I'm glad you've gone back to the London Broncos it's a good move.

I used to go watch you play when I lived in SW London.

Anyway good luck with the rebranding and hopefully you will get some new supporters

From a Hull FC supporter.

None at all....you northern tw@!



I was refering to an "offer" that harvested about 500 "new" facebook fans who we got in return for free entry to a game in 2010.....just happened to be for the game when you were in town.

As someone who is closer than I to the management of the club I am sure you have a far better idea than me. Not sure why you expect me to explain myself just because I disagree with your view that the re-branding/launch is a disaster, but for what it is worth I will take a stab at some of the issues that in my opinion may have contributed to the collapse of the partnership. You in turn might also take on board that I very much wanted the Quins partnership to work and will always view it as a missed golden opportunity for the RL club, but for whatever reason it did not work out and we now have to put it behind us.

I agree totally that the dire performance of the RL team over a significant period was probably a huge contributing factor, but I doubt it was the only reason.

If I remember correctly statements made at the time by the RU main man Mark Evans (who was a supporter of the RL efforts) gave the impression that it was very much a partnership. The partnership received a mixed reception from RU supporters, a few have become dual code supporters, the majority are just not bothered and prefer the RU game and as you would expect some were very much against the arrangement from the outset. I don`t know whether this ambivalence effected the relationship but in my opinion despite the rent free period given there was little interaction or collaboration between both parties to help the RL side develop.

The RL club has been dependent on the backing of David Hughes for a very long time, operationally we lose money year on year and we are therefore not an attractive business proposition. When IL came along our fortune looked promising, he was supportive of the Quins partnership, he had money and had he stayed the partnership might well have worked……..but he walked away and we were back to being a poor proposition and a potential financial burden on the RU club. We continue to struggle to attract additional investment and sponsors.

Along the way the RU side had its problems what with Bloodgate, associated fines and a new South Stand to be paid for, they were therefore more concerned with their own wellbeing and were both unlikely or in a position to offer the RL side a helping hand. Mark Evans our biggest supporter within RU management also decided to move on, further weakening the arrangement.

I have no idea as to how good or bad DH is to work with but he pulls the RL strings and along the way he may have been reluctant to relinquish the degree of control required to RU management. At the recent fans forum I think DH stated (correct me if I heard it wrong) that he offered the majority shareholding to the RU club for £1, but the RU side declined……I think that speaks volumes.

So in short, had we been brilliant on the pitch, attracted more fans, secured additional investment and sponsors then the partnership would have stood a better chance and we might have avoided our current predicament, but that did not happen (perhaps DH could not afford the level of investment required at that time) and we have no choice but to move on.

I was as big a supporter of the Harlequins move as there could have been - without it the club would no longer be here.
However it failed miserably on almost every count - perhaps except that we have a strong youth policy in place (but we may have had or at least SHOULD have had this anyway.)
Everything else has been a bit of a disaster, I think that even as a season ticket holder every year I never managed to get the same seat two-years running.
Poor performances, poor team, poor organisation, doesn't mean a team should change its name, that's ridiculous.

BUT

the only reason we were Harlequins in the first place was the first step towards a future merger.
Once it was clear that was never going to happen, we returned to our original name.

I for one am delighted we are back as London Broncos, it's who we are.

Previous two posters are spot on.

We probably are once more in the last chance saloon* for these next three years. It's pretty obvious that this will be DH's final commitment unless it either takes off big time and/or a big and committed new source of investment comes in.

*Yes, I know that the last chance saloon isn't repeatable in the real world. But with London RL it does keep happening. Dum spiro spero.

I'm glad you've gone back to the London Broncos it's a good move.

I used to go watch you play when I lived in East London.

Anyway good luck with the rebranding and hopefully you will get some new supporters

From a Leeds Rhinos supporter

The Harlequins RL era can be looked back on in disappointment, I feel. Off the field, little was done to push the club into the spotlight of those in and around the surrounding areas of Twickenham, never mind the whole of London. On the pitch, little was achieved. Hammerings week in, week out become the norm.

The original London Broncos era will be looked back on nostalgically by many, it was a time when Rugby League "boomed" as a sport, it was thrust onto our television screens with fantastic new ideas like the video ref, big named players like Martin Offiah and Shaun Edwards donned the quartered colours of the Broncos, high placings in the table (4th and 2nd), a Challenge Cup Final, play off positions and the likes of Dennis Moran and Tommy Leuluai in the end of the Broncos era. People look back on things and often call them "the good times" and after the past five years as Harlequins people want things like I've listed in front of them again.

I'm not saying these people are right because I'm sure each person has memories of Harlequins that in five years time will be on messageboards with things like "remember when Harlequins RL...".

The club want their own identity, I applaud them for that. Harlequins as a brand is synonmous with Rugby Union and yes, it did seem a good idea at the time clawing onto their brand to raise awareness for Rugby League in London but it hadn't worked in the five years. Was it long enough to test whether it had worked? Maybe not but the licensing system in RL has forced the issue.

People are totally correct that a lot was expected from our return to The Stoop and the change of name to Harlequins RL as others have stated looking towards us joining together, it did not happen, we did not gain any benefits so it was time to start again and the name that was nostalgic as was Fulham but we would not consider that name unless we were returning to Fulham Football's Ground, which was doubtful to happen.

London is more general and with the right marketing the new brand & new badge can work, we seem to have it right on the pitch with recruitment now it's getting it right off with marketing.

So in 3 years time, what if we are rooted to the foot of the table, no fans etc? Is it time to declare things haven't worked out, knee jerk and change again? (If someone else were to invest).

If the only investor interested in saving the club insisted that we change the name.... but unless it is to an already established name (like if Brentford FC moved in) then there would not be much point

Gotta say London Broncos on the banner just feels right

In my opinion the driving factor for the additional DH spend this time around is to give it one more go at being a success and if we can get results on the pitch he is hoping this will attract the craved for additional fans and new investment, in order that he can pass on the club at the end of the franchise period. Fortunately (I believe) the RFL are also to now help out with some RL marketing, but no idea what this means specifically to the Broncos.

If we struggle over the next 3 years and end up at the foot of the table he/we will have failed, new investment will not be there and in all probability the club will go belly up when DH walks away, so your question would become irrelevant.

do me a favour. get over it. the change has happened.move on eh?

Completely right, It would be a sad world if we all went through life thinking IF & looking always to the Worst!

Oh dear.

Get over what? Are we not allowed to discuss the future?

Keep dreaming of that stadium

Having had it said to me so many times after we became H********s it makes me laugh to see it said now we're back to being London Broncos

of course you can discuss it.but for how long before i lose the will to live.record,needle and stuck comes to mind.
its another new beginning..i cant wait till the announcement of a relocation to brisbane rd or better still the olympic stadium...........lister only joshing mate

Welcome back....

Has Copthall been considered as a possible new location, you can join unions nomad club in a ground share.

Only by idiots.

meow

More images from the day [url=http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Search/Search.aspx?query=z.i.H4sIAAAAAAAEAOy9B2AcSZYlJi9tynt_SvVK1-B0oQiAYBMk2JBAEOzBiM3mkuwdaUcjKasqgcplVmVdZhZAzO2dvPfee--999577733ujudTif33_8_XGZkAWz2zkrayZ4hgKrIHz9-fB8_In7dfLn9-ZNf49f4NX6PX_dskV3kvyb9-pj-_5uU1XJWLdNJXS2nVfNrjvDFr_Hr_Bo3PL-m-ZnUVdW-zOps0fza-tmvhf_v7uDX3920_83wz29M___13r2-bk7fGRi_pvc3v5udm19_Tf0d4H7t7Hxqu_T_QJ-_5g73uGjdm-73X4cal_YL-xfe-3Xpj3phwYZ__vr4aBd__Xr8-cTC6PzNr52HUOyfDGXHQjnvQHF_82t1CMX-yVD2LJS6A8X9TZTJzUv8B5Pn11Ay7eLT39B8jclg2hJN8pX59NcM_vq180ljvzF_MLFzh4P3-6-Vu-be7792s1rZz_GHwfG3si9eTt2L7vdfp6o9VrF_8VeT3P_K_IXn155dLc3vv6b5Axz96zRrbzzBX792njkM_D_o95X_hf3j120CaOGfv_a7Z88dv9If9ous9nDz_viNmmm1yp-sl7PSI2LwqQH444DzYOc-fv91iIfWtnnw168zr-UPoRD-MhA-BoTdTz_F78QmTnD8P369F_lV3rT_TwAAAP__qCTR4TkEAAA.&sx=AllEditorial#HERE[/url

Apparently there are 10 black cabs that will carry the Livery for 6 months...all good.

What was Chariots doing there and being in all the pics. I can understand he was there in his sky capacity but I hope he wasn't turning sargy's head with tales of gold up north.

IF we do succeed with our own stadium one day & I hope it is something the Majority of us aim for, I wonder if these few "Doubting Thomas's" will still be around and eat some humble pie!! would love to see it!

He who laughs Last, Laughs Longest!

Sadly if we can't make it happen in the next three years, who will blame David Hughes walking away and no one else would bank roll a London club again, but thankfully most of us though we are realistic don't keep posting Hoping that Will Happen!