How so? I am not aware that SL existed prior to it's first season, but I know we had the first division prior to and after the formation of SL as an entirely new league.

I wonder when Castleford will work.

I stand to be corrected, but IIRC the places in SL1 that weren't earmarked for London and PSG went to the top 10 teams in Division 1 (no favours to Workington, who weren't ready, got relegated after 1year and went bust) - which, incidentally, is yet another reason why the old Widnes fans' moan about you stealing their place in SL1 is wrong: they could have finished in the top 10 and qualified, but didn't even make the top 11 (Featherstone were 11th, I seem to recall)

They were 14th so never really going to be in a 12 team league.

Perhaps I am missing your point, but Wakefield and Castleford have earned there place in SL - they weren't "invited" to the party.

Oh I saw them and that's why I WANT there to be a London team. My point is though that OK clubs like Cas and Salford don't get big crowds but they have much bigger clubs less than half an hour down the road and have to fight for their fanbase (see Wigan Athletic in football). London is the Capital City, f*cking huge and the only club within miles. They should be getting far bigger crowds than they are and it's that reason that I base my opinions on.

Your work in schools is superb in getting kids to play, but why aren't they watching?

tony smith chose to send that squad down and it back fired bigstyle! a lot more different to having injured players out to resting players

I fuuly expect an announcement that will clear everything up at the HKR game

Excuse me for pointing out but my club 'Cas' got bigger crowds in the championship than London will ever get in Superleague.

London's poor crowds are relatively recent. There's been many a crowd over 6k, quite a few over 8k and even a few 10ks over the years. I was there on Friday and I also think that London are not being given enough credit for a fine performance. Maybe Wire were not 100% ( even for the side that took the field ) but London did not give them time to play. I also caught the Under 20s and it was nice to see some good performances from Broncos lads with clear London accents.

selective memory there..
1 over 10k...1 reported at over 12k which was a double header and there was nearer 2k watching the League match....2 x 9k attendances and 3 x 8k and 6 x 6k......that's from 122 home games

.......since we moved back to the stoop, here are the averages....
4,917
3,428
3,909
3,436
3,380
3,124
2,832
....44% down over 7 seasons. The club is being run by idiots...the move to another ground will change nothing.

London RL (not Bronco's )needs to be based in some area in the capital where there is little or no RU influence , forget Twickenham or other leafy suburbs...

The Skolars have worked their s off over the years establishing Youth RL in the Wood Green /Tottenham area successfully ,have still kept viable through the tough times and are now producing local grown talent that are no longer the whipping boys of Championship One ..

Why does the RFL not centre its efforts in London on the Skolars , put the costly overseas guys into local schools/clubs /community in their neck of the woods and give them all the support /backing that Broncos get the moment .....perfect opportunity for RL expansion , but hey its in a working class area so we dont want to know ..

So your idea for RL expansion is to ditch one London team completely and focus on a smaller London team which are as you say running quite successfully as they are? I fail to see how going from 2 teams to 1 can be seen as expansion.

For the last time, Twickenham is no more a Rugby Union heartland than Wembley is a soccer one...




The vast majority of the Skolars top players have come through the London Broncos/Harlequins RL pipeline.....


Are you for real? The RFL gives London Broncos nothing over and above what it gives the other 13 SL clubs......the players visit schools around the area...you'll see one of these local schools competing for a national trophy at Wembley in a few days......as for the working class quip, you're 'avin' a larf mate......we spent 4 years in Brentford...across the road from an 'orrible council estate.......RL is a northern sport and it's the 1 million + ex-pat northerners that the club need to attract.....not a bunch of kids from a high rise estate in north London.
Skolars are to be applauded for all that they have achieved and they will get where they want to be under their own steam........Superleague in maybe another 10 or 15 years maybe.

In your opinion GF, how do they attract those 1m people and where is the best place for the club to setup home?

I presume that the people living around the Twickenham area are Quins RU fans?

How long have you got? First up, about 22k of the 44k people at the double header were from London/SE...or so the RFL tell us. Mail every single one of them with 2 free tickets that can be redeemed for any game of the season.....simply by going on-line and entering the ticket number and what game they'd like to attend.
Once thay have done this, write to them again the week before their game, offering another 2 tickets for the price of 1, giving them some tips on visiting the stadium and a couple of money off vouchers for the shop/bar.

After they've been, CALL THEM and ask what they thought...ask them if they'd like to come back......it's not brain surgery and neither is it cheap, but EVERYTHING else they have tried (which in reality is nothing) has failed miserably....
I've written war and Peace on this topic.....the club say they want to attract fans, but then try silly gimmicks like travel card holders handed out at Canary wharf...or viral videos in Aussie bars......money down the drain. When that fails, they call grab one or Group on and finally give tickets away to anyone who wants them, which is normally away fans

.....they don't have a friggin clue


You presume wrong then...Quins are considerd the flash harry's of the Aviva...the club draws a great deal of its fan base from the City............although I am sure they have picked up some locals.

Ah right.

Some good ideas there with the free tickets though.

Sickening for the fans if true.

If we do, it'll be the death of the club for a lot of the previously unwavering support.

No consultation, no survey, just up sticks and move to somewhere completely impractical for the hardcore majority.

All over for me if true, will go to Skolars.

Not at all. The London club was started in 1981 and I was referring to crowds prior to the move to The Stoop. I agree that swopping grounds for the sake of it won't necessarily help, but some fans on here would have you believe that London have had crowds of 2k forever, which is simply untrue.

Gillingham's chairman and BBC reporter Ian Ramsdale appear to be pouring cold water on Skytext's report of a move to Kent. The Sporting Life website report is just a straight lift off Skytext.

[url=http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_9973-skolars-chief-wants--rugby-league-mecca--in-london.htmlThis[/url makes interesting reading, particularly with the mentions of Skolars on this thread. Would be a great site to develop although better without the athletics track if possible so that the pitch could be made bigger.

You could not class Gillingham as London. If Super League "needs" a London club / presence then Gillingham would be farcical.

Agree wholeheartedly.

It amuses me that those "in the north" constantly berate the attendances at London whilst choosing to ignore the fact that nearly all SL teams struggle to get consistent 5 figure attendances.