I'm currently stationed out in Dubai at present and was chatting to a few ex-pats and resident Aussie's in one of the bars here last night (fond memories of Sterlo, Cleal, Mackay, Coleman etc etc doing the rounds!!!), when we got chatting about the validity of the World Club Challenge. I was happily surprised that the Aussie Fans do actually take this one match seriously and seem to deem the trophy as quiet important to win (if your in the position!).
This brought us onto the location of next years match and beyond. The Aussies I was with told me that the ARL authorities are pushing for the match to now be played in a neutral country, like Dubai, and that the success of Barcelona (Wolves v Dragons) has only enhanced the prospects of this happening.
What do you think the chances of this happening are and most notably from what year? I think Dubai in February would be cool enough and the facilities to stage such and event are up and running already. There is also a huge ex-pat English and Aussie community already established here so the chance of a large scale interest are possible.
Any rumours doing the rounds regards this match at present, or is it signed and sealed that this game will only be played in the UK for the foreseeable future?

Why not play it in Norway there are quite a few ex pats there as well perhaps the crowd could get as high as 54.

Sorry lads you have no chance it may at some point alternate between Northern Britain and Sidney, but not for now and certainly not Dubai.

With Brian Smiths team, which subsequently alomost bankrupt the club and sent us into a merger with Gateshead, or did I miss a golden age?

Always amazes me when some FC fans harp on about Smith, he was a decent young coach who waged the chequebook around.

Ah, is that the Sharp team that Agar took to wembley?

Or the McCrae team Kear took to Cardiff?



did you miss my

Was he? Only player I seem to recall him signing was karl harrison from dewsbury or somewhere

I thought Smith turned an average team into a team full of GB players?