I know it is not the fans decision but how do we all feel about us being part time again next season having to compete against FT colleagues and he FT SL sides IF we make the top 4 again. Fev and co will also be sniffing around 4th spot so that will be so tough again...

Yeah we smashed a FT London and edged out a FT Sadfud however enthusiasm and grit takes you only so far, take yesterday as a case in point.

I am v v happy with our progress but how can Sheff sustain FT on such pitiful crowds and should we bite the bullet and go FT?

RM will no doubt trim off the peripheral players and strengthen next yr but the nagging doubt of PT and its limitations surely remains?

Think we'll have to live with it for at least another season it's already been confirmed for next season.I was worried that the two recent gallant efforts would take their toll yesterday and second half we were woefull.I like the concept of the 8s but think year on year tweeks are needed to level up the competition.I'd start with the championship clubs play 4 at home not 3 and the money differentials draw closer year on year.

If we went full time would that mean losing some of our better players and having to replace them with poor full time SL dropouts? Obviously we don't know at this time but it could impact the squad as well as the positive ethos RM has built this year.
I'm sure if the club and Richard felt we needed to be full time then they would look to go that way but they have decided to build the club on a solid foundation and not sand, take a look at Salford, not a pretty situation so I tryst the guys at the top though only time will tell.

Are you for real?Of course we should go FT ,it is important to keep up with our competitors ,Sheffield have very good sponsors and investors which enable them to do this ,they don't need big crowds,fans like you really get my goat,don't knock other teams , they don't matter, cheer Fax .COYF.

I fully back the decision to stay part time. I've not noticed a difference in fitness levels & a reserve grade will offer a natural progression for our youngsters to develop.
Grow the club commercially & turn FT when we can afford it rather than gamble.
1 great season in 1998 wasn't worth 2 CVA's, annual bucket collections & that final super league season

Steady on, the guy only posed the question and gave a few pro's and con's. Why have a go at him??
And to then remark that fans like him really get your goat is ridiculous!! He started a debate, a very topical debate. One where there are numerous opinions!!!

What's wrong with commenting about Sheffield and how they can manage FT with their crowds?? 850 at keepmoat yesterday and I'd say atleast 500 Halifax!!! So surely we can discuss the subject of how can they survive on those numbers??
Or should we all bow to your obviously better judgement??
People have different opinions, different views!!! Live with it!!!

Nil Desperandum folks, yesterday was dissapointing but in the context of the last 10 or 11 games it shouldn't warrant any knee jerk reactions. Let's stay the course, think long term and get the foundations in. If you think where we've come in 12 months it's staggering.

Keep smiling and let's have a crack at Salford.

UTFAX

As said above, no nee to panic, the Seagulls finished above us in the league, as did everybody else in this league and though frustrating we are in the the situation most probably thought we would be. To be honest with 6 games to go who thought we would even be in this league?

Onwards and upwards and part-time, we've done well this year so let's see what another year with RM at the helm and a full pre-season with more of his own players brings us.

Still 4 or 5 games to go this year yet.

UTFAX!

The board don't want to go full time, Richard Marshall doesn't want to go full time.
Sheffield may have the money to, perhaps they have bigger sponsors than we do, but every one who matters at our great club say "not yet"
That's good enough for me.
Think about it Halifax isn't Richards club for life, but he (in my humble opinion) wants to show that he can build success, a reserve, under 20's under 23's whatever the RFL allow us to have is that way. The board and Richard Marshall don't think money spent on full time is the answer.

Full time is needed to challenge for top 4 again. Can't see London been crap again then Leigh Bradford or Bradford Salford either way that's two full time teams and Sheffield. Them four will be most likely to get the spots next season. We got lucky this year with Fev and London messing up.

Gotta be honest in that I agree with your logic. Most of us were surprised that we landed 4th against the odds. Can we expect the lads to bust their guts next year the same way they have this time? AI also think intensity and psychology play a big part in the intensity applied when you consider the result v Widnes compared with Sheff away?

We all want what is best and not to go for broke but this could be a critical decision unless the club have accepted that 2016 is going to be another consolidation season and of course further SL exile???

Cheers Stan!

No really sure why Mr Jagger's daggers are out for me but I will chalk it off as being passion.

Is it a case of once-bitten with Halifax, for both football and rugby clubs creating paralysis-by-analysis? Sure we need to exercise caution but we also need to be bold if we are to return to the promised land? Someone mentioned that RM may not choose Fax as his life-club so I would rather we had a good stab while he is still here.

UTF! - literally ideally.....

Just an aside but in terms of off the field success, I know this was not to everybody's taste but look back at rise of Bradford in their most recent pomp. Mostly driven by Peter Deakin - a time when every car in five seemed to have a woolly bully in the rear window and most local 4x4s had those sickening Bulls tyre covers! It was in yer face and pretty much fait accompli in terms of Fax v Bulls arm-wrestling for fans - result, anyone north of Boothtown sliding off to Odsal? www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 44658.html Food for thought and perhaps some lessons to be learned from history?

Just an aside but in terms of off the field success, I know this was not to everybody's taste but look back at rise of Bradford in their most recent pomp. Mostly driven by Peter Deakin - a time when every car in five seemed to have a woolly bully in the rear window and most local 4x4s had those sickening Bulls tyre covers! It was in yer face and pretty much fait accompli in terms of Fax v Bulls arm-wrestling for fans - result, anyone north of Boothtown sliding off to Odsal? www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 44658.html Food for thought and perhaps some lessons to be learned from history?

I sat with Peter Deakin going to a CC semi- final at Hudds, his enthusiasm was evident to see and even as a Fax fan I have to say I was massively impressed with his vision and what he had already achieved. I said to him at the time that I felt the biggest mistake made at Fax was naming is Blue Sox as it was pretty much unmarketable in this area, he agreed.
What name would have worked, not sure, but Bulls sure as hell did for that time period.

I wasn't having a go at you personally , sometimes Fax folk get so negative ,I think going full time is a must yet fans like Halifaxjohnny ,seem to be ready to accept 2nd best,we must be up there with the likes of Leigh and Bradford to compete, never settle for second best, next season will be harder than this year so we must be ready.

Quote ="Encouraged"Just an aside but in terms of off the field success, I know this was not to everybody's taste but look back at rise of Bradford in their most recent pomp. Mostly driven by Peter Deakin - a time when every car in five seemed to have a woolly bully in the rear window and most local 4x4s had those sickening Bulls tyre covers! It was in yer face and pretty much fait accompli in terms of Fax v Bulls arm-wrestling for fans - result, anyone north of Boothtown sliding off to Odsal? www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 44658.html Food for thought and perhaps some lessons to be learned from history?'" It wasn't mostly driven by Peter Deakin at all. Chris Caisley saw the potential impact of the Sky money and invested it in Brian Smith and a nearly new team. At the heart of that was a kid with boyband looks who brought legions of young girls (all in shirts with Robbie on them) to the ground for the first time ever. His emergence as a class player at the 96 CC semi-final was a pivotal moment. Deakin was innovative and important but as he states he was given a budget to work with. You can't market rubbish. Secondly, we weren't moribund, we'd put up as a good a fist as anyone through the Wigan years getting beat in semi-finals and finishing 2nd in the league once and had a core support of 5-6k throughout the 80s. There was a solid base to build on.

Quote ="Encouraged"Just an aside but in terms of off the field success, I know this was not to everybody's taste but look back at rise of Bradford in their most recent pomp. Mostly driven by Peter Deakin - a time when every car in five seemed to have a woolly bully in the rear window and most local 4x4s had those sickening Bulls tyre covers! It was in yer face and pretty much fait accompli in terms of Fax v Bulls arm-wrestling for fans - result, anyone north of Boothtown sliding off to Odsal? www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 44658.html Food for thought and perhaps some lessons to be learned from history?'" It wasn't mostly driven by Peter Deakin at all. Chris Caisley saw the potential impact of the Sky money and invested it in Brian Smith and a nearly new team. At the heart of that was a kid with boyband looks who brought legions of young girls (all in shirts with Robbie on them) to the ground for the first time ever. His emergence as a class player at the 96 CC semi-final was a pivotal moment. Deakin was innovative and important but as he states he was given a budget to work with. You can't market rubbish. Secondly, we weren't moribund, we'd put up as a good a fist as anyone through the Wigan years getting beat in semi-finals and finishing 2nd in the league once and had a core support of 5-6k throughout the 80s. There was a solid base to build on.

Interesting stuff and thanks for adding.

You're welcome. However, your tag line suggests you're under a misapprehension that Deakin 'stole' Halifax fans. What in actual fact he did was he looked at the new scenario - pin up star + summer rugby and saw a massive untapped demographic in the 6 to 14 year olds who had previously found RL cold and miserable. The vast majority had never watched RL before EVER but as awful as we have been and all the negative headlines etc we can still take 3000 to Blackpool and draw 9k to a dead rubber against Leigh.

Much like your period with Eadie and Anderson it was built on a very good team on the park and trips to Wembley. If a David Brook arrived, invested in a full time squad who topped the table and pushed for promotion you'd play to 5/6/7k again. Leigh have proved this and their crowd has a lot of teenagers in it who relate to the players in a way that football no longer allows.

I honestly believe that we'll see the playing field level out & calm down over next few seasons.
Fev, Leigh & Bradford have gone or bust. We've heard Fev rumours, Bradford have gone public about trimming their squad. It'll be interesting what Leigh do if they don't succeed.
Then you have London. They're not gonna survive on crowds of a few hundred unless they go part time.
Potentially, coming down we have permantly skint Wakefield or the mess that is Salford who with Koukash will stay full time but have his interference + mystery illnesses + contract disputes + 3 coaches a season or without him will have to cut costs drastically.
Nothing to fear part time, build the commercial side & go Full time when we're ready

I don't think not wanting to go full time (this year) is settling for second best.
If I am to be accused of that then so are the board and management and I don't think anyone could accuse them of negativity.
I will go back to, I forget now what year it was when I and four others sat in a cafe in Toulouse with a Director and a stalwart member of our wonderful volunteers.
The RFL in their infinite wisdom had "asked" us to apply for a place in Super League.
The Club at the time pondered the fact that at that stage it might be a bridge too far, the funding was a problem. However to refuse might close the door for ever.
Application was made and Widnes got in.
I am not privy to anything else, only that discussion in Toulouse, but I firmly believe the club were a little releaved
This wasn't settling for second best, it was a realisation that Super League at that time could ruin Fax.
We were not ready.
In my very humble opinion going full time at the present is not the answer. We have a progressive board a brilliant up and coming coach and some very good players.
Let's give it another year to build on this years success, a success that some of us didn't believe possible half way through the season.
We are not ready for full time, Yet.
As I say it is only my humble opinion, but if that is settling for second best then I am guilty.

I agree.

Bit you neglected to mention is that Bradford are reducing the size of the squad whilst still spending full cap. Not a cost cutting exercise more a case of increasing the quality at expense of quantity.

As much as I hate what Bradford did, and they did steal our support, the second half of your post is correct. Grove, shudds.Salopian Kashmir 5.5 % Mmm!

Some interesting views.

The Board have a long term costed plan, I applaud them for this approach.

I would imagine if funds became available sooner then the plans could be brought forward.

But.... I'm pretty certain more players will in effect be offered full time contracts going forward so this notion that part time means everyone is part time is probably not correct and is slightly misleading.

I seem to remember a previous full time only policy cost us the services of Mark Preston, so we should remember full time for the sake of it may not necessarily produce a stronger team over night, and may not suit some of our players at this moment in time.

I think Halifaxjohn (who I don't always agree with) correctly said the board and RM had chosen this path, and they have got us this far, so I am inclined to trust their judgement as they will be privy to income, costs and the circumstances of the players, do we really want to push out (for instance) players like Ross Divorty (a teacher) because it may not be financially viable at our current financial status to go full time.

If however 12 months down the line, sponsorship, crowds and income continues to increase then it may make more sense, and we may be in a better position to help players go full time and keep and attract the right players.

To Mr Jagger, don't be so hasty

Agreed with the above, I also believe Miles is in the teacher boat as well though I'd also think that some of our squad are effectively full time, though I have no evidence to back that up.
Also, we may actually pick up some quality part-timers from some off the FT clubs, if they fit RM's plans.