Many, many years ago, Liverpool City RLFC played at the magnificent Knotty Ash Stadium. They developed it, within their meagre means, mainly by fencing it and erecting a nice little grandstand which had become surplus to requirements at either Saints or Widnes. The fact that the land was owned by a nearby Carmelite convent was apparently of little issue, though no doubt permission had to be obtained.

The convent did however reclaim the land, I guess when the lease expired, maybe 30 or so years later, prompting the disastrous move to Huyton.

I guess this stuff can cut both ways.
I know that Nottingham City Council own the freehold to both football grounds (Meadow Lane and the City Ground), which is why when some dodgy con artists bought Notts County thinking they'd get their hands on the freehold they came unstuck (though not before fleecing about £200k out of the club).
Trouble is, it only takes one money grabbing council to put the freeholds up for sale, and it could all go to pot.

There's quite a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing in that direction.

Quote ="BroncOnIon"Many, many years ago, Liverpool City RLFC played at the magnificent Knotty Ash Stadium. They developed it, within their meagre means, mainly by fencing it and erecting a nice little grandstand which had become surplus to requirements at either Saints or Widnes. The fact that the land was owned by a nearby Carmelite convent was apparently of little issue, though no doubt permission had to be obtained. The convent did however reclaim the land, I guess when the lease expired, maybe 30 or so years later, prompting the disastrous move to Huyton.'" Nuns! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-fPb87mVA

Quote ="BroncOnIon"Many, many years ago, Liverpool City RLFC played at the magnificent Knotty Ash Stadium. They developed it, within their meagre means, mainly by fencing it and erecting a nice little grandstand which had become surplus to requirements at either Saints or Widnes. The fact that the land was owned by a nearby Carmelite convent was apparently of little issue, though no doubt permission had to be obtained. The convent did however reclaim the land, I guess when the lease expired, maybe 30 or so years later, prompting the disastrous move to Huyton.'" Nuns! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-fPb87mVA

Quote ="Rob from Erith"Nuns! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-fPb87mVA'" Never anything like that. Walked past the convent many times but never saw signs of life. Think that they were closed/enclosed. Pity, they might have made a formidable group of fans.

Quote ="Rob from Erith"Nuns! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-fPb87mVA'" Never anything like that. Walked past the convent many times but never saw signs of life. Think that they were closed/enclosed. Pity, they might have made a formidable group of fans.

A bit like the Wakey fans in Nun fancy dresss many years ago!

stop harking on about the past......London Broncos have no need of fans.....especially not away ones!

And yet this thread and it's brother discussing the new home before ETF was confirmed are responsible for more traffic than the other threads combined? Go figure! Those posters who no longer visit this site number in the dozen or maybe dozen and a half. Those fans who don't attend games any more number in their thousands, but let's blame Jim Pooley because he's discussing something that makes us uncomfortable.
What is pathetic is the number of fans willing to cast blame on an internet poster rather than looking slightly closer to home as to why we're a mid table team in the 2nd tier looking at playing at something similar to Chiswick Poly next year.


Is that why you've posted 165 times in 10 years.....or is that down to Jim Pooley as well?

Here's a gem of yours from September 2014.

...and people call me depressing!

Drone

Here are the owners of the freehold

He seems to be a very generous supporter of various charities. If this means we can buy into owning at least part of the facilities, and they can get planning permission to develop the ground (big ifs i know) then i might believe this is a slightly better move. I do agree with Jim Pooley on some of his statements. i am a late comer to the broncos started watching cup final year having moved to London, we then had 4000+ fans in a great stadium, we have fallen an awful long way and the mismanagement of the club has been breathtaking. Maybe this is rock bottom and the only way is up, but i am not sure. Fingers crossed............

I think you're like me Brian, you hope for the best, but deep down fear the worst.

Sadly, too true..............

Honkytonk wrote:

my god what a pathetic thread. No wonder quite a few don't come on here.

And yet this thread and it's brother discussing the new home before ETF was confirmed are responsible for more traffic than the other threads combined? Go figure! Those posters who no longer visit this site number in the dozen or maybe dozen and a half. Those fans who don't attend games any more number in their thousands, but let's blame Jim Pooley because he's discussing something that makes us uncomfortable.
What is pathetic is the number of fans willing to cast blame on an internet poster rather than looking slightly closer to home as to why we're a mid table team in the 2nd tier looking at playing at something similar to Chiswick Poly next year.




the rugbyman wrote:

When are the children going !!! Can't stand this forum.

Is that why you've posted 165 times in 10 years.....or is that down to Jim Pooley as well?

Here's a gem of yours from September 2014.



the rugbyman wrote:

Shame none of you could have seen the 850 at chiswick. Or roughly the same at palace and the thousands we've lost from early 80s to 90s. We've been folding since mid 90s. Before brisbane came in .... Then Branson.
Supporters and players in tears after thinking we were folding....
Real rollercoaster for some ... Think we lost 6,000 odd fans over those first few years too

...and people call me depressing!

Well, nothing like using 50 words when 5 will do!!

Jim, we all know your feelings towards Hughes/the way the club is run. To be honest I agree with most of what you say. Thing is we don't need to be reminded of it in every post/thread. We have heard it all be fore, numerous times. As for the back and forth arguing by some posters, chaps if you want to bicker why don't you swap phone numbers, or email addresses. save the rest of us from having to see. I want to read about the Broncos, not have to wade through pages of petty rubbish. We all want what is best for the Broncos and I expect most of us all agree on the problems. This is not a dig at anyone, just a request to get back to talking about Broncos.

I fully agree with you, but if this thread, regarding the move (to what is essentially Chiswick Poly with a banqueting hall) isn't the place for a rant at Hughes then please point out which thread is?
As for the "bickering" on this topic. That's down to Perry and his assertion that I can't comment on the locale because I don't live in the UK, when in reality, I lived in for 3 years and still own a property less than 2 miles from this new venue and therefore am probably more qualified than most to comment on it.

I get it. I am not a popular poster for varying reasons, but the fact remains I was right in 2003 and I am still right now. If this club is to survive and even grow, it needs to put marketing at the front of everything it does. Some will be happy to watch park footie on a park pitch and good luck to them, but I started supporting a professional club in the top division and no amount of romanticising about Phoenix Clubs and re-birth will ever get London Broncos back to the top tier.....but harsh words and hard work will.
Ealing Trailfinders Holds 1,000 in comfort. I'm not happy with the venue, but what would prove me wrong is if the club fill it 14 or 15 times next year. The Move to the hive was the first in the clubs history that delivered a lower average than the last year at the previous venue......stop that trend and then I believe there's a chance to grow again.
First up.....contact everyone we have details for and invite them, Free of Charge to the first game next year AND WHILST THEY ARE THERE QUESTIONNAIRES, DATA COLLECTION AND OTHER ENGAGEMENT! If Hughes won't pay for it, I have no doubt the supporters group could handle this.......

Funny. lot's of threads end up like this, and they all involve you.
While only a couple involve me. How can that be I wonder?

It's not funny at all. It's sad. But to answer your query, the reason that some threads end up like this is because I am more often than not, very negative about the club and rather than put me on an ignore list, idiots (personal insult quote fulfilled) like you try and score points....like your incorrect assertion about the estate across the railway tracks from the ground that nobody would have to know was there and certainly wouldn't need to cross to get to the venue being "one of the worst" in West London. You totally fail to acknowledge you were wrong and instead we end up with a dozen pages of .

The only other topic on the front page of this forum where there is such a disagreement is the one about Joe Grima......the bloke with 2 wins to his name in competitive games who was a crap coach, but who you want to applaud because a player will talk to you after a game



So no, lots of threads don't end up like this one....just the ones where you question my opinion and then in both instances of late, use my location in NZ as your only counter the facts laid out for you.

HTH....

What the hell are you going on about? Have you suddenly become some forum Grand master? I would suggest you post before drinking pints of Old Rosie.

No one is blaming GF for the demise of the club. We all know (Because GF tells us at every opportunity) its been badly managed from the top down, particularly Hughes seemingly lacking business acumen and strategy and a couple of CEO's who just weren't up to the job. You could also throw in the poor managerial appointments of Powell and Rea. (& Joey). I still believe if we had appointed Michael McGuire instead of Rob Powell this club would be in super league but that's another argument.

The gripe with GF is that he knows nothing about Rugby league. He works in marketing or similar and takes every thread there because thats his comfort zone and its very repetitive because the information he contributes is the same, post in post out. Sometimes it good to talk rugby league rather than attendances. Maybe thats just my view unlike you Grand master I wont be calling anyone pathetic.

GF is a kn0b

who wears skinny jeans and Oxblood doc Martins!

Really? I had no idea that a BA or MA in RL was required to be a fan of the game. I was under the illusion that the basic premise of the game is to create space by running often rehed plays, pulling defenders left/right/out of position and creating overlaps. That said, in recent years the kick to the corner on the 5th has become more common and as a result wingers are bigger than they were back in the 80's. Forwards are more similar in size with 2nd rowers and loose forwards offering more creativity with the ball in hand, whilst Props (depending on the side under scrutiny) are still designed to such defenders in.

As for Gutterfax and "every thread" being about marketing, you're talking rubbish. As for this thread, the premise that we are moving to a park ground does invite the comments that marketing the club would well have stopped this rot, whilst there are plenty of other threads on this forum that is marketing free. The negativity thread being one of them



I believe his DM's are actually Cherry Reds......a slightly less foreboding shade than Ox Blood.

Hope your day ended better than it started W-Q.....you were a tad grumpy first thing

There we go no mention of defence GF which proves my point. You know nothing



I note no mention of the skinny jeans



Anyway more importantly how much will the Eagles game be costing Hughes?

It seems the Ealing 3G pitch is a big appeal as all of the club's teams will be able to use it, and back to curtain raisers.

Reasons for Ealing are that :
Barnet were given cash to make sure we had a venue to survive. There was never a future at the Hive.

We need to move to consolidate the entire club in one place. We are treated like an away team at the Hive.

The club needs to generate some money as we don't at the Hive.

How many home grounds is that now? 25? 30? I'd say it's becoming a joke but that would be ten to fifteen years too late.

The lack of content or thought for a supporter base that has been incredibly loyal and dragged around each corner of the Capital, is deplorable. It's very sad to see people saying this is the last tether for them but after being treated the way they have over the years, it's somewhat understandable.

As for a community based, fan owned club. Though the idea is good, what are the chances of the numbers being both interested and willing to part with their cash to fund such a club? It will not come cheap and though I'm hazarding a guess, I can't see the funds being put up long term.

It will be interesting to see what they do with Bushey, as they have spent a fair bit on it. Maybe they will train there the majority of the week, Ealing for a day or two. I guess the players will be located around Barnet, and not sure upheaval would be appropriate.

I was led to believe everything will move to west London.

I don't see any reason the training would move from bushey.