Under New Ownership - Midlands Hurricanes

[Yorks Tim]

Hmmm..yes, no, maybe.

I'm not particularly keen on Midlands either but I might sub-consciously be less keen on Birmingham. Nothing against the city but, as a Yorkie living in Coventry, it was easy to acquire (?) a passion for the Bears whereas I have no links whatsoever to Birmingham. I want to get to Coventry Bears games next season but Hurricanes games will take precedence as the ongoing League 1 presence. If some time in the future it were a choce between Coventry and Birmingham teams....maybe my heart would take me to the Cov game. Dunno.

The original vision was that Midlands Hurricanes would sit at the top of a virtual pyramid that included community / L1-aspiring teams from Derby, Nottingham, Stoke etc so there was hope (if only by me) that people would come from far and wide.

Supporters generally refer to the club as Hurricanes anyway so it may be that 'Midlands' fades from use eventually.

 Come on you Canes!

 

 

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Gomersall said:

Thanks gj. I could argue that the LI name plays more on the Irish than the London in their name. I have no idea if that attendance is good, bad or indifferent for U.K. basketball. The last time I looked the London Lions were an ice hockey team

It's the higher end of the top league average, I think.

You're probably right about London Irish. I hardly follow domestic club union these days so have no idea.

[Jughead]

I haven’t looked tbh but have the attendances held up from the move from Coventry to wherever they played this year and is three grounds in three years a good idea? It seemed to me at least that they had a decent relationship at Coventry RU and had played there for years. The last thing they need is to become a nomad like the Broncos, moving every other year. 

[Leyther_Matt]

2 hours ago, Yorks Tim said:

Hmmm..yes, no, maybe.

I'm not particularly keen on Midlands either but I might sub-consciously be less keen on Birmingham. Nothing against the city but, as a Yorkie living in Coventry, it was easy to acquire (?) a passion for the Bears whereas I have no links whatsoever to Birmingham. I want to get to Coventry Bears games next season but Hurricanes games will take precedence as the ongoing League 1 presence. If some time in the future it were a choce between Coventry and Birmingham teams....maybe my heart would take me to the Cov game. Dunno.

The original vision was that Midlands Hurricanes would sit at the top of a virtual pyramid that included community / L1-aspiring teams from Derby, Nottingham, Stoke etc so there was hope (if only by me) that people would come from far and wide.

Supporters generally refer to the club as Hurricanes anyway so it may be that 'Midlands' fades from use eventually.

 Come on you Canes!

 

 

The potential of a sponsorship deal with Norton Canes services is there for all to see

[Midlands hobo]

15 hours ago, The Daddy said:

It sounds like they are ambitious which is very positive. Targeting schools is also the right approach. But please, please, please rename the club from Midlands to Birmingham, people in the UK do not affiliated their favourite sports teams to a region 

I'd be out, no chance of following anything called that. I'd rather get up and drive 3 hrs to watch west wales.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Midlands hobo

[Midlands hobo]

The new stadium is not to me a great idea. 20miles up the road. Athletics so likely a poor view. And 18k capacity so too big. 

 

Also come 2026 it's the host if the European athletic championship so where are they going to play 

[Bearman]

As I have explained before. Coventry RU did nothing for the Bears. They would not allow us to make any money other than from the gate.

Year on year they upped the rent and in the last year they were charging us on a room by room basis.

The only other suitable site for League1 in the city were very anti RL. We tried playing there and at one point their bar manager offered Alan Robinson out ( braver man than me!).

So, we had to move SOMEWHERE. The opportunity came up that the Alexander Stadium (AP) might be available AFTER the 2022 Commonwealth games, so not for 2022 season, Birmingham Council were supportive ( Coventry Council could always supply a mouth to feed if there was a chance of a free place in the trough, but were always ready to wring their hands if we needed any actual help).

Part of the negotiations were that at the AP we could keep all of the money that was spent on gameday.

After a lot of soul searching we concluded that as we had to move we should take the opportunity to rebrand the professional arm of the club and consolidate the Coventry Bears as an amatuer club of which had been very successful.

We tested some likey names and as alluded to in the posts above the name  " Birmingham" polled as being quite toxic whilst " Midlands" was largely seen as neutral without any baggage. 

So it's onwards and upwards, we are where we are and no doubt things will change as events unfold. One thing is for certain that due to a perfect storm that the Coventry Bears would have died out at the end of 2021 without new investment.

All of us that were involved in the Bears hope that the Hurricanes can grow from here on and we will still be cheering them on.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Bearman

[Davo5]

56 minutes ago, Midlands hobo said:

The new stadium is not to me a great idea. 20miles up the road. Athletics so likely a poor view. And 18k capacity so too big. 

 

Also come 2026 it's the host if the European athletic championship so where are they going to play 

Is a 10 day athletics championship in 4yrs really much of an obstacle ?

[The Daddy]

1 hour ago, Bearman said:

As I have explained before. Coventry RU did nothing for the Bears. They would not allow us to make any money other than from the gate.

Year on year they upped the rent and in the last year they were charging us on a room by room basis.

The only other suitable site for League1 in the city were very anti RL. We tried playing there and at one point their bar manager offered Alan Robinson out ( braver man than me!).

So, we had to move SOMEWHERE. The opportunity came up that the Alexander Stadium (AP) might be available AFTER the 2022 Commonwealth games, so not for 2022 season, Birmingham Council were supportive ( Coventry Council could always supply a mouth to feed if there was a chance of a free place in the trough, but were always ready to wring their hands if we needed any actual help).

Part of the negotiations were that at the AP we could keep all of the money that was spent on gameday.

After a lot of soul searching we concluded that as we had to move we should take the opportunity to rebrand the professional arm of the club and consolidate the Coventry Bears as an amatuer club of which had been very successful.

We tested some likey names and as alluded to in the posts above the name  " Birmingham" polled as being quite toxic whilst " Midlands" was largely seen as neutral without any baggage. 

So it's onwards and upwards, we are where we are and no doubt things will change as events unfold. One thing is for certain that due to a perfect storm that the Coventry Bears would have died out at the end of 2021 without new investment.

All of us that were involved in the Bears hope that the Hurricanes can grow from here on and we will still be cheering them on.

Thanks for the background information. 

So are there plans to mitigate the distance between the pitch and the stands which have the athletics track inbetween? 

It was indicated on an earlier post that it wasn't going to be an issue. Does that mean that there are specific plans in place? 

[Midlands hobo]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

Is a 10 day athletics championship in 4yrs really much of an obstacle ?

Plus set up and take down. It's roughly 4 consecutive weekends in the middle of the season.

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Midlands hobo said:

Plus set up and take down. It's roughly 4 consecutive weekends in the middle of the season.

Once.

[Yorks Tim]

2 hours ago, Midlands hobo said:

Plus set up and take down. It's roughly 4 consecutive weekends in the middle of the season.

We could always play a couple of games at Villa Park or St Andrews 

[Gomersall]

2 hours ago, Midlands hobo said:

Plus set up and take down. It's roughly 4 consecutive weekends in the middle of the season.

Set up and take down what exactly? And why would this setting up and taking down take so long?

[Tommygilf]

2 hours ago, Midlands hobo said:

Plus set up and take down. It's roughly 4 consecutive weekends in the middle of the season.

Leeds played away from Headingley for 2 and a half months this season. Wigan regularly have a 6 week or so block without a game at the DW.

[Bearman]

3 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Thanks for the background information. 

So are there plans to mitigate the distance between the pitch and the stands which have the athletics track inbetween? 

It was indicated on an earlier post that it wasn't going to be an issue. Does that mean that there are specific plans in place? 

I'm afraid that I am no longer in the loop.

Thankfully the new board have the headaches and I can sit and enjoy the games and a pint afterwards,

Happy days.

[The Daddy]

6 hours ago, Bearman said:

As I have explained before. Coventry RU did nothing for the Bears. They would not allow us to make any money other than from the gate.

Year on year they upped the rent and in the last year they were charging us on a room by room basis.

The only other suitable site for League1 in the city were very anti RL. We tried playing there and at one point their bar manager offered Alan Robinson out ( braver man than me!).

So, we had to move SOMEWHERE. The opportunity came up that the Alexander Stadium (AP) might be available AFTER the 2022 Commonwealth games, so not for 2022 season, Birmingham Council were supportive ( Coventry Council could always supply a mouth to feed if there was a chance of a free place in the trough, but were always ready to wring their hands if we needed any actual help).

Part of the negotiations were that at the AP we could keep all of the money that was spent on gameday.

After a lot of soul searching we concluded that as we had to move we should take the opportunity to rebrand the professional arm of the club and consolidate the Coventry Bears as an amatuer club of which had been very successful.

We tested some likey names and as alluded to in the posts above the name  " Birmingham" polled as being quite toxic whilst " Midlands" was largely seen as neutral without any baggage. 

So it's onwards and upwards, we are where we are and no doubt things will change as events unfold. One thing is for certain that due to a perfect storm that the Coventry Bears would have died out at the end of 2021 without new investment.

All of us that were involved in the Bears hope that the Hurricanes can grow from here on and we will still be cheering them on.

"the name  " Birmingham" polled as being quite toxic whilst " Midlands" was largely seen as neutral without any baggage".

I honestly think this is a mistake. I'm getting the impression that people from across the Midlands, from say Coventry had a say on the name of a club that will now be in Birmingham.

I'm reading a post from someone on here not from Birmingham that said he would never support a team called Birmingham (despite the club now being located in Birmingham), or words to that effect. That is just ignorant and those views shouldn't be catered too.

The reality of the situation is that the vast majority of the potential and immediate support base IS IN BIRMINGHAM, so those potential and casual supporters in Birmingham are more important than the handful in Coventry or elsewhere. Trying to be 'neutral' and appease everyone never works and it won't in this case. I hope the new ownership seriously thinks about this. 

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by The Daddy

[gingerjon]

7 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

"the name  " Birmingham" polled as being quite toxic whilst " Midlands" was largely seen as neutral without any baggage".

I honestly think this is a mistake. I'm getting the impression that people from across the Midlands, from say Coventry had a day on the name of a club that will now be in Birmingham.

I'm reading a post from someone on here not from Birmingham that said he would never support a team called Birmingham, or words to that effect. 

The reality of the situation is that the vast majority of the potential and immediate support base IS IN BIRMINGHAM, so those potential and casual supporters in Birmingham are more important than the handful in Coventry or elsewhere. Trying to be 'neutral' and appease everyone never works and it won't in this case. I hope the new ownership seriously thinks about this. 

 

They should drop the name Midlands, not replace it with anything, and just be Hurricanes RL.

[The Daddy]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

They should drop the name Midlands, not replace it with anything, and just be Hurricanes RL.

Not a fan of having clubs without place names. The Dolphins is an example, what's wrong with Brisbane Dolphins or North Brisbane Dolphins? 

[Bearman]

Funny thing is there a lot of people that are prepared to share their wisdom but in 20 odd years of appeals for volunteers, all that comes back is

What you should have done is...

And 

What I would do is....

But when it actually comes to time to roll up their sleeves and getting stuck in, they decide that actually their forte is more about pontificating than sharing their knowledge.

Nine mile Snipers

 

 

[Anita Bath]

21 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Not a fan of having clubs without place names. The Dolphins is an example, what's wrong with Brisbane Dolphins or North Brisbane Dolphins? 

Redcliffe, where the Dolphins club is based, is not part of Brisbane so i suppose its like having a team in stretford calling themselves Manchester United.

[The Daddy]

16 minutes ago, Bearman said:

Funny thing is there a lot of people that are prepared to share their wisdom but in 20 odd years of appeals for volunteers, all that comes back is

What you should have done is...

And 

What I would do is....

But when it actually comes to time to roll up their sleeves and getting stuck in, they decide that actually their forte is more about pontificating than sharing their knowledge.

Nine mile Snipers

 

 

Mate, you don't know what my contribution to the sport is. 

Secondly, this is really only a debate and an exchange of ideas I respect a lot volunteers and people that run clubs. 

[Jughead]

1 hour ago, Bearman said:

Funny thing is there a lot of people that are prepared to share their wisdom but in 20 odd years of appeals for volunteers, all that comes back is

What you should have done is...

And 

What I would do is....

But when it actually comes to time to roll up their sleeves and getting stuck in, they decide that actually their forte is more about pontificating than sharing their knowledge.

Nine mile Snipers

 

 

Best shut down a Rugby League forum when most of its posters will have never played at the top level, then. 

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, The Daddy said:

"the name  " Birmingham" polled as being quite toxic whilst " Midlands" was largely seen as neutral without any baggage".

I honestly think this is a mistake. I'm getting the impression that people from across the Midlands, from say Coventry had a say on the name of a club that will now be in Birmingham.

I'm reading a post from someone on here not from Birmingham that said he would never support a team called Birmingham (despite the club now being located in Birmingham), or words to that effect. That is just ignorant and those views shouldn't be catered too.

The reality of the situation is that the vast majority of the potential and immediate support base IS IN BIRMINGHAM, so those potential and casual supporters in Birmingham are more important than the handful in Coventry or elsewhere. Trying to be 'neutral' and appease everyone never works and it won't in this case. I hope the new ownership seriously thinks about this. 

 

Most people in Birmingham don't support a team called Birmingham...

[The Daddy]

3 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Most people in Birmingham don't support a team called Birmingham...

Birmingham City FC 

[Tommygilf]

6 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Birmingham City FC 

Never heard of Aston Villa?