I would like to believe this.

The two major things I think Broncos have lacked is a strong junior set-up and a ground.

The juniors not just for recruitment so much as growing a set of people who think 'London' is their club. Skolars run teams at Under 11s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s. If Bronocs had a 100+ new families a year for the last 30 years I don't think it too fanciful to believe that on average one of those family members would be a loyal season ticket holder. So our core support would be more like 4,500 than 1,500.

The ground again would be good for cash flow and status with the RFL, but more than that, a seven day a week club house for Rugby league fans/drinkers would give the club over the years a base of thousands rather than hundereds. The base I think would be more loyal too.

Growing rugby league in LOndon is more then getting a professional team out.

Still dreaming.

Several problems with this:-

I don't think there are enough rugby league fans in the area to support three sides playing in one stadium
Imagine the state of the pitch / fixture congestion problems
What would happen if "London United" found themselves relegated and playing at the same level as their "feeder clubs"?

Two thoughts-
(1) How do they propose to overcome all the planning objections, along with the delays that they would cause?
(2) Where are they going to find what will probably end up being around £20 million or more that it will all cost?
Methinks the silly season's started early this year.

No, that started 21/2 years ago when the Warder came!

This is the situation with London Skolars:

The club has been approached by the council and offered the chance to purchase the ground.

They would like to build a home for Rugby League in London.

London Broncos refuse to even meet to discuss this opportunity.

This was confirmed to me in person today at the Skolars v Gloucester game from one of the Directors & Senior team.

Serious questions:
Are the powers that be at LB HQ intent on destroying the club completely?
Do they have zero ambition?
Do they care about or listen to the fans at all?

I'll go first...

Yes, yes, and no

50 year lease with Fusion. The preferred bidder statue includes discussions re the running track etc. Hopefully they will find out mid July.

The future is of RL in London is with Skolars. The Broncos are an example of how to destroy a (professional) sports club.

Skolars actually give a toss about the fans. Today was another excellent example of what a match day experience should be about. No ex cricket people at New River.

More Broncos fans were there today to support Skolars and more should come. They are building a REAL club.

Our club is run by clowns.

Goes with the title of this web site. If we move to the Hive I will be off to pastures new and watch a local team.

Broncos exist almost as a result of being funded by David Hughes. Without his input the club would have gone bankrupt years ago. He has committed until the end of 2014. If we are lucky that will remain the case. However how do you plan for the longevity of the club if and when that input ceases. There are probably three different routes:

i) Do you spend as if the same funding continues into 2015?

This has two different outcomes one is where a mystery investor sorts out all our problems or it just ends very messily.

ii) Cut your loses and stop spending so it declines to a stop at the end of 2014?

This is a gradual winding down so the club meets its commitments but nothing else. September 2014 and that is the end of it.

iii) Do you plan a gradual change to a more sustainable model?

The club is being restructured to ensure it can continue beyond 2014. Academy structures in place for future development, a semblance of life during 2014 but a team ready for the new league structure in 2015 whatever that might be but for us probably at the level below SL.

I doubt merger would ever happen as they are separate entities. Nor do I think sharing the same ground would work in London as one of the two would lose its support to the other. Not so much merger just the death of one.

Skolars are still mis-firing but the Champ 1 season is very gripping. Seven clubs in the hunt for the play-offs and even Gloucester and Gateshead look decent on a good day. Far more entertaining than watching our surrender merchants.

New River and its 44 acres is definatley up for grabs for RL. The price is 0 but would need investment. Skolars idea was to have Broncos, Skolars and the RFL staff based there and become a RL centre of excellence.

Where is this 'investment' to come from?

Red Hall can't even find a sponsor yet for The World Cup! Super League or The Challenge Cup???

You missed Tetleys sponsoring the CC then?

Tetley challenge cup

When I win tomorrows Euromillions.

How refreshing to get a post with real information from those involved. Thank you.

interestingly councils can borrow money at very cheap rates and my guess is a decent investment case could be made using current rental money would service the loan. plus you would hope control would allow RL to make some money from it rather than for other people

This could be like the Newham Council/ West Ham deal re-the Olympic stadium. Could be a good investment all-round.

Apologies, interesting the marketing trade press never gave a financial figure!

very interesting.

We have the RFL claiming that lots of small sponsors is better than one, but no financial information released on any of these supposedly "better" deals. No naming rights sponsor and I doubt Heinz, Foxy Bingo or Brut have paid even 10% of the revenue received from Engage....

More interesting is that the naming rights of the 2000 RLWC went for 1 million quid and I have serious doubts as to the "financials" of the Marriot and Hertz "partnerships" announced to date.

I haven't read through the five pages but no, no, NO! Skolars are a club that are being run magnificently by those at the club, have put roots down in their local community and have stayed in the same ground for more than 40 minutes. To be taken over by Hughes and the London Nomads, which is effectively what would happen, would be catastrophic for the game in London and for Skolars as a club.

There doesn't seem to be any talk of mergers coming from those "in the know". There were talks about ground sharing and a couple of folk seem to have made a mountain out of a molehill.

Being an ex-Haringey Boy who has still has a few connections in the borough, I have been making a few inquiries regarding The New River Stadium (NRS). Whilst this bidding process is currently, as previously described, is running I am lead to believe that the Council "would look very favourably to the idea of selling the NRS to a new owner with a view that remains for sporting purposes and not for re-development for non sporting purposes" and that local authority support for the idea of one (or more) professional RL sides playing out of a shiny new privately owned stadium would be a reasonably easy sell (as these things go) to councillors and other local "partners".

I am lead to believe that a possible resolution to the "athletics club issue" at NRS, could be if any new stadium owner was prepared to invest in upgrading the rather shabby athletic facilities in Finsbury Park, therefore allowing Enfield and Haringey Athletic Club to continue have their two sites set up they currently have.

Even if any prospective owners could get to this "Starting point", "There would still be a few pieces on the chessboard that would need to be moved to take this plan forward, but it may take some time to do so".

Clearly this scenario would be a long term view and would need some real commitment from any prospective new owners of the Bronco's.

It appears that relations at a "senior level" between the two clubs are less cordial than they have been in the past.

I hope that there is someone out there who could be persuaded of the merits of such an approach. However, I'm not holding my breath ............................................