Wheres the push bike I asked for when I was 10?

How typical of you to ignore the truth of the situation, as described in my earlier post. This IS the history, NOT a re-write. The 10 places were NOT a condition at the outset of that year. How can they be described as 'rightful' places? They werent decided upon by a vote of the clubs, or in fact by any fair means. If Wigan had been in 11th, do you think they would have been jettisoned? The places were decided upon on a whim, and even changed on the morning of the decision. For heaven's sake, Maurice Lindsay called our chairman to tell him we were in, then a couple of hours later did the same and said we were out! Hull and Wakey were similarly ditched but in less ridiculous fashion.

Listen to what you are being told by people who know what happened, rather than ignore the posts you dont like just in order to keep banging on with rubbish like that above. Rightful places... there WERE none.

I brought her with me but she took one look at you sleeping and fled.

in that case there was none denied to Widnes and we can all move past this petty point scoring.

You're more than 10 years old?



It's true that the clubs didn't know in advance that SL was on the way and so they didn't know how important their eventual league placings would be. The exact opposite in fact. The initial SL announcement was made in early April when there were still several rounds of league games still to play. At that juncture relegation became irrelevant and league placings academic (so we all thought!). I recall that Widnes fielded weakened sides over that remaining period because several of the more experienced players were carrying knocks and/or were due contract bonuses dependent upon appearances. The Chemics lost all 5 (or was it 6?) of the post-announcement games.

The phone call from Maurice Lindsay that you mention was on Good Friday, 14 April, confirming that Widnes would take the place of Toulouse in SL 1. At this stage some of the other clubs were still slated to merge. You're wrong when you say that this decision was reversed a few hours later. In fact what happened was that there was a meeting of the clubs some time after the end of the league season (May Day bank holiday rings a bell) when all merger proposals were scrapped and a vote determined that SL would be comprised of the top 10 in the table plus London and Paris.

I don't know what all of the above proves or disproves in the context of the rest of the thread (which I haven't read) but after the passing of 15 years I suspect the answer is 'nothing'. However that's how it happened - more or less.

Why were London given a place after finishing 4th in the old Second Division?

Because it was a condition of receiving shed loads of cash from SKY.....apparently, the Rugby League community didn't share the same priciples you hold so dear young roofs

Apparently is a good word to use. There were cynics at the time who suggested that the line between Sky's demands and Mr Lindsay's wish list may have become a little blurred in the confusion and, according to Maurice, extreme urgency, of the birth of SL.

I am close enough to this issue Steve to tell you that the vote of clubs was, to say the least, suspect. Several telephone calls WERE made on Good Friday. Also, we were actually pencilled into SL1 no less than 3 times in total before being discarded.

As you say though, it really has no bearing on the immediate future of WVRLFC.

Indeed you were. Alongside non-existant teams such as Calderdale and Humberside - something which all the club chairman gleefully voted for, but the fans rightly blocked. You don't get much of a moral high ground by claiming that Widnes somehow had a right to be in SL1 - at the expense of killing most of the traditional clubs sitting alongside them in the old Division 1.

It was after the merger plan was defeated that entry into SL1 was decided on the basis of London, Paris and the top 10 in the 94-5 season. The fact remains that Widnes weren't in SL1 because they didn't manage to qualify via being in one of the top 10 places - (or even, iirc, the top 12) - though clubs like Workington and Oldham did. And much good it did them.

Putting history aside. The licensing system will have its way, either for the better of WVRLFC or to its detriment. What i WILL say is this: the last 12 months has shown one thing to be clear, and that is that WVRLFC will only exist as a pale shadow of its former self should the decision go against us. The interest from our current administration and our fan base will be destroyed should we be consigned to more time in the championship. This may well be last chance saloon IMO, in terms of WVRLFC being a real force in RL again.

Fine – let's put history aside

Personally, fwiw, I think Vikings have the best case and chance overall for the next round of licences. And would almost certainly have been in in the 2009 licences if you'd not had the misfortune of a chairman and board that played what can most generously described as "financial games", gambled with money they didn't have on winning the '07 Grand Final and then announced the club's death the day after, and just six months before the licence applications had to be submitted. Thank the proverbial that Steve O'Conner came along to resurrect the club and put it on a much stronger footing.

And I, like many others, would be glad to see them back in SL.

I think the next round of franchising will be the real acid test. Being ommitted first time round might have been bearable for some fans and benefactors, being consigned to the Championship for another three years might not be.

Plus, for the teams in SL another three years of extra money from Sky, sponsors and supporters may (ought to) make the SL clubs simply too strong across all criteria (in comparison with any Championship club) to replace.

Don't panic!!!

There will be 4000+ Viking fans at Cougar Park for the NRL semi!!

Just to show the RFL that they ARE interested in the game.



[size=85Maybe[/size

Only if Mr O'Connor puts the free coaches on like he did last year at Fax!

Well they should have, judging by the crowd (if you can call it that) for the game last night.

Well done to Keighley then for holding the NRL semi. I'm sure the Aussies will be thrilled to visit. Also well done to Widnes fans for taking such an interest in the Australian semi finals

You see just what can be done when a little effort is applied

Why does this generate such bitterness in you?

Agree....crowds at Quins are a disgrace.....good job they are only directly linked to 2 points in the licence process.....by the way, how's the finances at Caravan park? Have you replaced the temporary golf stand yet? Ground suitability and Finances....they too are linked to Licence decisions oh principled one

If we ever lose our licence and Quins somehow keep theirs (should never have got one in the first place IMO), then that's the end for me as an RL fan.



Away support should count for 2 points too IMO, wonder how you'd do with that one, as well as that other one re filling a certain percentage of your ground - only one stand opened on Sunday night by the look of it.

I feel a letter to the RFL coming on …

Having 2 clubs in the same city is a disgrace so one should go, and as one is so obvious inferior to the other, and has been for donkeys years, then it's obvious who should go!