London Broncos & London Skolars

[OnStrike]

11 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

IMG won't care.

Personal view: drop the word 'London' altogether and don't replace it with anything else. Just be Skolars Rugby League.

I was thinking more of the Broncos, but yeah the Skolars could be Tottenham or whatever and it would mean more than London

[Sports Prophet]

I think New River has so much going for it. Certainly for the level the club are playing at. It’s not too far from the train station. It’s been a while since I’ve sat in it and it probably hasn’t had any touch ups since then, but it’s got a mighty big stand with plenty of room for temporary standing should they ever need it. 

Is there still an active athletics club based there? Haringey Athletics Club if I remember correctly. I seem to recall the club had folded or moved.

[Sports Prophet]

5 minutes ago, Bearman said:

They were hoping for a big sponsorship deal from Skol lager

I assume you are joking? I wouldn’t put it past the founders though.

[Bearman]

Just now, Sports Prophet said:

I assume you are joking? I wouldn’t put it past the founders though.

No I am not joking.

[gingerjon]

5 minutes ago, OnStrike said:

I was thinking more of the Broncos, but yeah the Skolars could be Tottenham or whatever and it would mean more than London

Either would be completely misguided to adopt a locale or borough. 

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Bearman said:

No I am not joking.

There was a deal wasn’t there? But the name carried on afterwards?

[The Daddy]

Just keep the name London Skolars and develop New River Stadium. Keep the colours too. I have no idea why people on here have an obsession with changing the identity and traditions of London RL clubs 

[Sports Prophet]

1 minute ago, Bearman said:

No I am not joking.

Then they should sack it off, because it’s even more stupid a name than I originally thought it was.

In fact, so is Broncos. A stupid legacy name from a time when they were owned by Brisbane. Goose Mackay once spent a few months conducting research (for him, that probably meant asking all the various imbeciles talking in his own head) for a new name. When he announced the new brand (something stupid like London Power, or whatever it was) at a meeting, David Hughes stopped him immediately and ripped Goose a new one for not having consulted him on the matter and adjudicated on the spot, there would be no name change from Broncos  

[The Daddy]

Seems as though no-one has learnt a thing about the impact on the Broncos of constantly moving grounds, changing colours, changing the club's name. We lost support every time we made a change. 

[Sports Prophet]

Speaking of which. Let’s go Toulouse!

[The Daddy]

1 minute ago, Sports Prophet said:

Then they should sack it off, because it’s even more stupid a name than I originally thought it was.

In fact, so is Broncos. A stupid legacy name from a time when they were owned by Brisbane. Goose Mackay once spent a few months conducting research (for him, that probably meant asking all the various imbeciles talking in his own head) for a new name. When he announced the new brand (something stupid like London Power, or whatever it was) at a meeting, David Hughes stopped him immediately and ripped Goose a new one for not having consulted him on the matter and adjudicated on the spot, there would be no name change from Broncos  

Let's just change everything every season shall we, that's gonna work isn't it.

[OnStrike]

4 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Seems as though no-one has learnt a thing about the impact on the Broncos of constantly moving grounds, changing colours, changing the club's name. We lost support every time we made a change. 

Point taken

[Sports Prophet]

2 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Let's just change everything every season shall we, that's gonna work isn't it.

Why the hell not. It’s a bloody 20yr train wreck which has never been cleaned up.

[Odsal Outlaw]

54 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

It was at a school in Sth London. Just frivolous spending when Sport England made RL one of the best funded development programs of all English sports.

Am I right in thinking there was no long term tie in for RL, we just gave them the money? Any idea in the thinking at the time?

[Sports Prophet]

3 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

Am I right in thinking there was no long term tie in for RL, we just gave them the money? Any idea in the thinking at the time?

I think the money was burning a hole in the pocket and needed spending or it would have been revoked.

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Odsal Outlaw said:

Am I right in thinking there was no long term tie in for RL, we just gave them the money? Any idea in the thinking at the time?

It was used by Croydon Hurricanes and South London Storm.

(See my link above).

However those teams no longer exist so they aren't there to use it.

[JM2010]

Both clubs need a permanent home (which the Skolars have) and money to spend on building a strong community game in their areas 

[Damien]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Well remembered: https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/croydonhurricanes/news/new-facility-opened-by-rugby-league-legend-226785.html

Wtf, so what happened to this? This is gross incompetence even by RFL standards 

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

Wtf, so what happened to this? This is gross incompetence even by RFL standards 

It's probably still there but Croydon Hurricanes and South London Storm aren't.

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

It's probably still there but Croydon Hurricanes and South London Storm aren't.

I know but surely it should be used by the RFL to develop the sport and get more youngsters playing. If there is actually a facility in London for RL then it's pathetic the sport isn't doing more with it.

[gingerjon]

5 minutes ago, Damien said:

I know but surely it should be used by the RFL to develop the sport and get more youngsters playing. If there is actually a facility in London for RL then it's pathetic the sport isn't doing more with it.

It looks like it was paid for, in part, by the RFL Facilities Trust as well as the local council.

The RFL Facilities Trust still exists - technically. It had an income of £35 in the year ending December 2021.

I'm guessing that should it still be in use that it will be Croydon council and the school that have put the money in to ensure that that has happened. £35 isn't going to buy you much artificial pitch renewal.

(I completely get your frustration but the likelihood is that it was never owned by the RFL and once the clubs concerned ceased to exist and the RFL pulled its Development Officers out that its ongoing use would be down to whoever on the ground could make use of it. Who knows, maybe Brixton Bulls use it?)

[Damien]

15 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

It looks like it was paid for, in part, by the RFL Facilities Trust as well as the local council.

The RFL Facilities Trust still exists - technically. It had an income of £35 in the year ending December 2021.

I'm guessing that should it still be in use that it will be Croydon council and the school that have put the money in to ensure that that has happened. £35 isn't going to buy you much artificial pitch renewal.

(I completely get your frustration but the likelihood is that it was never owned by the RFL and once the clubs concerned ceased to exist and the RFL pulled its Development Officers out that its ongoing use would be down to whoever on the ground could make use of it. Who knows, maybe Brixton Bulls use it?)

Yeah I'm sure that is the case. My point really is that it should never have stopped being used and should have always been used as a hub. It just sums up all the sports failings in a nutshell really. Do some good, stop doing it when things get difficult and let others reap the benefit. It's pretty much the story in non heartland area after another.

[Hemel Rugby League]

Archbishop Lanfranc School  in South London got a 4G pitch free from the RFL and not a game of RL was played on it and it is now used for RU.

An indication that in the time as there were 27 full time RL development officers in London and  no shortage of money to promote RL in London but there was simply absolutely not the slightest idea of how to spend it wisely.

As for the 'SKOL'ars in London Skolars, the local Carlsberg-Tetley rep can tell an unflattering story about that...

[IM2]

5 hours ago, Hemel Rugby League said:

Archbishop Lanfranc School  in South London got a 4G pitch free from the RFL and not a game of RL was played on it and it is now used for RU.

An indication that in the time as there were 27 full time RL development officers in London and  no shortage of money to promote RL in London but there was simply absolutely not the slightest idea of how to spend it wisely.

As for the 'SKOL'ars in London Skolars, the local Carlsberg-Tetley rep can tell an unflattering story about that...

dont know how as I was negotiating with the Skol brand head in their HO in Brum many moons ago. no local rep involvement. someones telling you porkies

[Number 16]

11 hours ago, Hemel Rugby League said:

Archbishop Lanfranc School  in South London got a 4G pitch free from the RFL and not a game of RL was played on it and it is now used for RU.

An indication that in the time as there were 27 full time RL development officers in London and  no shortage of money to promote RL in London but there was simply absolutely not the slightest idea of how to spend it wisely.

As for the 'SKOL'ars in London Skolars, the local Carlsberg-Tetley rep can tell an unflattering story about that...

Storm and Hurricanes played on it for two or three years, but by 2014 both were gone. The school made things very difficult from the second the facility opened and they reneged on agreements. It is now used for soccer and union.