London Skolars

[Spidey]

RFL statement – London Skolars
“While it is disappointing to lose London Skolars from League One, their intention to play in the Southern Conference League in 2024 is welcome as it would add to the strength of that competition, and ensure that the Skolars continue to offer a playing and development opportunity in the Haringey and wider north London area.
“Discussions have already begun with the other League One clubs about the impact on their 2024 fixture list, with a range of options to be considered.”

[SUPERSTUD]

1 hour ago, Jeff Stein said:

As a season ticket holder who has watched the team since their very season as an amateur club I am absolutely gutted by this 

Genuinely really sorry to hear this type of news. I have doubt like all clubs there will be some gut busting brilliant individuals whom have tried their dammed hardest to keep the operation going. I just hope that something good can come out of this in the future. Keep your chin up and good luck to everyone involved.

[Toby Chopra]

6 minutes ago, Tattersfieldtreiziste said:

This is very sad. For their fans, players and those who have given money and time to keep the club going.

As a Cov Bears fan, there was always something special about games between the two sides.

Yet another name for the list of former/defunct RL sides.

I am a devout expansionist, but now believe that expansion without direction, strategy and funding from the top is unsustainable.

League 1 is shrinking alarmingly and looking very fragile now.

 

 

They're not defunct/former, they're carrying on in the Southern Conference, and hopefully at the junior level too. That's an important difference. Getting into the professional tiers needn't be the aim for every club, in fact I tend to think that outside the heartlands it's rarely the right aim anyway, unless it's top tier full-time pro like the Broncos were.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Absolutely terrible news for the club's supporters and RL in general. As has already been mentioned, what's the future for the rest of L1? It really isn't viable with just 9 clubs.

[Archie Gordon]

1 minute ago, Toby Chopra said:

They're not defunct/former, they're carrying on in the Southern Conference, and hopefully at the junior level too. That's an important difference. Getting into the professional tiers needn't be the aim for every club, in fact I tend to think that outside the heartlands it's rarely the right aim anyway, unless it's top tier full-time pro like the Broncos were.

There's an intention to carry on in the SCL. It won't be easy for them to make the switch from semi-pro to community. I have everything crossed for them. 

[The Masked Poster]

I can't see any positive about this whatsoever. It is sadly a reflection of the games lack of concern about anywhere not in "the heartlands". This thinking is starting to show how it will go in the future whereby the game keeps contracting (hey, fish where the fish are) until eventually it becomes even less relevant. Sad.

 

[newbe]

Where will they play, I should imagine the company that own New River Stadium will want rent. They have no real income. I should imagine players will go back to amateur clubs near were they live.

[Ackroman]

the sooner London get a franchise the better. then they can set up the southern conference as a feeder league. A rep side could even possibly play in the championship down the track.

[Spidey]

11 minutes ago, newbe said:

Where will they play, I should imagine the company that own New River Stadium will want rent. They have no real income. I should imagine players will go back to amateur clubs near were they live.

They’ve always played there even before the step up to League One. Don’t see any reason why they won’t stay at their home

[newbe]

2 minutes ago, Spidey said:

They’ve always played there even before the step up to League One. Don’t see any reason why they won’t stay at their home

Since them days a new private company has taken over from the council, they will want top money in rent. Good sporting facilities are few n far between. As person who lives in North London I know.

[JM2010]

8 minutes ago, Ackroman said:

the sooner London get a franchise the better. then they can set up the southern conference as a feeder league. A rep side could even possibly play in the championship down the track.

I think something like this would be the best approach to RL in the South and Midlands. 
A strong Southern Conference underpinned by regional leagues and a big emphasis on junior development. I only think clubs outside the heartlands would be able to join the professional ranks as a full time outfit otherwise they’ll just struggle along with a team full of northerners with any money used just to keep afloat 

[Phil W]

Obviously really disappointing news but at least Skolars aren't being completely lost.

There does need to be something done about balancing leagues though. This season on my Thunder ticket I get 13 home games and now next season it's currently 8. Either have one league below Super League or restructure. Obviously if a restructure was to take place there would be at least one very unhappy club but the imbalance needs addressing.

[fearnowt]

Very sad news.

Always enjoyed the trip to Skolars, especially the Friday night game ten years ago, it was a brilliant atmosphere that night and a very competitive game.

Wishing everyone at London Skolars all the very best for the future.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Very sad to hear... they really gave it a red hot go.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Archie Gordon said:

This is exactly the kind of discussion that needs facilitating. But I don't see that anyone who might coordinate such a thing is much bothered.

 

Just as a possible idea - how much could be done in London & the South East with the £15,000 that the Skolars would have received in central funding?

Realistically, could that money, spent wisely, make any kind of difference or is it too little?

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Club statement now online > https://www.skolarsrl.com/2023/09/15/club-statement-3/

I've been to many games at Skolars over the years, and I'm sure this won't be the end just another chapter in their story.

That said, this is the chickens coming home to roost from a couple of decades of insular thinking up North. The reality is that 20 years ago in London (and the wider region) we had a real platform to build on, one that had been hard-fought, and one with much more potential. The game was being played in lots of schools, we had development officers part-funded by the RFL, and we can see the results of that in quite a lot of talent in Super League. If there was ever a region to invest in in order to grow our talent pool for the long-term good of the game, it was there and it was then. It's hard to get significantly y more people in Featherstone (and the other national league club catchments) to play the sport, if they had than inclination then they would do as awareness and options were already there. But London, with its scale, and its relatively untapped state education system willing to take 'free' coaching and support really offered a real prospect of sizeable growth.

For want of a couple of hundred grand a year of strategic, long-term investment in development teams to incubate this we've let that all go to waste. Relying instead on the hard work of many volunteers. But that's not enough. It has depressed me immensely to watch this unfold slowly.  

[Archie Gordon]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

Just as a possible idea - how much could be done in London & the South East with the £15,000 that the Skolars would have received in central funding?

Realistically, could that money, spent wisely, make any kind of difference or is it too little?

I think that money could fund a root-and-branch review of the whole game in London & SE and provide some costed options for the short-, medium- and long-term. The game down here is just drifting. All stakeholders would have to commit to engaging with the review and, sadly, I'm not sure all parties would.

In fact, I wonder whether a review of 'regional' RL might be more efficient. I feel fairly sure that, say, the NE is in a similar position to London & SE.

[Derwent Parker]

3 hours ago, newbe said:

Sorry for Skolars, but the next thing is what will happen to the league, as it stands 9 teams that is not competitive. Will they have to play each other 3 times which would be a farce.

better than just 16 games

[Dunbar]

2 hours ago, Ackroman said:

the sooner London get a franchise the better. then they can set up the southern conference as a feeder league. A rep side could even possibly play in the championship down the track.

The key to a player pathway / feeder club to London is the junior ranks.  I watch London Chargers, Wests Warriors and Hammersmith at Southern Conference level (three of the strongest clubs) and as far as I can tell there is a majority Antipodean core to their sides and I doubt they see pro Rugby League in London as an aim.

Dipping into the London junior athletic base is the long term future of the sport but without schools liason and community support officers I simply can't see it taking off the levels needed.

[EssexRL]

Personally very gutted about this. The club tried everything to make it work. Can’t see much prospect for the spurt outside the heartland. 

[Jeff Stein]

1 hour ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Club statement now online > https://www.skolarsrl.com/2023/09/15/club-statement-3/

I've been to many games at Skolars over the years, and I'm sure this won't be the end just another chapter in their story.

That said, this is the chickens coming home to roost from a couple of decades of insular thinking up North. The reality is that 20 years ago in London (and the wider region) we had a real platform to build on, one that had been hard-fought, and one with much more potential. The game was being played in lots of schools, we had development officers part-funded by the RFL, and we can see the results of that in quite a lot of talent in Super League. If there was ever a region to invest in in order to grow our talent pool for the long-term good of the game, it was there and it was then. It's hard to get significantly y more people in Featherstone (and the other national league club catchments) to play the sport, if they had than inclination then they would do as awareness and options were already there. But London, with its scale, and its relatively untapped state education system willing to take 'free' coaching and support really offered a real prospect of sizeable growth.

For want of a couple of hundred grand a year of strategic, long-term investment in development teams to incubate this we've let that all go to waste. Relying instead on the hard work of many volunteers. But that's not enough. It has depressed me immensely to watch this unfold slowly.  

The RFL's shrug of the shoulders press release this morning spoke volumes. They hope Skolars will carry on the development work in Haringey and North London ie they are not going to lift a finger to involve themselves and want a broken club to manage it without assistance 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Jeff Stein
Typo

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

25 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

The key to a player pathway / feeder club to London is the junior ranks.  I watch London Chargers, Wests Warriors and Hammersmith at Southern Conference level (three of the strongest clubs) and as far as I can tell there is a majority Antipodean core to their sides and I doubt they see pro Rugby League in London as an aim.

Dipping into the London junior athletic base is the long term future of the sport but without schools liason and community support officers I simply can't see it taking off the levels needed.

Agreed. We had this once. If anything the London school system would be even more willing to take community officer support now than they were back then, with their own resources even thinner. 

[Jeff Stein]

28 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

The key to a player pathway / feeder club to London is the junior ranks.  I watch London Chargers, Wests Warriors and Hammersmith at Southern Conference level (three of the strongest clubs) and as far as I can tell there is a majority Antipodean core to their sides and I doubt they see pro Rugby League in London as an aim.

Dipping into the London junior athletic base is the long term future of the sport but without schools liason and community support officers I simply can't see it taking off the levels needed.

Unless things have changed, work permit conditions generally won't allow holders to also play semi-pro. Skolars have had this issue for recruiting for years now.

No development officers, no strategic plan, no internationals and now the loss of one of the two Pro clubs. It certainly appears that the RFL are treating IMG's prioritising of London seriously 

[theswanmcr]

5 hours ago, newbe said:

Sorry for Skolars, but the next thing is what will happen to the league, as it stands 9 teams that is not competitive. Will they have to play each other 3 times which would be a farce.

A farce would be the highest level of professional Rugby League in this country playing each other 2.5 times (plus play-offs).

[Sports Prophet]

Sad news indeed, although entirely predictable for too long. Not that it will make the news any easier to swallow for the fans and admirers.

Personally, I never felt that Skolars really belonged in the professional ranks, despite spending a couple of decades there. It was as if the club entered the National League more as a “look at me, look at me” exercise of one previous director in particular. Ever since, it always ran off the smell of an oily rag. A borrowed oily rag.

I think the game in London overall will be better for having Skolars drop down and consolidate into a league that suits their means. It certainly should improve the standard of the lower grade/s. I hope those hard core supporters find value in the amateur ranks and perhaps even get more involved with the club from a volunteering perspective. They’ll be needed more than ever.

RL is obviously not big enough to sustain two professional clubs in the capital. It’s debatable whether RL could even sustain one. The worst part is, the RFL aren’t capable of covering any shortfall and it is certainly not capable of making RL a viable commercial investment. A sad indictment.

Edited September 15, 2023 by Sports Prophet