Super League level spend above the cap but for every £1 they spend they pay 50p into a levy which is used to fund lower level clubs. All it would take is half a dozen clubs spending £500k to a £1m each and we could have up to £3m for club development. 

[Jeff Stein]

1 hour ago, RigbyLuger said:

Seems a shame that a club building from the bottom, not wasting money on imports or chasing impossible dreams could be lost.

And also having to do all the development work in their area, as the RFL don't seem to see this as part of their remit.

[gingerjon]

9 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I have an idea that may address issues we are seeing at both ends of the professional game.

At the top end of Super League there are clubs that have wealthy backers who want to spend beyond the cap to attract talent... Australian or other nationalities from the NRL or even top class Union players etc.

Maybe even more wealthy individuals could be attracted if we were not artificially holding the talent acquisition back.

And here, we have lower tier clubs suffering through funding shortfalls.

So how about we let clubs at Super League level spend above the cap but for every £1 they spend they pay 50p into a levy which is used to fund lower level clubs. All it would take is half a dozen clubs spending £500k to a £1m each and we could have up to £3m for club development. 

I need to look into the details but I believe MLB does similar with a tax above a certain threshold rather than a hard cap.

[lucky 7]

23 minutes ago, Jeff Stein said:

And also having to do all the development work in their area, as the RFL don't seem to see this as part of their remit.

I'm not sure what the RFL's remit is nowadays and I'm not sure they do either. Without a shadow of a doubt the RFL is a rudderless ship nowadays

[Damien]

14 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I have an idea that may address issues we are seeing at both ends of the professional game.

At the top end of Super League there are clubs that have wealthy backers who want to spend beyond the cap to attract talent... Australian or other nationalities from the NRL or even top class Union players etc.

Maybe even more wealthy individuals could be attracted if we were not artificially holding the talent acquisition back.

And here, we have lower tier clubs suffering through funding shortfalls.

So how about we let clubs at Super League level spend above the cap but for every £1 they spend they pay 50p into a levy which is used to fund lower level clubs. All it would take is half a dozen clubs spending £500k to a £1m each and we could have up to £3m for club development. 

I'm all for anything like this that grows the elite competition and as you say this has the added attraction in that it benefits all. I still think clubs need to get enough guaranteed central funding in the first place though.

[Dave T]

20 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I have an idea that may address issues we are seeing at both ends of the professional game.

At the top end of Super League there are clubs that have wealthy backers who want to spend beyond the cap to attract talent... Australian or other nationalities from the NRL or even top class Union players etc.

Maybe even more wealthy individuals could be attracted if we were not artificially holding the talent acquisition back.

And here, we have lower tier clubs suffering through funding shortfalls.

So how about we let clubs at Super League level spend above the cap but for every £1 they spend they pay 50p into a levy which is used to fund lower level clubs. All it would take is half a dozen clubs spending £500k to a £1m each and we could have up to £3m for club development. 

I like this kind of approach.

I do wonder whether this is where we will see proper feeder clubs. I. E. SL clubs funding that shortfall, but them becoming proper feeders. 

[welshmagpie]

8 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I like this kind of approach.

I do wonder whether this is where we will see proper feeder clubs. I. E. SL clubs funding that shortfall, but them becoming proper feeders. 

If I was an owner of a big club like Leeds, Wigan or Saints I’d genuinely be looking at funding a team like Coventry.

For £100,000 a year give or take you’re bringing into your umbrella an ambitious club in a city of 400,000, largely untapped financially and 3 community clubs. 
 

Makes absolute sense to me for the price of a 32 y/old Australian for a year. 

[lucky 7]

4 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

If I was an owner of a big club like Leeds, Wigan or Saints I’d genuinely be looking at funding a team like Coventry.

For £100,000 a year give or take you’re bringing into your umbrella an ambitious club in a city of 400,000, largely untapped financially and 3 community clubs. 
 

Makes absolute sense to me for the price of a 32 y/old Australian for a year. 

There has to be a lot of potential Rugby League players in a city like Coventry

[Josef K]

That would be really sad and a huge blow to the game. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 hour ago, lucky 7 said:

Robert Elstone was on £400,000 a year in his roll plus the cost of his staff and the £750,000 finders fee for PE scheme which was never going to be accepted by a majority of the clubs. That money alone would have given the League 1 clubs a future. I could say about his idea about replacing the TWP with Leigh for a better TV deal. That's worked out well hasn't it 

https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2073712-robert-elstone-announces-decision-to-step-down-from-super-league

It’s criminal, the £400k + £750k wasted on this would cover the cuts to funding Coventry are facing for the next 20 years