Quote ="Khlav Kalash"Thought he just signed a one year extension not two.'" Correct. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 733641.stm

Quote ="Khlav Kalash"Thought he just signed a one year extension not two.'" Correct. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 733641.stm

The problem I have with the whole process is the competition is supposed to be related to sport, the way the RFL are going we might as well called it the ESL (Expansion & Stadium League). No one on here will try to defend the facilities at Belle Vue, but Wakey have advanced in a number of the other areas such as community development, youth development, contributing to the competition, all things that should carry more weight than a stadium.

I have no probelm with Widnes coming in, but there are clubs that should be ahead of Wakey and Cas when it comes to the chop. I have got to the stage now, where I think the RFL have already decided its Wakey who are going out, and thats why a number of other clubs supposedly in danger are handing out three year contracts. I just hope everyone who is saying kick us out, is happy when one or both of Quins/Crusaders go bust or have to be bailed out by the RFL and when the only publicity Salford attract by being near the Media City is reports of the pointlessness of a brand new stadium with 3,500 rattling around in it most weeks.

Quote ="RebelRebel"Correct. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 733641.stm'" just need 16 more half decent players and were sorted then

Quote ="RebelRebel"Correct. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 733641.stm'" just need 16 more half decent players and were sorted then

Quote ="RebelRebel"Correct. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 733641.stm'" Thats put that one to bed then.

Quote ="RebelRebel"Correct. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 733641.stm'" Thats put that one to bed then.

it was a wakefield fan that told me this,it is not my personal belief
he is down in the dumps and fearing the worst obviously

Fair enough. A straight shoot out between us and Cas, with Barrow to come up. Widnes seem to be doing quite nicely in the Championship as Warrington's feeder club, and SL expansion into Cumbria once again is long overdue. Barrow have contributed a lot to the Championship, have an ambitious owner, and are miles away from their nearest rivals. I don't mind Barrow. Good luck to them.

well tell him to pick himself up dust himself off and start all over again, the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar, come what may, because we are going top keep right on to the end of the road, and there will be bluebirds over the white shirts of wakey, tomorrow, just you wait and see.

this gear is good, want some?

I'd like to see Barrow given a chance. I know their ground isnt great but give them 3 years in super league which will hopefully attract sponsorship/investors.

11 years in which sharing with Ossett Town, Thornes Park and Newmarket have all been mooted, and for most of those 11 years, nothing. If Belle Vue is what holds us back, we have only ourselves to blame.

wouldn't that be ironic, jamie rooney playing super league for barrow..why do widnes think they should get in? beyond me ! taught a lesson by batley

and another thing..we keep hearing bits of this and bits of that from SWAG and the club..why was the outline planning permisssion put back until september from july? Do these people really know what's going on? WHAT REALLY IS GOING ON? i am getting cheesed off with everything about the club..NOT the playing or coaching, just the way that the club is run. We will still go watch wakey in the NL if that is where we end up but we really need now to start sending out positives and tell it as it is..ARE WE LIKELY TO GET A GROUND? let's be more professional please and start attacking the cas claims about their destiny! all of these replies of "just wait

" etc .. don't post if you know nothing MR SWAG..stop giving us false hopes, we are sick of it!!

Maybe just maybe the club would love to come out and say what they are doing but can't for obvious reasons. I'm like you not happy about it but not a lot I can do about it.

What will be will be but I still think this franchise stuff will come back and haunt a few clubs spending money they haven't got trying to keep the RFL happy.

Quote ="FARTOWNFORLIFE"I'd like to see Barrow given a chance. I know their ground isnt great but give them 3 years in super league which will hopefully attract sponsorship/investors.'" Shame, they're not applying: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Super.html

Quote ="FARTOWNFORLIFE"I'd like to see Barrow given a chance. I know their ground isnt great but give them 3 years in super league which will hopefully attract sponsorship/investors.'" Shame, they're not applying: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Super.html

Quote ="RebelRebel"Shame, they're not applying: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Super.html'" Think it's a mistype and should say Batley.

Quote ="RebelRebel"Shame, they're not applying: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Super.html'" Think it's a mistype and should say Batley.

Quote ="RebelRebel"Shame, they're not applying: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Super.html'" I suppose they might as well save the time and effort when the criteria for a successful application from a Championship team narrows it down to one possible candidate.

Quote ="RebelRebel"Shame, they're not applying: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Super.html'" I suppose they might as well save the time and effort when the criteria for a successful application from a Championship team narrows it down to one possible candidate.

Well spotted!

The thread title is 100% right too... it's pretty dismal in the Championship...
Fans are becoming disenchanted with the game and turning away regardless of the picture the RFL want to paint... There are some good matches but games just don't seem to have 'the edge' anymore. It will be a long three year sentence for anyone that gets the chop.

Personally I hope that you don't drop. Best of luck with the next 12 months.

Listen mate, ignoring all the posts about "Widnes fans" and Barrow etc I would bring back P & R in a second. Most of us would. This whole process is designed to make the game political. People assume that this is a business, but it isn't entirely. There is far more to it than that.

It's just, we're working within the system. All hopeful candidates are. I'm not assuming we're going in, you wont find many fans more cynical than Widnes fans are on this, but all I'm saying is keeping us down here indefinitely just because we can't meet a super league clubs current standards is ungair and missing the point. We all deserve our chance. If we have the system, the club is going to do our best to work within it and hope for the best. Many of us believe this sport is about politics and being controlled by people who think they know better than most of the fans and are gambling the future of 130 year old clubs for pipe dreams but there's nothing we can do about it except try to live with it. I don't hate Wakefield, far from it, I've defended your club in the past most recently to a Leeds fan who dared to bash your stadium, I just don't want my club to see all its hard work down the drain.

Widnes are a shoe in and if they don't make a mess of it they will pretty much guarantee their top flight for the foreseeable. They have all the infrastructure in place.

Go on then - I assume that's me.

I'm not giving false hopes - or at least I believe I am not. We were involved in a series of discussions which were meant to be kept private - until Mr Box made them public - which would have resulted exactly as they have, and exactly how we wanted - i.e. with our scheme left alone, as it was, for Yorkcourt and the Trust to see it through. Ted, Colin and Rodney all believe in this scheme - although I still feel that they could convey it better.

I will, as ever, try and convey what information I can as soon as I can - and that goes for anyone from SWAG, but we simply cannot just blurt every detail out on here as much of it becomes redundant very soon - such as Mr Box's idea of a review that wasn't needed.

When TP fell through the council told us to find a site; find a developer and set up a Trust - we've done all that and both moved mountains and accomodated many of their wishes - we also have a funding package in place to deliver the scheme, as confirmed directly to WMDC by the parties involved immediately prior to Ted's announcement at the Saints game.

Planning has been delayed until September - and we became aware of it quite late in the day. The developer was not pleased at the delay but he will not lose his cool as we still need the support of WMDC. We will be campaigning for this to go in September - whether privately or publicly or both.

Please do not assume because you don't hear from us that we are not active.

It is a tough time we are going through as a club. I have held the belief since SWAG began that the stadium was our ONLY hope - I still believe that and I still have faith that this can be delivered - based on the quality and quantity of people involved in it. As for Cas - that's for them to determine - our role is to promote a Stadium for Wakefield.

HTH.

Phil Townsend

For me its a simple despite how the RFL try to dress it up.

The 2 in danger are Wakefield and Cas, personally I feel these are the only clubs in danger.

Whoever out of these 2 clubs gets the spade in the ground the first will be in SL, whoever fails to be the first to actually get the spade in the ground I personally do not think will get a shiny new stadium and will end up in an existing facility in the National League.

I genuinely cannot see 2 new Stadia being built in the district in the same decade.

Cas fan here. It's heartbreaking to hear all threatened clubs' fans pushing others for the chop rather than themselves, it's getting a bit undignified. Stick a roof on your uncovered terrace and get seating for the length of one touchline that will replace that hideous old stand. Cas do the same. That's all Leeds have done. HKR, Bradford, Salford etc you do the same too. Come on boys be positive and stop chasing stadia that will cripple us financially. We're only there for a short time to watch a game. The atmosphere generated in these stadia is better than any concrete and plastic arena that some of our clubs are tenants in. Match action is what it's all about and meeting your fellow and rival fans. At the end of the game, all fans merge for a drink behind our main stand. We talk and laugh and have some banter. Communal space, activities, good service and a share and feel for our sport. Don't let the suit boys and accountants take you to their packaged worlds that suck the life from our sport. Franchises...makes me laugh. We're people from Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria, we're not football supporters, we have something unique and our people are unique. Stick together and upgrade your traditional stadiums, keep your local talent and stop fearing the worst. If you have hard times then bounce back. We did!!

Good luck to you brothers and sisters.

Quote ="Walrus"One superleague club to lose it's license now confirmed: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 885900.stm Anyone else have a sick feeling in their belly? '" It's like waking up at 2am with a dicky tummy, you know it's food poisoning and you know you're gonna be sick soon no matter what.

Quote ="Walrus"One superleague club to lose it's license now confirmed: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 885900.stm Anyone else have a sick feeling in their belly? '" It's like waking up at 2am with a dicky tummy, you know it's food poisoning and you know you're gonna be sick soon no matter what.

No offence mate but if your BOD shared the same principles then it will be you that drops to the National Leagues.

Regardless of the ideals you stand by which are for me very important and a corner stone of our game, the criteria has been laid down and the only way either team will remain in the top flight is if a new stadium is started and in place during the early part of the next franchise picks.

As much as I agree and as much as it pains me to say it, a new stadium would benefit Castleford, Wakefield and everyone else in this situation more than renovating an old stadium. A new stadium yields more financial streams and increases revenues in other areas such as merchandising and sponsors.

Will be a sad day for The Jungle and Belle Vue when both stadia go. I hope to be at both final games (unless they are played on the same day).