I'll like it for you mate.

Quote ="Captain Library"Also true, but with a few group games to be played, one could feasibly be held in Bristol. But of course our first aim is to stage a successful bid. We're very keen on using social media to raise the profile as it provides a tangible means of measuring support, so anyone here who uses Facebook and supports us should certainly "like" the page and encourage others to do the same. www.facebook.com/pages/Bristol-B ... 8588873451 Yes, I will keep plugging it.'" I'd give up if I were you. It's not going to happen. It shouldn't happen. And it won't happen. As jonny the troll said the idea is for the games involving Wales to be played in Wales. Not Bristol. Not anywhere in the south west. I would be ok with Bristol hosting a friendly of some sort to see how many turned up. But if Australia v England couldn't even sell out the DW stadium in Wigan last time the 2 countries met in England then the chances of Bristol getting any support is virtually nil. Sorry. Thats just the way I see it.

Quote ="Captain Library"Also true, but with a few group games to be played, one could feasibly be held in Bristol. But of course our first aim is to stage a successful bid. We're very keen on using social media to raise the profile as it provides a tangible means of measuring support, so anyone here who uses Facebook and supports us should certainly "like" the page and encourage others to do the same. www.facebook.com/pages/Bristol-B ... 8588873451 Yes, I will keep plugging it.'" I'd give up if I were you. It's not going to happen. It shouldn't happen. And it won't happen. As jonny the troll said the idea is for the games involving Wales to be played in Wales. Not Bristol. Not anywhere in the south west. I would be ok with Bristol hosting a friendly of some sort to see how many turned up. But if Australia v England couldn't even sell out the DW stadium in Wigan last time the 2 countries met in England then the chances of Bristol getting any support is virtually nil. Sorry. Thats just the way I see it.

Thankfully most people are more positive than you. We're doing something to increase the profile of the game. The Wales game idea is just a thought due to relative distance, it could be any match and we'll put as much planning and promotion into it as possible. Even an unsuccessful bid will at least get people talking about the game in this area, but the bid itself is well considered, well supported and encourages a step-by-step attitude towards growth. If we all shared your attitude, nothing would get done to try and develop RL in areas outside the M62 corridor.

Quote ="Captain Library"Write up in the local rag too. www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Hop ... ticle.html Good piece in the Bristol City game programme too, and a photoshoot on the pitch - keep your eyes peeled!'" Great stuff I really hope Bristol will be given a game. They are going about this in a way that lots of other places could learn from

Quote ="Captain Library"Write up in the local rag too. www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Hop ... ticle.html Good piece in the Bristol City game programme too, and a photoshoot on the pitch - keep your eyes peeled!'" Great stuff I really hope Bristol will be given a game. They are going about this in a way that lots of other places could learn from

Could we test drive the gauge for interest in RL with an England game in Bristol in 2012? England v Wales would be a good idea, obviously with Wales just over the border.

Quote ="Captain Library"Write up in the local rag too. www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Hop ... ticle.html Good piece in the Bristol City game programme too, and a photoshoot on the pitch - keep your eyes peeled!'" Excellent. Certainly put some SL teams to shame, mine included.

Quote ="Captain Library"Write up in the local rag too. www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Hop ... ticle.html Good piece in the Bristol City game programme too, and a photoshoot on the pitch - keep your eyes peeled!'" Excellent. Certainly put some SL teams to shame, mine included.

The only problem being that South Walians don't like RL.

If you so obviously hate RL and want it to fail at everything it tries, why bother putting so much effort in to posting on a RUGBY LEAGUE FANS board?

Sod off once and for all won't you.

Far from it.

I want RL to succeed. Thats why the sport should get stronger in the areas that matter before wasting time with playing places like Bristol.

"Areas that matter"?? Listen to yourself man.

As far as gauging the potential in the South West, I'd have thought the rumoured Wembley international double-header at the end of the season would be good way to do this. Yes, there's a fair distance from the South West to London, but arguably easier to get to than Old Trafford and should have more of a pull than Magic weekend. Its a chance for South West RL to galvanise the support and use the support channels available to them. If they can prove a sizeable group of folk are willing to travel to London to watch some Rugby League then we can assume that having a match in Bristol would be a success. It would also road test their model for attracting supporters and using the network around them.

I don't see there being an issue with a clash between two minnow nations being held there if the right marketing is in place. The likelihood is that there will be two fixtures at Wembley (or one would hope so), there could well be a match or two at Millenium Stadium and the possibility of another at Cardiff City Stadium.

Some of the bigger profile matches can be played within fairly easy reach of Bristol, which can be used to raise the profile of the match or matches held in Bristol. If anything I would imagine that there is more probability of getting more folk down to a match between two minnows in Bristol than having the match in the heartlands because they don't get any professional rugby and because of the intrigue. There's also a certain apathy held by heartland fans when it comes to internationals. On the other hand, the higher profle matches are the ones that should sell out in larger stadiums in the heartlands, so they shouldn't be taken down there.

Thats going on my signature.

and about 20,000 more than that if held in London.

And you know this how?

As I said previously, England v Wales is an intirely different proposition for generating Welsh interest in the sport, than a Crusaders or Scorpions game.

Why you would bother, I don't know.

Because it's one of the most incredible things I've ever read on this board.

How on earth you think a game held in London could be any sort of a judge of the popularity of the sport in an area that covers Gloucester to Penzance is beyond comprehension.

Because he/she/it is desperate for attention. Sadly nobody taught Barry/Katie/phipps the difference between people paying him/her/it attention for good reasons and people paying them attention for bad reasons.

Let him stick at it, it helps to keeps our thread at the top of the forum and most folk seem very supportive!

What do you reckon about what I said about Wembley then? Do you think that would work or do you think it would be better to play a high profile match down there before the WC? If so which?

If an RL fixture was played in the South West (Chorlton... the South West doesn't include London

) then I would like to see it played at the Rec in Bath.

See if it sells out a 12,000 capacity ground.


Which of course it won't.

I dont think so, the last time that it was tried in London it drew a mediocre 33,758, are you suggesting that crowd would somehow be doubled?

The Opening game should be in Northern England, for financial purposes alone. 33k on at the Olympic Stadium, Emirates or Twickers again would look terrible, whereas a sold out Eastlands would be brillant.

most people are very supportive because anyone who isnt an idiot can see the work done here is fantastic. To even get to this point, with the support already gained is a wonderful achievement and I think it would be a travesty not to reward Bristol for this. Good luck to Bristol, nothing but good will come of this, if we could get more people doing what has been done here, the game will be a lot healthier and the naysayers and trolls will need to find otherways to feel better about their inadequacies.

Id love to see the return of 'on the road' games and get a couple of SL games down in Bristol for three or four years and really give the game a kick start down there. Hopefully a couple of WC games is just the start of it.

Depends on how the 4 nations game at Wembley does this year. If we can get 40/50k+ down there for that game, then we should definitely start and finish the World Cup at Wembley.

An opening ceremony and a double header in front of a big crowd at Wembley will really start the tournament off with a bang, and get the momentum rolling for the rest of the tournament.

Fair point, Id definetly agree a big game needs to be played in London. Wembley is however a huge stadium and takes some filling. RFL would need to be confidant of 50k+ to consider Wembley, anything less than this and they should perhaps look at a smaller stadium, Emirates being first choice for me.

A packed Wembley would be a magnificant advert for the game though, i just dont think its achievable at this time.

Fortunately we have a chance to test the water this year with the 4 nations opener. If we do pretty well there, then we should definitely go for it. The RFL have a whole year to sell the WC as an event. They should have the times, dates and venues sorted by the end of this season and start the build up and sales for the WC the moment the 4 nations ends this winter. That should be plenty of time to sell enough tickets.

People will forget that Samoa v Tonga in Huddersfield only sold 3k tickets if 80/90k go to the opening match and final.