The RFL have confirmed that Gloucestershire All Golds and Oxford are merging and forming a side in Bristol to start playing in 2019. Neither of the teams will be playing in 2018.

The knock on affect is two less teams in League One for 2018 and therefore a straight forward ‘play everyone Home and away’ format.

I don't understand how this can work out, Gloucester and Oxford should continue and Bristol should start as a new club.

Is it that these 2 teams are run by people who live in or close to Bristol and they thought it would be a better option?

I am confused. Doesn't take a lot to confuse me but is this a good or bad thing?

Both clubs owners must have thought there is more potential in Bristol than in their respective homes, a city name also is more likely to appeal to the RFL so do not know if there was any sweeteners. Oxford, to be fair, were going nowhere. All Golds however were improving year on year and were certainly the best of the new bunch so I'd hope the progression is at least a continuation of their trajectory, but would hope for better.

Whether it is good or bad I do not know, in the short term the more straight forward league format is better news for League One Clubs and Supporters in my opinion

Shame, Gloucester seem to be of the teams having a good crack at it. Decent on-field performances with local players

Bristol does seem like a better place to market, being a bigger city but it does mean that we have now lost an expansion club which seems to be a bit of a backwards step unless this new club can have a decent amount of success. Im sure I'd seen that Hemel were pulling out of the competition at some point as well.

Are you sure about that? Lots of Welsh accents when I've spoken to them, a lot of lads seem to transfer between them, Hemel, North Wales and South Wales. I suspect this Bristol side will feature a lot of the same players. Whenever I've been there, crowds have been about 100 (I know they report a bit more), so glad they have done this now rather than folding halfway through a season and leaving lads in limbo.

Bristol is a bigger city, but on already with 2 football leagues teams, a WSL team, a RU team, and country cricket team.

Whilst I work in Bristol, and live nearby, and would obviously be keen to support a Bristol based RL club, I have no idea how sustainable a link to Gloucestershire & Oxford will be.

The RLWC game held in Bristol in 2013 was quite well supported though.

Surely the current players wont hang around for 12 months without pay. I'm assuming it will be a new club with new players etc

Which stadium/ground does the new club intend to it's home fixtures?

Whatever happened to Bristol Sonics weren't they trying to get into Championship 1 at one point?

Both teams looked like there were going to collapse, the fact that the MAYBE a team somewhere in the region is a good result.

Gloucester were supposed to be Bristol in the first place which is why they hosted a World Cup game. There seemed to be some backing to have a team in the area at the time. I am not sure why they ended up in Gloucester.

I believe that it's going to be the memorial ground (currently home to Bristol RFU and Bristol Rovers ), the football club are looking to move out.

Oxford have been really struggling so no surprise regarding there situation. Gloucestershire despite doing okay on the pitch were struggling off it.
It's a shame, but when it was 1st announced you could see the problems happening.

Leads to an intresting question of which league are Bristol going to start in.

Re - not sure on the above comments ref. Rovers leaving the Mem !?!? They did have big plans a few years ago about selling the Mem to Sainsbury's (for development) and moving to a new ground based at UWE, but that all went a bit awry, so latest was they were going to stay put and improve the place. www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/foot ... tol-298103

Re - not sure on the above comments ref. Rovers leaving the Mem !?!? They did have big plans a few years ago about selling the Mem to Sainsbury's (for development) and moving to a new ground based at UWE, but that all went a bit awry, so latest was they were going to stay put and improve the place. www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/foot ... tol-298103

My guess would be Dings Crusaders new ground, just outside Bristol. Clifton RFC may be on the radar but no idea if they are RL friendly, Dings are and I think it is 3G so no on the road games whilst the landlord sorts out the pitch.

I hope they aren't looking at the Memorial Ground, too big and probably too expensive.

Not sure how there is a question there, it will be League 1.

I sure I read somewhere that they were going to fold for some reason. Can't remember much of the actual article other than that.

I hope that they are in league 1. The only reason I asked is 2019 will be when the new league structures come in. And we know how the RFL are with big cities.

Wonder if they'd consider Bristol for the magic weekend 2019 to help get it going. Ashton Gate holds 30,000 I believe. Enough hotels and a decent city nightlife from what I've been told.

How are they? Please enlighten us because I don't think anyone has any idea what you're talking about.

Bristol might get the Magic Weekend if they bid millions of pounds like other cities do.

Cities get mentioned a few times.

This was one from this year - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/39258426HERE[/url

They would prefer more big cities to become involved in RL (I'm not saying that the clubs start at SL,Championship level). As they believe this will increase revenue, open up more sponsorship deals. And hopefully increase crowd levels with a bigger target audience.(although I'm not sure that's the case other than a few games). To spread the gosspil .This was said in an interview with Nigel Woods in League Weekly.
Whigh is why I asked which league, because other than Toronto, pretty much every expansion clubs that has started in league 1 has either folded, or been forced to move to a different location. And ALL have/are struggling.

We've also had a succession of clubs in the traditional heartlands struggling financially in the lower divisions. The problems are not unique to expansion clubs.

These clubs should have gone into a League 1 South, rather than trying to compete with traditional heartland clubs.

Totally agree, I'm not sure what the answers are. Maybe like the poster below says regionalisation of the league maybe it.

Why would anyone want a 4-6 team league?

More clubs would be able to compete at that level than the current nationwide League 1, making it easier to start up new clubs. The league could have looked something like this.

Bristol
Gloucestershire
Oxford
Coventry
Nottingham
London Skolars
Hemel
South Wales
New London team
New Welsh team