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‘A £100m offer could be made next month’


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On 13/11/2021 at 14:56, Man of Kent said:

The new Forty-20 magazine reports a £100m offer by a strategic investor could be made as soon as next month. This would be for the British game as a whole. 

This ties into what Gary Hetherington has been telling the media recently, such as here and here

“We need to create a commercial entity which can really maximise the game’s worth.

“It will sit underneath the RFL and will be led by industry specialists to maximise the commercial value of the game.

“All the game’s commercial properties and key events will sit in this company, so that creates the perfect structure.

“You then need the right senior management and executive management to run it effectively.

“The governing body, ultimately, can only do so much. Most clubs aren’t maximising their potential. One of the objectives is to bring in a strategic investor – a major partner not just for Super League but for the whole game.”

“Part of this major piece of work being done will be to increase participation of the women’s game and sell it as a separate entity.”

“Constitutionally, all the Super League clubs voted to create this change and whole series of recommendations to move the game forward.

“All aspects of the game will be looked at; we don’t want to be coming back with anything in isolation. It’s a big piece of work which is going ahead now; I am confident things will change.”

“There is a common purpose now to do something collectively because our sport could be in jeopardy if we don’t do something about it.”

 

If this is true some of the money should used to update some stadiums and some to junior development.

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There`s some interesting comparisons with Australia`s soccer A-League in this. They`ve recently signed a $200m (Oz) five year deal with Channel 10. Them having one FTA game Saturday night prime-time and a regular international calendar are fairly significant differences though admittedly.

In some other respects the problems faced are similar. Both codes struggle for profile in countries dominated by two other codes but yet are not totally invisible. As soccer Chief Commercial Officer Ant Hearne said : " This is a conversion play".

“There’s over 8 million people who identify as football fans in Australia. Our challenge is that only about half of them put up their hand and say they’re interested in A-Leagues and only about 1.5 million of them are avid fans."

Stadiums aren`t a problem for the A-League, in fact filling them is more the problem.

The route the A- League have chosen to go down is to invest $30m in a digital presence called KEEPUP.

KEEPUP is financially risky move – the league says a staggering $30 million has been invested in its creation. But if successful, it could be transformational for a sport which has struggled for years to build a strong local fan base in comparison with bigger, richer codes like the NRL.

One of the things I thought was relevant about their plan was their intention to tap into the wide spread interest in other high profile soccer competitions around the world and to get those people to start taking a greater interest in the local A-League. Making casuals into actives ideally avids.

Now I know this doesn`t compare with League competitions world-wide but as we know there is plenty of material available and certainly if some arrangement could be made with NRL content there could be some interest generated off the back of that.

It’s also an e-commerce platform, allowing people to buy tickets to games, jerseys from their favourite teams or club memberships. The KEEPUP team, which will grow to 50 across editorial, production and social media, is led by Richard Bayliss, Optus’ former director of sport.

As Hearne goes onto say:

“We’ve been invisible in society for a few years,” Hearne said. “We want to make ourselves very visible and very relevant... not just into sporting culture but culture in Australia.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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10 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

There`s some interesting comparisons with Australia`s soccer A-League in this. They`ve recently signed a $200m (Oz) five year deal with Channel 10. Them having one FTA game Saturday night prime-time and a regular international calendar are fairly significant differences though admittedly.

In some other respects the problems faced are similar. Both codes struggle for profile in countries dominated by two other codes but yet are not totally invisible. As soccer Chief Commercial Officer Ant Hearne said : " This is a conversion play".

“There’s over 8 million people who identify as football fans in Australia. Our challenge is that only about half of them put up their hand and say they’re interested in A-Leagues and only about 1.5 million of them are avid fans."

Stadiums aren`t a problem for the A-League, in fact filling them is more the problem.

The route the A- League have chosen to go down is to invest $30m in a digital presence called KEEPUP.

KEEPUP is financially risky move – the league says a staggering $30 million has been invested in its creation. But if successful, it could be transformational for a sport which has struggled for years to build a strong local fan base in comparison with bigger, richer codes like the NRL.

One of the things I thought was relevant about their plan was their intention to tap into the wide spread interest in other high profile soccer competitions around the world and to get those people to start taking a greater interest in the local A-League. Making casuals into actives ideally avids.

Now I know this doesn`t compare with League competitions world-wide but as we know there is plenty of material available and certainly if some arrangement could be made with NRL content there could be some interest generated off the back of that.

It’s also an e-commerce platform, allowing people to buy tickets to games, jerseys from their favourite teams or club memberships. The KEEPUP team, which will grow to 50 across editorial, production and social media, is led by Richard Bayliss, Optus’ former director of sport.

As Hearne goes onto say:

“We’ve been invisible in society for a few years,” Hearne said. “We want to make ourselves very visible and very relevant... not just into sporting culture but culture in Australia.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The key difference is that Football is a huge worldwide sport and is widely played in Australia. It just doesn't have the elite level that other countries do. There is however that widespread Football fan and player base for such a channel that isn't reflected in the size and popularity of the domestic league. There is also stacks of possible content.

RL in the UK is quite different, such a channel is largely preaching to the converted and those that already play and watch RL. There aren't loads of floating RL players and fans just waiting to watch it.

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12 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

There`s some interesting comparisons with Australia`s soccer A-League in this. They`ve recently signed a $200m (Oz) five year deal with Channel 10. Them having one FTA game Saturday night prime-time and a regular international calendar are fairly significant differences though admittedly.

In some other respects the problems faced are similar. Both codes struggle for profile in countries dominated by two other codes but yet are not totally invisible. As soccer Chief Commercial Officer Ant Hearne said : " This is a conversion play".

“There’s over 8 million people who identify as football fans in Australia. Our challenge is that only about half of them put up their hand and say they’re interested in A-Leagues and only about 1.5 million of them are avid fans."

Stadiums aren`t a problem for the A-League, in fact filling them is more the problem.

The route the A- League have chosen to go down is to invest $30m in a digital presence called KEEPUP.

KEEPUP is financially risky move – the league says a staggering $30 million has been invested in its creation. But if successful, it could be transformational for a sport which has struggled for years to build a strong local fan base in comparison with bigger, richer codes like the NRL.

One of the things I thought was relevant about their plan was their intention to tap into the wide spread interest in other high profile soccer competitions around the world and to get those people to start taking a greater interest in the local A-League. Making casuals into actives ideally avids.

Now I know this doesn`t compare with League competitions world-wide but as we know there is plenty of material available and certainly if some arrangement could be made with NRL content there could be some interest generated off the back of that.

It’s also an e-commerce platform, allowing people to buy tickets to games, jerseys from their favourite teams or club memberships. The KEEPUP team, which will grow to 50 across editorial, production and social media, is led by Richard Bayliss, Optus’ former director of sport.

As Hearne goes onto say:

“We’ve been invisible in society for a few years,” Hearne said. “We want to make ourselves very visible and very relevant... not just into sporting culture but culture in Australia.”

 I was reading about this, a lot of it is creating a website/app that will be a news source on worldwide football. The intention being to effectively smuggle in A-League content on that site alongside the Premier League, La Liga etc. and give it an air of credibility which I assume it lacks. 

It's maybe a slightly different situation to us, there's 8 million soccer fans in Australia that could be converted to a domestic game. We've got whatever number we have and that's kind of it. I don't think we'd be chasing latent support we're chasing new support, unless you class the entirety of rugby union supporters as a potential market that could be converted across.

It's certainly interesting that they're putting so much money into a digital endeavour, it's what I'd like to see if the £100m comes to fruition, a big push through Youtube and the like advertising (I watch league videos on Youtube and get inundated with paid union adverts, they must be getting something out of it), new media and inhouse production. 

I was born to run a club like this. Number 1, I do not spook easily, and those who think I do, are wasting their time, with their surprise attacks.

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1 minute ago, Damien said:

The key difference is that Football is a huge worldwide sport and is widely played in Australia. It just doesn't have the elite level that other countries do. There is however that widespread Football fan and player base for such a channel that isn't reflected in the size and popularity of the domestic league. There is also stacks of possible content.

RL in the UK is quite different, such a channel is largely preaching to the converted and those that already play and watch RL. There aren't loads of floating RL players and fans just waiting to watch it.

Absolutely, the A-League will be trying to entice people into to look at highlights of other competitions and internationals and then trying to get them to take an interest in A-League. League doesn`t have that luxury unfortunately but the cupboard isn`t entirely bare. But I understand what you`re saying.

My thoughts were that given a lot of the talk on this thread was regards up-grading stadiums a corresponding up-grade of the digital service could complement that, capture that great English atmosphere in their up-graded stadiums. Yes I know you would initially be preaching to the converted but a world-class digital presence highlighting your strengths might then start to bring new fans in.

 

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10 minutes ago, DI Keith Fowler said:

It's maybe a slightly different situation to us, there's 8 million soccer fans in Australia that could be converted to a domestic game. We've got whatever number we have and that's kind of it. I don't think we'd be chasing latent support we're chasing new support, unless you class the entirety of rugby union supporters as a potential market that could be converted across.

It's certainly interesting that they're putting so much money into a digital endeavour, it's what I'd like to see if the £100m comes to fruition, a big push through Youtube and the like advertising (I watch league videos on Youtube and get inundated with paid union adverts, they must be getting something out of it), new media and inhouse production.

I think that 8 million figure is a real stretch. I`m probably one of those and I`ll have a look at a World Cup and maybe very occasionally an Oz soccer international and that`s it. I suspect there`s a lot like me. 

But there`s no denying that soccer has participation rates that put all other codes in the shade, nearly 1.5m, double its` two rivals. It doesn`t mean that all though kids and their families are following professional soccer though.

The biggest problem the A-League face is that the quality is rubbish and if anything this will only be highlighted by having it on a site where it is directly comparable to richer Leagues. Of course two flies crawling up a wall can be exciting if you`ve got a packed house but they don`t have that either which in turn only makes it look worse.

Ironically the dilemma that soccer Oz faces is the strength of overseas competitions and that any half decent youngster is snapped up straight away and bringing in the occasional has-been doesn`t really excite anyone.

To be perfectly honest I think this site is destined to be an expensive flop, they just don`t have enough to sell locally. 

For you though I think it is a completely different matter: you`ve got 100+ year old rivalries, you`ve got great atmosphere if you can get the grounds right and you`ve got a great product that also packages brilliantly onto a rectangular screen.

If this thread is on what to do with a 100m pound investment I just thought a world-class digital presence wouldn`t be a bad place to start  in making the game look like a 21st century sport.

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2 hours ago, The Rocket said:

Absolutely, the A-League will be trying to entice people into to look at highlights of other competitions and internationals and then trying to get them to take an interest in A-League. League doesn`t have that luxury unfortunately but the cupboard isn`t entirely bare. But I understand what you`re saying.

My thoughts were that given a lot of the talk on this thread was regards up-grading stadiums a corresponding up-grade of the digital service could complement that, capture that great English atmosphere in their up-graded stadiums. Yes I know you would initially be preaching to the converted but a world-class digital presence highlighting your strengths might then start to bring new fans in.

 

New stadiums kill the ' Great English atmosphere ' , the best atmosphere's are at the old decrepit ones 

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3 hours ago, The Rocket said:

There`s some interesting comparisons with Australia`s soccer A-League in this. They`ve recently signed a $200m (Oz) five year deal with Channel 10. Them having one FTA game Saturday night prime-time and a regular international calendar are fairly significant differences though admittedly.

In some other respects the problems faced are similar. Both codes struggle for profile in countries dominated by two other codes but yet are not totally invisible. As soccer Chief Commercial Officer Ant Hearne said : " This is a conversion play".

“There’s over 8 million people who identify as football fans in Australia. Our challenge is that only about half of them put up their hand and say they’re interested in A-Leagues and only about 1.5 million of them are avid fans."

Stadiums aren`t a problem for the A-League, in fact filling them is more the problem.

The route the A- League have chosen to go down is to invest $30m in a digital presence called KEEPUP.

KEEPUP is financially risky move – the league says a staggering $30 million has been invested in its creation. But if successful, it could be transformational for a sport which has struggled for years to build a strong local fan base in comparison with bigger, richer codes like the NRL.

One of the things I thought was relevant about their plan was their intention to tap into the wide spread interest in other high profile soccer competitions around the world and to get those people to start taking a greater interest in the local A-League. Making casuals into actives ideally avids.

Now I know this doesn`t compare with League competitions world-wide but as we know there is plenty of material available and certainly if some arrangement could be made with NRL content there could be some interest generated off the back of that.

It’s also an e-commerce platform, allowing people to buy tickets to games, jerseys from their favourite teams or club memberships. The KEEPUP team, which will grow to 50 across editorial, production and social media, is led by Richard Bayliss, Optus’ former director of sport.

As Hearne goes onto say:

“We’ve been invisible in society for a few years,” Hearne said. “We want to make ourselves very visible and very relevant... not just into sporting culture but culture in Australia.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you think there are millions of ' Brits ' interested in NRL , and we can filter in some SL and lower tier in with it to improve our image ? 😂

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15 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

New stadiums kill the ' Great English atmosphere ' , the best atmosphere's are at the old decrepit ones 

I wouldn't go quite so far as saying they kill the atmosphere but you look at new or upgraded grounds and compare to their predecessors and there's none I can think of where it's as good.

The HJ does ok but it's still not exactly The Zoo, New South Stand is quieter for sure and when we get to things like t'Wicked or the AJB the contrast between old and new in terms of atmosphere is just bad.

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17 minutes ago, M j M said:

I wouldn't go quite so far as saying they kill the atmosphere but you look at new or upgraded grounds and compare to their predecessors and there's none I can think of where it's as good.

The HJ does ok but it's still not exactly The Zoo, New South Stand is quieter for sure and when we get to things like t'Wicked or the AJB the contrast between old and new in terms of atmosphere is just bad.

LSV is miles better than Hilton Park on a like for like attendance  - due to the 4 covered sections. HP was noisy in the Supporters stand but noise didn't travel that far from it

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28 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

LSV is miles better than Hilton Park on a like for like attendance  - due to the 4 covered sections. HP was noisy in the Supporters stand but noise didn't travel that far from it

Plus it being the north stand all standing , how good would it be with 4,000 in there every week ? 😀

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59 minutes ago, M j M said:

I wouldn't go quite so far as saying they kill the atmosphere but you look at new or upgraded grounds and compare to their predecessors and there's none I can think of where it's as good.

The HJ does ok but it's still not exactly The Zoo, New South Stand is quieter for sure and when we get to things like t'Wicked or the AJB the contrast between old and new in terms of atmosphere is just bad.

I think the atmosphere at Saints is pretty good tbf, comparisons with the 70s aren’t realistic (eg compare the atmosphere at football matches now to then). 

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20 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I think the atmosphere at Saints is pretty good tbf, comparisons with the 70s aren’t realistic (eg compare the atmosphere at football matches now to then). 

I'm comparing Knowsley Road in its final guise to TWS now. The acres of empty seating down the sides do the stadium no favours at all.

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1 hour ago, GUBRATS said:

New stadiums kill the ' Great English atmosphere ' , the best atmosphere's are at the old decrepit ones 

By atmosphere you mean like standing shoulder to shoulder with 100 other guys peeing against a wall in bogs with no roof with the stench of stale pee, or like standing in the open air terraces with no roof getting p$$$ wet through every time it rains, or maybe its the crumbling concrete under your feet ??? Very atmospheric 😁

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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On 13/11/2021 at 09:11, ShropshireBull said:

Thats franchising then.  If some of that money is not used to build a stadium for WRL then it will be a massive waste. 

If it gets wasted on central distributions I would cry.  Infrastructure or dont bother. 

How much do you reckon a new stadium would cost?

Totally agree with growing the infrastructure from the bottom up.

Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits.

http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/

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13 minutes ago, M j M said:

I'm comparing Knowsley Road in its final guise to TWS now. The acres of empty seating down the sides do the stadium no favours at all.

Well no but do you think it would have been better to build a 10k capacity ground so it was always full? I don’t.
Like with Warrington and Leeds, it’s a shame that the cameras aren’t on the other side, as the crowd is bigger behind them and would look better on tv. 

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11 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

By atmosphere you mean like standing shoulder to shoulder with 100 other guys peeing against a wall in bogs with no roof with the stench of stale pee, or like standing in the open air terraces with no roof getting p$$$ wet through every time it rains, or maybe its the crumbling concrete under your feet ??? Very atmospheric 😁

I felt very nostalgic reading that, it brought a tear to my eye 😢 

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9 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

By atmosphere you mean like standing shoulder to shoulder with 100 other guys peeing against a wall in bogs with no roof with the stench of stale pee, or like standing in the open air terraces with no roof getting p$$$ wet through every time it rains, or maybe its the crumbling concrete under your feet ??? Very atmospheric 😁

You've just disclosed the secret recipe for stadium atmosphere !!!

Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits.

http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/

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3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Well no but do you think it would have been better to build a 10k capacity ground so it was always full? I don’t.
Like with Warrington and Leeds, it’s a shame that the cameras aren’t on the other side, as the crowd is bigger behind them and would look better on tv. 

If they'd put the standing down the side like at Warrington it would have massively changed things. As it is it's a nice ground just lacking in something.

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4 minutes ago, M j M said:

If they'd put the standing down the side like at Warrington it would have massively changed things. As it is it's a nice ground just lacking in something.

With seats behind one of the goals, or standing on 3 sides? 

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1 hour ago, M j M said:

I wouldn't go quite so far as saying they kill the atmosphere but you look at new or upgraded grounds and compare to their predecessors and there's none I can think of where it's as good.

The HJ does ok but it's still not exactly The Zoo, New South Stand is quieter for sure and when we get to things like t'Wicked or the AJB the contrast between old and new in terms of atmosphere is just bad.

I think there's a lot of nostalgia at play tbh, particularly when it comes to Wire. Wilderspool was like a library for a standard game tbh. The Halliwell Jones is far better imho. 

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Bottom line is clubs that have not bothered upgrading their stadiums should be kicked out Castleford and Wakefield have had years and done nothing.

If I was SKY i would cover the absolute minimum of matches.

Their stadiums (For want of a better word) are an embarrassment for  the sport.

 

 

P

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