Small pit village club to top 6 Super League????? I'm not holding my breath. May just be too many egos involved!!!

Maybe so, but at least they appear to be ambitious and are making the right noises. If licensing remains, this time would be our best chance of making it to SL. We are by far the biggest club in tbe CC and have the biggest potential. But do the directors really want that? They say they do, but has the club grown in the back office since our last licence submission? We obviously have juniors now, but what about a CEO, a Marketing Manager, etc. This isn't in any way knocking the club for what they currently do and they have to be applauded for guiding the club to make a profit. But it wound be good to see the club progressing and growing off the field if they are being realistic about SL.

Good post and good analytical - tho definition of what makes a 'big club' is ambiguous, but either way Fax would compare on most facets.
Your comments about directors and their activity is key.
Craig Poskitt the CEO, Paul Taylor the Marketing gadgy, Mark Campbell, Daryl etc are never out of the media.
Whilst the YEP article and 'leaks' on social media/forums etc might have attracted some derision from some fans of other clubs (maybe with some concern because they see another club attracting significant opportunities?? - I know I would if it was roles reversed!!), - Nevertheless, Fev is hardly out of the media.
It directors and staff bang the drum at every opportunity 'bigging up' Fev whenever they can. It appears to be paying considerable dividend.
Are Fax's BoD/staff as prominent? Would you swap places - genuine question?

Of course we might well just not get a licence and Fax might get one. In which case I'll sulk and mornge for a month or so, bang on about the injustice of it all then prep for another game in the CC!!!!

The bit for me in all this is that Fev are putting themselves in the shop window, attracting investment and marketing themselves as well as sustaining a winning "consistent" side.

I applaud our directors for what they have done but I would be a liar if I didn't admit to being slightly jealous of the position Fev find themselves in currently. If it was a two horse race and based on consistency and back office set up then Fev win hands down.

As a club we have been quite stagnant for some time and we appear to resisting further squad improvements as we have already "ticked" the box similar to Widnes did but not quite on the same scale. This worries me as it won't attract new fans to The Shay.

The marketing, the new ground improvements, success on the pitch that Fev are experiencing right now plus all the positives coming out of the club just might attract new or lapsed fans back through the turnstiles. I do think we are some way behind Fev and considering how long we have been in this league now and planning for SL it is a little worrying just how stagnant we have been (taking into consideration crowds, consistency etc on the field). Remember we have won the odd thing but have NEVER been crowned League Leaders, beaten a SL side etc etc...

Remember it isn't that long ago that Fev were getting tanked every week in this league and got relegated. What they have done on the pitch and behind the scenes since coming up is superb and I applaud them.

I just hope this serves as a carrot for us to try compete and I hope we do as we can learn a few things from Fev in my opinion.

They're not the best team outside SL. They choke.

Putting that aside, this is great news for Championship RL and if he puts his money where his mouth is and Fev reach the dizzy heights then it will be an example of what structured investment can do for a Championship club and may encourage others to invest in the same way instead of going for broke with a sickly SL club. I am heartily pleased with this news - so long as the guy follows through.

Paul Taylor is never out of the clubs & pubs of the Fev/Cas/Ponte district darts and doms league either according to his midweek evening postings on FB LOL.

Listen, if Fev or any other club outside of SL ( including our beloved blue & whites of Halifax ) can make a fist of it & have a go in the promised land why shouldn't they ?
Good luck to them if it all comes off & they do get hoisted and can sustain it. I won't decry the work our club have done on or off the field over the last few years, cos the people involved who I know & know well have worked their backsides off for the cause despite many many knockbacks & post-moving exercises by the RFL.
I honestly believe that the SL era hasn't been good to Halifax RLFC & I base it on three major factors:

1. The fact that we had to leave Thrum Hall & time has proved to me that we had to go along with that decision, like it or not but it cost us a lot of our fanbase combined with the summertime schedule of matches.

2. Previous people running our club making some horrendous business decisions.

3. The bitter taste in all of our mouths at Halifax & it's connections at the rejection and let down we felt at being booted out of SL.

My third point is echoed in almost every topic we discuss on this forum with our jibes at the RFL or some of it's individuals personally, their actions, lack of support for us ( the points deduction was a genuine pi$$ take in my opinion ) but their insistance on retaining certain other SL member clubs at any cost, literally. The fact that we were bullied into leaving Thrum Hall while other clubs have hung in there with stadia that to this day are in worse nick than what a decent amount of stadia outside SL operate & function at is ridiculous, we all know which current grounds are rubbish. The expansion mantra will be shown to be the sick joke that it has always been if another West Yorkshire club were to be admitted, but as I say good luck to anyone who can crack the code to the thing that we called the "drawbridge". That thing that was going to be non-admittance to all outsiders which we all believed was what was going to be. BUT, if Fev do get in, & I believe they will at some point sooner rather than later
( maybe we'll go with them, who knows ? ) won't that give further hope for the ambitious clubs amongst us who remain ? Let's put it this way, the stories we all hear & discuss about SL clubs' financial situations, either there would have to be some form of re-structure or the RFL will end up buying all of the stricken clubs' stadiums & saving their asses to remain elite & we all know that isn't going to happen cos they can't run their own house nevermind everyone elses !

www.featherstonerovers.net/article.php?id=10205

www.featherstonerovers.net/article.php?id=10205

We have been there and done it as far as Feisal is concerned and all we all know how that went but no I wouldnt swap places and arnt actually bothered about us getting a place in SL. Its not like we could compete with the tops teams so Im happy staying in this league and been the most successful team in finals over the recent years.

Is Mr N still sponsor for the world club challange? Maybe he'd be up for Super Duper League or Challenge Cup (still without a sponsor), Nigel Wood you heard it here 1st. haha. I also heard that Fev were moving into the new stadium that Wakefield Tigers were gunna have!

Didnt he already try and negotiate with the RFL before the last sponsorship deal but rumour has it even the RFL didnt believe his promises.

so all that means that they are guaranteed a place in SL next time the franchises are up then?!

Maybe they're wasting their time knocking down the railway end terracing & erecting their new stand currently if what you hear is correct.....

If the rumours turn out to be correct and it ends up as 2 teams of 10 where does this leave Widnes plus Fev would be staying where they are . So then guys if you were picking the first team of ten who would they be?

Wigan
Saints
Leeds
Warrington
Hull
Catalans
Bradford
Huddersfield
Hull K R
Castleford

I agree, but wouldn't SL2 be a great league!

If we end up with the 2 x 10 league which I think is a possibility your right we would stop where we are but looking at it S/L. 2 would be very good stronger than the championship is now and I think it could end up been a very interesting league with potentially more fans watching

That's why it has to happen. Only sticking point is not enough games.

Could always reinstate the county cups and maybe something along the lines of the old Regal/JPS Trophy

Yes take back the old League Cup that was given to Wigan and is sat there languishing in their trophy cabinet just because they won it a few times

So fun time at the bottom of SL2, potential relegation, bring it on

County cups won't happen - it's exactly the image the RFL is trying to get away from.

Second cup competition ? Personally, I'd like it but knock-out gates don't encourage it.

Arn't they still struggling to get a sponsor for The Challenge Cup and Super League, so another cup comp seems a non starter to me. Well done Rimmer and Woods

Easy to criticise but we don't operate in a bubble. Times in the real business world are tough.

@thegamecaller tweeted yesterday that the challenge cup sponsor had been sorted, but no mention of who it is.

new sponsors for all competitions to be announced very soon i hear.