Football town?
The strongest amateur clubs around our town are rugby league based.

If we did a count of the number of amateur football players vs number of amateur RL players, id be amazed if football didn't dwarf RL.

ok.... name an amateur football club that regularly provides players to the professional football ranks....

you cant......we are not a football Town, anymore than we are a basketball town or a netball town....

my son plays basketball there are hundreds of kids playing it .........not one single player will end up in the NBA.......

we are a rugby town like it or not....

... Mainly because the football club takes the children because that's what they are at the time from 7+ into their own academies. But I understand your point.

Not sure how many Warrington born players are in the Warrington Town ranks.

I can't because I have zero interest in football and where the player base comes from. There are also I'd guess 80 teams in the top 4 leagues in English football, and countless semi professional clubs I dare say there are as many warringtonians in that structure as there are in the SL and Championship - but obviously I could never prove that.

I'd love it if we were a rugby town, I just don't believe we are. There are far more people playing and watching football in Warrington than they are playing RL. There are probably different ways of classifying whether we are a rugby town or a football town (or indeed a basketball town). But on the subject of developing players through our youth system (which my comment was based upon) from the local player base, that primarily has to be measured against the number of kids playing the game in the town. I have no interest in football and no knowledge of junior football clubs in the area, but I'd say there were probably at least twice as many football clubs as RL clubs.

These are not the the acid tests of whether we're a football or ruby town. It's far easier to make it as a professional RL player than a professional fooball player based purely on the numbers of kids competing for professional contracts - plus the football and RL youth->pro routes are completely different. Also, rating the "strength" of a club is entirely subjective, especially rating the strength between two completely different sports. In each case you're comparing apples with oranges.

Neither of these are a reasonable measure of the statement "we are a football/rugby town" - and considering the original statement was relating to the number of kids we have playing the sport in the town - by simply counting the number of junior clubs playing league fooball/rugby, we get an idea of the number of kids playing the sports - and ultimately the interest:

Football - Appleton AFC, Birchwood JFC, Bruche Athletic, Cromwell Athletic, Crosfields JFC, Culcheth JFC, Eagle JFC, Eagle Sports F.C., Lymm Piranhas, Matthiola, Monk JFC, Orford, Rylands FC, Sandymoor JFC, Sankey Strikers, Warrington Town FC, Whittle Hall, Winwick Athletic, Woolston Rovers

RL - Woolston, Crossfields, Latchford, Rylands, Culcheth, Bank Quay, Burtonwood, Lymm RL

(Happy to be called out on any of the above - I just did a cursory search online for junior football teams and junior RL teams)

The great publicity machine that gives football so much oxygen ensures that football is the number one game in the country no matter what game your strongest local professional club plays. Every tv news bulletin has football involved somewhere & the FA looks after its game & its sponsors by giving maximum exposure & virtually every school in Britain teaches football as sport helped by grants from the FA.

I wouldn't question the number of people playing the game the point I wanted to make was not regarding numbers of participants, I just don't like the phrase "we are a Football Town"...maybe I dived in a bit to quick...!!

However we are clearly not a "Football Town", we have No professional football Club, We have no affinity with a professional club, our biggest football club is watched by a few hundred fans. I've seen Amateur Rugby games have bigger crowds.

the Towns amateur Rugby Teams are Well established, well run and well known. I played football before I played rugby and I could name you one open age Saturday league football team without going to google.

anyway don't more people participate in Fishing than any other sport? maybe we are a fishing town.

Yep, completely agree. I think the discussion went slightly off-piste with the football town vs rugby town point, which has detracted from what was actually a very good post from Alffi (I've just re-read it). Both sports are probably in a stronger position at jr level than they were a few years back, which is only a good thing.

As an aside - if we win the Bev Risman Trophy in the middle 8's, will that make it to your signature biscuit?

The Walker situation reminds me a little of Iestyn Harris. Wanted away from the club, probably had his head turned by money, press and agents, and has a ready made excuse to want out.

Leeds didn't look the gift horse in the mouth, and neither should we. Whether we like the way a move comes about or not, he is a talented boy and has potential to be one of the best in the country. Get him signed.

How many schools in Warrington play rugby league?

I heard we had agreed already. But after Barba turning after agreeing, I'll keep the cards to my chest.

I can't believe he doesn't think he couldn't keep Ash Golding from the FB position, he must be one of the most over rated players in Superleague

Even the Leeds fans don't rate him 16 games played in Superleague this season & zero tries

To sign a 5 year deal over all he must have some agent

He'd be a great signing for us, if we can't sign a quality half back I'd rather us sign a quality fullback and use ratchford in the halves with Patton. I think he will get some good game time for us anyway, feel a bit sorry for Jack Johnson who has been pretty good from what I have seen and perhaps deserved a run. We need a coach who plays the best players not his favourites like Smith seems to.

We seem to have a great system at Warrington. A so called top class academy system that the "top" management seem to have no faith in whatsoever & farm the products of the junior ranks out at the first opportunity only to replace them with similarly developed youngsters, on contracts ,who may or may not turn out to be any good.

We are in the same situation with Brad Dwyer, a real talent, but one whose game is way down this year as he's clearly not happy with management nor the terms of a deal to extend his contract. Probably best for all that he is leaving, but we'll see a much better player from now on at Leeds, unfortunately.

I think it was we that created the platform for Harris wanting out...

Following heavy investment just a couple of years earlier, Wires backing just dried up. Greenalls sold out and with it his ghost board membership. Higham and his board had spent and lost enough...although modest investment, they didn't get much of their money back.

Wire wouldn't offer Bateman a modest contract increase so was let go, Jiffy left stating he was disillusioned with lack of investment following a season where we finished 3rd on only points difference....it was the signs that Wire was in debt.
Wire needed Harris and Sculthorpe out more than they, and, Bateman and Davis, wanted out. Their sale along with council money buying Wilderspool, bought us survival and the most desperate time of rugby I'd witnessed in P&B. Thank god for DVD who was matey with Alfie, and the pair of them didn't particularly need the money.

So much happens at a club that we are not privy to. Regarding not developing our own players (obviously depends on what age we are talking about) but look at Julien, Philbin, the King brothers, Dec P (who I actually believe is growing into his role very nicely thank you).
The Dwyer situation is interesting. He clearly hasn't played at the same level this year, but there was a lot of "talk" at the end of last season that he was "demanding" a better contract which seems to mirror the "talk" coming out of Leeds about Walker.

Can anyone name the junior talent that your club has actually spotted/produced at an early age and who you haven't poached from another club and that has actually gone on to be a regular first team Wolves player?

I would be interested to see how many players that you have actually identified early doors and have been proved correct and that they have gone on to be successful with you

Mike Cooper has done ok, what with his England caps and everything.

Some kid from Oldham. we scouted and signed at 16 as his firat professional club wasn't too shabby. Can't recall his name now. Paul Skullllcap. No, hang on. Paul skull-and-crossbones. Oh no.

Paul Sculthorpe, that was the chap.

Maybe you'd be better focusing on your own team's recent inability to produce and hang on to ball players. Having to bring in Wire rejects Dwyer and Myler, and an inability to convince Walker to stay (having backed what seemingly everyone thinks is the wrong horse in Golding) should be a worrying sign for Leeds fans, given their earlier reliance on their academy as the basis of success.

Paul Sculthorpe is without a doubt one of the best players I have ever seen and well done to your club for spotting him
Iestyn Harris was also in the above bracket
Cooper is an above average player that did OK in the NRL whilst he was there

I immediately thought of these 3 players but then struggled to think of any more that had come right through your system

There aren't many. It's something that's always made me scratch my head.

And don't call us Wolves

Mike Gregory
Mark Forster
Mark Hilton
Gary Chambers
Paul Cullen
Chris Rudd
Iestyn Harris
Ian Knott
Paul Sculthorpe
Lee Penny
Jon Roper
Paul Darbyshire
Mike Wainwright
Paul Wood
Ian Sibbit
Chris Riley
Mike Cooper
Ben Harrison
Kevin Penny
Brad Dwyer
Ben Currie - signed at 16 from Golborne Parkside so wasn't poached.

Unfortunately not worked out for Ben and Rhys Evans now, but they had plenty of appearances.
Also didn't work out for Gareth O'Brien with us, but he's now doing great at Salford.
James Laithwaite - got a good run of games but suffered a horrible broken leg.
Gene Ormsby was successful for a while.

This year Joe Philbin and Dec Patton are really improving with game time. Harvey Livett was also looking good before his injury.

A lot of youngsters even though they didn't make it with us, they are still playing in the Championship.

Hopefully we will start bringing through more of our own talent, rather than always relying on signings.