reduce number of SL teams?

[biggestbroncosfan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/warrington/8753275.stm
will reducing the number of teams mean better or poorer crowds? which teams go and stay?

 

[Evil Homer]

They already said they are not going to reduce the number of teams.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

I for one dont think that the standard of football would increase significantly enough for crowds to rise enough to account in the loss of revenue of the extra game.

 

[deluded pom?]

Warrington should definitely go. One trophy in decades and they think they own the league.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Warrington should definitely go. One trophy in decades and they think they own the league.

Sounds like St George fans.

 

[bowes]

I'd support it if it meant they enforced SL minimum criteria properly. 12 though, 10 is too few.

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

I think everyone would prefer to see games of the quality of Wigan-Saints on the weekend just gone in front of 20K instead of Salford-Castleford in front of 3K. But the grassroots of the sport has probably been alienated enough with the advent of the franchising system to warrant blocking another 2 teams out. Hopefully the RFL are working with the current teams to improve game day attendances and the quality of the stadia. The onus is on people like Tony Smith to improve the standard, not look for an easy option.

 

[WireMan]

Warrington should definitely go. One trophy in decades and they think they own the league.

We do own it.

The only team to be in the top flight every season. Its ours.

People should listen. Move RFL head quaters from the grim side of the pennines to the heart beat of the nation that is the north west for a start. Then remove two Yorkshire teams from the comp. I'd go for Hull KR and Cas myself..

Throw in Toulouse and Widnes to replace them.

Simples.

 

[deluded pom?]

Yeah that's all we need, another small town in Lancashire/Chesire (or whatever you call yourselves these days) Widnes v Warrington will draw mega crowds. Forgive the sarcasm but you started it. I see you disagree with the Messiah though. Your SLE still has 14 teams.

 

[WireMan]

Yeah, i reckon Widnes will draw a bigger crowd at any of the top 3 clubs in the league at the mo than Hull Kr or Cas.

Yeah i think Smith is wrong on this one. i don't want the numbers reduced, just not so many in the East of England.

Now is the time to put another team in the North West, 3 teams going good, crowds increasing, sports mad population, a lot of unhappiness at the two big sporting power houses in the area.

Expansion doesn't have to mean London, Newcastle, Scotland etc.


Oh and Warrington is a large town thanks very much... ;-)

 

[deluded pom?]

But Hull KR would take more fans to Hull, Leeds Wakey and Bradford than Widnes would. You are only basing your favouring Widnes on the attendances they'd have against local teams. Hull KR would also take more to London and Perpignan than Widnes would. Warrington is a big town full of football loving overspill Scousers. ;-)

 

[WireMan]

But Hull KR would take more fans to Hull, Leeds Wakey and Bradford than Widnes would. You are only basing your favouring Widnes on the attendances they'd have against local teams. Hull KR would also take more to London and Perpignan than Widnes would. Warrington is a big town full of football loving overspill Scousers. ;-)

Now your just being personal about it which is just wrong.

It does however highlight what i just said. Warrington, Widnes, St Helens, Wigan, Leigh, Newton, Earlstown, Runcorn, Oldham, Swinton, Runcorn etc. are towns with large overspills from the two main cities. These people are football fans who are disfranchised with there football team.

They are there for the taking with three good teams in the area. Add another one in to get another real local rival in the area and crowds could shoot up. Warrington may be extending there stadium, Saints are getting a new one. Its the one part of the country that Rugby is actually growing. The overspill the other way is into North Wales, and the Crusaders crowds are getting bigger over there.

 

[deluded pom?]

Wigan v Saints - 20,000. if it's actually growing over there then why wasn't it a sell out?

 

[deluded pom?]

It does however highlight what i just said. Warrington, Widnes, St Helens, Wigan, Leigh, Newton, Earlstown, Runcorn, Oldham, Swinton, Runcorn etc. are towns with large overspills from the two main cities. These people are football fans who are disfranchised with there football team.

That would depend on which was THEIR football team. I'm sure Manchester football fans aren't disenchanted at the moment.

 

[WireMan]

That would depend on which was THEIR football team. I'm sure Manchester football fans aren't disenchanted at the moment.

Look up the Green and Gold campaign,Red Knights, MUST or LUHG. You may notice a few unhappy United fans... I am 100% sure they are disenchanted at the moment. Some of them living in towns with a top level sports team which are a lot cheaper to watch, you can stand to watch a game and better for taking the family to. etc.



Doesn't have to sell out to grow. 17,000 for the two saints home matches vs Wire and Wigan this year. Warrington sold out vs Wigan, will again for Saints. Gonna be a big crowd for Wigan vs Wire also.

The game is growing. Its just we are surrounded by the largest sporting teams in the world, so it looks small compared to them.

 

[deluded pom?]

But the disenchanted football fans turn to another, usually smaller and cheaper to watch, football team or create their own e.g Reds FC (or whatever it's called) Rarely do football fans totally turn their back on football and go watch another completely different sport.

 

[WireMan]

Yup, not all will. Some may though if they can be prompted to.

Also people grow up supporting a team and don't want to watch another team playing the same sport. One day they may play each other!!

FC United get support from people living in Manchester, not many from the surrounding area. Supporters of Rugby league and Football are very similar, the experience is basically the same. I know a few people that support football teams, used to watch football but watch Rugby now for that reason. They still support the Football team, just don't want to put money into it.

Its not unrealistic to think that a Liverpool fan in Widnes may fancy checking a game out there if they don't wanna give Gillet and Hicks any more of there money. Likewise for a United fan about Glazier.

 

[deluded pom?]

Hmmm. From watching Permiership football to watching CC rugby league is a big drop if you're a football fan first and foremost. It would make more sense to me personally to watch a football team in the lower divisions e.g Tranny. OK they may meet in a future game but I'd stick with who I supported NOW rather than in the past. If I was well and truly pi$$ed off by Hull I'd sooner go and either watch them away only or go and watch someone like Donny or York instead.

 

[WireMan]

Hmmm. From watching Permiership football to watching CC rugby league is a big drop if you're a football fan first and foremost. It would make more sense to me personally to watch a football team in the lower divisions e.g Tranny. OK they may meet in a future game but I'd stick with who I supported NOW rather than in the past. If I was well and truly pi$$ed off by Hull I'd sooner go and either watch them away only or go and watch someone like Donny or York instead.

Top level football to top level Rugby isn't that far a drop. Also you could watch Tranny if you moved out to the Wirral, or Stocky if you moved down there, Oldham if you moved to North Manc.. If you moved to the overspill inbetween Liverpool and Manchester you have no football team to watch. But rather a lot of Rugby teams to chose from. Hence stick another one in there and your laughing.

As previously stated though, most wouldn't do it. However the population around the area is such that you don't need that high a percentage to turn good average crowds into very good average crowds.

 

[deluded pom?]

But wouldn't the current SLE teams just be competing for the same nouveau fan? A disgruntled Liverpool fan wants to switch sports and picks a new team to follow. Wigan and Saints have the form in the trophy cabinet and now Warrington are beginning to stir. I doubt they'd be flocking to the Halton.