If you signed Stosic he would be the best prop at your club by far. Great hard working prop. Think Winterstein will really develop too, showed a couple of flashes of what he was capable of at Wakey but mainly due to injuries didn't get a good run in the team, will be interesting to see how he goes. In Martin you've got a very astute experienced player who is a model professional. Still think you will struggle but you should go better than last season.

On the plus side of things , moving to Wrexham increases the exposure of the game in the Principality.

They need to draw some paying home support to make a go of it.
Starting over again trying to attract another new set of fans is a big ask , probably too big.

Don't know what the local public think of the situation , but to me it appears that the venture is a way to keep the football club afloat as much as anything.

The club need to employ a bloody good marketking manager and also to get in to the local schoold with loads of free tickets. Kids will need their parents to take them.

The first game of the season against leeds will be a big event and should be marketed accordingly. I just hope you have signed enough quality to allow you to compete

Captain Dave,

I'm not digging at you for not knowing about population distribution in Wales. But we have a population of 3 million in Wales. 3/4 of this population lives in South Wales along the M4 corridor. That's 2,250,000 along 100 miles of motorway. The entire rest of Wales houses the remaining 750,000. So given that roads in rural and North Wales are often little more than donkey tracks with tarmac on them and that most clubs in any sport can reasonable expect HOME fans to travel no more than an hour to come see them, it has an optimistic catchement area of, say, 200,000.

So.... given that Celtic Crusaders had an average attendance of 3,500 in a catchment area of 2 million and generously factoring up interest from the gogs who have been denied much sport outside of a poorly supported football team that gets gates of 1,300, let's say that the Wrexham ANZACs will get home support of about 800.

Youy can add the loyal "THE Crusaders" fans who will be taking a minibus up too and you might get 806 home fans.

Here's hoping that the ANZAC games prove a draw to all the proper teams in SL (and Salford) so that the loyal new owner can achieve his stated aim of saving Wrexham FC!

As you can see, giving the ANZACs the Celtic Crusaders spot in SL is not exactly INCREASING the exposure of the game in Wales.

The bitterness is strong in you young Padwan

So it doesn't look good then?

TBF I did remark in a later post that the move did look like a ploy to save the football team.

Starbug who you calling YOUNG?

Yep, still bitter, but the population distribution statistics are STILL broadly correct. Admittedly the crowd figures can only be extrapolations, but based on catchment area I think I've been quite generous. With a catchment area 1/10th the size of Crusaders, a simplified extrapolation would say 350 home supporters.

Captain Dave,

You're dead on correct. Moss (the owner of the ANZACs) has stated in the press that buying and moving our ex-club would help secure the future of Wrexham FC

I know this is about a Welsh club , but can we stick to English please

The only tonking that happend when we have played each other was when we played you at your place in the play offs

enjoy being bottom of the league this season

You have beaten us once more than we have beaten you in the past few seasons and one of those was in extra time after a last second Wilshere kick in last years grand final.

Grendel is now a Scorpions fan and doesn't support Crusaders any more. I actually think he wants us to fail even more than some heartland fans now. I, for what it is worth as a current Crusaders fan, wish you all the best for the coming season and have no bad feeling toward Salford as a club and it's fans. When you play us this all changes naturally but there is no hatred or bitterness aimed your way from a lot of current Crusaders fans so don't read a lot into it.

As for Mickey Mouse Club I will take our position of one league place and 800 less average fans behind you as we were last season, for now.

If that is what your 130 year plus existence head start on us gives you then I know who should be worried. We're on the rise, moving onwards and upwards on and off the field and cannot finish any lower in the league. Can you lot say the same?

See you next season.

you may see them next season. Not sure about the season after at the mo. We'll see. The whole precarious nature of the current crusaders set up is too volatile for predictions beyond the first few weeks of the coming season to be honest. I'm sure you'll disagree cru. But getting through the season will be a success from my point of view.

Sorry Cru but the only upward movement has been on the Map

As for the fans ave , you and I both know a lot of that was down to the ' novelty ' value of traveling to a new venue , the same might well happen this year , in fact the Crusaders management had better hope it does , because as RFF has pointed out , if the away fans dont turn up then I like him cannot see the Wrexham experiment lasting longer than one season

The set up is a lot more secure than the situation under Samuel. The squad, on paper at least, looks improved on the one we had last season with recruitment still happening. The ground is miles better than we have had previously also. Staff numbers are higher and things from ticket sales to club shop have improved ten fold. Last season we were run like a part time union club. This year thanks to the link between the football and league club this has improved beyind recognition. For example last year we had to ring between the hours of 10am and 2pm weekdays to buy match tickets. Now we have this site which we can actually hand pick our seats and purchase them there and then. www.ticketlord.com/wrexham.htm I expect merchandise to be much the same. This is better than many Super League clubs have in place. For me that is moving forwards. With Hull KR, Wakefield etc having problems of their own I think we are in as good a position as a few other clubs to get the license next time round. The big factor will be getting people through the gate. People didn't support the club in any great number down here so it can't get much worse so I'm hopeful we can match or surpass last seasons crowd levels.

The set up is a lot more secure than the situation under Samuel. The squad, on paper at least, looks improved on the one we had last season with recruitment still happening. The ground is miles better than we have had previously also. Staff numbers are higher and things from ticket sales to club shop have improved ten fold. Last season we were run like a part time union club. This year thanks to the link between the football and league club this has improved beyind recognition. For example last year we had to ring between the hours of 10am and 2pm weekdays to buy match tickets. Now we have this site which we can actually hand pick our seats and purchase them there and then. www.ticketlord.com/wrexham.htm I expect merchandise to be much the same. This is better than many Super League clubs have in place. For me that is moving forwards. With Hull KR, Wakefield etc having problems of their own I think we are in as good a position as a few other clubs to get the license next time round. The big factor will be getting people through the gate. People didn't support the club in any great number down here so it can't get much worse so I'm hopeful we can match or surpass last seasons crowd levels.

Those of us supporting C-graded clubs, have a tendency to examine each other critically, I know. However, the severity of Rovers' situation has been massively exaggerated by Hull fans, sometimes mischievously, sometimes from a combination of genuine disappointment and ignorance. I'm not saying everything is completely rosy, but unless Salford, Cas and Wakey all get a big shift on with their new stadia [iand[/i the Crusaders new incarnation matches up to your hopes [iand[/i we fail to get our new stand built then we'll be okay. Unless, of course, the money from our backers unexpectedly and suddenly dries up - but that is true for all but about 3 clubs. Even then, we'd only have to offload 3 or 4 big earners to get to break even.
The good thing from a Crusaders point of view is you have your fate pretty much in your own hands - but it is difficult to judge just how big the challenge is at the moment.

Quote ="crucrucrusaders"The set up is a lot more secure than the situation under Samuel. The squad, on paper at least, looks improved on the one we had last season with recruitment still happening. The ground is miles better than we have had previously also. Staff numbers are higher and things from ticket sales to club shop have improved ten fold. Last season we were run like a part time union club. This year thanks to the link between the football and league club this has improved beyind recognition. For example last year we had to ring between the hours of 10am and 2pm weekdays to buy match tickets. Now we have this site which we can actually hand pick our seats and purchase them there and then. www.ticketlord.com/wrexham.htm I expect merchandise to be much the same. This is better than many Super League clubs have in place. For me that is moving forwards. With Hull KR, Wakefield etc having problems of their own I think we are in as good a position as a few other clubs to get the license next time round. The big factor will be getting people through the gate. People didn't support the club in any great number down here so it can't get much worse so I'm hopeful we can match or surpass last seasons crowd levels.'" Having been down to your new ground last week and had a quick look around you must now have the 5 best ground in Super League. And with the coaching set up you have the club can only go upwards. If Noble gets the backing he will need he will put in all the building blocks to put the club on a very good footing for years to come. The only down side i could see was the lack of replica shirts or other clothing. I did however purchase tickets for the Leeds game and once i have been inside the ground to watch a game i will decide where i want to sit when i buy my season ticket. As most of the home games do not coincide with Wigan games and that means 2 live rugby games a week for me this season. As you say the only way is Up for the club just hope they get some shirts in soon.

Quote ="crucrucrusaders"The set up is a lot more secure than the situation under Samuel. The squad, on paper at least, looks improved on the one we had last season with recruitment still happening. The ground is miles better than we have had previously also. Staff numbers are higher and things from ticket sales to club shop have improved ten fold. Last season we were run like a part time union club. This year thanks to the link between the football and league club this has improved beyind recognition. For example last year we had to ring between the hours of 10am and 2pm weekdays to buy match tickets. Now we have this site which we can actually hand pick our seats and purchase them there and then. www.ticketlord.com/wrexham.htm I expect merchandise to be much the same. This is better than many Super League clubs have in place. For me that is moving forwards. With Hull KR, Wakefield etc having problems of their own I think we are in as good a position as a few other clubs to get the license next time round. The big factor will be getting people through the gate. People didn't support the club in any great number down here so it can't get much worse so I'm hopeful we can match or surpass last seasons crowd levels.'" Having been down to your new ground last week and had a quick look around you must now have the 5 best ground in Super League. And with the coaching set up you have the club can only go upwards. If Noble gets the backing he will need he will put in all the building blocks to put the club on a very good footing for years to come. The only down side i could see was the lack of replica shirts or other clothing. I did however purchase tickets for the Leeds game and once i have been inside the ground to watch a game i will decide where i want to sit when i buy my season ticket. As most of the home games do not coincide with Wigan games and that means 2 live rugby games a week for me this season. As you say the only way is Up for the club just hope they get some shirts in soon.

Do you have 4,000 mates you can get to go with you

Why do you need some support when we come to visit







Support will build in time its not an overnight thing is it

1 st of all Andy I'm a leigh fan

Sorry but overnight is what is required here , time is not an option

Oh sorry i did not realize you were a fan of the second team in Wigan



I think you will find support will build and its not the expansion you should be against its the RFL not having the bottle to remove a Super League team in the last round of licenses.

And if your team had been in Super League and played like last year you would have not won a game. Also the RFL saved you from being in Championship 1 this season because Gateshead had problems so Leigh should not have any gripe with the Curusaders being in Super League.

Having a team in Wales can only do the game good and bring in more Uk talent to League. And you must also see the RFL saved London on more than 1 occasion so a team in Wales has to be given at least 6 years. Just look how well Catalan did at the end of there first 3 years time is one thing a fledgling club should be given.

By the way thanks for the Bricks for Wigan civic in the 70s

If that was the case, they should have stayed in the South. I would suggest that time most certainly is a factor now. If the away support isn't forthcoming, or the 'masses' of Wrexham don't take to the game, the future of the club will be dead at that point.

I don't see what the Gateshead club has got to do with the re-location and future of the Crusaders????



I'll bet there are some fans in S. Wales that don't believe it's good for the game in that neck of the woods???? And Catalan is a club established from existing clubs in an exceedingly strong area for rugby a XIII!!
The crusaders are already approaching the 4th season and the club are nowhere near stable! We have had the Visa fiasco. The management change round. The finances and support required from the RFL to get them through til the seasons end. A dispensation to field a boat load of overseas players and a move away from it's predominant development area. Moving the club from 'the' establishing fan base!! Good for the UK game???
Time will tell owd cock!


Every development project is a slap to the head for a northern club that has to make way for it! I'm not saying that developing the game is wrong. But if it has to be this way, I'm going to be closely observing the performance of said club to see if the direction our game is being taken by the games administrators is worth the effort.

The crusaders short history has been extremely volatile to say the least. I always thought that in S Wales, given time, it may well have yeilded results. The time factor was too much for Leighton Samuels.
We'll see how the new lot do. I remain unconvinced at the mo!

Not sure how relevant this is, but it seems that the Wrexham ANZACS are not even the same team legally.

A bloke on the SW Scorps website has found that Celtic Crusaders Limited is being / has been wound up and a new company formed with the name Wrexham Crusaders Limited and a new company number.

So it seems that the only thing the Wrexham Crusaders (THEIR name, not my dig) have in common with the late lamented (by me) CELTIC Crusaders is half a dozen players, half a dozen supporters and Mike fakking Turner.

As such it seems odd to me that the WC were given the franchise previously awarded to the CC, without even having to apply.