Yes, it would be "a joke". The club has only just been renamed "London" and we haven't even "spread the game" within Greater London yet. Phrases such as "muddled thinking" and "trying to walk before you can run" spring to mind. I don't give a f*** about Gillingham, I was born in London, I've supported London-based teams in various sports all my life, I'm not interested in going to a dump of a town in Kent to watch live sport when it concerns what is supposed to be my own club playing a home fixture.

I have to say I'm f***ing ed off that I've got a drawer full of redundant shirts for a club that no longer exists, in colours that will never be worn again. Performances on the pitch have been rubbish for the last couple of years; I also enjoy other sports such as cricket and football, as well as rugby league. If I do want to keep watching rugby league I think I'll watch RL Conference games, or maybe just buy train tickets for a tenner each way and make a 2 hour train journey to go to a match at Wakefield or Warrington.

The thing that really disillusions me with this club is that it has no continuity; the name of the club changes, the home ground changes, the colours change. Frankly if it wasn't the only Superleague club within 200 miles I'd have long since given up. It's been a joke for years, and it just looks like it's all going around in circles. I think reverting to an identity that ended in failure and liquidation in 2005 is probably the final straw for me.

The player recruitment this winter looks promising, although I have to ask myself where all this extra funding has come from, and whether we're being propped up by the RFL in terms of subsidising our team budget. (They won't want another Crusaders on their hands in a hurry, which was beginning to look like a worrying possibility in the not too recent past.)

This whole rebranding exercise leaves me very sceptical. I'm not the only one who felt the "Harlequins RL" venture was the last throw of the dice, and frankly I still feel that way.

If they are going to go out that way, why not Roots Hall? There's a lot more to do in Southend than Gillingham.
Or capitalise on the the Hertfordshire following and play it at Stevenage.

There's also Wycombe's ground which must be 30-40 miles from The Stoop

We've got one 'on the road 'game confirmed so far and it will be in London (at Leyton Orient), and an unconfirmed rumour of a game outside London at Gillingham - am I missing someting here as to why some are getting their knickers in a knot over an unconfirmed rumour? Repeat unconfirmed !
Thank God the new season's only round the corner, maybe then we'll have something to really post about !

Absolutely brilliant! My thoughts exactly! Well said, sir! Etc!

Just about sums up my feelings too POD, but you put it so much better

Yes I agree, we should be concentrating on London and games on the road should be more central than out in Kent or Essex.

Regards colour changes and okay names, I have so many West Ham shirts in different designs that is just part of the game & marketing, it is not ideal to change names, I wish we were still Fulham and playing at Craven Cottage but that is not the case? You know clubs like my home town have gone through changes, they first dropped the towns emblem for a stupid stick saint figure, but it happened and life went on, then all references were more Saints than St Helens, again people whined but moved on.

Last season we all accept simply we did not have a good enough squad and on the field performances did not help, but the name Quins RL was not working, the identity was not right and yes I supported the change to it when first made feeling we would benefit greatly from the association assisting corporate support and sponsorship but it never happened. So do we take what seems to be your resolution and call it a day? I don't agree if we do I would not bother with RL I would stick with West Ham and leave it as that as I also like my cricket.

I just Hope that it does come together before our first game but then again the RFL have just announced this morning they are still searching for a sponsor to take over from Engage for Super League and they may even look at having sponsors for Super League like The Champions League, which really means cheaper packages that some major sponsors may take as a write off with taxes! so even though the debate was that everything was going right even for the RFL I am not sure or convinced!

Also see that Sky have announced they will run a Super League Highlights Show on Sunday nights "Super League Full Time" so I presume this could be goodbye to the BBC and national coverage?

on the name change

Dont think we changed it cuz it worked/didnt


changed it cuz the merger was dead - reason for name change in first place - so went back to who we are

Personally, I'm ok with the Gillingham idea as a one-off, as it's closer than the Stoop for us (and maybe the other venues suggested on here are just not available/affordable?)

If this does come off, I think it's more to do with supporting the work of the Medway Dragons club, who appear to be making great strides down there (think the VP is no other than Brian Mac, late of this parish). Maybe the RFL want us to play a game in that area and we're obligated because of the RFL's support package?

I keep up with the M Dragons website and it's quite heartening to see the growth happening there. They've recently announced that there are 9 of their youngsters that have signed up with the Broncos (think it may be 10 now).

I doubt very much that the powers that be would move the only London Super League club to Kent although I would be very happy to watch the team play in Sidcup!

I would watch paint dry than visit Sidcup

Windy, what we've been used to watching these last few years has been on a par with watching paint dry (only a bit more alcohol fuelled!)

Here's a thought.......why not (and I understand this will be 2013 before it could happen) take an on the road game to Craven Cottage?
If Saracens can boost their 6k average to 42k for a match at Wembley, then surely with a bit of effort the club could get 25,000 to a game?
Gimmick matches outside London are of no use to anyone...even if 15k roll up to watch a match in deepest darkest Kent, it doesn't mean they'd do it regularly and there is little chance of dragging any of them back to TW2.

Craven Cottage, home of Fulham RLFC, to host London Broncos v Wigan Warriors in late July/early August 2013...posters, flyers, schools, radio advertising, TNT to sponsor the match and put up a trophy (annual challenge?).....leave no stone unturned and get 25k to a game.....as I say, if sarries can do it, then surely we can.

15k at Gillingham?



I'll go for 4k, max. Hull FC fans will have no interest in going to Gillingham, and will bring no more than 500. There is no way on earth we will attract 14.5k supporters either.

25k at Craven Cottage is an absolutely laughable aim at this point. Can you not see the differences between our club and theirs, as well as our sport and theirs?

You take my thoughts and opinions and form an eloquent post that is impossible for anyone to disagree with. Nice one.

Pissed myself laughing at 25,000 at Fulham, must be something in the air in middle earth.

Really?
Saracens don't simply attract old/lapsed fans back to these "gimmick" games...they get a load of neutrals and do so through a load of advertising and promotion. I have no doubt that Union is far bigger than League as a game, but, as has been shown by the RFL in 2008, when they took over the marketing of the WCC warm up game v Manly and again for the 4 nations ANZAC Test at the Stoop, if you spend some money, you'll get results.

Wigan or Saints are the No1 draw card in London (past games since 1996 sees about 30 fans the difference)...get the away team involved as well (Wigan 2008, Castleford 2000) and as I say, leave no stone unturned. The RFL reckon that nearly 50% of the tickets to the double header were sold to London addresses, so there is an audience out there and it's just a matter of finding them and communicating with them.
If you charge a tenner a head, offer 25% commission to every amateur RL club in the region........Kids in for 3 quid with an adult...any number of concepts could be used...I said Late July 2013......18 months away....plenty of time to scope it out, discuss it with Fulham (invite all their ST holders along as well), see if the RFL will play ball with the match scheduling, see if Wigan/Saints are up for it......

I am not saying it would be easy....it wouldn't be, but it is possible...if the club and everyone else thought like you, then we may as well up sticks now.....

Sorry but you've lost the plot on this one. You can reel off as many little initiatives as you like, they still won't work and somehow magically cause people to come flocking to watch a one off game they have no interest in. We can't get a 5k average attendance at home yet and you are going on about getting 5 times that at a completely different venue that currently has no links whatsoever to Rugby League.

To put it into perspective, we could only manage to pull in 42k at the National Stadium to watch two matches of International Rugby League, including the biggest game for years in England vs Australia. You love that 50% figure, so therefore only 21k were from the South, way short of the 25k that will apparently turn up at Fulham. 2k season ticket holders perhaps, 2k from the North (max) and 21k casual supporters

But obviously London Broncos vs St Helens at Craven Cottage is a far bigger pull for the curious punter than England Australia at Wembley

G'Fax you also fail to realise that it's Wembley stadium itself that's the draw, Union fans have Twickers as their national stadium, if Union fans don't watch anything other than Union then in the past they had no reason to go there, it's a novelty to watch Union at Wembley, it will soon wear off.

Quite, although I'm not sure it'll wear off that fast, there are plenty more muppets out there.

...so the alternative is what?

Seriously Listy, I accept that you are on a downer about the club in general at the moment and with good reason in certain areas, but to say there is no chance of getting 25k people to a club game in London is akin to saying it will never work. If you are correct, then the club may as well sell themselves lock stock and barrel to Halifax and be done with it.......
I wasn't suggesting that the 25k would all return, they probably wouldn't, but if Saracens, can get 42k to wembley and go on the record as saying next year they want 60k, then why in gods name would it be so difficult to get 25k to Craven Cottage.
As I said, it wouldn't be easy...if it were easy, everyone would be doing it, but the alternative is to stumble along for another 3 years averaging 3k and then to repeat it..........until DH walks and the club folds.

Taken from the London RL site


....get this lot involved from an early stage, ensure no fixture clashes, ensure the University/College guys are involved and are "rewarded" for selling tickets.....I know listy, it's another "little initiative"......and as for losing the plot, that happened back in 2002. Following Celtic was never this much fun

Consistent, long term and sustainable plans incorporating our own stadium and resources rather than radical, unrealistic 1 off events elsewhere.

Come back in 10 years time when we have raised our average to 7000 at home and then we'll talk about an event elsewhere to take the club to the next level.

2002 I started watching this lot when the average attendance was 3,803.......10 years on and it's 18% less, so what makes you think 2022 will be any different?

3,124 >>>>7,000 over 10 years 9% year on year growth....2002 when they rolled up at GP saw an 18% rise, 2005 when we made the play-offs and actually did some marketing saw a 13% hike, but apart from those years, the club has failed to build crowds through any form of regular marketing and promotional activity. Even the move away from GP to become QRL only produced an 8% increase.

Anything less than an average of 3,750 (17.5%) in 2012 will be a failure in my opinion.......with the same growth again in 2013, because if we aren't knocking on the door of a 5k average by 2014, we will be in real trouble on the licencing and funding fronts.

I agree with regard to regular growth over quick fixes, but the club doesn't have the luxury of 10 years and even if they only managed to get 15k top a game at Craven Cottage, it would generate additional funds and grab some column inches in the short term and could be implemented in ADDITION to the sustainable marketing you mention.

This is a new beginning yada yada yada. I don't buy into it either but you've got to try and have faith in what they are going to attempt to do.

If the club aren't prepared to wait 10 years to establish themselves then they might as well give up now. My main hope during the 3 year period is that David Hughes leaves the club, as hopefully that will mean the club can support itself, as currently its position is completley unsustainable.

You hope Hughes leaves? Or hope the club grows big enough to allow him to ?

Both, as I thought my post alluded to...

I haven't used this expression in a while, but what the club has been guilty of in pretty much the entire ESL era is 'Field of Dreams" marketing and as a direct result of this arrogant attitude, the club find themselves on the brink.

I have no idea if this attitude comes from DH or is simply ingrained at the club, but if DH was to walk away at any time in the next 3 years and there was no replacement for his investment, then the club would fold immediately!

The Guy at HKA reckons 10k is the break even attendance figure for a SL club to be able to survive if spending the full cap. London Broncos RL can achieve this, but it will take over 10 years unless there is a decent injection of MARKETING cash, together with a level of success on the park.

The last 10 years has seen a little bit of success with play-off games in 2003 and 2005 and minimal marketing activity in 2005 and 2009........although I am loathe to describe a few thousand plastic wallets, getting people from Huddersfield to like our facebook page in return for a free ticket and a viral video that never got off the ground marketing.
2011 was the year of giving it away, a tactic that was suggested (in a slightly better format) to the club and METRO in 2008, with METRO being up for it, but the club not.