Luke Littler Stadium

[The Masked Poster]

1 hour ago, Father Gascoigne said:

I don't know about that. It's been doing things on its own since 1895 and it's still around today. It's proven beyond any doubt that it doesn't need darts, or anything else for that matter, to sustain interest in a professional league.  

In this particular case, I don't mind the position of the naysayers. I'm more concerned by the people who believe this will have some broader benefit to rugby league.  

 

It will have some benefit to RL if only by association with darts fans who never think of RL. How much that will benefit the game is probably negligible but it's at least something.

And the point about RL doing it on its own for 100+ years yet having relatively few genuinely famous people from it sort of proves the point.

[Father Gascoigne]

4 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

It will have some benefit to RL if only by association with darts fans who never think of RL. How much that will benefit the game is probably negligible but it's at least something.

And the point about RL doing it on its own for 100+ years yet having relatively few genuinely famous people from it sort of proves the point.

I'm glad you said negligible, because that's certainly in the right ballpark. 

Re famous people: It doesn't necessarily need it though. If a professional league is viable subsisting on its existing fanbase, what more does one need as a fan? Are we as viewers and fans interested in the actual sport? Do we assume that if the league earned less money there'd be no one playing it tomorrow and no league to watch? Why does anyone need the league to grow, to earn more money, or to have other people recognise it as special?

The people this seems to concern mostly are those who use words like 'we' when talking about RL, as if the sport is an extension of who they are. They identify with it to the point that they can't separate themselves from it and thus perceive every slight as an affront to their sense of self and every small victory as a sign of impending conquest. 

If darts boy notices us, maybe the whole world will too. That's what it boils down to. As these things tend to pan out, no one really notices or cares, the people who love RL continue to do so, and those who had no interest don't develop any. 

 

[Dave T]

In reality, we need to do hundreds of things that would be described as having negligible.benefits.

[gingerjon]

7 minutes ago, Father Gascoigne said:

I'm glad you said negligible, because that's certainly in the right ballpark. 

Re famous people: It doesn't necessarily need it though. If a professional league is viable subsisting on its existing fanbase, what more does one need as a fan? Are we as viewers and fans interested in the actual sport? Do we assume that if the league earned less money there'd be no one playing it tomorrow and no league to watch? Why does anyone need the league to grow, to earn more money, or to have other people recognise it as special?

The people this seems to concern mostly are those who use words like 'we' when talking about RL, as if the sport is an extension of who they are. They identify with it to the point that they can't separate themselves from it and thus perceive every slight as an affront to their sense of self and every small victory as a sign of impending conquest. 

If darts boy notices us, maybe the whole world will too. That's what it boils down to. As these things tend to pan out, no one really notices or cares, the people who love RL continue to do so, and those who had no interest don't develop any. 

 

I say we when talking about rugby league, Aberystwyth Town and people who like film noir. Plenty of other things too.

Those things, and my interest in them, are not even an extension of who I am. They are part of it.

Seems odd to me to spend your time on messageboards for something if that isn't the case.

[fighting irish]

2 minutes ago, Father Gascoigne said:

As these things tend to pan out, no one really notices or cares, the people who love RL continue to do so, and those who had no interest don't develop any. 

 

Until they age and die of course.

Your stance is about as ignorant and short sighted as it gets.

A manifesto to relinquish all responsibility for the games future and do nothing. How mature. 

Keep on banging away for all your worth you'll die soon enough.

[Dave T]

18 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Until they age and die of course.

Your stance is about as ignorant and short sighted as it gets.

A manifesto to relinquish all responsibility for the games future and do nothing. How mature. 

Keep on banging away for all your worth you'll die soon enough.

It's also just plainly wrong. And weird.

[JohnM]

47 minutes ago, Dave T said:

In reality, we need to do hundreds of things that would be described as having negligible benefits.

Agree entirely. It's exactly the calculus of the infinitesimal that underlies modern civilisation, right back to Newton and Leibniz.

[Father Gascoigne]

47 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Until they age and die of course.

Your stance is about as ignorant and short sighted as it gets.

A manifesto to relinquish all responsibility for the games future and do nothing. How mature. 

Keep on banging away for all your worth you'll die soon enough.

How's that line of thinking worked out in the 130 years the game has existed? They age, they die, and there's a new generation there to replace them. 

The idea that this time will be different--that the game will die if it doesn't spread--is the one that goes against the grain. 

You can keep thinking that the game is teetering on the edge of existence. I don't share that view, and history would agree with me. 

[Just Browny]

It's been a long off season hasn't it.

[The Masked Poster]

1 hour ago, Father Gascoigne said:

I'm glad you said negligible, because that's certainly in the right ballpark. 

Re famous people: It doesn't necessarily need it though. If a professional league is viable subsisting on its existing fanbase, what more does one need as a fan? Are we as viewers and fans interested in the actual sport? Do we assume that if the league earned less money there'd be no one playing it tomorrow and no league to watch? Why does anyone need the league to grow, to earn more money, or to have other people recognise it as special?

The people this seems to concern mostly are those who use words like 'we' when talking about RL, as if the sport is an extension of who they are. They identify with it to the point that they can't separate themselves from it and thus perceive every slight as an affront to their sense of self and every small victory as a sign of impending conquest. 

If darts boy notices us, maybe the whole world will too. That's what it boils down to. As these things tend to pan out, no one really notices or cares, the people who love RL continue to do so, and those who had no interest don't develop any. 

 

You do know that Luke Littler is from Warrington and is actually a fan? 

Do you think if David Hockney went along to a Bulls game and they renamed Odsal 'Hockney Stadium' for one day, Bradford Bulls wouldn't receive quite a bit of associated positive publicity? Because they definitely would - and it would barely cost them or the game anything.

It's about not looking gift horses in the mouth. 

 

 

[Father Gascoigne]

14 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

You do know that Luke Littler is from Warrington and is actually a fan? 

Do you think if David Hockney went along to a Bulls game and they renamed Odsal 'Hockney Stadium' for one day, Bradford Bulls wouldn't receive quite a bit of associated positive publicity? Because they definitely would - and it would barely cost them or the game anything.

It's about not looking gift horses in the mouth. 

 

 

Yes, I'd gathered that from the other 100 comments mentioning that he's a Wolves fan from Warrington. I even know he's a fan of Leeds United. Maybe Elland Road is next (edit: Google tells me it's actually Man United lol)? Maybe they can name the new stadium after him for a day?

It's publicity for the dyed-in-the-wool RL fans to give kudos to whoever organised it, and to fantasise about what it could do for the game's image/popularity, when in reality it will be forgotten about by all as soon as it's over. 

I imagine the main beneficiary of it will be Mr Littler, who will presumably receive free tickets for the game. 

To be clear, I'm not rubbishing the idea. They can do what they like. My contention was that the people who think this is some great way of spreading the gospel will be sorely disappointed. I've been around sports long enough to know that such cross-promotions are a complete waste of time if your aim is to raise interest among an uninterested demographic. 

If you disagree, all good. It's not like it hasn't been thousands of times before with the exact same outcome each time. 

Edited February 8 by Father Gascoigne

[Wilderspoolmemories]

The Albert "you dirty old man" Steptoe stadium. With a stand named ' the Hercules stand'

Agggghhhhh......cobblers! 

[Damien]

 

 

[Dave T]

I thought the Littler stuff was done pretty well, Sky covered it nicely. Been really impressed with the coverage of these first couple of weeks so far 

[Damien]

3 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I thought the Littler stuff was done pretty well, Sky covered it nicely. Been really impressed with the coverage of these first couple of weeks so far 

Yeah I think I said previously that I'm not a fan of stuff like this and I find it a bit naff. It never really came across like that.

[Just Browny]

https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BAJeOn86Fq

Or

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15xvkHQ6q2/

 

 

[dkw]

On 21/02/2025 at 22:06, Dave T said:

I thought the Littler stuff was done pretty well, Sky covered it nicely. Been really impressed with the coverage of these first couple of weeks so far 

It's definitely an impact on social media, seen it all over the place with a lot of comments. I know its likely the algorithm at work but quite a lot of "first time watching RL" comments.

[Leeds Wire]

On 06/02/2025 at 10:16, M j M said:

I understand what the logic is with these things but it always strikes me as a bit desperate, trying to quite transparently piggyback off someone or thing more famous. I wonder how it's actually perceived by people.

The Super League GF programme always has these "famous person loves RL" articles, and most of the time they are relatively transparent. Similarly there was a piece with some soccer player on the Leeds website a couple of days ago. 

In short I just would prefer it if we made our own news with our own players. Luke Littler might own a news cycle for Warrington and maybe that's all that matters. But what it really suggests is the continued failure of the sport to create its own narratives.

Good grief.

You are so much better than that.

Have you not seen the publicity this has got? If this is "desperate", I'd love to see some positive and progressive RL marketing ideas....

[Leeds Wire]

On 06/02/2025 at 10:16, M j M said:

I understand what the logic is with these things but it always strikes me as a bit desperate, trying to quite transparently piggyback off someone or thing more famous. I wonder how it's actually perceived by people.

The Super League GF programme always has these "famous person loves RL" articles, and most of the time they are relatively transparent. Similarly there was a piece with some soccer player on the Leeds website a couple of days ago. 

In short I just would prefer it if we made our own news with our own players. Luke Littler might own a news cycle for Warrington and maybe that's all that matters. But what it really suggests is the continued failure of the sport to create its own narratives.

repost

Edited February 23 by Leeds Wire
repost

[Click]

14 hours ago, Just Browny said:

https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BAJeOn86Fq

Or

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15xvkHQ6q2/

 

 

Some RL fans are special aren't they - The amount of comments on that FB video that seem to think he is being serious is quite scary.