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So long and thanks for all the...


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11 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

In the end of course West Ham did show ambition,  playing in a 60,000 seater stadium and gallivanting off to Europe.

BTW the Hammers qualified for Europe again today,  so your ex fellow fans are having a cockney knees up.

BTW I've just discovered a local to me RL club, Hainault Bulldogs,  anyone seen them?

Sadly 20 years too late for me.

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following!

www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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This is just part of life. People move in and out of things and I expect people were saying these things throughout the history of RL, probably just in the pub instead. 

I always think time is valuable, people should do what suits them and their life, loyalty to a hobby you don't enjoy is a waste of time in my book. 

I love RL, but I have a different relationship with it than I did 30 years ago, or 20 years ago. It's an opportunity to catch up with friends and family and spend quality time with my daughter and wife. 

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1 hour ago, HawkMan said:

I've just discovered a local to me RL club, Hainault Bulldogs,  anyone seen them?

Are they still going? Not sure I'd heard of them doing anything for a while.

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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1 minute ago, Dave T said:

This is just part of life. People move in and out of things and I expect people were saying these things throughout the history of RL, probably just in the pub instead. 

I always think time is valuable, people should do what suits them and their life, loyalty to a hobby you don't enjoy is a waste of time in my book. 

I love RL, but I have a different relationship with it than I did 30 years ago, or 20 years ago. It's an opportunity to catch up with friends and family and spend quality time with my daughter and wife. 

The difficulty for RL - although as a whole it may not care - is that in churn you look to replace and, right now, there are objectively fewer people involved with the game in areas like London and the South East than there were ten years ago. The people who grew up, moved on, discovered handball (etc) have not been replaced. If they had been then the clubs and fans that were here ten years ago would either still be here or their replacements would be visible. The games those fans could go to would be obvious. (etc) That is not the case.

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Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

The difficulty for RL - although as a whole it may not care - is that in churn you look to replace and, right now, there are objectively fewer people involved with the game in areas like London and the South East than there were ten years ago. The people who grew up, moved on, discovered handball (etc) have not been replaced. If they had been then the clubs and fans that were here ten years ago would either still be here or their replacements would be visible. The games those fans could go to would be obvious. (etc) That is not the case.

Of course, that is a challenge for all sports, and it's why standing still is going backwards, and we know that RL is bad at fan engagement and filling that leaky bucket. 

I do agree and fear for us around some of the newer versions of sports and women's sport, I think they are eating into our audience. 

All this is happening whatever we do. 

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2 hours ago, Dave T said:

This is just part of life. People move in and out of things and I expect people were saying these things throughout the history of RL, probably just in the pub instead. 

I always think time is valuable, people should do what suits them and their life, loyalty to a hobby you don't enjoy is a waste of time in my book. 

I love RL, but I have a different relationship with it than I did 30 years ago, or 20 years ago. It's an opportunity to catch up with friends and family and spend quality time with my daughter and wife. 

I feel for teams like Hunslet and Oldham when i was a young un Hunslet were  the best team in Leeds and Oldham despite never reaching Wembley were the best team over the Hill.Both had one thing in common the directors sold the clubs out by selling their grounds and their demise was sealed.

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9 hours ago, Dave T said:

All this is happening whatever we do. 

That's a bit overly fatalistic in my opinion - and I'm not sure you believe it too, unless you think that there is a power beyond our control which means that, for example, Warrington, Wigan and the rest can never again achieve the dizzy heights of crowd averages of a thousand or so more than they are getting now.

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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12 hours ago, Dave T said:

This is just part of life. People move in and out of things and I expect people were saying these things throughout the history of RL, probably just in the pub instead. 

I always think time is valuable, people should do what suits them and their life, loyalty to a hobby you don't enjoy is a waste of time in my book. 

I love RL, but I have a different relationship with it than I did 30 years ago, or 20 years ago. It's an opportunity to catch up with friends and family and spend quality time with my daughter and wife. 

Sounds right to me. Life, the universe, everything has changed since the "golden" days for our sport in the 1950s. There is hope though. From the virtual extinction of the pro game in the late 1960s the game recovered to reach the high of the early 1990s. However,  technological and societal developments since then, together with turbulence in the running of the game in the uk, have made further progress much more difficult, though not impossible. 

The current administration seems to be doing a lot right, with extended TV game coverage, and focus on social media.

The involvement of people such as EssexRL must never be taken for granted, though. That situation is not unique to RL. I'm involved in two national and two local  organisations that rely entirely on 100% unpaid volunteers for their viability. Although the volunteers get the undying thanks of those organisations, their efforts are recognised but insufficiently rewarded. Perhaps the RFL might think more about such people.

 

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1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

That's a bit overly fatalistic in my opinion - and I'm not sure you believe it too, unless you think that there is a power beyond our control which means that, for example, Warrington, Wigan and the rest can never again achieve the dizzy heights of crowd averages of a thousand or so more than they are getting now.

Sorry, I made my point terribly. I was agreeing with the point that the world is changing, these other sports and womens sport is on the rise and its happening whether we like it or not. We need to be joining it and embracing it and capitalising, rather than just selling a women's match to the current fans. 

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1 minute ago, Dave T said:

Sorry, I made my point terribly. I was agreeing with the point that the world is changing, these other sports and womens sport is on the rise and its happening whether we like it or not. We need to be joining it and embracing it and capitalising, rather than just selling a women's match to the current fans. 

Ah, that makes a lot more sense.

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Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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What do (did) you go to games for, what was your motivation and where did you get your enjoyment from at those games? I gave up on expecting anything from my club other than a rollercoaster of lower lows than the highest highs, but I go to see live RL, the (majority of) players putting in everything they have to get the best result possible even when its against insurmountable odds at times, all while having a few beers and a good natter with mates. 

Maybe evaluate your relationship with the sport with an aim of pointedly enjoying the things you erm..enjoy (damn my terrible vocabulary) and realising there are many things in it you cant or dont need to interact with.

Its always a shame when a fan gives up on a team, though often understandable, my own Dad used to go every single game yet now barely even bothers to follow the results.

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12 hours ago, Northern Eel said:

I was sure they packed it in about 10 years ago. @bulldog_paddy

Hi NE, 

Sadly correct,  8 years now ( i think) as you know  though the community game keeps trying to shoot through hardworking volunteers. I believe Newham Dockers are still going,  Brentwood of course are proving a match for all in their step up to the southern conference, Eastern Rhinos in Colchester, Canvey Knights on the "white Isle" off Essex and a gaggle of over London community clubs.  Sometimes can be hard to find the up to date local club but most in the know here should be able to give you pointers with your postcode  @HawkMan

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I used to go to Mt Smart and watch the Warriors. One weekend the team went over to Sydney and played a poor team but managed to be even poorer. It was a pathetic effort. The next day I was at Auckland Airport feeling disappointed over the result. As I waited, to my surprise through the arrivals area came the Warriors laughing and joking like they'd won the grand final. I thought why am I upset about the result when they are paid to and clearly aren't?

I no longer follow teams too closely. I still like to see the Warriors win but aren't really bothered if they don't. I follow SL but don't follow any team in particular. if I lived near a RL venue, I'd go along to enjoy the game then go home with a smile on my face whatever the result. I'm a RL neutral and I enjoy it.

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My blog: https://rugbyl.blogspot.co.nz/

It takes wisdom to know when a discussion has run its course.

It takes reasonableness to end that discussion. 

 

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26 minutes ago, RayCee said:

I used to go to Mt Smart and watch the Warriors. One weekend the team went over to Sydney and played a poor team but managed to be even poorer. It was a pathetic effort. The next day I was at Auckland Airport feeling disappointed over the result. As I waited, to my surprise through the arrivals area came the Warriors laughing and joking like they'd won the grand final. I thought why am I upset about the result when they are paid to and clearly aren't?

I no longer follow teams too closely. I still like to see the Warriors win but aren't really bothered if they don't. I follow SL but don't follow any team in particular. if I lived near a RL venue, I'd go along to enjoy the game then go home with a smile on my face whatever the result. I'm a RL neutral and I enjoy it.

What sort of time period after a game of any sport is it okay for players to make jokes and laugh, then? 

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On 14/05/2022 at 21:46, EssexRL said:

Despite being born and raised in West Berkshire I have loved RL since I first watched it on Grandstand in the 1970s. My love for the game was confirmed in the early 80s when I went to Bradford University. On my return to the south I followed Broncos for a couple of decades (even when they were at Crystal Palace) and then for the last ten years, because I moved to North East London, I have followed Skolars. I have sponsored games, players, bought shares, bought people along and have a huge amount of respect for the club. But life is short and in London I feel I am in a relationship (with RL) that isn't going any where and it is time to say goodbye. I hope that the game gets its act together and will check in every so often to see if it has. I have some good memories, but honestly I have not confidence that the game is going to go anywhere, over than downwards, -  so for the the foreseeable future (World Cup aside) I have to sadly say the sport has lost me. 

You've basically just described the rollercoaster ride of being a Rugby League fan who doesn't follow Wigan, Saints or Leeds.

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On 14/05/2022 at 21:46, EssexRL said:

Despite being born and raised in West Berkshire I have loved RL since I first watched it on Grandstand in the 1970s. My love for the game was confirmed in the early 80s when I went to Bradford University. On my return to the south I followed Broncos for a couple of decades (even when they were at Crystal Palace) and then for the last ten years, because I moved to North East London, I have followed Skolars. I have sponsored games, players, bought shares, bought people along and have a huge amount of respect for the club. But life is short and in London I feel I am in a relationship (with RL) that isn't going any where and it is time to say goodbye. I hope that the game gets its act together and will check in every so often to see if it has. I have some good memories, but honestly I have not confidence that the game is going to go anywhere, over than downwards, -  so for the the foreseeable future (World Cup aside) I have to sadly say the sport has lost me. 

You can pull as many faces as you like, Jughead, but It's true.

It's hard work following a team through thick and thin at the lower levels. Maybe you should try doing it for 40 years. It's character building, if nothing else.

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2 minutes ago, Dave W said:

You can pull as many faces as you like, Jughead, but It's true.

It's hard work following a team through thick and thin at the lower levels. Maybe you should try doing it for 40 years. It's character building, if nothing else.

It’s a couple of thoroughly odd and irrelevant posts to the thread posted as a dig at a small handful of clubs, as if you’re a better person and fan for supporting whatever lower league club you do. No doubt you use the hilarious “super greed” moniker, too.

The fact so many, are regardless of who they support, have echoed the sentiment from the original poster or feared the same eventual outcome, shows that the feelings towards the sport resonate beyond the choice of club supported. 

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3 hours ago, Jughead said:

It’s a couple of thoroughly odd and irrelevant posts to the thread posted as a dig at a small handful of clubs, as if you’re a better person and fan for supporting whatever lower league club you do. No doubt you use the hilarious “super greed” moniker, too.

The fact so many, are regardless of who they support, have echoed the sentiment from the original poster or feared the same eventual outcome, shows that the feelings towards the sport resonate beyond the choice of club supported. 

Nice to see you expressing disagreement via the medium of words rather than emoji.

Why is it irrelevant to suggest that people actually continue to support the sport over a long time through thick and thin rather than just be a glory hunter who's never known tough times? 

Essex RL's points aren't invalid at all. His views are similar to a lot of people who've grown tired of the game and given up. A lot of others haven't and continue to hope for something better down the line, even when things are bad.

Most fans have lived through despair at various points but hope of something better keeps people going.

Edited by Dave W
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On 14/05/2022 at 21:46, EssexRL said:

Despite being born and raised in West Berkshire I have loved RL since I first watched it on Grandstand in the 1970s. My love for the game was confirmed in the early 80s when I went to Bradford University. On my return to the south I followed Broncos for a couple of decades (even when they were at Crystal Palace) and then for the last ten years, because I moved to North East London, I have followed Skolars. I have sponsored games, players, bought shares, bought people along and have a huge amount of respect for the club. But life is short and in London I feel I am in a relationship (with RL) that isn't going any where and it is time to say goodbye. I hope that the game gets its act together and will check in every so often to see if it has. I have some good memories, but honestly I have not confidence that the game is going to go anywhere, over than downwards, -  so for the the foreseeable future (World Cup aside) I have to sadly say the sport has lost me. 

Sad to hear of your frustrations & I can understand how draining the years of following a struggling team, coupled with the double whammy of RFL 80%funding cuts/no travel funding & Broncos cannibalising Skolars team has just been the final straw for you!

Its more of a shame to the game down south because Skolars could do with any help they can get whether that’s season ticket/sponsor/volunteering or even just turning up for the odd game & having a few beers in the clubhouse.

Although this season the results have been very very poor, it’s also quite satisfying seeing a significantly home produced team that is very young slowly start to learn and improve after taking the significant step up from Skolars/London youth & London amateur leagues. The first half against Doncaster showed what the team might have the potential for - the HT 12-14 score wasn’t because Doncaster were playing bad, it was because Skolars stepped up and played really well & were competitive. Skolars just did not have the strength in depth, experience & fitness/skill yet to keep this up for the whole game.

Whilst on the pitch the results are not there & are unlikely to be there for at least the rest of this season, it has been interesting chatting to the away fans who generally seem supportive of Skolars efforts & enjoy their day trip to New River stadium.

Good luck to you during your break from the sport, i hope your headspace and feelings improve during your chosen exile. If you ever feel like turning up again in the future you will always be welcome at Skolars - thank you for the time & resources you have previously committed to the club.

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On 15/05/2022 at 11:05, Copa said:

My happiness with rugby league increased dramatically when I stopped:

1 - trying to actively evangelise;

2- following administrative politics and failings; and

3- stressing too much about the sport as a whole.

I mostly just enjoy the matches these days and the game day experience. It’s exactly what I needed and was a detox from the negative parts of the sport  … and I now enjoy the sport more than ever these days.

Brilliant post. I do wonder if it's only RL fans who get so involved in the game politics as it doesn't seem to happen as much with other sports.

My view on refs is the same, just watch and enjoy the game, they mess up it doesn't spoil my enjoyment.

Same with politics in the game, I follow it and I'm interested but I don't let it affect my enjoyment 👍

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On 16/05/2022 at 09:10, bulldog_paddy said:

Hi NE, 

Sadly correct,  8 years now ( i think) as you know  though the community game keeps trying to shoot through hardworking volunteers. I believe Newham Dockers are still going,  Brentwood of course are proving a match for all in their step up to the southern conference, Eastern Rhinos in Colchester, Canvey Knights on the "white Isle" off Essex and a gaggle of over London community clubs.  Sometimes can be hard to find the up to date local club but most in the know here should be able to give you pointers with your postcode  @HawkMan

Thanks, shame they've gone, Brentwood is easy for me to get to,I'll check  them out.

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