RL in Stockport

[Hillgate Hatter]

Is anyone interested in starting a club in Stockport  even at amateur level?

After the disappointing WC Semi final result, I was having a read on the internet and found some history about Stockport RFC, who were one of the 22 founding members of what is now the Superleague, they averaged crowds of 3,000 and sometimes got up to 10,000 for some games, heavily in debt they became defunct in 1903 leaving Edgeley Park solely to Stockport County F.C , who became the main sporting attraction in the town after the rugby club folded,  it seems after this Rugby League faded away in Stockport which is a massive shame considering the history, I think the sport has a lot of potential to grow in the town and I know of a fair few fans who mostly root for warrington, it would be great if  we had a team of our own again.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockport_RFC

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hillgate Hatter

[Sports Prophet]

What a ridiculous suggestion. Stockport is far too south of the M62 to have any modern interest in RL.

[Hillgate Hatter]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

What a ridiculous suggestion. Stockport is far too south of the M62 to have any modern interest in RL.

But London, Cornwall, Newcastle, Wales and midlands isn’t? Teams have been started up in these area who have no history in the sport, Stockport had an interest albeit 120 years ago but if the team never went bust, Stockport might have ended up a RL town like Warrington

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hillgate Hatter

[Sports Prophet]

8 minutes ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

But London, Cornwall, Newcastle, Wales and midlands isn’t? Teams have been started up in these area who have no history in the sport, Stockport had an interest albeit 120 years ago but if the team never went bust, Stockport might have ended up a Rugby League town like Warrington

I was only joking mate. Wishing you all the best of luck if you get it started

[Dave W]

Haven't Swinton got the south Manchester M60 corridor RL market sewn up already? 

[Hillgate Hatter]

Well I don’t know anyone with any interest in Swinton, as far as most are concerned they’re a Manchester/Salford club, Stockport is In neither…we’d rather follow a fellow Cheshire side like Warrington or better yet have a team of our own again.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hillgate Hatter

[welshmagpie]

24 minutes ago, Dave W said:

Haven't Swinton got the south Manchester M60 corridor RL market sewn up already? 

For a market of millions, I’d hasten say Swinton have it sewn up. 

[Hillgate Hatter]

23 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

For a market of millions, I’d hasten say Swinton have it sewn up. 

Stockport has a population of 294,000 if you include the entire borough, it’s more than big enough to support it’s own team.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hillgate Hatter

[Mumby Magic]

Well Harrogate started from a thread on here I believe so why not.

[JM2010]

12 minutes ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

Stockport has a population of 294,000 if you include the entire borough, it’s more than big enough to support it’s own team

I think that places such as Stockport, Chester, Liverpool, Bolton, Preston, Bury and Manchester would be better off being targeted to get schools playing and community clubs set up. This would open up a big player pool for clubs like Wigan, St Helens, Warrington, Leigh and Salford. 

There's a big untapped population in the North West for potential players and fans.

I know that football dominates but I'm sure there could be enough room for at least 20 community clubs in such a big combined population 

Edited November 19, 2022 by JM2010

[Tosh]

Large towns like Stockport along with other towns in and around the “heartlands” of the north west should definitely be targeted by the RFL with the view of introducing grassroots clubs to these towns of market sized, medium sized and large sized.

Not every town or city within the north that doesn’t have a RL presence needs to be a semi-professional side.

[Hillgate Hatter]

19 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Large towns like Stockport along with other towns in and around the “heartlands” of the north west should definitely be targeted by the RFL with the view of introducing grassroots clubs to these towns of market sized, medium sized and large sized.

Not every town or city within the north that doesn’t have a RL presence needs to be a semi-professional side.

I agree with that, and I think Stockport especially has the potential for growth considering we’ve already had a RFL team in the past, there was a amateur club started in the 80s not sure what happened to it but I think now it’s the time to resurrect the team in the town, with social media nowadays will be much easier to advertise and get people interested.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hillgate Hatter

[Tosh]

2 minutes ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

I agree with that, and I think Stockport especially has the potential for growth considering we’ve already had a team in the past, there was a amateur club started in the 80s not sure what happened to it but I think now it’s the time to resurrect the team in the town, with social media nowadays will be much easier to advertise and get people interested.

If swinton are to in fact make south Manchester their home for the foreseeable future then it would make absolute sense for the lions to target towns like Stockport for expansion by introducing 1st schools RL and then 2nd the formation of a grassroots community club within the town.

swinton along with other clubs throughout the north west should really be working hand-in-hand with the local council, sport England and the RFL regarding funding with the creation of schools RL and grassroots community clubs.

[Griff]

5 hours ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

Well I don’t know anyone with any interest in Swinton, as far as most are concerned they’re a Manchester/Salford club, Stockport is In neither…we’d rather follow a fellow Cheshire side like Warrington or better yet have a team of our own again.

Swinton play in Cheshire.

Warrington play in Lancashire.

Just saying.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Griff

[Hillgate Hatter]

5 minutes ago, Griff said:

Swinton play in Cheshire.

Just saying.

True they currently ground share with Sale RFC, but it’s not there true home and they’re not a true Cheshire side, never will be. 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Hillgate Hatter

[Rowan]

Stockport did have an amateur club in the 1980s. (started by Grahame Tonge who was instrumental in launching Tameside Borough. I'm not sure how long they lasted - a couple of years I think - but nothing since as far as I know.

[Usera]

46 minutes ago, Rowan said:

Stockport did have an amateur club in the 1980s. (started by Grahame Tonge who was instrumental in launching Tameside Borough. I'm not sure how long they lasted - a couple of years I think - but nothing since as far as I know.

I think that a few schools played RL in Stockport in the early eighties as well. 

[Pie tries]

8 hours ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

True they currently ground share with Sale RFC, but it’s not there true home and they’re not a true Cheshire side, never will be. 

Technically they play Greater Manchester - not Cheshire

[Pie tries]

5 hours ago, Usera said:

I think that a few schools played RL in Stockport in the early eighties as well. 

For the last two seasons Stockport RUFC have duel coded two teams 12/14s which played in the short season GMRL. Supported by great development work by SRD foundation. 
 

They played in six tournaments- and all loved it. After one comp we took 250 parents and players into watch SRD v Wigan.

Huge potential for RL in Stockport - just need to keep providing opportunities for them to play…

Edited November 19, 2022 by Pie tries

[Hillgate Hatter]

8 hours ago, Pie tries said:

Technically they play Greater Manchester - not Cheshire

Greater Manchester isn’t a real county tho, it’s only existed since 1974 for Emergency service’s etc, Stockport is officially in GM but my postal address is still Cheshire, same with Wigan/Bolton/Oldham/Bury/Rochdale they are all GM now but are historically in Lancashire

[GeordieSaint]

22 hours ago, Mumby Magic said:

Well Harrogate started from a thread on here I believe so why not.

Where do they play?

[Tosh]

Shouldn’t there really be a big push to get RL played at grassroots level in every town/city in the north?

From places like carlisle to Rotherham and lancaster to Hartlepool and everywhere in between.

[Gerrumonside ref]

39 minutes ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

Greater Manchester isn’t a real county tho, it’s only existed since 1974 for Emergency service’s etc, Stockport is officially in GM but my postal address is still Cheshire, same with Wigan/Bolton/Oldham/Bury/Rochdale they are all GM now but are historically in Lancashire

Agreed!  

[Barley Mow]

3 hours ago, Hillgate Hatter said:

Greater Manchester isn’t a real county tho, it’s only existed since 1974 for Emergency service’s etc, Stockport is officially in GM but my postal address is still Cheshire, same with Wigan/Bolton/Oldham/Bury/Rochdale they are all GM now but are historically in Lancashire

While hoping not to take the thread further off course, by calling Warrington a Cheshire club earlier, you opened the door to use of the 1974 administrative counties.

If you're using the traditional counties like you do above, then of course most of Warrington is Lancashire and only those parts south of the river are Cheshire - HJ stadium in Lancashire, Wilderspool in Cheshire.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Barley Mow

[Hillgate Hatter]

28 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

While hoping not to take the thread further off course, by calling Warrington at Cheshire club earlier, you opened the door to use of the 1974 administrative counties.

If you're using the traditional counties like you do above, then of course most of Warrington is Lancashire and only those parts south of the river are Cheshire - HJ stadium in Lancashire, Wilderspool in Cheshire.

Well in that case there’s no ‘real’ Cheshire club playing in the top 3 tiers of English RL, but Warrington are the closest thing considering their former home was south of the river Mersey, within the historic boundaries of Cheshire.