Manchester Lions

[Perth Red]

What a stupid set of merkin fans. Pss off the only people capable of taking the club forward, or possibly even surviving. Fans have made their bed, they can now lie in it. Those directors should look to start up a new Manchester club as planned.

 

[Bojackhorseman]

What a stupid set of merkin fans. Pss off the only people capable of taking the club forward, or possibly even surviving. Fans have made their bed, they can now lie in it. Those directors should look to start up a new Manchester club as planned.

Sadly we are used to this. It’s seems to be a feature of our code unfortunately.

 

[roughyedspud]

Can you see a rebrand for Oldham ever being acceptable ‘spud?

We couldn't make oldham bears last lol

 

[Walter sobchak]

What a stupid set of merkin fans. Pss off the only people capable of taking the club forward, or possibly even surviving. Fans have made their bed, they can now lie in it. Those directors should look to start up a new Manchester club as planned.

Why?? The RFL will only reject them.

 

[Perth Red]

Why?? The RFL will only reject them.

Maybe the new kids on the block where knocked back because the RFL knew of Swinton's intentions and preferred to back an existing club to represent Manchester? Looking at how quickly the Rangers investors walked away you'd have to question their long term commitment.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Maybe the new kids on the block where knocked back because the RFL knew of Swinton's intentions and preferred to back an existing club to represent Manchester? Looking at how quickly the Rangers investors walked away you'd have to question their long term commitment.

Why would they continue to pour money into a club that’s going nowhere?

 

[adamkungl]

Pyramid should be open, take the decision making on such things out of the RFLs hands, except in the case of foreign entries, let clubs rise and fall as they will and encourage outside investment. Refusing entry of a seemingly well funded club in a world famous English city is bizarre.

The RFL needs to decide on a structure,
minimum standards for each level,
and how much funding each level will be given.
Let the clubs performances decide the rest.

 

[Perth Red]

Why would they continue to pour money into a club that’s going nowhere?

Well I guess they could have stuck around and created an even more compelling case for inclusion?

Pyramid should be open, take the decision making on such things out of the RFLs hands, except in the case of foreign entries, let clubs rise and fall as they will and encourage outside investment. Refusing entry of a seemingly well funded club in a world famous English city is bizarre.

The RFL needs to decide on a structure,
minimum standards for each level,
and how much funding each level will be given.
Let the clubs performances decide the rest.

TBF as incompetent as the RFL generally are I am pretty sure they would have had a criteria and reasons for not admitting them. I suspect a lot had to do with there being 3 clubs in the area already. Also the RFL asked them to put up a 500k bond which they were unable to do, that would suggest the RFL had some severe doubts about their business model.

With Swinton no longer having a board here is an ideal opportunity for the consortium to take over the Lions and move them to Manchester if they are serious.

 

[adamkungl]

Well I guess they could have stuck around and created an even more compelling case for inclusion?

Depends
Did the RFL give them a realistic pathway or a 10 foot high brick wall? Sounds like the RFL shut down every reasonable avenue from what i've read

 

[Walter sobchak]

Well I guess they could have stuck around and created an even more compelling case for inclusion?

How more compelling does it need to be than a Manchester club with junior teams playing out a high quality stadium?

 

[Perth Red]

How more compelling does it need to be than a Manchester club with junior teams playing out a high quality stadium?

Who knows as none of us saw the application or the RFL's response. As I said above them asking for a significant bond would suggest the RFL had concerns about their viability and business model.

How more compelling does it need to be than a Manchester club with junior teams playing out a high quality stadium?

Maybe the RFL was concerned another prof club in the Greater Manchester area would cannabilise the exisitng 4 prof clubs sponsorships and jnrs?

 

[Perth Red]

This was from one of the consortium members in 2017. Time might be ripe given whats gone on at Swinton to revisit a take over

"Our plan has always been to get a spot purely on our own merit, but as it became clear that this more than likely wouldn't happen, we started to look at other options, one of which I don't mind stating on here as its fairly common knowledge, was the option to merge with swinton and become something like Manchester Lions or a name that would suit the fans and safeguard the heritage of the club, but as already stated, they are firmly and always have been committed to moving back to Swinton and we applaud that."

 

[deluded pom?]

Pyramid should be open, take the decision making on such things out of the RFLs hands, except in the case of foreign entries, let clubs rise and fall as they will and encourage outside investment. Refusing entry of a seemingly well funded club in a world famous English city is bizarre.

The RFL needs to decide on a structure,
minimum standards for each level,
and how much funding each level will be given.
Let the clubs performances decide the rest.

Great idea but there aren’t enough teams with the ambition to turn pro to create that system. Unless we create the pyramid and allow clubs to refuse promotion? Some amateur teams don’t want the extra expenses incurred from running a semi pro team.

 

[Perth Red]

Great idea but there aren’t enough teams with the ambition to turn pro to create that system. Unless we create the pyramid and allow clubs to refuse promotion? Some amateur teams don’t want the extra expenses incurred from running a semi pro team.

No tot mention 3 of the 4 current Greater manchester clubs are financial basket cases and the 4th SL one is hardly pulling up trees. Maybe the RFL decided another mouth to feed in Manchester wasnt a good idea?

 

[adamkungl]

Great idea but there aren’t enough teams with the ambition to turn pro to create that system. Unless we create the pyramid and allow clubs to refuse promotion? Some amateur teams don’t want the extra expenses incurred from running a semi pro team.

Sure. Protections from both sides
-RFL sets minimum standards for each level (to prevent some theoretical club playing out of a cow paddock in Super League). Of course they would have to do this in advance, which isn't really their style...
-Clubs can decline promotion if they're happy where they are and the finances don't stack up.

If *no one* has the ambition to go up, then there's not really any harm done, the clubs would stay exactly as they are now. But with the option open for a Manchester Rangers to work their way up, if they decide to enter in future.

 

[adamkungl]

No tot mention 3 of the 4 current Greater manchester clubs are financial basket cases and the 4th SL one is hardly pulling up trees. Maybe the RFL decided another mouth to feed in Manchester wasnt a good idea?

The RFL should be funding a specific amount per League with a set number of teams.
In an open pyramid their total funding output wouldn't change if Manchester Rangers come up and Keighley or something go down.
The current situation where teams drop out of League One and aren't replaced is pretty dysfunctional.

The RFL doesn't seem to have any designs to expand the sport's reach in the UK, an open system would allow the clubs to sort it out organically.
The current limited-pyramid system is a compromise combining the negatives of both P&R (large number of clubs to fund, lack of control over who plays elite level) and licencing (closed shop, difficult to expand).

 

[Perth Red]

The RFL should be funding a specific amount per League with a set number of teams.
In an open pyramid their total funding output wouldn't change if Manchester Rangers come up and Keighley or something go down.
The current situation where teams drop out of League One and aren't replaced is pretty dysfunctional.

The RFL doesn't seem to have any designs to expand the sport's reach in the UK, an open system would allow the clubs to sort it out organically.
The current limited-pyramid system is a compromise combining the negatives of both P&R (large number of clubs to fund, lack of control over who plays elite level) and licencing (closed shop, difficult to expand).

TBF the RFL put some things in place for admission and the Rangers backers couldn't or wouldn't meet them, namely the bond. You can argue that there shouldn't be a bond but the RFL deemed it necessary for whatever reason we are not privvy to.
If that is now the bar going forward for any other team admission we shall see, If the Rangers had stumped up 500k they'd be in now.
Was it the RFL's fault for being unreasonable in expecting a bond or the Rangers fault for not having the finances required of a professional club entry?

 

[adamkungl]

TBF the RFL put some things in place for admission and the Rangers backers couldn't or wouldn't meet them, namely the bond. You can argue that there shouldn't be a bond but the RFL deemed it necessary for whatever reason we are not privvy to.
If that is now the bar going forward for any other team admission we shall see, If the Rangers had stumped up 500k they'd be in now.
Was it the RFL's fault for being unreasonable in expecting a bond or the Rangers fault for not having the finances required of a professional club entry?

No one knows why the RFL does the things they do.
They make Greenberg's NRL look like a world-class, forward-thinking, shining beacon of world sport administration.

 

[Perth Red]

SuperLeague is no better, did you see this weeks headlines about Toronto not being guaranteed a spot? And them not getting any central funding if they do get a spot? Geez our game!

 

[RL The greatest game]

TBF the RFL put some things in place for admission and the Rangers backers couldn't or wouldn't meet them, namely the bond. You can argue that there shouldn't be a bond but the RFL deemed it necessary for whatever reason we are not privvy to.
If that is now the bar going forward for any other team admission we shall see, If the Rangers had stumped up 500k they'd be in now.
Was it the RFL's fault for being unreasonable in expecting a bond or the Rangers fault for not having the finances required of a professional club entry?

The RFL like bonds. They even changed the 2018 Challenge Cup winners to post a bond to enter this years Challenge Cup after the disappointing crowd at the final, but strangely didn't ask the runners up.
With Warrington winning the challenge cup this season in front of another very average crowd i would expect them to be asked to post a bond for next years challenge cup.