The paragraph below is from a poster on totalrl, anyone heard anything about this?


''although only recently put to the tables of SL clubs and the RFL for discussion, there has been recent conversation regarding a merger between Skolars and Broncos.

A merger could take many shapes and from rumblings I hear in London is that the proposed merged club would purchase New River Stadium, gain investment from local government, Sport England, RFL and sponsors to build a budget 12k seater stadium with a view to increase size in the future.

The club will play in the Championship in their own stadium and target to be back in SL by 2015/16.

You heard it here first''

That to me, would be a good move. Structured with a clear plan and our own ground. Beats lurching from ground to ground every 10 years

And the money is coming from?

Sounds like a decent idea but can't see expansion beyond 12k being necessary.

Team name London Utd? Can't believe it but it would make some sense.

Unexpected.

I can't see any merit in this unless it involved purchasing the stadium and I don't know where the money for that would come from.

Surely let both teams keep their idenities and have 2 clubs playing out the same ground.

I don't believe this for a second but I would love it to be true!

The stadium has certainly been offered to Skolars in recent times but issues surrounding the future of athletics have caused problems. Do the clubs need to merge though, the stadium would be used more, meaning more revenue, with two clubs. The outside pitches can be used for the academies if the main pitch suffers.

Why merge? Would the Skolars want to merge?

If this is the result of Gus's 12 month + search then he's more useless than any of us ever thought

Ridiculous idea. Why half the amount of pro/semi-pro RL available in London?

The fact is that there has been a bidding process for a 25 year lease from Haringey Council to run New River. Five bidders, including Haringey Borough FC, who have lost/surrendered the lease on their ground on White Hart Lane. Skolars are involved with a bid with Fusion who currently run New River on a 3 year lease. Fusion have been offered preferred bidder status, time to try and sort out the details.

1. I don't want to defend Gus.

2. I don't believe this rumour.

BUT I can't think of a better option he could have found ground wise than a brand new 12,000 seater stadium with us as the owner/major tennant.

25 year lease is probably do-able regards term for a stadium or reassurance for an investor but to invest the level of funding required for a redevelopment you would want something a tad longer if you could get it or at least some guarantees. The leisure/recreation use on the site is likely to be protected if it has one and I can't see that changing.

If a 12k stadium how would it be built? If there is some agreement that athletics continues there I would at least want some of the infield uses moved so the pitch length and in-goals could be sorted out. If athletics isn't there long term it certainly opens up possibilities to build a proper stadium.

As for a merger I'm not so sure, though a joint agreement where Skolars keep their identity would be preferable. That said 'Skolars' for the U19s sounds appropriate (apologies all round for that).

Is this real though? I thought this idea had been dismissed a long time ago.

The football club did have a lease up to about 2025 however it is not impossible they have pulled out or lost it. Meanwhile Skolars came close to spending a lot of dosh on the bar but pulled out, possibly due to objections from other tennants. The problem is likely to be the presence of an athletics club who happen to have Lord Coe amongst their alumni off the top of my head.

Always nice to know the club has been planning ahead. Anyone else find it totally unacceptable that we are in June and the management still have absolutely no idea what is going on for 2014?

.....let me get back to you on that one

Unacceptable but unsurprising.

I don't think anyone on here is the management or has anything to do with it directly.

Flogging a dead horse? This idea has been kicked around for a long time and offers a solution with regard to stadium but why would skolars want broncos to join, interesting times.

One way of getting rid of us! unless there is investment from the RFL and then they will want to see it work! otherwise we will just go down to the Championship and fade away.

Just to add confusion.... In 2011 the council announced plans to redevelop Haringey Borough's ground and move them to Skolars. Borough were interested but made it clear their lease ran until 2025 and would not move unless it suited them. If the council is involved they may well end up at any redeveloped facility, they have a reasonable size base which would be worth a lot to a property developer and may help fund any council input to Skolars being revamped. The team who groundshare their presumably have less security.

If both clubs where to merge, I 'd rather see a brand new club formed ie London United or Griffins in the super league and then both have the Skolars and Broncos playing in championship as feeder/reserve grade clubs to the newly formed one. For example modelled on the West Tigers. At least then you could still support your old club and the new club.. And then you could have all 3 teams playing at the New River stadium....

I think that is more a dream! of a brand new team, if Broncos drop I would rather see them xease and let Skolars and the Stags compete at that level they have enough on their hands as it without another side.

it sounds the perfecrt solution, except why merge - two teams out of same stadium with strong links/joint season tickets etc? it could work - but money........................