When a club is a BIG CLUB is not decided by its fans desperation in being recognised as being one, it will happen by events within the sport. There’s no prejudiced to Wire or anyone else in that people sit around a table and say this club or that club will not be BIG, that’s silly and smacks of an inferiority complex. When clubs are big [uyou[/u don’t need to say it, it’s just accepted by everyone. So chill, "YOU ARE".

We are big and we know it. you dont have to be winning stuff to be a big club history support and being known by people outside the game are what counts towards the label of being a big club.

We have had success in the past and now we have had some great players play for us beven boyd gregory woods murphy langer davis johns to name a few andppl know who we are so yeah we are a big club and one of big 4 at present

Sorry I should have been clearer. I was referring to those supporters at Wigan, Saints, Leeds, maybe Bradford and, most laughable, Widnes, who, as I was trying to say, will always move the goal posts as long as it meant they didn't have to view Warrington as a 'Big Club'. I personally see the title on a level with loudest chants and prettiest kits; as in I don't care and think it serves as an excuse/ distraction to the real important stuff (winning matches and cups)

I sometimes, like the sith, deal in absolutes (EG. I don't mind if we never beat saints again as long as saints continue their trophy drought) and the big club argument is the same to me. As long as me and mine (wire keep winning things and growi, remaingin a viable business) are sorted, nay-sayers can keep gossiping and bitching, like a sewing circle.

Yes that is correct. Rugby League was around before Sky came along

Just the fact that you have to ask means you care. If you didn't care you wouldn't ask. And the number of threads asking the same question, or far more amusing "are we still w@nky" means you care a lot.

Quote ="Harry Pinner"Just the fact that you have to ask means you care. If you didn't care you wouldn't ask. And the number of threads asking the same question, or far more amusing "are we still w@nky" means you care a lot.'" Be careful Harry you remember what happens when you try being smart on here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=499129&tsmp=1348491421&start=90

Quote ="Harry Pinner"Just the fact that you have to ask means you care. If you didn't care you wouldn't ask. And the number of threads asking the same question, or far more amusing "are we still w@nky" means you care a lot.'" Be careful Harry you remember what happens when you try being smart on here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=499129&tsmp=1348491421&start=90

I think you will find that i don't care one little bit, so long as the team keep turning up each week. we are in a purple patch at the moment but it doesn't change my opinion of the club. They will always be the biggest club to me, purely because they're the team i love, that doesn't mean i will go round saying any other club are big/small, why do i care? they don't wear primrose and blue

I knew that, just never realised Runcorn had a team, as my Granddad never mentioned the town having a Rugby side... would be interesting to delve further into this as part of a history to our great game.

The original Runcorn team stopped competing in 1914. However, there was a team playing out of Runcorn as recently as the late 1980s.

We've won four trophies in the last four years (3xChallenge Cup, 1xSLLLS).

We're the only team to have never been relegated.

We have good financial backing and earn fair amounts of money.

In recent years we've built and are still developing our own 12-15-18000 stadium for a town of only 200,000.

We have developed our youth academy greatly.

We do some great work in the community and for charity.

We've had players play for us that are some of the biggest names and best players to ever have played the sport. Notably Brian Bevan who scored 740 tries in 695 games adding up to 2222 points for the Wire.

Throughout our history we've won:
Championship, 3 times: 1947–48, 1953–54, 1954–55 (Runners-up 6 times)
Challenge Cup Winners, 8 times: 1904–05, 1906–07, 1949–50, 1953–54, 1973–74, 2009, 2010, 2012 (Runners-up 8 times)
Super League Leaders Shield, once: 2011
Premiership Winners, once: 1985–86 (Runners-up 2 times)
Lancashire League, 8 times: 1937–38, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1967–68
Lancashire Cup, 9 times: 1921–22, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1989–90 (Runners-up 6 times)
Regal Trophy, 4 times: 1973–74, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1990–91 (Runners-up 3 times)
ITV Floodlit Competition: 1955–56

We hold (with Halifax) the record for the biggest crowd in European rugby league history and the biggest sporting crowd ever to watch a game of any sport in the North of England. 102,569 at Odsal in 1954 (unofficial estimates say the crowd was over 120,000).
We hold (with Leeds) the record for largest crowd to attend a rugby league game at the new Wembley. 85,217 in 2010.

Importantly, we're doing well now and also note that the future looks bright too!

If that's not a "big club" then fair enough, I bow down to the greats, some of whom haven't won a trophy in any of the recent years where we have.

Wire need to win the title this year to move ahead of Widnes in the all-time list (3 each), and draw level with Oldham and Halifax. Still ground to make up on Salford and Swinton though.

We're not a "big club" in the same way Wigan, Leeds and Saints are. Bradford were too but have had their problems. Hull FC have got arguably more potential than any other club so why that potential consistently fails to be realised I have no idea.

Wire of the last few years are similar to Chelsea in the early stages of the Abramovich era. I don't neccessarily mean in financial terms although there is an obvious parrallel between Abramovich and Simon Moran, but in simple terms Chelsea were a "name" club of sorts in English football, and had even won a few cups down the years, but they were a long way behind the real big clubs like Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of brand awareness globally (bearing in mind football is obviously a much bigger global game than RL is) and they hadn't won a title since the fifties.

Three leagues, a European Cup, consistent Champions League prescence for a decade, and a few FA Cups thrown in for good measure later and I think it's fair to call Chelsea a big club now.

In 5-10 years time hopefully Warrington will be in a similar posistion of strength. We'll find out in due course.

If you measure being a "big" club in terms of on-field success then perhaps we aren't up there with Wigan (yet) - Widnes probably are based on the 70's & 80's, but not many people would call them that.

A "big" club is measured by it's influence in it's own community and beyond as well as on-field success. At the club we have a fantastic medical facility that serves the whole town and beyond and the benefit of that will be felt long after any trophy win, euphoria or disappointment on the field. That's just one example.

Wires are a big part of the community and the community are a big part of the club, and not just the parts of the community who come through the turnstiles.

We're a tiny club, no ego here but we still manage to win a few trophies and beat teams

Who cares?

Quote ="Paul Youane"Be careful Harry you remember what happens when you try being smart on here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=499129&tsmp=1348491421&start=90'" Yes, the embarrassment of thinking you'd only won 1 play off game when actually it was 2 (or whatever it was) still haunts me to this day. Hardly a day goes by without someone stopping me in the street to remind of that hideous gaff.

Quote ="Paul Youane"Be careful Harry you remember what happens when you try being smart on here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=499129&tsmp=1348491421&start=90'" Yes, the embarrassment of thinking you'd only won 1 play off game when actually it was 2 (or whatever it was) still haunts me to this day. Hardly a day goes by without someone stopping me in the street to remind of that hideous gaff.

I think Runcorn were a founder member .

There was also a team in Liverpool ,Liverpool Stanley that changed variously to Liverpool City ,Huyton ,Runcorn Highfield ( 80's) then ,i think ,Prescot Highfield.

Given the focus on our poor play off record - was 2/10, now 3/11, I was surprised to see that Hull's was 4/15 before Saturday, now 4/16. Just as bad and did three of their wins come in one year? Certainly two did.

I have equal respect for each rugby club, the players, supporters, officials and people that give up their free time for the benefit of this great game. Some of my best memories of watching RL growing up were of visiting so called small clubs like Runcorn (I think it was lancashire cup with a backdrop of the Manchester ship canal) or Rydale york or watching wire play Hunslet at Elland road. If anything I have more respect for the supporters of the likes of Keighly for continuing to turn out and watch their team.
Does it matter as long as RL continues to be played and supported from Crosfields or Pilks to Suncorp or DW stadium.
There is no such thing as a small or big RL club - Just a RL club

Runcorn still had a team in the early 90's. They were always bottom of Division 2.

I cannot believe there were 11,500 at that match on Friday, as was claimed. The ground looked little more than half full!

Is that whats being reported? i think thats the capacity, normally they get about top end of 9k there, opposite the camera side is normally chocker and the new stand is over half full.

Quote ="Fantastic Mr Cat"Is that whats being reported? i think thats the capacity, normally they get about top end of 9k there, opposite the camera side is normally chocker and the new stand is over half full.'" Yes, that's what they put up on SKY and is still reported here: www.superleague.co.uk/match_report/8695 Yet the new stand was pretty sp (understandably Leeds no.s would have been well down on a league game), the stand opposite the cameras whilst well populated wasn't chocker and those temporary-ish stands were empty too.

Quote ="Fantastic Mr Cat"Is that whats being reported? i think thats the capacity, normally they get about top end of 9k there, opposite the camera side is normally chocker and the new stand is over half full.'" Yes, that's what they put up on SKY and is still reported here: www.superleague.co.uk/match_report/8695 Yet the new stand was pretty sp (understandably Leeds no.s would have been well down on a league game), the stand opposite the cameras whilst well populated wasn't chocker and those temporary-ish stands were empty too.