Don't worry if they're whacked straight into SL they'll never play one another.

It will be an outrage if they met in the challenge cup though!

What do you mean by 'big enough'?? How 'big' would Hudds, Wakey, Celtics or Quins be in The Championship ???

We got a bigger crowd for our CC game vs Wigan than Wakey did vs Wigan (larger by some 1,500 - and probably less Wigan fans at Barrow as well!).

If a Super League license was granted to Barrow things would take-off big time. RL is the big sport in South Cumbria and the Raiders have a catchment of 100,000+.

Everyone and his dog (yes, including Fax) thinks they deserve a SL license these days and the arguments will carry on ad infinitum. One good idea would be to promote whoever finished at the top of the Championship and relegate whoever finished bottom of SL - dead simple, no argument.

Ah well, I guess such a radical and groundbreaking idea could never catch on in RL. In other sports? Maybe.

No Fax apparently a 'heartland' club. I suppose I mean the clubs that want to run before they can walk and get shoe horned in to SL on geographical positioning.

A mindlessly stupid idea. The relegated side either gets allowed to exceed the NL1 quota by a long shot due to being a better supported club, so go back up, or their extra support counts for nothing and it's a random chance of making it back to SL - meaning that a well developed club will possibly suffer.
The Nl1 team that gets promoted will have less time and money to compete and will be odds on to go back down.
Utter waste of time and money. We are well rid.

IF the Championship raises its level to much closer to SL then we could consider re-instating p&r, but the current gap between the comps is too big.

If any of the Cumbrian clubs could get strong enough we have a system where they can apply. Realistically it ain't going to happen as there isn't the population, corporate support or stadia and never will be due to the small geographically diverse towns. What the RFL needs to do is relaise that Cumbria is a hotbed for Rl and historically a producer of top talent and find ways to support the game in the county, especially at a JNr level. Maybe a link up between SL clubs liek Warrington and parts of Cumbria?

OK then. Why not give the promoted team 2 or 3 years to prepare for SL, then give them 3 years immunity from relegation and then give them a 3 year license. Oh no, sorry, you have to be French to get that under the guise of helping the game in France but then allowing them to fill the team with Aussies so how the hell does that help the French game?

Anyway, this argument has been done to death so we'll just have to agree to differ but you'll never convince me that you have the good of RL at heart and not just self-interest.

not on the showing of fax at cas, and dont say it was a one-off some of our play in that game was like watching brazil

I really do get sick of these threads. What's the population of London/Harlequinns Region? Not somewhere that should be accepting of under 10,000 crowds. Bridgend's figures? We'll never know what the crowds would be until a team got in to SL and had 3 years to build would we?

Corporate Support? THE ENREGY COAST. Read new nuclear power plants etc and all the money coming into West Cumbria. I'll get a link later.

Stadia? Well we keep getting told about havens new stadium year in year out and also Workingtons plans and in the near future I wouldn't bet against one of them getting it. It seems that the council run haven board are more interested in a new stadium than a quality side at present which is why we're being forced into using our youth players. Gregg McNally etc. I'll admit it has benefitted our youth team immensely.

Barrow at present are the best placed team however they need to up their stadium too.

One final thing. Why should a county that has the potential to give the country quality players settle for a 'link up' with a SL team? Go on pedants let rip.

Before any locals attack me this is just my view having lived in the area for over 15 years and is not a criticism of anybody involved.
In Cumbria the way corporate support is given to clubs is different to many other areas and is more akin to pre super league. As the players are semi pro. they work and the work in the area is very well paid compared to comparable jobs in Lancs. and Yorkshire. This is due to the perceived danger of working in the local industries (steel and chemical plants (although they are shut or shutting) and nuclear). If a player signs local semi pro. he will normally work directly or in a supporting company to these industries. There is no doubt they are looked on favourably to help get this employment. They are then in a cycle that it is not worth turning full time as its good money for 10 years or good money 40 years. It’s a no brainer. Some choose not to even go semi pro. as its not worth it.
I don't see an answer to it unless someone pumps real big money in directly to the clubs as Sky did for SL but then it would need to be a larger amount to kick start it. As was said before money is needed for the stadia also and the infrastructure.
Having said all the above now is possibly the best chance to get it started with the monies that will be pumped into the area if the energy coast development happens. It probably just needs a real good forward thinking organiser (with the cash) to make it happen.

As I say mate I would call myself a Cumbrian no doubt but ask a Barrovian over 60 if he is from Cumbria or Lancs he will probably say Lancs

In all fairness Starbug, its not about the last 5 years If it was I would agree, 'haven are best placed. Its about the next 5 and on that there is no doubt that Barrow are the Cumbrian RL side on the up.

Other than that your about cock on.

Cumbrian sides with

1. Biggest fan base =
2. Best Ground =
3. Most money =
4. Biggest potential =
5. Best catchment area =
6. Commercially viable =

Which clubs are top in each ?

What about starting a club in Carlise, then we don't need to worry about expanding into Scotland. Gateshead and Carlise could then have the pick of the Scottish talent

That answers it then really, pretty much a non discussion

Currently, they are way out in front IMO

:2ejp5t7q

Dont forget I was replying to this

Barrow are going to redevelop Craven Park completely on the existing site. Building a new stadium in todays financial world would be suicide.

£30M is WAY over the top IMO. A total redevelopment can be done for a surprisingly low amount, as no land needs to be purchased. 'Brown field' developments also attract fundng/grants etc.

For arguments sake, if Barrow were to enter SL next season our crowds over the course of the season would be bigger than Quins and Celtics, maybe Salford and Wakefield as well. That would just be for starters.

Getting into SL massively increases sponsorship, Sky cash, season ticket sales, merchandse sales and much more.

Just a few stats you may (or may not) find intersting .......

Barrow (pop. 72,000), Cas (37,500), Leigh (44,000), Wakefield (76,000), Wigan (81,000), Haven (25,500), Widnes (53,500), Workington (46,000).

I know they don't prove anything other than the potential of Barrow as a SL club.

Catchment when you take in S. Cumbria is well over 100,000. You also have to remember that there are no other clubs competing for support within 1.5 hours drive. Unlike the SL over-saturated areas along the M62.

1. Biggest fan base = Probably Whitehaven just

2. Best Ground = Whitehaven 7500 but a bit of a dump
Barrow 4500 small but nice ground
Workington 10,000 shared with speedway and with global warming probably underwater in 10 years

3. Most money = Barrow heavy financial backer

4. Biggest potential = because of the money Barrow

5. Best catchment area = probably Barrow even though they are the most southerly but Carlisle would be the best option

6. Commercially viable = Money brings security so Barrow

Current League Standings

Barrow: 2nd League 1
Whitehaven: 5th League 1
Workington: 8th League 2


Whitehaven and Workington are only 7 miles apart so if a merger was to be done it would probably have to be these 2 teams

Barrow are currently averaging 2,200 in the league, 2,500 in all games.
Haven are averaging about 1,600 in the league.

Craven Park holds 6,275 (the capacity crowd we got vs Wigan in the cup). There was bags of room in many areas of the ground so with a few crushbarriers it would go up to 8K+ no problem. It has been looked into and the 'footprint' of the ground could easily accommodate the SL minimum requirements of 12,000 once redeveloped.

got the ground figure wrong i do apologise, but i do agree Barrow are the strongly placed cumbrian team

No problem mate.

Things are really on the up at Barrow, but SL still seems like a dream. At the end of the day the RFL handpick who they want. We tick more boxes than Celtics and probably a couple others, but they were fast-tracked through the NL's with unlimited overseas quota etc.

SRC-" 'Brown field' developments also attract fundng/grants etc."
I think this is actually the other way round and this is why most super league teams are building new stadia on "green field" sites.

Saints arn't, and i do beleive the regeneration aspect helped with planning