At the rock bottom and wanting to go down to regroup and get some confidence back for 3 years.

Look what happened when they finally let us go down? We stormed the division and then managed to stave of relegation legitimately.

Awww

Two of my favorite clubs!

Firstly, Huddersfield...

Geez, if ever a team was founded on the idea that the entire world took a sh*t on them. This truely is the idea of a club born with a wooden spoon up its ar$e.

You have to remember that for many years the Giants were fighting the evil doers at the RFL who's sole purpose was to keep the Giants down.

You have to visit Huddersfield to realize that, its the culture. I mean here is a place, half way between cities that people actually give a damn about, many think of it just as a train stop, and the Huddersfield people know all to well how people look down on them.

God love em.....no one else does!



Then, my club....


I'm a proud Gateshull Thunder Shark. I was put onto the club a few years ago now and I've stuck solid.

Its not just the violence, its not the fact that even our B team over in the East does well. Our feeder side. Its about more than that.

Its about having a beer with your mates before the game. Its about sharing your common enjoyment about Rugby League.

Its about throwing bottles at the opposition supporters, tearing down goal posts, ripping up stadium chairs so you can hurl them, jaggered edge first mind you, and know that hitting a small child is only worth half as much as hitting an adult is.

Its about knowing you're better than Salford and KR fans, but only because you don't do meth.

Its about knowing that no matter who you buy next season, the clubs screwed because the coach is hopeless.

Its about years of off field problems with players, only for the club to buy a bloke that bet against his own team.

Its about the people that remember Phil Sigsworths involvement all those years ago.

Its about people who warn you about how dangerous Hull can be, and yet finding the people friendly and the beer cold (Mostly).

Most of all though, I just think its about going to the footy with your mates, and bludgeoning someone who supports the opposition.


Here is to ten more years!

Well, when you think about it, it was undoubtedly a catalyst for Hull FC re-emerging as a big club and it's doubtful if they had ever had the Challenge Cup of 2005 and the Grand Final of 2006 in their history books if it had not been kick started by the merger.

I'm not sure it made any difference to Huddersfield as they finished bottom after the merger and it really didn't seem to do a lot for them.

Sheffield and Gateshead, on the face of it were killed off. They might have lost a few years top flight history but, when all is said and done, would such poorly supported clubs still be in Super League? Chances are both would have been relegated and be in the division they are now with the crowds they have got now anyway.

That said, the mergers were very sad days for Rugby League and was the heartbreak it caused the supporters of Sheffield and Gateshead really worth it?

I don't think there is a definitve answer to whether they worked. There are so many different angles to look at it from.

That said – when I signed petitions against the mergers 10 years ago, it was at the request of Hull and Huddersfield fans, worried at the potential death of their clubs and history …

Huddersfield wanted to reform in the lower division.

The lower division clubs wouldnt let them.

Hull too

Though they did, quite rightly, let Sheffield do it.

Do you stand by signing them with hindsight?

The merger saved us from starting over again in the lower leagues, (and some beligerance from the East of the city)

the move to the KC was a catalyst to our SL highs, Agar is at fault for the lows!

Please stop using the M word, it wasn't a merger in any way form or shape.

[irape1  /reɪp/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [reyp Show IPA noun, verb, raped, rap⋅ing.
–noun 1. the unlawful compelling of a woman through physical force or duress to have sexual intercourse.
2. any act of sexual intercourse that is forced upon a person.
3. statutory rape.
4. an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation: the rape of the countryside.
5. Archaic. the act of seizing and carrying off by force.

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8. to seize, take, or carry off by force. [/i

Only by a whisker, thanks to Barrow.

No they didn't

If you call playing one game half a season then you are probably right.

So much like a CVA that payed 3p in the pound to loads of local businesses then. Get off your fecking high horse.

Glasshouses etc...

2 games .. leeds and castleford. the third game planned for brammal lane was moved back to the mac after the first two were a failure

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmSoXH-T ... re=related Not entirely relevant, but something to think about, at least.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmSoXH-T ... re=related Not entirely relevant, but something to think about, at least.

Still not half a season.

You do realise that it was the Gateshead board that made the decision to abandon Gateshead and stick with Hull, don't you? How could they 'rape' themselves?



Daft lad.

I see that most contributors are happily ignoring the point made in the second post on the thread.

Without the merger neither Hull nor Gateshead would have survived. I'm not sure of the details regarding Huddersfield and Sheffield, but I believe they were in a similar position.

Would those opposed to the mergers really have preferred to lose as many as 4 clubs instead?

These are the people that argue against mergers because they "lose clubs", yet don't realise that they'd lose more if they didn't in some cases.

i never stated half a season , that was codey.. all i am saying is .. if you are going to slag my club off AT LEAST GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT .

Well gateshead and sheffield both have their clubs back now, and as someone earlier said, are probably somewhere near where they would be in the league had they somehow managed to continue without merging.

I think the worse thing about the whole situation is the simple fact that clubs get themselves into that position in the first place, be it fault of their own or lack of interest in the sport.

huddersfield are imo the oldest RL club in the world.

a nice touch to also being from where the game was born

im very excited about the future of the club and what they can offer to SL in that a new club challenging the status quo

Lucky your opinions don't count. From: leaguefreak.rlfans.com/readartic ... icle_id=54 The Official Birthplace Of The Game Of Rugby League On 29 August 1895 twenty-one clubs met at The George Hotel in Huddersfield and formed the Northern Rugby Union (later to become known as Rugby League). The clubs and their year of foundation were: Batley 1880, Bradford 1863, Brighouse Rangers 1878, Broughton Rangers 1877, Dewsbury 1875, Halifax 1873, Huddersfield 1864, Hull 1865, Hunslet 1883, Leeds 1890, Leigh 1877, Liversedge 1877, Manningham 1876, Oldham 1876, Rochdale Hornets 1871, St Helens 1874, Tyldesley 1879, Wakefield Trinity 1873, Warrington 1875, Widnes 1873, Wigan 1879.

Lucky your opinions don't count. From: leaguefreak.rlfans.com/readartic ... icle_id=54 The Official Birthplace Of The Game Of Rugby League On 29 August 1895 twenty-one clubs met at The George Hotel in Huddersfield and formed the Northern Rugby Union (later to become known as Rugby League). The clubs and their year of foundation were: Batley 1880, Bradford 1863, Brighouse Rangers 1878, Broughton Rangers 1877, Dewsbury 1875, Halifax 1873, Huddersfield 1864, Hull 1865, Hunslet 1883, Leeds 1890, Leigh 1877, Liversedge 1877, Manningham 1876, Oldham 1876, Rochdale Hornets 1871, St Helens 1874, Tyldesley 1879, Wakefield Trinity 1873, Warrington 1875, Widnes 1873, Wigan 1879.