Except it does really doesn't it , its just that the RFL have made a rod for their own back by putting stadium criteria too high on the list of what clubs really need

It would be better to have a club filling a dilapidated 8,500 stadium that belonged to them or was able to make a good income for them , than having a club playing in a council or non income stadium with 20,000 seats and 4/5,000 in it and a flat atmosphere

Clubs need income first and foremost , fans want atmosphere and options first and foremost

The RFL just dont understand what makes a good sustainable club

Quote ="Starbug"Except it does really doesn't it , its just that the RFL have made a rod for their own back by putting stadium criteria too high on the list of what clubs really need It would be better to have a club filling a dilapidated 8,500 stadium that belonged to them or was able to make a good income for them , than having a club playing in a council or non income stadium with 20,000 seats and 4/5,000 in it and a flat atmosphere Clubs need income first and foremost , fans want atmosphere and options first and foremost The RFL just dont understand what makes a good sustainable club'" I would much rather that a London team played in a stadium of around 10k and aim to fill that, rather than having a 1/4 full 14k stadium, but the Stoop provides good facilities across the board and I would much rather stay there and fill it, however I just can't see us making that quantum leap forward any time soon. I believe the RFL would be willing to accept a sub 10k ground if it were fully researched, a viable and sustainable stadium (a decent length of time on the lease) and modern facilities for all. The Stoop ticks all the boxes on the facilities front and we shouldn't move unless we are forced to or we find somewhere better for a good length of time. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 398625.stm It is however a moot point as Hughes stated earlier this year "(the Stoop) That's our stadium for the three years,"

Quote ="Starbug"Except it does really doesn't it , its just that the RFL have made a rod for their own back by putting stadium criteria too high on the list of what clubs really need It would be better to have a club filling a dilapidated 8,500 stadium that belonged to them or was able to make a good income for them , than having a club playing in a council or non income stadium with 20,000 seats and 4/5,000 in it and a flat atmosphere Clubs need income first and foremost , fans want atmosphere and options first and foremost The RFL just dont understand what makes a good sustainable club'" I would much rather that a London team played in a stadium of around 10k and aim to fill that, rather than having a 1/4 full 14k stadium, but the Stoop provides good facilities across the board and I would much rather stay there and fill it, however I just can't see us making that quantum leap forward any time soon. I believe the RFL would be willing to accept a sub 10k ground if it were fully researched, a viable and sustainable stadium (a decent length of time on the lease) and modern facilities for all. The Stoop ticks all the boxes on the facilities front and we shouldn't move unless we are forced to or we find somewhere better for a good length of time. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 398625.stm It is however a moot point as Hughes stated earlier this year "(the Stoop) That's our stadium for the three years,"

I think one point that needs to be emphasised here is that the vast majority of Londoners don't actually seem to recognise the fact that London has a Super League side. Our results are never carried on BBC London TV News or London Tonight. When we were London Broncos, people kept mistaking us for an American Football Team. The RFL need to jump in here and put a far larger amount of money in to boost awareness of both Harlequins RL AND London Skolars - boost awareness, combine with more offers such as the Evening Standard, and also the rather excellent suggestion that Martyn Sadler made in RL Express yesterday - RFL help to bring in a worldwide RL star to play for the club and use him in the club's marketing strategy which would be on the tube, buses and main line around London - he suggests a certain Darren Lockyer.

Put the Super League show in there as well.

London Tonight I can understand, they have no interest in promoting a sport that isn't shown on the dippy channel. I've seen BBC London TV do bits on the amateur side of the game and the angle was pretty much 'wow there really is an amateur game, who knew'

It really doesn't take five seconds to say Harlequins lost to Warrington the Super League, especially as they do all the local professional football and rugby union results.

No to Lockyer, nothing against the player, just the idea that someone no-one outside rugby league has heard of will automatically sell out crowds. A St Helens Jamie Lyon style signing would help, armed with five or six quality players would have a few people interested in sport in general going London has got a rugby league team and their not bad. Snowballs from there. Nothing against Darren Lockyer, but he seems pretty set on retiring. I would rather have Petero Civoniceva, Darrell and Josh Griffin, David Solomona and Rangi Chase as total random signings to boost the club and say we have punch, we have Southerners in our squad, we have flair and we have the best creative player in the Super League. We'd be exiting, we'd challenge in every game and for the play-offs and we'd be under the salary cap with several additional players, rather than one marquee player who could get injured in the first minute of play.

BTW those players were chosen totally of the top of my head, I realise that we stand very little chance of attracting those players, unless.....

Mate, I know exactly where you're coming from there!

Lockyer is the greatest player I have ever seen play Rugby League. Even now, about to retire, he is the best player in the world at the moment IMO. He is certain to retire, and good for him.

Then surely the answer is to follow the Crusaders lead

Nah - leave that to HKA

I meant try to pull in a well known union convert like they have with Mr Thomas

Who do you reckon then? Any chance of gettting Ashton to return to RL ? We'd be more likely to end up with the likes of 'Tango' Henson!!

Like Henry Paul? Nice bloke, excellent signing but negligible (if any) effect on attandances.

How about Fartfreely. People would be lining up just to throw stuff at him!

Yup, even when we had two of the most well known names in RL playing for us I doubt it had a serious affect on the gates.

Correct. I think it's a cutural thing down here. We need a winning team and exposure. Harlequins provide the best match day experience of any club I've been to.

And the matchday atmosphere used to be better, that is one of the best thing about the Stoop; ease of movement for the fans, room for the kids activities, we used to have decent post-match entertainment and half-time entertainment all the time. Now we have cheergirls who are exactly that, something that championship clubs can manage to afford, and they also manage to give the two pom poms each, not a pom per girl.

If we were to get investment into the club I believe that the matchday experience would be a relatively minor investment to return it to the level that it was at in previous years.

i had the pleasure of playing alongside wally lewis as a junior
he was the king!

Elvis too............ah that's where he went

if quins were to get a union convert, i would like to see someone the union folk could recognise and empathise with. maybe dave strettle, who played for qru, or ugo monye, someone that they would identify wiith.

what is the situation with player sharing too. it could be beneficial if some of the players who hadn't played for qru much this season could cross code and train, and maybe play for the league side

Not aware that any player sharing has ever taken place, it was mentioned at the time of the takeover by QRU as something that might be possible but don't think it ever did. I think Strettle would have been ideal a few years ago , not only would he have been a decent bet to succeed at RL but I understand he's from Warrington and a League fan.

There was some cross code training in the early days I thought - Jordan Turner-Hall for one. Other than sevens, I don't suppose it's serious for anyone in the first team or thereabouts.

Top player signings will not attract crowds. If Darren Lockyer signed for Quins, i wouldnt come watch, and i live in Isleworth. I want to know im gonna get a good experience.
I do usually, but i dont feel there is any kind of presence at Quins.

Its small crowds, its quiet, its essentially a great location let down by the people within it.
This is not a personal dig, as im sure 95% of the reason is you need something to cheer about - which you havent!

BUT, you have to re-model yourselves. Set up an Ultras association, set up a co-ordinated effort to make people want to come to the Stoop. Yes they might think its an easy 2-pointer, but you guys need to be clever in why you exist.
I said a while ago you need to become a 'destination club' - one that satisfies the needs of the away fans, they all get excited about a trip to London, but their over-riding reason to be there is the rugby.

So give them a good time and more. Give them some stick, give the oppo some stick, start creating a fortress on and/or off the pitch! since my move 2 years ago ,ive been to the Stoop and boy does it seem like a few thousand disinterested people in the same place. But if you guys (regardless of the results) created something that doesnt exist in the Super league [for you to decide then you'll be creating an additional novelty factor!
People come to London cos its a novelty factor - why should that stop the minute they park their bum on the seat at the match.

My personal recommendation - become the 'party' club which is the complete opposite of the RU version of Quins! Position yourself as the RU hating League club in the capital, and make the visiting supporters leave with the 'impression' the Quins fans are so different to the RU fans, that you actually start to earn respect from the Northerners.
Do everything that the RU fans dont, sing, dance, chant, etc etc! They need to be travelling up the M1 thinking [i'jesus - those Quins fans love their league side so much, that they didnt shut up for 80 mins even though they were getting a pasting'[/i

Just my thoughts!

Ultras association at Quins



That word is so over-used nowadays.

I agrew with a lot of what you say though, especially your last paragraph.

One of the main reasons I keep coming back to watch is the fans and the friends I've made watching Quins. Despite the results this has been the most fun following ANY club.

It did feel like the way NorthernStar calls it once at The Stoop and also at Charlton, there was an atmosphere, it always felt like a Big Match, but it has gone.

Yes there is a loyal core but they are getting few and fewer, just think of all the many regulars when we had our first forum, at West Ham we have rough times but fans stay loyal but there is many many years of History which the name Quins RL does not have and I still feel Now the name has dragged us down and not the ground.

Marketing is useless until we get the product right off and on the pitch!

Had an email yesterday about new merchandise when I looked it was so tacky looking nothing special - thought at Upton Park we have some great gear but they are having to see some of it off now for 75% off, though you can guess which sizes are sold out! lol

I just want this season to be over and the July announcement over and done with, the RFL have handled it badly! Once we know what is happening it needs a complete fresh re think about everything concerned with the club and team, so we match the progress the same development is making.

Millwall - The Millwall ground, The New Den, ticks all the boxes, the area ticks the boxes but then theres two factors against the club; rent and image. I imagine renting out The Den just to get 3,000 in will be a poor business move and the costs going out to Millwall through rent, use of bars etc will outweigh the money going into the Rugby League side. Also, Milwall are known world over for one thing; violence. The dark days of the 80's may be behind us but there's still problems at some Millwall, especially the Leeds games and I'm sure there'd be a risk that some Millwall "fans" would turn up the day Leeds Rhinos were in town just for that. Rugby League, as we know, is a family sport and Millwall is just a bad idea.

QPR - Great place, surrounded by Antipodeans, Kiwis and South Africans. 19,100 is the official capacity for the ground, the ground is so tight to the pitch that you can hear the collisions and the slating going on, however, leg room is poor, something that could be put up with, I suppose. The ground is in close proximity to White City station and offers the "family experience". A husband and wife come down with their two kids for the weekend or even the day and Dad and lad can watch the Rugby and Mum and Daughter can go round the Westfield for the day. The only thing is do QPR want a Rugby team "ruining" their ground, Wigan Athletic FC have always had complaints about their playing surface and I'm not sure QPR would want that.

Brentford - 12,700+ capacity, experience of playing on that ground before, four pubs in close proximity, close to the motorway, just a bit far on the Tube but close by overground train. Don't know if the RFL require a certain amount of seats at the ground (?), as three sides are standing. Previously had 4,000 crowds regularly when previously played there, so it'd be a good starter.

Charlton - 27,111 attendance, so I imagine the rent is pretty high. Close by public transport. Can't see them wanting Rugby League back and I can't see it being viable playing in a 27,000 capacity ground.

Leyton Orient - The only problem is the capacity. The ground is a five minute walk from the tube station, their is a pub near the ground, two bars at the ground and their is talk that they want a 15,000 seater stadium on the Olympic site (would the RFL let the club off on that ground criteria?). Getting "in" with Barry Hearn is actually a exceptional idea. He runs his Football club like a business, he'll not give his manager money to go out and spend in the hope they go up/stay up and he's turned Darts and Snooker around. Darts is effectively a pub game and now its a atmospheric occasion with big money involved. The proximity to Stratford is also a big factor. The youth side, Hainault Bulldogs are up the road, Brentwood Elvers isn't far up the road, Skolars is a very short drive away, Tower Hamlets has been in the London RL news recently and there are Hainault, Phantoms, Mudchutes open age sides very close by.

Barnet - Too small, old ground, far from London, sloped pitch, small capacity.


I see it three ways between QPR, Brentford and Leyton Orient.

Does anyone know how much we were paying at Brentford, how much other stadiums will cost and how much we will be paying at the Stoop for the next three years?