Do keep up, Steph. That was unintentionally funny. It's the "unintentionally" that made it funny.

No, Wakey got a licence last time round, because yet another expansion club failed on D-Day.

Club Chairman said PP for new main stand should be in within next 3 weeks, so fingers crossed eh?

This is coming on well as an idea. It will probably have to be an instrumental piece anyway as Bongser doubts that Cokey has any "ethnic" spoons (this day and age, eh?). What if we present "Symphonic Study on Chopsticks"? Where's Mr Lu when you need him?

Correct, but Cokey can play Hi Ho Silver Lining on the Geeeetaar.

God save Rugby League .....
The fascist regime
Elstone is a moron
Potential H Bomb !!!

Cokey, Cokey mate! We've been down the North American route before and, "No, nay, never no more!"

However, if you know the chords to "The Blackpool Belle" perhaps we Leythers can start a suggestion thread on our own forum - not much else going on on there. Maybe the rest of the VTers would be better for that.

Sure Admin can do it to keep the peace?

Bongser is hearing soupy strings and maybe a Wurlitzer (plus two guitars, spoons, chopsticks, a triangle and the North Stand).

The SAGE committee would be Derek Foxed - it's a runner!

More goading fans, leave it out for goodness sake.



Wakefield made every attempt to get a stadium but had no help from the council like other clubs, they even struck a commercial deal for a stadium the developers reneged on. So having tried their best it was up to Superleague to kick them out. They chose not to do so as clearly they felt wakefield still to be to be a better asset to Superleague than other clubs that did not quite make it.

No need to reply.....

5100 in there would be very, very cosy.

IT would have been uncomfortable pre covid

Not sure mate but, they do seem to be getting plenty of oxygen when these things are discussed on Sky.
To reward a club with their recentish past, when others have been banging on the door of promotion for many seasons would just be wrong.
Mind you, this is RL and we do like to be "innovative" (reckless).

Will it be the same goons that brought us the 3 x 8 nonsense that set any of the criteria ?

For me, there are 4 worthy candidates

Fev - unfortunately they are too close to Cas and Trinity to get the nod
Leigh - good shout and would very likely be competitive
Toulouse - something new and would allow everyone to say that expansion is still the way forward
London - unlucky to get relegated and lose their place to Toronto

You could also put a case forward for Widnes but, their fans behaved abysmally on multiple occasions last time they were in SL and they havent really reached the heights on the field.
Bradford, not close to gaining promotion and this shouldn't reward a mid table championship club
York, too soon and they were struggling a little pre lockdown
Halifax, like Bradford, currently a mid table club

Just out of curiosity, beyond the pitch invasion at Leigh can you tell me about the other incidents with Widnes fans ?

Which grounds were they NOT scrapping with opposition fans ??

Wakefield, Warringron, Hull etc, etc

Unfortunately there were a few idiots that seemed to attach themselves to the Widnes club during your last "promotion" season. There seemed to be problems everywhere you went.
Only a small minority but, not welcome and we best not mention the game against Cas a few years before.


Having said that, the main reason for them not yet being worthy of "promotion" is that Widnes haven't exactly challenged for promotion since last time you were in SL

I was near all of the trouble at the Warrington game, the security that day handled the situation shockingly and were soon after replaced (not a firm from Warrington) but believe what you like. Our fans have been fantastic in supporting the team, the league and any special events put on.
Regularly taking 2500-3000 up to Newcastle for the magic weekend, sat flat bottom of the league.

And since our last stint in SL we’ve had 1 full season, started with a points deduction and made it to a cup final. Can’t count this season

I’d take form with a pinch of salt. None of the teams in our league have played since April/may and won’t play until next February. You do need a competitive team I agree challenging, but a lot has changed in these last months

If we had the finances I’d say we’d stand a very good chance and would bring a lot to the division under our new owners. But we haven’t got the finances so I’m glad we’ll fight it out in the championship and gain promotion with winning games.

Thinking by Elstones comments the other night, Bradford could be in with a shout. Whether they deserve it or not, I believe they’d certainly bring a big fan base to the league, a good youth development programme so who knows.

And I watched Widnes home and away for our last stint in SL, granted we do have idiots. But the majority of fans and visits were great days out and the fans represented the club well. So don’t kid yourself differently

I dont disagree that the vast, vast majority are great and a credit to your club.
It was the minority that were (very) keen to cause bother that Widnes or the game dont need.

There appeared to be fighting every time you travelled away from home.
However, even if you had trouble free away days, for me, your league form / finishing position(s) haven't been anywhere near as good or consistent as the clubs that I had suggested. So, it's a no from me, sorry.

Every club has those. Sign of the times i'm afraid.

So every single time Widnes had an away game there was trouble? Not my words, your words

Evidence please. Not that I expect you to be able to though

Ripped up the seats in their own stand at Widnes. There's been a few small ish fracas involving Widnes.

If Bradford are placed in Super League it will be for 2 reasons only .....

1. Big Fat Nigel & his IRLF & RFL connections being major shareholder.
2. The RFL need the rent paying in the bomb crater !

Wtf



This just gets better. Ripping our own stands to bits now.

Keep them coming.

A throwaway comment backed up by minimal substance. There have been incidents in SL but they’re minimal for me. Nothing worse than I’ve witnessed visiting grounds all across the m62 corridor. If it’s on fan base/support, I’d say that’s a tick in the box for Widnes.

But it’s not for us next year. I’m not saying Toulouse will replicate Catalans but there are solid foundations there to make a real go at it. Constantly integrating french born players and have always been fairly competitive.

If this is their shot, I just hope their owner is ready. On the first time of trying, they’ll be really up against it. Less funding and crowd revenue, I hope there’s a backer willing to sign well and finance the club for 2021.

If people are worried about fan behavour you had better hope it isnt Fev that get promoted.
Widnes fand are angels compared to the Flat Cappers

Toulouse are a traditional French RL club with a history going back to the 1930's.

They would be fine by me, but the problem is your defining expansion as being how many miles away the candidate club is based.

To expand the game as Perez said regarding North American clubs and as a deputation of SL club chairmen said to Toulouse, a club has to offer the development of professional quality players and media income.

Toulouse would be fun, but they are not "expansion"

Some years ago we had 14 clubs in Superleague 13 being British clubs......Today we only have 11 British clubs in Superleague. There have been serious suggestions from Superleague that a lower SKY deal may lead to a 10 club Superleague.

If that contains Les Catalans and Toulouse Olympic then we end up with only eight British clubs and as Nigel Pearson said SKY need at least Nine british clubs so there would be no SKY deal.

It won't bother me if TO get in as I fell in love with them when they beat Widnes in the cup amongst other great performances but the recent report on Expansion (which I did not write) says France offer nothing to Superleague..............

I've already given you 4 examples, do your own bloody research, after all you're supposed to be knowledgeable about our sport

There were incidents over the 4 years, but “appeared to be trouble every time they went away” is just pie in the sky. Our fan base and support is solid and as quoted by yourself on the very first page, if the criteria was based on fan base your choice would be “Widnes/Bradford” so we wil stop there.

I’m 31 now and I’ve always known there to be trouble within rugby league fans in the U.K. in general. Not for a second saying there is at all an underlying issue like football because events like the magic weekend prove what a great set of supporters rugby league has, but there have been many incidents throughout the league over the years.

Out of interest, what kind of crowds do Toulouse attract and has their stadium got sufficient capacity to expand ?looking forward to whoever gets in, best of luck to all applying

I used the word "appeared" quite deliberately. Although, even if it were "just" the examples that I originally gave, it was way, way, way too many for just one season. Dont you agree ?

As for Toulouse, I think there is some kind of agreement that they will use the Union ground wile their own smaller stadium is upgraded.
Having said that there doesnt look too be too much room at either end of the ground, unless they fill in the local swimming pool, which is right behind the sticks at one end. There isn't too much room at the other end either but, I dont recall what is behind the row of "conifers".