Too many gaps (big ones at times) between home games this season. You lose the plot sometimes. The likes of away games at Barrow, Whitehaven, Doncaster and Gateshead away doesn't help the supporter watching his pennies. A couple more teams in this league would help the problem along with a fixture planner that understands that Whitehaven is not a local derby for us on a Bank Holiday Monday!

But that was when we still had the carrot of getting what was then considering to be the 'promised land' (and we had a bloody good chance of achieving it). Totally different scenario these days, particularly with the likes of Workington on their , not to mention the lessening challenge from Rochdale, Oldham, Swinton etc when compared to maybe 10 years ago.

No matter how you look at it extra games are needed, be it a leaguye restructure or a fresh cup competition, and ndont be fooled people WILL attend games to see a 'cricket score' after all isn't that what some people miss from our early 00's?

Further to the meeting regarding franchising for the next round I have been told that although the goal posts havent changed there is a stipulation within the franchise that a club applying for a licence must have a turnover of £1 million per year and be financially stable.....now I dont know of any championship club that will have a turnover of anything like this on crowds of around 2000 even Widnes.
Is the another spanner in the works??????

I have given up hope of a franchise for our club because like Whitehaven Barrow Halifax Featherstone and Widnes I have a suspicion that we are never going to be granted one.

Supporters of franchising do make some valid points but promotion and relegation are vital in a professional sport and 5 coaches of Leigh fans aren,t just spending practically all of next Sunday travelling to a game and back just because the coaches are free.There will also be folk travelling by other means.

What you cannot disagree on is this. Crowds are down since franchising came in and Thursday games for the Championsip has reduced income for clubs for attractive fixtures because TV money is spent on give away offers.

The league format will not change!

Remove Sky money and I would not be suprised if there were 3 or 4 clubs in SL not generating that kind of money.

salford
celtic
wakefield
london

???

Yip, possibly even Huddersfield given their rented stadium (how much hospitality/advertising money would they keep), discounted ST's etc.

I might be totally wrong saying £250k pa sponsorship revenue and 15 games fetching 5000 in tops the £1m barrier, but it will be borderline anyway, and nothing any Championship club could generate with the current format.

St Helens with an average crowd of around 8/9K had a turnover of over 4m

Very big merchandise sales , 1.2 million from SKY , rip off beer sales plus dodgy betting profits

Still surprises their turnover in that ground is so high.

Why? It's not as if they spend any money on improving the place, is it?

And what about the price of a can off beer Matt

===========================================
Been reported that they have made a loss over £300,000

Present from the Trust in Widnes board boys!

Not gettin to Wembley is a major blow, not getting to the Grand Final would be a big big problem for Saints.

Isn't it widely notified in RL circles that if it wasn't for Wakey getting into CC semi final they'd of gone under the other year?

you cant put anything negative ANYWHERE about SL especially Celtic or else posters will jump all over you, dont you know its all fine and dandy.

No surprise to me that St Helens are so much in debt ,when we were in Super League I was chating to one of the Saints directors and at the end of the season the Directors had cobbled together and paid off the shortfall of over £400,000.When I bumped into him again less than a third into the season they were very nearly up to that figure again.My point is how on earth are the likes of our club going to hack Soooper Dooper when a club like Saints need bolstering by that much?

Its easy they will just blame the Championship clubs and hawk a levy on our gates to pay the SL clubs debts off, its all fine and dandy up there you know.

I doubt a CC semi makes you enough money to keep you afloat if you are struggling that badly.

Depends how works out, a few k there extra merchandise, backed up by home game etc etc.

May have been 'cup run'!

Not really almost all SL clubs are carrying huge [ relatively debts either on their grounds if they own them or in directors loan accounts if they dont

It's all a house of cards with the RFL desperatley trying to bring in more SKy money to keep it upright

They have made a huge c... up with Celtic , the 5h1t will hit the fan on this one sooner or later , there are a few people who know the truth , one wrong move and a ' whistleblower ' will appear

Almost all Premiership football clubs are carrying huge debts too, but you can hardly say that's a house of cards?!