Well folks, surprise surprise ....

The London away game due for a 15.00 on the 12th June has been changed to a 17.00 kick off according to the Leeds and London websites.

- This SHAFTS any fans wanting to watch the game by going to the capital by train and destroys any bookings already made. To get any sort of cheap ticket and make a day of it, those train tickets come on offer around 12 weeks before the game. It is now virtually impossible to get back from The Stoop to Kings Cross in time for the last train to Leeds at 20.00 on the Saturday nights.

- This is about the 3rd year in a row when this fixture has been messed about about on a Saturday. Why ?

- If the worst comes to the worst, why wasn't it scheduled for a Sunday afternoon (it's actually easier to get / from on the train than a Saturday game) and trains run far later on a Sunday night than they do on Saturday evenings.

- Some fans don't want to spend hours cramped up on the club coach and prefer the mobility to get up walk around or have a coffee when they feel like it that the train brings.

- Some fans don't want to be ripped off by the excessive pricing of 'official' club travel packages

- Some fans might want to make a day of it in London, taking in some of the sights or seeing friends, whilst watching the game later in the day. After all, I was under this strange impression that we were some sort of family sport ...

- Some fans might want the occasional alcoholic beverage, a simple pleasure that is denied whilst going on a coach. I'm not talking an all day bender, I'm talking a few civil pints.

- It's faster on the train than going by coach.

- Even by kicking the game off at 16.00, fans would still be able to make it back for the last train and I wouldn't be on here venting my spleen.

- If there was some form of compensation scheme to refund travel tickets (that aren't refundable themselves) bought in good faith by fans, which are then subsequently messed about by television.

- Just change the website and hey, stuff the paying customer at the end of the day ....

I understand that the sport needs the oxygen of publicity that Sky TV brings, but really given the large distances and high cost of getting to London in these tight economic times, shouldn't games from teams in the north be treated in the same way that the Catalan games are and not changed well after the majority of the regular fans have made the travel arrangements and paid their hard earned dough to acheive it ?

As you might be able to tell, I'm getting a little p**sed off by being treated like dirt by this sport. There was a time not very long ago when I'd like to have seen London be a sucessful outfit, but now frankly, why should I bother caring or at the very worst getting off my backside and supporting the game for real at the sharp end (or at all for that matter ?) simply because of the way I am being treated. In case the complacent RFL haven't noticed, the entertainment pound is hard-fought over these days and why should it bother being invested in a sport that clearly couldn't care less about the change or the people that bother to support the sport at the end of the day. If I buy tickets for something like a gig or a play, rarely do I have those times and dates messed around on a whim shortly before the event is due to take place, so simply, next time why don't I go spend my cash in that direction and let rugby league wither on the vine ? (Like the Magic Weekend's healthy increase in crowds again this year ... Not)

Maybe we should all put the collective nail in the London coffin and just boycott the fixture, either this season or from next year onwards ... That way the rugby authorities can play the game when they like (at 3am in the morning, probably to attract the massive television audience in the Maldives or some such excuse) and it won't affect us. I'm sure the TV paymasters could cover the shortfall that several thousand missing Loiners would bring, although replacing our atmosphere might prove more of a technical challenge.

To throw salt in to an already open wound, this change hasn't bothered being mentioned on either the Leeds website or the London one (indeed, the Blackpool match programme still has the game listed at 15.00) given some semblence of an excuse for the change. If you're going to change it, don't just sneak it on to the website and hope no-one notices ... How about some form of formal announcement and then change the website ?

I hope I am wrong in terms of the fixture scheduling, but I suspect not. Once upon a time, fans via this forum used to be able to question club officials about various decisions and why they were made. It might be interesting for them (London included) to come on here and justify the position and perhaps explain why they spinlessly roll over for fixtures like this, without defending the fans interests with so much as a whimper ....

The alternative is simple. Be honest with the fans and admit that frankly you'd rather not have the hassle of us actually turning it and watching the game in person. That way, we'd all know where we stand and we can go on and do other things with our lives and the current large proportion of our time that is fixed on rugby at the moment can be slimmed down and spent doing something more positive and we'll all watch the games as some detached observer from the comfort of our own homes. Just let us know and we'll do the rest.

If you don't go to the game you will watch it ontelly . Sky can't lose .

Personally it is the one away game I won't miss . It is a great day out .
If I could only attend one away game this season it would be Quins .

Its been changed like this for a while now, its a double header with York City Knights vs London Scholars, www.league.quins.co.uk/news/10919.php Surely this game wont be on Sky, that will mean Leeds would have been on 4 times in 4 weeks (Bradford away, Wigan home (cup BBC), Wakefield home, Quins away)

Its been changed like this for a while now, its a double header with York City Knights vs London Scholars, www.league.quins.co.uk/news/10919.php Surely this game wont be on Sky, that will mean Leeds would have been on 4 times in 4 weeks (Bradford away, Wigan home (cup BBC), Wakefield home, Quins away)

I feel the same, it is one of the first (along with Catalans) fixtures that I look at first on the list when it comes out each season.

You miss the point that by playing it at 5pm, fans who want to use the train to watch the game in London (and there are many) and more importantly those who have already booked their train tickets in anticipation of this game are YET AGAIN facing losses on tickets that they can no longer use.

The last train to Leeds on a Saturday night is 8pm. (during the week the last one back in actually 11.30pm)

I know several people, like myself, who have shown support for the game and got train tickets in good time (and at a reasonable cost) who face an expensive alternative for the sake of an hour. This is the 3rd season in a row that this game has been mucked about with and frankly, enough is enough.

The game has always been scheduled for 15.00 with the Skolars game before it.

Why does the Blackpool programme from last Friday have the game down as a 3pm start ?

Quote ="AdmiralHanson"The game has always been scheduled for 15.00 with the Skolars game before it. Why does the Blackpool programme from last Friday have the game down as a 3pm start ?'" I dont know but that article is from 15 December 2009, and as it says on the article, 2.30PM KO for Scholars, and 5PM for Quins vs Rhinos so its been planned long before the season started. Quote =" www.league.quins.co.uk/news/10919.php"After the completion of the community fixtures at various venues in the region, London Skolars will begin proceedings with their Cooperative Championship 1 fixture against York City Knights at 2.30pm, before Harlequins play their engage Super League fixture against reigning champions Leeds Rhinos at 5pm. The day promises to an epic one for sports fans who, after the Quins RL game, can watch England’s World Cup group game against the USA on big screens in the bars. '"

Quote ="AdmiralHanson"The game has always been scheduled for 15.00 with the Skolars game before it. Why does the Blackpool programme from last Friday have the game down as a 3pm start ?'" I dont know but that article is from 15 December 2009, and as it says on the article, 2.30PM KO for Scholars, and 5PM for Quins vs Rhinos so its been planned long before the season started. Quote =" www.league.quins.co.uk/news/10919.php"After the completion of the community fixtures at various venues in the region, London Skolars will begin proceedings with their Cooperative Championship 1 fixture against York City Knights at 2.30pm, before Harlequins play their engage Super League fixture against reigning champions Leeds Rhinos at 5pm. The day promises to an epic one for sports fans who, after the Quins RL game, can watch England’s World Cup group game against the USA on big screens in the bars. '"

The games been planned like that for ages dude, the Skolars York game is on before it.

EDIT- I see I haven't said owt new here, as you were...

there clearly is an issue with wrong information somewhere, and a slow updating of wrong information

I think you know that the RFL dont consider train cusiomers in their plans (dont tell Northern Rail as they may stop their sponsorship)

If its happened to you in the past I'm surprised that you booked the train tickets again on the vague hope that it might not be changed again this season (when in fact it had already been changed).

Quote ="Frosties."Its been changed like this for a while now, its a double header with York City Knights vs London Scholars, www.league.quins.co.uk/news/10919.php Surely this game wont be on Sky, that will mean Leeds would have been on 4 times in 4 weeks (Bradford away, Wigan home (cup BBC), Wakefield home, Quins away)'" BBC and Sky schedules are completely different and although we may be on t.v V Quinns it counts as the HOME teams t.v. Fixture.

Quote ="Frosties."Its been changed like this for a while now, its a double header with York City Knights vs London Scholars, www.league.quins.co.uk/news/10919.php Surely this game wont be on Sky, that will mean Leeds would have been on 4 times in 4 weeks (Bradford away, Wigan home (cup BBC), Wakefield home, Quins away)'" BBC and Sky schedules are completely different and although we may be on t.v V Quinns it counts as the HOME teams t.v. Fixture.

will it be on Sky, isn't England v France that day at same time?

I am most surprised that you have been unaware how long this kick off time has been established.
I would summise that as so many have mentioned they were aware of it you must be a tad shocked.
But i do agree that while we are particularily lucky to always have this fixture in June its a great day/weekend outing....

if all you have to worry about is a changed fixture and train times you must live a very easy life

I hear your frustration.

Not fun for you.

Bet you feel better with the boat load of sympathy you have received.

There's evidence here that you havent been paying attention (i may be wrong because I havent been paying attention either) but either way I'm not sure why you are surprised.

Can i add the following...
The SKY TV schedule promotion which was published online and in League Express made a point of itemising the schedule that match selection was based on.
The first 'part' of the season was announced at the season start and the balance was shown to be selected with a nominal ONE MONTH notice .
For the balance of the season the selection process looks like this........

Round 15 Selections by April 21
Round 16 Selections by May 5
Round 17 Selections by May 12
Round 18 Selections by May 19
Round 19 Selections by May 26
Round 20 Selections by June 2
Round 21 Selections by June 9
Round 22 Selections by June 28
Round 23 Selections by July 5
Round 24 Selections by July 12
Round 25 Selections by August 2
Round 26 Selections by August 9
Round 27 Selections by August 22

At this moment for the purpose of this discussion the Quins/Rhinos match which is in ROUND 17 can be selected for broadcast at the latest BY MAY 12th (tomorrow).So as things stand no-one has done anything wrong or surprising.
Coincidently on JUNE 6th Sky have on schedule their HOME match versus Crusaders for a Sunday 5.45pm kickoff.Conjecture would be showing Quins on TWO consecutive HOME matches


These are the fixtures for that weekend......
Fri 11 Jun
Hull FC v Salford City Reds
Fri 11 Jun
St. Helens v Huddersfield Giants
Sat 12 Jun
Harlequins RL v Leeds Rhinos......***Ko at 3pm on SL website

***

Sat 12 Jun
Crusaders RL v Bradford Bulls
Sun 13 Jun
Castleford Tigers v Catalans Dragons
Sun 13 Jun
Wakefield Wildcats v Wigan Warriors
Sun 13 Jun
Warrington Wolves v Hull Kingston Rovers

At this moment in time SKY have published their schedule in line with that agreement and we are on versus Wakey on June 4th.Both club websites show the correct current kickoff time.

Thank you for that clarity

Booking fixed travel tickets in advance would appear to be a bit of a gamble in light of the hard facts, the gamble failed on this occasion, as it did (apparently) on two other previous occasions.

Maybe next year eh ?

but is it right that people have to gamble on travel arrangements? He may be wrong by gambling but should he have to?

Its the choice you make, you could wait until closer to the time to make your arrangements and pay a bit more or you could book before its been confirmed and take the gamble.

Or you could drive and take all of the uncertainty out of the equation.


Personally I have too many other things going on in my life then to be overly concerned about whether or not I can get to an away fixture by the cheapest possible method and/or whether it allows me to have a beer on the way.

RL is no different to any many other sports who place their fixture list in the hands of Sky Sports.

Yes, it's frustrating. I've lost rail tickets and flights in the past due to rescheduled football fixtures, but what can you do? I hardly believe that "boycotting" Harlequins, who have no say in the matter, is very productive.

And if you want to start apportioning blame, why not point the finger at the nationalised public service operator who sets out to make it as difficult as possible to find cheap, flexible tickets?

Also clashes with the England v USA World cup match and my daughters communion.

.....I shall walk from my 'STOOP' seat into their bar beneath the stands and watch the big screens.... ideal for my schedule and actively promoted as happening by Quins..

:26zk2xgo

I think one salient[word of the day





I heard that it was changed to 5 o'clock a while back but I can understand why you would be annoyed if you didnt know!

It's been changed for months, and is one of the main reasons I'm going!

Watch the Rhinos game, straight in the Quins clubhouse afterwards for the England game, all with copious amounts of lager, seems like a winner to me!

I agree about the train times though, I freqeuently have to worry about travel plans when the FA decide to move England kick offs at Wembley around.