Super League 1997 - Have we never had it so good?

[David Shepherd]

16 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

While that is good in itself and definitely to be welcomed, it's not exactly a great ROI. After all, the Telegraph used to have its own RL section on its website but removed it, allegedly due to lack of use and/or comments on the articles. 

Randomly I've just remembered where I was working at the time and Radio 1 was the station of choice. There was always regular stories on the sports report about the SL and in particular Bradford Bulls. I haven't listened for some time now but I'd be very surprised if Radio 1 gave similar mention of SL today. (It might, I'd just be surprised) 

Last time I listened to R1 was when Chris Evans was on it.  He mentioned it a fair bit, I believe he's a Wire fan. I'm far too old for it, so wouldn't have a clue now.

[David Shepherd]

Back in 97 we had serious companies sponsoring RL. Compaq, Virgin, Powergen, British Gas, Halifax etc. Now we've got Leigh Market, Mushy Peas and Home Bargains. Quite the fall from grace.

Edited July 4, 2023 by David Shepherd

[Whippet13]

 

It wasn't all great in 1997, nor was SL then built on sustainability. Due to the SL war in Australia, much of the 1995-97 "golden period" was funded by Sky paying very big money for RL here to keep players away from the ARL. That got resolved with the NRL launched in 1998 and Sky cut the UK broadcast deal as a result. On top of that we also had Oldham going bust in 1997 with £2m in debts, PSG disappeared at the end of the year, Premiership soccer continued it's meteoric rise and professional-RU emerging as a very powerful, well connected and cashed-up competitor. Whilst I agree that SL leadership got a hell of a lot wrong, there were numerous additional factors why the game did not kick on in the UK.

[Toby Chopra]

1 hour ago, Whippet13 said:

 

It wasn't all great in 1997, nor was SL then built on sustainability. Due to the SL war in Australia, much of the 1995-97 "golden period" was funded by Sky paying very big money for RL here to keep players away from the ARL. That got resolved with the NRL launched in 1998 and Sky cut the UK broadcast deal as a result. On top of that we also had Oldham going bust in 1997 with £2m in debts, PSG disappeared at the end of the year, Premiership soccer continued it's meteoric rise and professional-RU emerging as a very powerful, well connected and cashed-up competitor. Whilst I agree that SL leadership got a hell of a lot wrong, there were numerous additional factors why the game did not kick on in the UK.

Agree, all this context is crucial for understanding why things didn't keep growing in a rapid way, mistakes notwithstanding.

[overtheborder]

23 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

I do think the game has lost visibility since then. I was barely a teenager in those days but even where I was in Kent I was able to buy Super League merch (I had a Mitre ball) from my local sports shop. I also remember the Sun having a Super League supplement etc. 

 

On the subject of sports shops, it feels like there was a lot more visibility in general sports shops in the 90s/early 2000s if my memory's correct, rather than these days where it feels like every club's got its own store but there isn't much else. I feel like it's partly to do with the demise of JJB but I could also be way off the mark in fairness.

It could be a number of factors visibility-wise from a retail perspective - not least trends towards online shopping.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

5 hours ago, David Shepherd said:

Back in 97 we had serious companies sponsoring RL. Compaq, Virgin, Powergen, British Gas, Halifax etc. Now we've got Leigh Market, Mushy Peas and Home Bargains. Quite the fall from grace.

I remember going out of my way to purchase a TV from the nearest Norweb store back in the day just because they sponsored a Rugby League club even though it wasn't my club.  

 

[The Masked Poster]

2 hours ago, Toby Chopra said:

Agree, all this context is crucial for understanding why things didn't keep growing in a rapid way, mistakes notwithstanding.

But it was never going to be the case that RL would overtake football or RU. Regardless of what others did, if it had tried (genuinely so) to be the biggest and best it could be, then you couldn't really ask for more. As it is we ended up very 'oh that's good enough'. 

It really could have pushed harder. 

[hindle xiii]

[hindle xiii]

Full article here - LoveRugbyLeague.com

Need I say more? 1997 was my first season of rugby league, everything was new to me, everything was incredible to me, especially as a new Bradford fan.

 

[hindle xiii]

As an honest aside, if any Bulls fan can upload the 1997 season highlights video "Up where we belong" online, I'd be so chuffed. It was a prized possession when I was a child.

Feel free to mock if you want, but you can't take those memories away from me.

[Toby Chopra]

1 hour ago, The Masked Poster said:

But it was never going to be the case that RL would overtake football or RU. Regardless of what others did, if it had tried (genuinely so) to be the biggest and best it could be, then you couldn't really ask for more. As it is we ended up very 'oh that's good enough'. 

It really could have pushed harder. 

I don't agree we gave up trying or settled for what we had. It's just there was a small window before the football and pro-RU bandwagons really got rolling where our efforts gained traction. Once our rivals started picking up momentum - and the SL war ended - then any further progress was just much harder to achieve and we inevitably levelled off. In concrete terms, how could we have pushed harder?

[Wigan Riversider]

5 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

I don't agree we gave up trying or settled for what we had. It's just there was a small window before the football and pro-RU bandwagons really got rolling where our efforts gained traction. Once our rivals started picking up momentum - and the SL war ended - then any further progress was just much harder to achieve and we inevitably levelled off. In concrete terms, how could we have pushed harder?

RL is a minority sport and I speak from a town that's steeped in RL tradition.

I worked in Preston many years ago and their prime interest was and no doubt still is PNE. A handful of people had an interest in RL. In Bolton, where I worked for several years, they are the same: football, football and more football.

I believe in a London pub RL will not be shown even if you ask politely. And that's if you are the only punter and football is being screened.

Forgive my honesty/ negativity but I don't see it changing.

1997 was still a good year for SL

[Wigan Riversider]

37 minutes ago, hindle xiii said:

As an honest aside, if any Bulls fan can upload the 1997 season highlights video "Up where we belong" online, I'd be so chuffed. It was a prized possession when I was a child.

Feel free to mock if you want, but you can't take those memories away from me.

Was it true that species would be allowed in at Odsal if for example they wore a pair of sunglasses in 1997?

I went to the Oldham v Bulls CC fixture that year and the atmosphere was magic.

[Damien]

3 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

I don't agree we gave up trying or settled for what we had. It's just there was a small window before the football and pro-RU bandwagons really got rolling where our efforts gained traction. Once our rivals started picking up momentum - and the SL war ended - then any further progress was just much harder to achieve and we inevitably levelled off. In concrete terms, how could we have pushed harder?

I disagree. Many decisions that were made from around the disastrous 2000 World Cup to this present days smack of giving up and settling for what we have. Things like the salary cap barely changing for 20+ years, and very much falling behind both in real terms and compared to our main rivals, the video ref concept still not being expanded to all games, the whole international strategy ranging from decline in fixtures to the shrinking of venues, half heartedly backing expansion and concepts like licensing, the whole strategy around the game in London etc. 

In my opinion the game has barely pushed at all for a long time and far too many decisions have been made simply to placate existing clubs and fans. Consolidation has been the name of the game rather than trying for real growth. The bringing in of IMG now is a very real show of how badly the game has failed since 2000, bar some bright spots that were never capitalised on and the fresh vision of the Richard Lewis era.

[south yorkshire]

the constant changing of league structures and promotion relegation on and off since 1997 hasn't helped the game. Teams who won the championship or second tier denied promotion while other clubs have been fast tracked into super league has put a lot of fans of old traditional clubs fans off and lost interest. Football is the most successful sport in this country yet we seem to learn nothing from them. They have a stable constant league structure. Although they tinker with there cup comps every club still has chance at what ever level , The challenge cup with just 4 sides outside the last 16 where super league enter while FA cup has 64 teams still in comp when premier league sides enter.    

[Mr Frisky]

On 04/07/2023 at 11:02, David Shepherd said:

Last time I listened to R1 was when Chris Evans was on it.  He mentioned it a fair bit, I believe he's a Wire fan. I'm far too old for it, so wouldn't have a clue now.

His best mate owns Wire so he still goes to games now and again with his kids - all kitted out in Wire kit.

[OnStrike]

On 04/07/2023 at 19:04, Wigan Riversider said:

RL is a minority sport and I speak from a town that's steeped in RL tradition.

I worked in Preston many years ago and their prime interest was and no doubt still is PNE. A handful of people had an interest in RL. In Bolton, where I worked for several years, they are the same: football, football and more football.

I believe in a London pub RL will not be shown even if you ask politely. And that's if you are the only punter and football is being screened.

Forgive my honesty/ negativity but I don't see it changing.

1997 was still a good year for SL

I'm from London and would have been late teens in 97. I can't recall Rugby League ever being on in a pub then or the years following. When younger, no one spoke about it and no one went to games with their dad, played it or whatever. As we got older, it may as well have not existed.

I regret not seeking it out now because I enjoy the game so much and appreciate London is so big other people may have completely different experiences. 

Not sure there is much the RFL could have done to change any of that to be fair to them. Cultural and social reasons. 'Marketing' can only do so much to change that.

[ATLANTISMAN]

On 04/07/2023 at 20:04, Wigan Riversider said:

RL is a minority sport and I speak from a town that's steeped in RL tradition.

I worked in Preston many years ago and their prime interest was and no doubt still is PNE. A handful of people had an interest in RL. In Bolton, where I worked for several years, they are the same: football, football and more football.

I believe in a London pub RL will not be shown even if you ask politely. And that's if you are the only punter and football is being screened.

Forgive my honesty/ negativity but I don't see it changing.

1997 was still a good year for SL

Friday night we would all be in The George in Chiswick High Road watching SL (Around 10 of us) it was exciting times as we were the ones responsible for most of the sponsorships at the SKY matches through the perimeter advertising.Always a big crowd watching SL and many Broncos fans.

Sadly now zilch.

[RP London]

18 hours ago, OnStrike said:

I'm from London and would have been late teens in 97. I can't recall Rugby League ever being on in a pub then or the years following. When younger, no one spoke about it and no one went to games with their dad, played it or whatever. As we got older, it may as well have not existed.

I regret not seeking it out now because I enjoy the game so much and appreciate London is so big other people may have completely different experiences. 

Not sure there is much the RFL could have done to change any of that to be fair to them. Cultural and social reasons. 'Marketing' can only do so much to change that.

Used to watch it at the elusive camel and many a Walkabout in the early 2000s.. met my wife at the Covent Garden Walkabout on a night out with 3 mates, the evening started with watching Wigan v Hull if memory serves.