Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Wed Sep 01, 2010 1:34 pm  

best new poster wrote:

record numbers of schools teams playing in london great this is all down to harliquins ?
give me a break if this was the case harliquins would be 10,000 every week.

Erm, interesting logic there. You forget that London isn't Cas, you can't just nip down to the game. Kids have parents and Quins isn't the easiest place to get to if you're a 10-year-old in Dalston. If the parents aren't interested in or can't afford the tickets to games, then the kids aren't going to get there.

Not that I think it's all down to Harlequins, but their work in London schools is excellent and part of the wider scheme to spread RL in London. Also, having a SL team in London helps to break the notion that it's a purely northern sport. In the eyes of people brought up in London, nowhere else exists, so it helps educate them about the game if there's a team for their city.

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:17 pm  

Well Quins are safe if Eddie has anything to do with it (Re Boots n All)
Each of the 13 clubs in the league with them pay £100,000 and have a stake in them financially.....Bring back Stevo!!
And in one breath congratulates TM for the job he is doing with the money he has then says every club should spend up to the full cap, I got the feeling he meant should be made to..

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:36 pm  

waltontiger wrote:

Well Quins are safe if Eddie has anything to do with it (Re Boots n All)
Each of the 13 clubs in the league with them pay £100,000 and have a stake in them financially.....Bring back Stevo!!
And in one breath congratulates TM for the job he is doing with the money he has then says every club should spend up to the full cap, I got the feeling he meant should be made to..

They've been sniffing the glue bag, so every club has a stake in a loss maker, yeah great idea

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Thu Sep 02, 2010 4:55 pm  

I'm confused. My nephew is a Cas fan living in Slough and has no problem getting to the Stoop, I myself live nearly twenty miles away from Cas and would have to catch three buses to get to matches. Although if i didn't have transport i would get there even though my son is in a wheelchair. If someone is interested enough in the game they would get to games. Simple as.

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:00 pm  

javachick wrote:

I'm confused. My nephew is a Cas fan living in Slough and has no problem getting to the Stoop, I myself live nearly twenty miles away from Cas and would have to catch three buses to get to matches. Although if i didn't have transport i would get there even though my son is in a wheelchair. If someone is interested enough in the game they would get to games. Simple as.

Mebbe part of the RFL financial aid is a free season ticket for public transport for all quins supporters , they keep telling us its dearer to live there and they want the salary cap lifting in London.
That would be so RFL allowing a club with no cash to spend more on players than the rest of us.
It just gets wierder

Taxi for Mr Lewis

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Fri Sep 03, 2010 12:35 am  

ambernotyeller wrote:

Mebbe part of the RFL financial aid is a free season ticket for public transport for all quins supporters , they keep telling us its dearer to live there and they want the salary cap lifting in London.
That would be so RFL allowing a club with no cash to spend more on players than the rest of us.
It just gets wierder

Taxi for Mr Lewis

Well said

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:49 am  

Lets for arguments sake say that there is a modest amateur RL scene.... somewhere in London. OK! The players young and old within this amateur scene aren't overlly bothered about watching the Superleague team of London...the Quins. This is refelected in the Quinns attendances both home and away. (Let's not beat the drum saying that it's too far for these fans to travel across London....because as the RFL spreads the game, travel is becoming an issue to everyone, not just the Quinns.)

So, the question has to be.....if the Quinns were to fold, would it damage the amateur scene in the London area? Well from their own lack of committment and effort in attending Quinns game to ensure the survival...it would seem that not enough of them are bothered at all about the Quinns survival!

So if it comes down to a crunch decision, perhaps the amateur scene of London just enjoy playing the game, at their own level for keep fit, stress relief team sports etc etc....and the existence of a top flight team in London or not wouldn't have any effect at all on their enjoyment or participation in the game!

So is the existence of the Quinns essential to the survival of the London RL amateur scene? As demonstrated by their turnstyles it would appear not! Are the amateur player young and old going to stop playing if their isn't a big team for them to again 'Not' follow? I'd guess not!

So other than for SKY's own reasons, why do we...or London need the Quinns?

Perhaps we should just accept that London has a modest amateur and Junior scene, but it's not cut out for top flight!

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:24 pm  

Gotta love this thread
The Club I support know full well where they need to improve and so do the supporters. Our crowds are terrible and as a direct result of that, our chairman is picking up the bill every year (and long may it continue) As a result of this failure to attract fans we have long been the subject of "conspiracy theorists" along the M62 corridor, but these people have never provided any proof that the RFL were bailing the club out or providing any financial support. Harlequins Rugby League have NO DEBTS.....at all. They are reliant on 1 man, which isn't good, but they are financially secure (for now)

Now, the chairman, who owned 35% of the club but was footing 100% of the bill asked the RFL to clear up the mess created when the majority shareholder was allowed to buy Wigan....and immediately the 'conspiracy theorists' are out in full claiming bail outs....but again, with not one shred of evidence.
When these people then question the spread of the game in London, they are again put back in their place with statistics and proof of the level of participation in the south east........but still they come back with more unsubstantiated claims of bail outs or reminders of how terrible our crowds are.
L. McCarthy-Scarsbrook was 9 years old when SL started......he is now a cockney England international on his way to play for one of the big 4 clubs. The other 12 cockneys who have run out for the club this year were all between 9 and 5 years old when SL started......they are the tip of the iceberg. Rome wasn't built in a day...........it takes time to get these kids through, but London RL is starting to produce RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS....not Union converts. That's 13 lads, playing in the top UK league who would never have played the game if it wasn't for London Broncos being invited to Superleague......simple fact...but quite important.

What the conspiracy theorists fail to take on board is that you can't expect a team to suddenly be packed with local talent after 2 years of SL. Before SL, there was little or no amateur set up in the area.....and the work done by the community teams over the years since 1996 is the main reason that there are 25 amateur clubs in the area...the main reason there are 1,600 registered adult players....and guess who paid for all ths community work? Tell you what, it sure as hell wasn't the RFL.

I wish Castleford every success in 2011 and onwards. I like your ground as it is, but alas, all the clubs bought into the franchise thing and therefore, it needs to go, but I sincerely hope that you get everything sorted in time to get another 3 years. Your fans (in the main) are always welcoming and warm hearted and I think it would be a shame if your club was to be ejected......but threads like this one and some of the comments regarding quins really do you no favours.

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:13 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Gotta love this thread
The Club I support know full well where they need to improve and so do the supporters. Our crowds are terrible and as a direct result of that, our chairman is picking up the bill every year (and long may it continue) As a result of this failure to attract fans we have long been the subject of "conspiracy theorists" along the M62 corridor, but these people have never provided any proof that the RFL were bailing the club out or providing any financial support. Harlequins Rugby League have NO DEBTS.....at all. They are reliant on 1 man, which isn't good, but they are financially secure (for now)

Now, the chairman, who owned 35% of the club but was footing 100% of the bill asked the RFL to clear up the mess created when the majority shareholder was allowed to buy Wigan....and immediately the 'conspiracy theorists' are out in full claiming bail outs....but again, with not one shred of evidence.
When these people then question the spread of the game in London, they are again put back in their place with statistics and proof of the level of participation in the south east........but still they come back with more unsubstantiated claims of bail outs or reminders of how terrible our crowds are.
L. McCarthy-Scarsbrook was 9 years old when SL started......he is now a cockney England international on his way to play for one of the big 4 clubs. The other 12 cockneys who have run out for the club this year were all between 9 and 5 years old when SL started......they are the tip of the iceberg. Rome wasn't built in a day...........it takes time to get these kids through, but London RL is starting to produce RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS....not Union converts. That's 13 lads, playing in the top UK league who would never have played the game if it wasn't for London Broncos being invited to Superleague......simple fact...but quite important.

What the conspiracy theorists fail to take on board is that you can't expect a team to suddenly be packed with local talent after 2 years of SL. Before SL, there was little or no amateur set up in the area.....and the work done by the community teams over the years since 1996 is the main reason that there are 25 amateur clubs in the area...the main reason there are 1,600 registered adult players....and guess who paid for all ths community work? Tell you what, it sure as hell wasn't the RFL.

I wish Castleford every success in 2011 and onwards. I like your ground as it is, but alas, all the clubs bought into the franchise thing and therefore, it needs to go, but I sincerely hope that you get everything sorted in time to get another 3 years. Your fans (in the main) are always welcoming and warm hearted and I think it would be a shame if your club was to be ejected......but threads like this one and some of the comments regarding quins really do you no favours.

Well said, this is why it is vital to keep Quins/Broncos/Crusaders/Fulham in SL. They need to set some propper roots down in a place that isn't ridiculously difficult to get to. I remember talking to a quins fan at a match, he told me it is easier for him to go to away matches than home (He lived in North London.
Couple that with some propper marketing, and a half decent team (Look how Bradfords gates have dropped) and they would be on to a winner.

Re: Harelequins RL ask RFL for assistance : Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:30 am  

gutterfax wrote:

I wish Castleford every success in 2011 and onwards. I like your ground as it is, but alas, all the clubs bought into the franchise thing and therefore, it needs to go, but I sincerely hope that you get everything sorted in time to get another 3 years. Your fans (in the main) are always welcoming and warm hearted and I think it would be a shame if your club was to be ejected......but threads like this one and some of the comments regarding quins really do you no favours.

Two things worth bearing in mind:

1) Not all Cas fans hate London or expansionism.
2) Other 'northern' clubs have just as many parochial fans as we do. Often more...

As a Cas fan living down south I'm very pro London. If nothing else it's a relatively easy away game to get to each year, but I also see the huge benefit of a top flight pro side in the capital. Having said that, stereotypes work both ways: Cas has about as many flat cap wearing, whippet walking nay-sayers as Quins have saveloy munching pearly kings and queens in regular attendance. Expansion of the game is a good thing, undoubtedly, but in the main what people simply want to assert is that you don't kill the roots to spread the tree. Carefully managed, the game can grow in an inclusive way without sacrificing parts of itself along the way.