Mackay, in the words of Harry Dunne to Lloyd Christmas, "Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this…and totally redeem yourself!"

Is this what circling the drain looks like?

Pretty shoddy stuff all round.

If The Stoop is unplayable after recent weather, what makes anyone think a third tier rugby union pitch is going to be any better?

I look forward to freezing my knackers off in that wretched looking venue.

Already done. Saints played for a full season at Widnes because we didn't have a home at all, much less one with a flooded unfit pitch.

At least you weren't in the position of Gateshead Thunder recently who, because work was being done on their regular ground, had to play their game against North Wales Crusaders at Hull KR because the RFL wouldn't approve any alternative local ground (the RFL should get its priorities sorted, it really should). However, for most teams Up North there is generally an alternative Superleague standard ground nearby simply because of the geographical concentration of the sport so there wouldn't be an issue.

Although the ground at Esher doesn't look very big it looks in better nick than the ground at Castleford, for example, which has sheds made of corrugated iron dating back to the second world war.

.

Oh come on, this is totally different , your club moved to a stadium that was up to SL standard while your new stadium was being built! If your pitch was unfit at the weekend would you be playing at a 3rd tier union ground? Would you balls! Would our landlords be doing it? Same answer! No our club is yet again falling over itself to become the laughing stock of SL. Game should have been called off, and in retrospect last Saturdays probably should have been too.

It didn't stop them doing it to Hull FC at even shorter notice last year

It's as I said earlier: due to geography we are spitting distance from SL standard grounds but because you aren't, you are being given special dispensation to play at a ground that wouldn't normally meet SL standards. I doubt very much that your Board would have played there if there had been a more suitable alternative and it is quite possible they were told they could not play at The Stoop. As Wigan constantly rediscover, the downside to playing in a shared stadium is that sometimes the tenant has no choice in the matter.

While I can appreciate frustration especially given the major hassle of travelling across London, some of the vitriol sounds really harsh, especially if people are not 100% certain who made the call and why they made it. Is everyone certain it was Gus? Is anyone aware of an alternative? Was there pressure from the Dragons who I'm sure will have already booked their travel if they aren't already here? Was the club backed into a corner through no fault of their own (ie The Stoop is not under their management and so they couldn't influence the state of the pitch)?

I live in Surrey, and whilst it is true that the council is in Kingston, that's a hangover from before the days of Greater London - so Kingston was absorbed into the Royal (London) Borough of Kingston. It is not now in Surrey

I dont see the big deal, ample room for a 1500 ish crowd, round the corner from Twickenham. What difference does it make?

Record crowd for Rugby League game in Esher! Expansion works.

Without me sadly, though I suppose my ST will be counted. Wouldn't have gone to The Stoop either.

Tell you what......if this was the first instance of incompetence, then to a man, woman and Child, every poster on here would have 100% directed their ire towards the Landlords...but, it's not......not by a long shot!


Add to this the 2 days notice given....and we still have no proof that this was an RFL pitch inspection which any sane administrator would have declared.....because the Landlord decides to bounce us.

I've had 2 Missed calls from the UK so far...all I do is type either quantifiable facts or I express that it's MY OPINION.....in this case, My Opinion happens to be FACT.




In my honest Opinion, we could have employed co co the ing clown as CEO and we'd have been better run!

As Wire said presume the French had flights booked - guess they would have been consulted as presumably would TR re a postponement?

we all be laughing when we walk away with 2 points. could be our new ground for next season

It will probably be big enough.

Just looked on google maps, Skolars play at a better stadium. Was going to bring 3 or 4 people to the Stoop but not sure they will bother now. Club house looks decent though. Don't think we will get a 1000 there. Hopefully 2 points will make up for it. The match should have been postponed.

Any decent pubs in the vicinity?

Real ale at Skolars again Friday

Clubhouse is fine at Esher. Probably best feature of the ground.

Will go for the clubhouse then. Hope they will have the amount of bar staff they have at the Stoop.

So with Saracens plastic any and every weather iPitch , they couldn't put it there?

Is Gus some secret agent paid by union to kill off league in London, he's earning every penny if he is.

Neither the French travel plans, nor TR's thoughts on a postponement would have been necessary if someone had negotiated the 1 year deal with Quins properly. 4 days notice that their pitch was off limits is bollox....and there is nothing on the club site that points to this being anything other than them flexing their muscles and you know who touching his toes and thanking them



Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:


Deemed by Who? Be sure, if it was the RFL, the Health and Safety People of anyone other than Harlequins RFC who DEEMED IT UNPLAYABLE, then self preservation man would have included it in the release....

....enjoy Esher by the way. Ran out their a few times in the 80's......once you get past the veneer of s, they're an OK bunch from what I recall.

Don't quite understand why people can't accept that a pitch may be deemed unplayable. Then on top of that we have people saying stuff as though it was fact. Making stories up to back up their beliefs. When we don't know. So what do we know?

The club has moved a game because the surface has been deemed unplayable. Apparently it's because the Quins RU have told us and we've copped it up the gary cos the CEO obviously likes that. Oh and because they are protecting their pitch for a Quarter Final. Apparently.

Why don't we see if that's true by waiting to see if the game actually before the Quarter Final ie our home game v Bradford on Friday 5th, 2 days before the quins game, is moved to another venue. Then we'd know for sure it was because of the Landlords.

Out of interest, who has been massively been inconvenienced? And how? The time, the travel, the venue?

Remember the people who complained so vocally when a game in France was moved thanks to extraneous circumstances (Sky TV) and all those people that booked transport and accomodation. Think about the odd few french people that'll make the journey. When all that's really happened is that we are playing the game, on the same day, at a venue a couple of miles away, a bit later.

We don't know the facts but everyone still makes shıt up cos they have issues with the club and the CEO.

From the look of the stands there will be an excellent panoramic view of the field .... from a ladder perched on the stand roof ... I look forward to the video highlights when they are posted.

Leeds, which many experienced judges of rugby league definitely believe is more likely to make the Challenge Cup final than London, now has two games now postponed. So why couldn't London have had one game postponed?

The Easter traffic jam of matches could have been alleviated by a postponement, leaving London players fresher for their other upcoming games.

Another factor is that Michael Robertson is now injured, but will possibly be available on a postponemnt day.

Overall Gus McKay made a bold decision, one that defies all logic and the interests of the club, the players and the fans.

yeah...it has nothing to do with a HK game the following week.....

Is the HK fixture (don't know RU terms) the Quins game on Sunday 7th April?

If so, we are scheduled to play at the Stoop on Friday 5th April.

If our game on the 5th is moved, then people may be right about protecting the ground for an important game. In the meantime, all the "facts" are circumstantial and we are not moving to protect the pitch for a game in a couple of weeks time.

let's see......
[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/27349/broncos-forced-into-venue-change[/url

sounds like someone forced them into the change and it wasn't the RFL.....



......show me where the RFL inspected the ground and said it was unplayable....until then, you,I amd everyone else knows this was QRFC decision.....



dead man walking

Given that Gus's #1 priority is to find us a new ground, at least he will be able to say he did it for this game.

Good point by rooster booster re the game 2 days before the 1/4 final. If tony and the team were happy not to postpone then let's just get on with it.

With regard too boozers in the area not a lot I am afraid. Nearest are in Hersham itself a good 20 minutes walk or esher which is not walkable. Lets hope the ale in the club house is ok