Coventry Bears rebrand

[Eddie]

14 minutes ago, yipyee said:

Happy to be wrong, though wessex was bigger thats all, nothumbria went all the way to edinburgh but like you say its off topic 

Obviously the borders changed a fair bit, and the Heptarchy of 7 went down to 4, but this nice map shows the boundaries. There could be an Anglo-Saxon Kingdom competition set up, Wessex and East Anglia would be awful but Northumbria v Mercia would be decent. 
 

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30946544322&cm_mmc=ggl-_-UK_Shopp_RareStandard-_-product_id=bi%3A 30946544322-_-keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3Jn_7v_-8wIVV-DtCh3XFAiZEAQYAiABEgLwXvD_BwE#&gid=undefined&pid=4

[redjonn]

I get the explanation for why Midlands and why not the bears but I don't get the hurricanes... it just doesn't resonate with me any association with the Midlands or its heritage of the industry revolution which many would argue started in the Midlands... e.g. ironbridge gorge or other industry revolution sites in the midlands.

 

[tim2]

1 hour ago, Northern Eel said:

With increased junior participation and game time for at least 3 East Midlands clubs this year, it’s not a fair assessment of fighting to survive, alongside the ongoing success of both of Sherwood’s senior teams… Some clubs have made hay whilst the sun shone, including, but not exclusively, the Cov community programme. Indeed, a March to October junior season has been possible in the East, rather than shorter programmes elsewhere. 

Both Sherwood and the Outlaws have had to go to Yorkshire for competition. The Midlands has been struggling for years now. Compared to 10 years ago, only the rise of the Bears into the pro ranks could qualify as significant improvement.

It was summed up for me when I was asked to ref a friendly between a fledgling local junior side and a side from Dewsbury. The YJL refused permission for the match so it was called off. It's a struggle.

[RigbyLuger]

Michael Fish to ceremonially kick off the first match.

[Northern Eel]

1 hour ago, tim2 said:

Both Sherwood and the Outlaws have had to go to Yorkshire for competition. The Midlands has been struggling for years now. Compared to 10 years ago, only the rise of the Bears into the pro ranks could qualify as significant improvement.

It was summed up for me when I was asked to ref a friendly between a fledgling local junior side and a side from Dewsbury. The YJL refused permission for the match so it was called off. It's a struggle.

Coventry have come off the back of some superb community engagement this year, particularly with the try-tag programme. Their League 1 team have made a great fist of the season and now want to push on further.

I think we are talking about two kinds of 'struggling to survive' here. Clearly the Midlands scene is not, in parts, what it was, especially in the senior ranks. Unless you are prepared to do it for yourself, it isn't going to happen

I know too well that things are not easy, but that isn't to say some clubs aren't managing to do remarkable things. I voluntarily provided a minibus for Sherwood (I have no association with the club beyond friendly support), and drove it myself, so that they could take their team up to Dewsbury for a friendly this season. It was a day that they put 40 players out across two teams. On one side of the argument, you are right in the fact that other local clubs have not been there to play regularly, it is clear that Sherwood are making great strides forward, not backwards. 

Over in Bassetlaw, the Bulldogs have secured their own patch, built a clubhouse and run 4 junior age group teams with regular fixtures for all teams, all during the covid pandemic. They also managed to secure a few fixtures against YJL opposition. Bolsover are undertaking the very same process with their own ground and clubhouse  and have taken at least one team forward into the Hull League. These clubs aren't struggling, they are growing - rapidly, but in a sustainable way. You are, however, totally right that there needs to be more clubs doing the same, and once more, it comes down to the fact that unless committed volunteers are prepared to stick it out for the long-run, it won't happen.

Where I find the rebranding unclear is whether the intention is for this to be a team to appeal to the whole of the Midlands? With Wakefield, Castleford, Hull and Hull KR all closer than Coventry (or Birmingham) for those above mentioned teams, it isn't going to be easy to attract players or fans from the Eastern side, I would imagine. To even equal, say, Wakefield, they would need to provide Hurricanes on Tour training sessions at those clubs, run a Player Pathway system in a localised hub and run regular community playing events on matchdays. Wouldn't it be great if that's what they eventually achieve? All power therefore, to the Hurricanes for taking the punt. In the words of Wayne Bennett, 'Don't die with the music in you...'

 

[tim2]

19 hours ago, Northern Eel said:

Coventry have come off the back of some superb community engagement this year, particularly with the try-tag programme. Their League 1 team have made a great fist of the season and now want to push on further.

I think we are talking about two kinds of 'struggling to survive' here. Clearly the Midlands scene is not, in parts, what it was, especially in the senior ranks. Unless you are prepared to do it for yourself, it isn't going to happen

I know too well that things are not easy, but that isn't to say some clubs aren't managing to do remarkable things. I voluntarily provided a minibus for Sherwood (I have no association with the club beyond friendly support), and drove it myself, so that they could take their team up to Dewsbury for a friendly this season. It was a day that they put 40 players out across two teams. On one side of the argument, you are right in the fact that other local clubs have not been there to play regularly, it is clear that Sherwood are making great strides forward, not backwards. 

Over in Bassetlaw, the Bulldogs have secured their own patch, built a clubhouse and run 4 junior age group teams with regular fixtures for all teams, all during the covid pandemic. They also managed to secure a few fixtures against YJL opposition. Bolsover are undertaking the very same process with their own ground and clubhouse  and have taken at least one team forward into the Hull League. These clubs aren't struggling, they are growing - rapidly, but in a sustainable way. You are, however, totally right that there needs to be more clubs doing the same, and once more, it comes down to the fact that unless committed volunteers are prepared to stick it out for the long-run, it won't happen.

Where I find the rebranding unclear is whether the intention is for this to be a team to appeal to the whole of the Midlands? With Wakefield, Castleford, Hull and Hull KR all closer than Coventry (or Birmingham) for those above mentioned teams, it isn't going to be easy to attract players or fans from the Eastern side, I would imagine. To even equal, say, Wakefield, they would need to provide Hurricanes on Tour training sessions at those clubs, run a Player Pathway system in a localised hub and run regular community playing events on matchdays. Wouldn't it be great if that's what they eventually achieve? All power therefore, to the Hurricanes for taking the punt. In the words of Wayne Bennett, 'Don't die with the music in you...'

 

A lot of the growth is in the North East Midlands, and looking towards Yorkshire is the way to get regular fixtures and find a standard that works. It certainly worked for my club when i was involved.

I've see so many false starts and so many things fall away due to decisions out of the control of the volunteers who manfully and womanfully are growing the sport at grass roots. It's made me very cynical I'm afraid.

I think anywhere Nottingham and below (Loughborough Uni, Leicester, Northampton) would identify as Midlands and be within reasonable range of the new club's catchment. up here you're probably more drawn towards Sheffield/Wakefield/Leeds. The catchment area is pretty huge though. The question is, can they launch and then grow. A competitive side is important, as is a local development program. Even if you don't get many players through, you may pick up fans.

It's interesting that this means 5 of next year's League One are regional - yes, I'm counting London Skolars in that. The rest are Northern clubs who have landed at the bottom of the pile due to various factors. Suburban or town clubs that have (except in one case) lost their stadium and their way.

 

[tim2]

22 hours ago, yipyee said:

I thought mercia was more yorkshire and lancashire and didnt reach down to the midlands?

Not really. It's borders were with Northumbria so would have gone up to West Yorkshire and also taken in what is now Manchester along the Mersey to Liverpool. What's surprising is how far south it went.

Mercia's capital was Tamworth for a while. We used the flag for the Midlands RL logo when it was running 10 years ago. The map allowed us a liberal translation of what constituted the Midlands with respect to the merit league.

[OriginalMrC]

In terms of what area the midlands covers in RL terms check the Midlands RL website. That will give you an idea.

 https://www.midlandsrl.com/ 

[Robthegasman]

I think what Coventry have done is very brave and correct.They are embracing the Midlands region,a heavily populated one at that. And it helps that they have been offered major investment which is probably a lot more than the pisspoor amount the RFL are giving them and indeed fellow League 1 clubs.

 I wish them well and I think given they have the region to themselves they will do well.

 

[Charlie RL]

I shall miss Cov but appreciate it's a big and bold decision. 

Hurricanes is coming up on facebook but no webpage?

Looking forward to seeing how the Hurricanes fare next season. 

[The Future is League]

On 03/11/2021 at 22:33, POR said:

 

If it attracts more investment into the club it must be a good thing

[Rach]

20 hours ago, Charlie RL said:

. 

Hurricanes is coming up on facebook but no webpage?

 

https://midlandshurricanes.com/

[Guest]

On 03/11/2021 at 23:21, Colin James said:

I have to say I am baffled by this. In terms of regional identity and developing passions/loyalty or whatever you want to call it, Midlands is incredibly weak.

It's not like Yorkshire where people from Sheffield, Halifax and Harrogate are united by pride in their shared county. What's the old joke? 'How do you know someone is from Yorkshire? They'll tell you within two minutes of meeting them'. I don't think anyone from Derby will look at Coventry and see them as being fellow midlanders and brothers in arms. By its very nature the Midlands is a weak and poorly defined region. To people in the north it's just the South, to people in the South it's just the north. Whatever you think of Cornwall, it has a strong regional identity that people understand.

From the outside it seemed Coventry were a modest success for recent expansion and slowly growing but this just feels like 'last throw of the dice' and it's sad to see. 

There's precedent for Cornwall though. Pirates used to be known as Penzance & Newlyn. County cricket as well. Midlands Hurricanes isn't that. Something like Black Country Steelers would have better.

[Ivarr the Boneless]

Coventry isn't in the Black Country. What is widely recognised as the Black Country is quite a small area geographically.

 

Having grown up in the area people tend to think of themselves as en East or west midlander than a midlander to my eyes. However the folks behind the club have a pretty impressive track record to date and clearly believe this is the way to go. Good luck to them.

 

[iffleyox]

7 minutes ago, Ivarr the Boneless said:

Coventry isn't in the Black Country. What is widely recognised as the Black Country is quite a small area geographically.

 

Having grown up in the area people tend to think of themselves as en East or west midlander than a midlander to my eyes. However the folks behind the club have a pretty impressive track record to date and clearly believe this is the way to go. Good luck to them.

 

I'd agree (for the same reason) - Coventry is a bit of an anomaly in that it always feels to me (as a W Midlander) that it's East Mids, though it's probably actually West. No one in Birmingham or the Black Country would routinely go there though, whereas there's a bit more mixing between Birmingham and the Black Country. If you're in the West Midlands though Leicester/Nottingham/Derby/Northampton are just places on a map. But, as you say, they probably know what they're doing. If it was me, I'd have been tempted to go all out on the East Midlands *or* the West Midlands,

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, iffleyox said:

I'd agree (for the same reason) - Coventry is a bit of an anomaly in that it always feels to me (as a W Midlander) that it's East Mids, though it's probably actually West. No one in Birmingham or the Black Country would routinely go there though, whereas there's a bit more mixing between Birmingham and the Black Country. If you're in the West Midlands though Leicester/Nottingham/Derby/Northampton are just places on a map. But, as you say, they probably know what they're doing. If it was me, I'd have been tempted to go all out on the East Midlands *or* the West Midlands,

 

Coventry isn't in East Midlands. That to me is Nottingham, Lincolnshire, Leicester, Northampton. That shows the problem with trying to appeal to the whole region. Nottingham has 2 clubs already doing their own thing and would actually be closer to Yorkshire. Cornwall makes sense because it is a county and not a region.

[Bearman]

 

Prior to the privatisation in the energy sector.

Coventry had gas supplied by "West Midland Gas" and electricity by "East Midlands Electric"

Don't say I didn't helps where Coventry sits geographically .

 

[JM2010]

7 hours ago, Bearman said:

 

Prior to the privatisation in the energy sector.

Coventry had gas supplied by "West Midland Gas" and electricity by "East Midlands Electric"

Don't say I didn't helps where Coventry sits geographically .

 

So basically they're mid Midlands

[Bearman]

6 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

So basically they're mid Midlands

I can make it easier .... Midlands

[OriginalMrC]

 

[Angelic Cynic]

Have the RFL approved the 'stadium'?

The images on Google Maps fail to impress.

It certainly doesn't seem to have a modern seated stand that Butts Park Arena offered.

[Bearman]

1 minute ago, Angelic Cynic said:

Have the RFL approved the 'stadium'?

The images on Google Maps fail to impress.

It certainly doesn't seem to have a modern seated stand that Butts Park Arena offered.

As the press release says it is an interim location. Crucially it allows us to generate some income whilst our new home is being prepared.
Alexander Stadium was not available in 2022 due to it being used as the main Commonwealth Games Arena. For 2023 the arena and adjacent training will be tweaked to make it more suitable for our purposes.

 

 

 

[OriginalMrC]

10 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

Have the RFL approved the 'stadium'?

The images on Google Maps fail to impress.

It certainly doesn't seem to have a modern seated stand that Butts Park Arena offered.

Yes they have. The press release confirms its a 1 year stop gap before (all being well) moving to the Alexander Stadium 

[DoubleD]

14 minutes ago, Bearman said:

As the press release says it is an interim location. Crucially it allows us to generate some income whilst our new home is being prepared.
Alexander Stadium was not available in 2022 due to it being used as the main Commonwealth Games Arena. For 2023 the arena and adjacent training will be tweaked to make it more suitable for our purposes.

 

 

 

Tweaked how? Not removing the athletics track I presume?

[Ray Cashmere]

1 hour ago, OriginalMrC said:

 

This sounds really positive. Alexander Stadium would be a very ambitious move so if that is the sign of where the club is heading then this could be a huge positive for the sport.