David Hughes

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

Perhaps a start right now would be aligning the four players signed for next season to specific community clubs now ? Can't hurt can it ?

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

16 hours ago, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

Perhaps a start right now would be aligning the four players signed for next season to specific community clubs now ? Can't hurt can it ?

According to the Broncos website they were doing this last season….

https://www.londonbroncosrl.com/broncos-community-project

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

According to the Broncos website they were doing this last season….

https://www.londonbroncosrl.com/broncos-community-project

That's made up, I'm afraid. Certainly nothing like that recently.

[EssexRL]

A lot of the discussion about London on here has (rightly) revolved around its clubs. With the departure of Skolars from L1 (and exit this year from the SCL) and the possible demise of Broncos; doesn't the question for RL generally now become - what is our strategy for the sport and the capital?  

The  answer to this isn't about supporting a pro' club (although that would be nice) but rather the sport more generally. As things stand the capital's exposure to the game in its live form is a scattering an amateur teams mostly clustered in the West of London and the CC final. That's it.

It seems to me (& IMG) that it is crazy to neglect the biggest market in the country and that some sort of deliberate policy to showcase the sport is essential. That could mean-

1. All international tours play at least one game in London (does not have to be Wembley)

2. Occasional SL matches  played on the road in the capital (I mean the sport is off to Las Vegas so London shouldn't be a stretch)

3. Advertising and media engagement when there are events here. The CC is still seen as 'the north coming to London' if it is seen down here at all.

4. Efforts to grow the amateur game and link RL fans down here

 

 

[OriginalMrC]

17 hours ago, EssexRL said:

A lot of the discussion about London on here has (rightly) revolved around its clubs. With the departure of Skolars from L1 (and exit this year from the SCL) and the possible demise of Broncos; doesn't the question for RL generally now become - what is our strategy for the sport and the capital?  

The  answer to this isn't about supporting a pro' club (although that would be nice) but rather the sport more generally. As things stand the capital's exposure to the game in its live form is a scattering an amateur teams mostly clustered in the West of London and the CC final. That's it.

It seems to me (& IMG) that it is crazy to neglect the biggest market in the country and that some sort of deliberate policy to showcase the sport is essential. That could mean-

1. All international tours play at least one game in London (does not have to be Wembley)

2. Occasional SL matches  played on the road in the capital (I mean the sport is off to Las Vegas so London shouldn't be a stretch)

3. Advertising and media engagement when there are events here. The CC is still seen as 'the north coming to London' if it is seen down here at all.

4. Efforts to grow the amateur game and link RL fans down here

 

 

Spot on. These arent difficult things to do of the sport really wanted to.

Edited October 30, 2024 by OriginalMrC

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

28 minutes ago, EssexRL said:

A lot of the discussion about London on here has (rightly) revolved around its clubs. With the departure of Skolars from L1 (and exit this year from the SCL) and the possible demise of Broncos; doesn't the question for RL generally now become - what is our strategy for the sport and the capital?  

The  answer to this isn't about supporting a pro' club (although that would be nice) but rather the sport more generally. As things stand the capital's exposure to the game in its live form is a scattering an amateur teams mostly clustered in the West of London and the CC final. That's it.

It seems to me (& IMG) that it is crazy to neglect the biggest market in the country and that some sort of deliberate policy to showcase the sport is essential. That could mean-

1. All international tours play at least one game in London (does not have to be Wembley)

2. Occasional SL matches  played on the road in the capital (I mean the sport is off to Las Vegas so London shouldn't be a stretch)

3. Advertising and media engagement when there are events here. The CC is still seen as 'the north coming to London' if it is seen down here at all.

4. Efforts to grow the amateur game and link RL fans down here

 

 

Good point. I’d like to hear what Skolars plans are now that Trev is at the helm of the first team too as well as Wests etc 

Edited October 29, 2024 by Pen-Y-Bont Crusader

[Worzel]

On 27/10/2024 at 18:58, Londonbornirishbred said:

David Hughes acknowledged nothing other than David Hughes!

I get it. I really do. He is a wealthy man and he deserved to spend his money as he saw fit, but the list of catastrophic errors he amassed over his tenure is gargantuan! 

The clubs that delivered the kids that the academy turned into top class players were never anything other than a distraction to him. The same with Marketing. He felt that as he was bankrolling the club, that the RFL should throw their weight into marketing. Problem is, when they tried to help, he ignored them.

I used to watch the Hoists or West London from time to time and often spoke to the ANZAC players at these clubs about London. They had little interest, because they received no help. Nothing. The 

I filled a coach to Wakefield and 2 coaches to Wales back in 2009. I did it because I pestered cajoled and generally nagged everyone I knew to go...the club used to announce a coach for free and just expected people to rock up.....ergo, nobody bothered.

 

My point being. EFFORT........lots of EFFORT and yes, some money, will deliver results. Hughes thought the answer was just Money and so we have a corpse of a club, begging for handouts on funding pages and getting exactly what they deserve....which is about 8k.

Thanks Dave, but no Thanks!

100x this

Yes, in later years the club ran an effective Academy, but that stood on the shoulders of community clubs who were rarely supported and had the potential to develop many, many more. London is a hotbed of talent for our sport, for obvious reasons of population concentration, youth demographics (certain economic groups for whom sport is a real opportunity) and - frankly - the large network of rugby union clubs bringing younger kids into exposure with an oval-ball game.

Broncos could have used that to build the strongest club in the league, but failed to do so. And not just strongest in terms of talent pipeline. Peter Deakin's marketing strategy that created the Bulls phenomenon was built on precisely that: Making local community organisations the tentacles of your marketing outreach. He then repeated it again at Saracens, unfortunately, until the world lost him prematurely but we could have done it with the Broncos too. 

Like I said much earlier in the thread, we collectively missed a massive opportunity 25 years ago and whilst yes David did keep London alive he kept it on life support rather than helped it recover, grow healthy and thrive. 

[langpark]

£9000 raised so far with 10 days remaining. 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-london-broncos 

I donated to the Skolars when they did this last year, but am feeling a bit torn on this one. Might be partly because the Skolars target (10k I think?) felt more achievable than the 200k that Broncos are looking to raise. 

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

4 minutes ago, langpark said:

£9000 raised so far with 10 days remaining. 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-london-broncos 

I donated to the Skolars when they did this last year, but am feeling a bit torn on this one. Might be partly because the Skolars target (10k I think?) felt more achievable than the 200k that Broncos are looking to raise. 

There’s no chance they will raise it via the crowdfunder. The silence from those left at the club isn’t helping. Some kind of noise would be preferable to nothing…..

[Archie Gordon]

They are signing players and they also announced a new kit supplier yesterday (before then pulling the announcement). So there is activity.

Does anyone know what £ central funding they get for 2025? Presumably the second highest in the Champ, but what is that exactly?

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

4 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

They are signing players and they also announced a new kit supplier yesterday (before then pulling the announcement). So there is activity.

Does anyone know what £ central funding they get for 2025? Presumably the second highest in the Champ, but what is that exactly?

I know they put out a release about Sid a few days back…hadn’t seen or heard about the kit…as ever they need to improve communication…

Just read that £150k or thereabouts is the highest in Champ for 2025.

Edited October 30, 2024 by Pen-Y-Bont Crusader

[OriginalMrC]

17 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

They are signing players and they also announced a new kit supplier yesterday (before then pulling the announcement). So there is activity.

Does anyone know what £ central funding they get for 2025? Presumably the second highest in the Champ, but what is that exactly?

Funding in the championship was in the range of £25k-£250k depending on league position and other factors. That may have been reduced further for next season. Either way you need your own money to run a championship club

[gingerjon]

14 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

Funding in the championship was in the range of £25k-£250k depending on league position and other factors. That may have been reduced further for next season. Either way you need your own money to run a championship club

London's central distribution is going straight to AFC Wimbledon's debts then with nothing left over.

Joy.

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

London's central distribution is going straight to AFC Wimbledon's debts then with nothing left over.

Joy.

What as rent for the season ? 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

What as rent for the season ? 

Given that the rent figure quoted is £200k per year then, yes.

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

So with memberships at £175 a pop they are going to need about 1100 of those upfront to negate the rent payment…any ideas as to how many they have sold so far ? How many ST/members did they have last season ? 

[Cowboy]

I wonder what exactly Loubser actually does? Hughes had funded it sure,but Loubser has been the one running the club.

 

The amount of work the Skolars were doing in the community,throughout schools especially, was great for the area.

Skolars have a fairly decent stadium,definitely Championship standard,with a club house,Bar,training gym,offices etc.Why not just move to Skolars.

[Deadcowboys1]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Given that the rent figure quoted is £200k per year then, yes.

I would be very surprised if the rent was £200k given several games were played away from PL during pitch maintenance.  I also recall there was a difference in cost depending whether they were in the Championship or SL. 

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Deadcowboys1 said:

I would be very surprised if the rent was £200k given several games were played away from PL during pitch maintenance.  I also recall there was a difference in cost depending whether they were in the Championship or SL. 

The 200k was when we were in the Championship (I think) and was for a season when two games were played away.

It was a rubbish deal but the Dons Trust loved it.

[Click]

39 minutes ago, Cowboy said:

I wonder what exactly Loubser actually does? Hughes had funded it sure,but Loubser has been the one running the club.

 

The amount of work the Skolars were doing in the community,throughout schools especially, was great for the area.

Skolars have a fairly decent stadium,definitely Championship standard,with a club house,Bar,training gym,offices etc.Why not just move to Skolars.

No it isn't, It isn't anywhere close to being Championship standard.

[gingerjon]

6 minutes ago, Deadcowboys1 said:

I would be very surprised if the rent was £200k given several games were played away from PL during pitch maintenance.  I also recall there was a difference in cost depending whether they were in the Championship or SL. 

Here we are: https://thedonstrust.org/files/London-Broncos-Information-QA.pdf

£200k is the (minimum) Championship figure. It goes up to 500k for Super League.

[Worzel]

38 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Here we are: https://thedonstrust.org/files/London-Broncos-Information-QA.pdf

£200k is the (minimum) Championship figure. It goes up to 500k for Super League.

Daylight robbery. What on earth was he thinking?

Emphasises yet again the foolhardiness of moving Broncos from their 25 year base in West London on a fools errand of a nicer ground miles & miles from the club’s roots 

[Enkidudu]

On 18/10/2024 at 22:52, Sports Prophet said:

The fact that London has been difficult to crack is the exact reason why the RFL should have a seperate strategy for it.

Assuming of course having a professional presence in the British capital and one of the global financial capitals is a good idea.

A shell of a club, what if the NRL were to purchase the professional licence from the RFL and then launch a rebranded London club in League 1 and sub contract to the RFL as development manager of the entire sport in London and the South East from grassroots to professional.

No, they should have a consistent strategy for the whole country. Advise London Broncos on their strategy, sure but they are not there to be the LRFL. Having a pro club presence in London by all means but when people talk about London they really mean Greater London, Wimbledon is relatively far from EC or Canary Wharf. The only major city in the UK (I am excluding Wakefield in this) with a ESL club is Leeds. There is a good reason for this, ignore this and it will fail. 

As for NRL taking over London, I do not think this is a good idea. Full reinstatement of development officers in the Greater London region would have a benefit. The issue will be London Broncos will struggle to hang on to their upcoming players. 

[Click]

10 minutes ago, Enkidudu said:

No, they should have a consistent strategy for the whole country. Advise London Broncos on their strategy, sure but they are not there to be the LRFL. Having a pro club presence in London by all means but when people talk about London they really mean Greater London, Wimbledon is relatively far from EC or Canary Wharf. The only major city in the UK (I am excluding Wakefield in this) with a ESL club is Leeds. There is a good reason for this, ignore this and it will fail. 

As for NRL taking over London, I do not think this is a good idea. Full reinstatement of development officers in the Greater London region would have a benefit. The issue will be London Broncos will struggle to hang on to their upcoming players. 

When anyone says "London" literally no one is thinking about EC or Canary Wharf.

What has the distance from Wimbledon to Canary Wharf got to do with anything? 

And what is this "good reason" for Leeds to have an ESL club but nowhere else? Do you mean it is the only major city within the "heartlands" ? 

& Finally - You say that last point like it is something new, and not something we have had to contend with since we started developing local players.

Edited October 30, 2024 by Click

[Enkidudu]

On 18/10/2024 at 18:37, EssexRL said:

...because:

1. London is the capital

2. London is a huge market that includes many people from the heartlands, as well as ex-pats form Aus, NZ, Pacific Islands etc.,

3. The game isn't extending in the North (and is declining in Cumbria). How many people will be at Wigan for the international?

 

 

1. ..... and? Wimbledon is not in the city or relatively speaking not even close to it, but given your user name I am sure you already know this. I am as likely to see Buddhist monks and South East Asians celebrating Ly Krathong there as I am to be seeing a group of Tier 1 Investment bankers chomping on Kobe beef cooked on a Teppanyaki grill.

2. This is an approach used before. It failed for obvious reasons. Most expat northerners are not RL fans, those that are have a religious loyalty to their childhood club and have little interest in a club they have no emotional attachment to. The same applies to ex-pats just even more so. The ex-pats obviously are usually here temporarily. Both groups have not been a good or reliable source.

3. 15k+ was a good crowd given the only big draw is Australia or to a lesser degree NZ. Most people who follow the sport did so because of the environment they grew up in or their family. Broncos were giving away thousands of tickets each match but the takeup was low. Free tickets were also offered to the parents of those involved in the junior game. Again not many parents took advantage of it, take the same approach in Wigan and the response would be the same.

London Broncos is arguably the problem, not the solution. For internationals in London, there is usually a good response and attendance but you will not get the same response for club games unless it is a semi-final or final.