Let's hope so.

My guess to the question is will be the Isle of Wight Pirates.

America nearly did it and are going pro!

long time no hear Damo

Things were looking good for abit...

I doubt any spectators at a game spend more time counting the crowd rather than watching the rugby.



Crowd size is an important topic of discussion because it is a good indicator of the health of the game and individual clubs within it.

The RFL have recognised this importance with 2 of the 10 marks available for the next round of franchising directly related to crowd size.

If you cannot see the importance of crowd size you are "missing an awful lot!"

Totally, which is why in 2 years time I don't think that part will play such a large part of the selection criteria, for the same reasons I wonder how the RFL will stand on the new grounds issue as they also obviously will have been affected by the recession.

But some here are way too obsessed with it.

Ahh well, you have a point there!

I have a massive spreadsheet with data going back to 1908 on not only the attendance figures but on the actual "size" of the crowd.
1908-1950 your average fan weighed in at 9.5st.
1950-1970, increase to 9.8st.
1970-1984 10.0st
1984-1990 10.5st
1990-2009 14.7st

Apparently Cloughie wasn't on that particular job

Yeah

sorry about that



Can we do a BMI index as well, surely in that one we would beat some traditional teams.

Yes, I'm kinda jealous of the guaranteed SL place that London (under whatever name) will [ialways[/i have, regardless of attendances. This time last year was a very worrying time for fans of many clubs, but London must have known they were a shoe-in, purely because of location.
Just find it annoying that's all.

You're jealous of a myth?

It's not a myth - a tenner says they're never out of SL between now-2020, even if their crowds drop below 1000?!

As we've never (unlike some) been in a relegation position your point is mute.

Shame we never finished bottom of old SL then isn't it. Instead of finishing 2nd pre-playoffs and the twice in a play off position.
Tell me principled one. If you finish in a play off position, but have to travel to TW2 for the game.....will you stay at home (AGAIN)?

Can I point out that if, say, you'd gone to the first pro RL game of the modern London incarnation as a 10 year old kid, by now you're 39, quite possibly with kids of your own. That, my friends, is a history and tradition.

There has been an amateur RL setup in London for most of that time. There is a self-funded, grass-roots up semi-pro club in the capital (Skolars), another in the home counties (Hemel) and lots of good quality players in the London leagues, the London Universities (St Mary's are in the elite 'Super Six' Division) and throughout the schools.

London IS part of the tradition of RL, and IS a heartland area.

Let's put this another way: if Celtic Crusaders are as successful in 2038 as Quins are now, that will rightly be considered a rip-roaring success story.

You're a Quins fan?!

Always thought you was a Rhino for some reason.



You know you'd have been fighting for your lives on many occassions (particularly mid-90's), if it wasn't for the severely loosened rules on Aussies, meaning you could pack the team with class players like Barwick, Materson etc.

Hmm, good question.





To be honest I've only been able to get to 3 away games this year (Hull, Wigan, Hudds), but am planning to get to at least another 3-4.

Was you the guy who offered to pay for my ticket if I make the trip?!



*

* Not that I'm a scrounging get!

Oh....so an extended Quota for overseas players is wrong is it


Get counting my principled friend.
BTW,,,,,I did offer and you missed your chance. I will be a resident of the land of the long white cloud by the start of next season and whilst I will by you a ticket to a warriors game, you can sort your air fare out to New Zealand.

Ah right, fair dues, all the best out there.

The rules on overseas players have been so loose that most SL clubs have driven a coach and horses through them at some stage (remember Kolpak stiffs and EU dual-nationals didn’t count for under the old style quotas). Therefore how much of an advantage we actually got from our "official" quota exemption during the time we had it is debateable, especially as others got similar exemptions at various points. You also have to balance that “official” advantage against higher costs of living, there has never been a “London weighting” on our salary cap.

Yeah fair points. All I meant was that there was a time (I'd say 96-9icon_cool.gif when I genuinely couldn't name an English player at London, but could other clubs (e.g. Haughton, Connolly, Robinson, Smith, Radlinski etc at Wigan).

Anyway, I know harking on about quota rules in 1996 is admittedly a bit stupid, so I'll shut up right now!

Good job there is so many of us flatcappers...we have kept the game going over 100 years

Roll on the next round of franchise nonsense hope your chairman is still around

Actually there has been a continuous amateur RL setup in London since 1965, so its setting up contrary to popular belief is nothing to do with either having a pro club or RU dropping the ban on RL players