London (Merged Threads)

[EssexRL]

I know this is a well trodden discussion but I am having a “WTF”  moment. This season we have lost one club in the capital* but we may well have the other one in SL next season - despite only having 300-500 regular paying fans. Sport can be follow Darwinian principles and let things evolve as they might (leading to the loss of Skolars for example) but given the game has no meaningful presence in the capital** and given IMGs correct view that London matters - what should the sport do down here- if anything?

Is London Bs possible promotion a wider opportunity ?

*I realise Skolars continue but personally I think, at best, they will be an amateur team from now on, at worse they will fade away. 

**As far as I can tell there is no reporting of the match or what it means in the capitals media? 

[Damien]

The sport has dropped the ball badly with London and what looked so promising a decade or two ago has been almost entirely lost. If corrective action had been taken a few years ago then things would have been much easier but now it feels like practically starting again.

[EssexRL]

8 minutes ago, Damien said:

 feels like practically starting again.

Indeed - is that though an opportunity?

[Damien]

3 minutes ago, EssexRL said:

Indeed - is that though an opportunity?

I don't think it's an opportunity when the sport is in absolutely no position, and these days shows zero appetite, to create the circumstances where it can be successful.

[Phil W]

I'm an expansionist so this will probably go down like a lead balloon with others but here we go.

I'd hope London are working very closely with IMG to work out how they can tap into the London market. Could IMG sound out investment? 

[Phil]

A few years ago the RFL had (I think) 10 development officers in London. It then withdrew their funding just as players like LMS and Tony Clubb were breaking through.

A huge own goal

[9' oller]

Who does super league need. Who cares they have no desire to embrace their less fancied family.

Fev had to avoid the bridesmaid title this time.

London and toulouse will bring even less than wakey to sky sports I mean super league

[Damien]

33 minutes ago, 9' oller said:

Who does super league need. Who cares they have no desire to embrace their less fancied family.

Fev had to avoid the bridesmaid title this time.

London and toulouse will bring even less than wakey to sky sports I mean super league

Literally no one has talked about what SL needs on this thread.

[paul hicks]

could be a catalyst to a new investor getting involved with the broncos. really all they need to do is not go bust next season as they tick so many IMG boxes

[Colin James]

London had 20 years in SL and we have nothing to show for it. What's potentially going to be different this time? I'd love a strong London team but it's hard to see how they could have come away with less after that level of investment and opportunity. I suppose the argument is that the threat of relegation is the reason they can't get 1000 home fans through the gate or settle in one location.

[OnStrike]

9 hours ago, Phil said:

A few years ago the RFL had (I think) 10 development officers in London. It then withdrew their funding just as players like LMS and Tony Clubb were breaking through.

A huge own goal

Wasn't that mainly funded by the Sports Council? So when the government started slashing funding to that body, the RFL had no way of keeping that set up going. That was my understanding of it anyway

[Mark S]

For London Broncos to really work they would need serious levels of investment, a couple of million a year won’t cut it. They would also need an additional weighting on the salary gap to allow for the cost of living in London.

it could work, but it would need a change on mindset across the game.

[Archie Gordon]

10 hours ago, Phil W said:

I'm an expansionist so this will probably go down like a lead balloon with others but here we go.

I'd hope London are working very closely with IMG to work out how they can tap into the London market. Could IMG sound out investment? 

Neither the Broncos nor IMG have shown any evidence they are up to it, I'm afraid.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Colin James said:

London had 20 years in SL and we have nothing to show for it. What's potentially going to be different this time? I'd love a strong London team but it's hard to see how they could have come away with less after that level of investment and opportunity. I suppose the argument is that the threat of relegation is the reason they can't get 1000 home fans through the gate or settle in one location.

Quite a lot of Southern based players? One is even off to the NRL.

When the game is experiencing less player numbers and Union will be cutting its cloth - London still offers a talent pool.

[İzmir Rugby League]

One has to wonder if it is the promotions department and will to simply get a crowd. At present it would be better to get 5000 in the stadium through free tickets then little. Allow people some time and motivation to invest. 

Wimbledon is a good little stadium and they should look to anchor in there. 

Cornwall seem to be drawing fairly good crowds considering the League they are in. 

Getting some form of partnership with Eric Perez and co. 

[Dovster]

I wish London well going forward. However I wouldn't expect too much help from IMG/RFL.

The past shows that the sport has put too much of its income into the top of the sport and not enough into the grassroots.

This has alienated many RL fans and not encouraged new ones. Then we wonder why we can't grow the game.

[crashmon]

1 minute ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

One has to wonder if it is the promotions department and will to simply get a crowd. At present it would be better to get 5000 in the stadium through free tickets then little. Allow people some time and motivation to invest. 

Wimbledon is a good little stadium and they should look to anchor in there. 

Cornwall seem to be drawing fairly good crowds considering the League they are in. 

Getting some form of partnership with Eric Perez and co. 

The Problem with Wimbledon is that we can't play their from Mid May to Early August.  Thats 12 weeks.

Other RL clubs who share with football its usually a max of 4 or 5 weeks they are unable to play at home

[Guest]

I know a long time AFC Wimbledon fan.

They are ecstatic with £200k a year.

You throw them some more money and they will let London play in the off season. Money finds a way.

Whilst London are a championship club it will make sense to not bother - but when stakes and cash are higher they find a compromise.

Ebbsfleet has also had decent success for the one offs.

7 minutes ago, crashmon said:

The Problem with Wimbledon is that we can't play their from Mid May to Early August.  Thats 12 weeks.

Other RL clubs who share with football its usually a max of 4 or 5 weeks they are unable to play at home

 

[fighting irish]

1 hour ago, crashmon said:

The Problem with Wimbledon is that we can't play their from Mid May to Early August.  Thats 12 weeks.

Other RL clubs who share with football its usually a max of 4 or 5 weeks they are unable to play at home

Why can't they play, in the (soccer) off season? I didn't realise that. Why on earth would they move there, knowing they couldn't play at home for 12 weeks, right in the middle of the season? What kind of strategic thinking is that? Can anyone offer some kind of explanation for this kind of decision making?

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Why can't they play, in the (soccer) off season? I didn't realise that. Why on earth would they move there, knowing they couldn't play at home for 12 weeks, right in the middle of the season? What kind of strategic thinking is that? Can anyone offer some kind of explanation for this kind of decision making?

because it is a nice ground and ealing was a park

for the championship it is hardly a big deal

[londonrlfan]

There's always been great potential, but it's never been harnessed correctly. If only we had an Eric Perez of our own on board. I'm surprised he's never thought about London tbh. 

Southend were recently bought out by an Aussie, surely London could have as much potential if we could get similar backers. 

[londonrlfan]

11 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Why can't they play, in the (soccer) off season? I didn't realise that. Why on earth would they move there, knowing they couldn't play at home for 12 weeks, right in the middle of the season? What kind of strategic thinking is that? Can anyone offer some kind of explanation for this kind of decision making?

Usually clubs relay the pitches in the summer. 

If we did go up, hopefully we don't play in the North any of our 'home' games. The dream would be a game or two at Fulham, probably never happen, but there are plenty of stadiums in London. But I would try the odd 'on the road' game in Colchester, MK or Woking perhaps. 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

There's always been great potential, but it's never been harnessed correctly. If only we had an Eric Perez of our own on board. I'm surprised he's never thought about London tbh. 

Southend were recently bought out by an Aussie, surely London could have as much potential if we could get similar backers. 

If (and big if) we go up - we'll get a couple of bang average aussies, some of wakey's squad and convince a few of the PT players to go FT. The rest of the PT players will leave.

We'll get pumped week in and week out with crowds falling off and then be in a worse position than when we went up as half the squad we had will have left.

That's the fear and probable outcome.

 

[londonrlfan]

2 minutes ago, Leonard said:

If (and big if) we go up - we'll get a couple of bang average aussies, some of wakey's squad and convince a few of the PT players to go FT. The rest of the PT players will leave.

We'll get pumped week in and week out with crowds falling off and then be in a worse position than when we went up as half the squad we had will have left.

That's the fear and probable outcome.

 

That's what was said last time, but we only just went down with 10 wins. I don't see another 2014 on the horizon. It would be a struggle, but I think we'd put up more of a fight. 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

That's what was said last time, but we only just went down with 10 wins. I don't see another 2014 on the horizon. It would be a struggle, but I think we'd put up more of a fight. 

Hopefully.

But realistically we would be looking at finishing above Cas - so unless we beat them home and away would be difficult.