London Broncos Go into Administration

[Nothern]

Just been announced. Bad news for League in London.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/25020860

 

[miguel de cervantes]

and 2 days before wembley. brilliant

 

[The Great Dane]

Bad timing, but it was only a matter of time.

 

[DC_fan]

All the positives from the World Cup and now this.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

That sucks, but not at all surprising.

 

[Misanthrope]

I thought their cashed up owner was trying to buy SBW?

 

[Te Kaha]

I thought their cashed up owner was trying to buy SBW?

That was Salford.

 

[madunit]

Salford has bought anything not nailed down.

London's collapse was always on the cards.

 

[Evil Homer]

TBH it was a surprise when they were announced as part of the SL fixture list. I'm really not expecting them to make it into next year, they only have about 4 or 5 of their first grade squad remaining and virtually no staff. Looks like it's finally the end for this basket case of a club, and TBH long overdue. I just hope someone can salvage the junior development which is literally the only thing that they had going for them.

 

[Misanthrope]

TBH it was a surprise when they were announced as part of the SL fixture list. I'm really not expecting them to make it into next year, they only have about 4 or 5 of their first grade squad remaining and virtually no staff. Looks like it's finally the end for this basket case of a club, and TBH long overdue. I just hope someone can salvage the junior development which is literally the only thing that they had going for them.

Is there a team waiting in the wings to step in? Second French club? Hard done by club that didn't make the cut last time around?

 

[parraparraparra]

Wwoooohhhhooo we pack Wembley. Can't even field a top pro team. Lel

 

[Evil Homer]

Is there a team waiting in the wings to step in? Second French club? Hard done by club that didn't make the cut last time around?

None of the current Championship clubs are anything like approaching the required standard. The league is going back to 12 teams in 2015 anyway, so if London don't make it then I expect they'll just go with 13 for the year, London and Wakefield were pretty much certainties to drop out anyway and I imagine London would probably have folded so it doesn't really affect things too much going forward.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Horrible news, london needs a club... hope something can be salvaged from that wreck

 

[Packy]

TBH it was a surprise when they were announced as part of the SL fixture list. I'm really not expecting them to make it into next year, they only have about 4 or 5 of their first grade squad remaining and virtually no staff. Looks like it's finally the end for this basket case of a club, and TBH long overdue. I just hope someone can salvage the junior development which is literally the only thing that they had going for them.

When I lived in London in 07 I went to a few games when they were harlequins and I was really surprised at how many kids in training gear were there. If that stayed true then I feel you. They would be losing lots of potential players and a base for the future.

 

[RedVee]

Yes, they need to organise something to keep the juniors developing. But it didn't seem a well supported club - still sad though, esp during such a successful WC.

 

[Diesel]

What a shame a city the size of London can't support and finance a SL team.

Whatever is going on with the RFL and SL clubs, I hope one side can help the juniors or even have a similar weekend to what they do in Cardiff just to keep the Londoners engaged.

Does London have many teams in the National League 1 or 2?

 

[nadera78]

The timing is deliberate from the owner, Dave Hughes, as it causes maximum disruption to the RFL and Nigel Wood in particular.

The club has been shockingly badly run for a good 5-8 years now, and has managed to alienate a couple of thousand supporters - which is bad news when you only had around 3,000 to start with. That said, the RFL hasn't lifted a finger to help the club, but it can find a million quid to buy the slum that is Odsal for Bradford, can find a buyer for Salford and can give as yet unspecified help to Wakefield.

 

[Diesel]

So what's the go with the RFL v Super League rift? Money no doubt but is it something that could be similar to the Australian SL War where there was a split of 2 comps or are the clubs wanting to distance themselves from the RFL who'd run everything except the SL

 

[nadera78]

It's all about money and influence. SL generates all of the money, but the RFL are looking to take more of it to give to Championship clubs, as well as re-organise the league structures. It's basically so that Nigel Wood and co can secure their positions by gaining the support of the part-time clubs.

 

[Evil Homer]

So what's the go with the RFL v Super League rift? Money no doubt but is it something that could be similar to the Australian SL War where there was a split of 2 comps or are the clubs wanting to distance themselves from the RFL who'd run everything except the SL

Not really, it's pretty much just because the new RFL management are totally incompetent.

Because of the nature and demographics of the sport in this country, RL in the UK will always have a vocal number of backwards, negative fans who have illogical ideas about 'tradition' and can't come to terms with the reality of sport in the 21st century. Sadly the new RFL administration (successors to Richard Lewis) are totally out of their depth, so are resorting to trying to appease people with bizarre, half-baked ideas that they think will be 'popular with fans' rather than doing what's best for the sport.

Basically, things are going to shit over here and the SL clubs are stepping in before it's too late (mainly because of self-interest as Nadera says).

BTW, the London situation is nothing to do with 'London not being able to sustain a club' or anything like that. London Broncos were horrible, they were unlike anything I've ever come across in sport and TBH you'd struggle to describe it as a real club.