Bitten too many times?

1. Our attendance average in the league is 2,100
2. What was the crowd for Widnes v York in the NR Cup QF ??
3. We own our stadium, so we're £5M+ better off than Widnes for starters (based on land valuation)
4. We've NEVER gone bust
5. We haven't blown a place in Super League
6. We don't let people in for free to boost attendance figures

You're correct, short term success is no guarantee of a SL place, but neither is a 'nice' (rented) stadium and a bit of history. You're only as 'big' as your last season. The crowd vs York was the real litmus test of core support. People actually had to pay to watch a lower league team.

We know our stadium needs redeveloping, but it's in hand. I'll tell you what though, I'd rather own a stadium where the club gets all the revenue from sponsorship, bar sales etc. Also a far better atmosphere than 3,000 rattling round in an all-seater.

We'll see how small our club is come September when the dust has settled on the season.

No we wont we'll see how good a season each TEAM has had it wont show us how big a CLUB is. We know you know we're a bigger club by the way you celebrated beating us.

Now that's hardly surprising is it,seeing as Barrow have never been in that league.What the hell difference does previous relegation from SL matter anyway?Cas,Salford and Huddersfield are all up there after dropping down in recent years.A fan of a once perrenial yo yo club should know better.

You can phrase anything you want to make it look like you have the advantage. We have a strong club despite the problems the first team is having this year, the reserves and the kids are having good seasons and we've got some great local kids coming through.

You say you prefer your little ground as you own it and it has a better atmosphere, that's great - but that little ground won't get you in Super League so you're contradicting yourself there.

Regarding Craven Park, if you read my post again you will find it says that renovation planning is in hand and details are imminent.

As for great local kids, our geographical isolation means that we have, and always will have a large contingent of locals in our team. We currently have 8 or 9 'locals' who regularly make the 17.

The fact that Warrington is on your doorstep and that the RFL have openly stated that they want to expand beyong the M62 seriously hampers your Super League ambitions. And there's also the little matter of having to win the NR Cup or reach the Grand Final in the next couple of years.

You'll be lucky to get a license.

Doesn't appear to be the general concensus in the RL world...
It would be fair to say that there was a fair amount of shock at the refusal to award us a licence.
VM is completely on the case. At the moment the only thing that we are lacking is a bit more success on the playing front which is fairly easy to rectify in a two year timeframe as you and Halifax have found.

Certainly a lot easier than rennovating a ground, attracting fans to the stadium in sufficient numbers and all the other things that matter. I would say that with the exception of Toulouse we are still front-runners for the licence and most would agree with the exception of rival fans, some mps in Halifax and the expansionistas that frequent these boards.
Even Tricky Dicky and Nigel Woods seemed to appreciate the quality of our bid.

Is this statement for real ???????
If this is a serious opinion then you are living in cloud cuckoo land.

You're the one living cloud cuckoo land. Your argument has more holes than a teabag. Claiming history is immaterial to the future yet using our historical financial issues against us. I'd lie down in a darkened room if i were u. You've won nothing yet and you're still a long way from proving yourselves worthy of a franchise. Come back on here with your inane ramblings in 2011 and stop derailing our threads with your delusions of grandeur...

Not at all.. you've come from nowhere in 2 years, as has Halifax and Celtic did it also. 2 years to build a successful side is fairly easy provided you have some stability from the first year and have enough money to make the necessary invesment.. especially seeing as you and Fax have placed all your eggs in this seasons basket and spunked your load..

Another case of the boom or bust mentality? Lol

The capacity of Craven Park, according to Wiki, is 4,500. I have noticed you got 6,275 for the Wigan game. So what is the capacity?

You need to have a capacity of at least 12,000 in order to meet the criteria, and that's before any improvements are made; and it needs one hell of a lot of that. I can't see it being done before the next round of licences.


We've all got o lot of great local kids in the heartlands. We have 7 lads brought through our youth set up playing regular:

Scott Yates, Michael Ostick, Paddy Flynn, Josh Simm, Shane Grady, Matt Strong and Anthony Mullally.

Who are yours by the way?


Possibly, although the RFL have stated otherwise. We'll see.


Yep, but that's the same for everyone.



Only Toulouse could possibly stop us getting a licence for 2012 imo. Call it arogant if you like, I just happen to think it's true. In my opinion Barrow, good little club that you are, are no threat at all.

i would think that us( halifax) would have as good a chance of getting a super league franchise although it probably wont happen cause we are not french or scottish. we have a good ground the new stand is getting finished we have the performances at the minute and we have the second best fan base in the league if my knowledge is correct.

Not wanting to get involved with your love in with Barrow but....In what way have Halifax put all our eggs in one basket? We have been building for the past 3 season are we will continue to build. But going by your recruitment policy this and last year, your going to struggle to be able to apply for a licence if the bidding starts in 2010 as the Bradford chairman seems to think it may. Ahh but dont let the facts get in the way of your one eye ramblings.

Everything has been put into the first team with no regard for youth development. This is undeniable. It also may cost you a SL licence imo. I know you don't want to hear that, and you probably think introducing a reserve side next season will make up for that, but I doubt it.This also puts in to doubt your financial ability to cope in SL.

We may struggle winning anything this season with Ste Mac's recruitment, but things are being put right as we speak. If we do win something over the next two seasons, do you really think Halifax would be picked over Widnes and Toulouse?

No chance imo.

That's how disgusting and bent the whole process is.

over toulouse then no because they will get a place just because there in france but i dont see if we win a few competitions which is one box ticked the stadium is getting completed and is not far off being as good as yours yours might be more fresh than our stadium but ours is quite capable of holding what it needs to for a super league game.

the youth set up will be done next season and that might not be a problem that much cause we have 2 years to develope that and a further 3 if we get the super league franchise.

i'm not saying we have as good of a chance as tolouse but i dont see why we havent got as much of a chance as you.

Why not? are you that arogant to think that you are in such a dominant postition?

Our scholar ship and academy team will be starting again with the cost of these being withing our business plan.

It would appear that all your funding comes from SOC. Sponsored by his companies etc. What makes you any different from Celtic if your money man pulled out?

Surely it is better to have a club in SL that is standing on its own two feet rather than having to rely on one person?

We get bigger attendances

Have a full youth set up

Have the stadium in place

We have guaranteed financial backing and a nationally known sponsor.

If we gain eligibility to apply in 2011 I cannot see Halifax being picked before Widnes, sorry.

We will have a full youth set up

We have a stadium in place

We also have a nationallly know sponsor (who isnt invovled with the club as SOC and stobbarts are involved)

And as for the last thing...i bet you couldnt see Celtic or Salford being picked before Widnes.....but they did.

Just being realistic.


Too little too late imo. We are all being judged over a 3 year period. We will have had everything in place for that whole period.


We get bigger crowds than you in the Championship and would do son in SL. We are not entirely dependent on one man. However all the top SL have one. If you don't, you mat struggle.


We will do that better than any club in this league imo.

I also cannot see the RFL adding another Yorkshire club.

Thats the only thing that could ring true.

You do get better crowds then us...but they are dropping..what was your last crowd?

totally agree with this. pepe by the time we need it we will have all the things that you have. the stadium will be finished by the end of the year and we will have a stadium fit for purpose. the attendances have been steadily going up over the year. although the announcer said there was only 2,100 there for the previous match that was wrong i believe there was at least 2,500 there i believe.

we will have a youth set up and the way things are going at the moment we are going more successful than you which is also one of the criteria.

the way i see it we have just as good a chance as you.

I think most people knew they'd be picked, due to the location and expansion pipe dream.

You do not have that advantage. In fact, quite the reverse.

Advantage of what?