Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:45 pm  

Ian Lenighan has just been interviewed on radio Manchester claiming he has at least a 10-2 majority for his masterplan of one up one down with no middle 8's,and is blaming Leeds together with a West Yorkshire mafia for stirring up a media backlash against this blueprint (I assume this to mean Fax, Fev.etc.). His rationale for this is that the current structure means SUperleague clubs cannot plan a full fixture list for the season, and means that a third of superleague are in danger of being relegated. Furthermore, he believes fans want to see soperleague games throughout the season rather than some having to play championship sides at the end of the season. This conveniently ignores the fact that some of the middle 8?games have provided some of the most exciting games of the last 3 seasons.

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:21 pm  

he's a money grabbing selfish bstard who's only interested in his club and doesn't give a toss about lower league clubs.perhaps if his own club made a profit occasionally he may be happier

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:41 pm  

Whatever he thinks is irrellevant whilst the current legally binding agreement exsists. An agreement he & the majority of SL agreed.

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:58 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

he's a money grabbing selfish bstard who's only interested in his club and doesn't give a toss about lower league clubs.perhaps if his own club made a profit occasionally he may be happier

This is the most galling thing of all. Lenagan spouting off about other clubs when his own club, which probably has the best brand in a market which is very pro-RL loses money hand over fist, seems to have a terrible off-field culture and has trouble keeping hold of fans, players and sponsors. It's a case study in poor management but you can see why he wants to get his hands on that Championship money.

[DaveO]

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:19 pm  

CHEADLE LEYTHER wrote:

Ian Lenighan has just been interviewed on radio Manchester claiming he has at least a 10-2 majority for his masterplan of one up one down with no middle 8's,and is blaming Leeds together with a West Yorkshire mafia for stirring up a media backlash against this blueprint (I assume this to mean Fax, Fev.etc.). His rationale for this is that the current structure means SUperleague clubs cannot plan a full fixture list for the season, and means that a third of superleague are in danger of being relegated. Furthermore, he believes fans want to see soperleague games throughout the season rather than some having to play championship sides at the end of the season. This conveniently ignores the fact that some of the middle 8?games have provided some of the most exciting games of the last 3 seasons.

The problem is clubs do not know their fixtures for the S8's (three or four home games) so they can't start selling hospitality until they do which is a commercial disaster and fans can't plan holidays given when they are so gates drop and the rationale for having a season ticket is less so another revenue hit . The middle 8 might generate interest for championship teams but the crowds for the S8's are rubbish and the revenue is nothing like it would be if the fixture list was nailed down at the start of the season. S8's mean you can also end up playing the same team I think it's five times in the season if you play your magic weekend opponent and get them in the cup. Stupid. I think the relegation issue is red herring and unless a SL side is decimated by injury it's only going to be the bottom side who has an issue. That said if a SL side is decimated by injury and gets relegated as a result that proves nothing and IMO you can bet your house on the promoted side going right back down again.

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:30 pm  

DaveO wrote:

S8's mean you can also end up playing the same team I think it's five times in the season if you play your magic weekend opponent and get them in the cup. Stupid.

Talking of red herrings, this is going to be exactly the same under Lenagan's plan.

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:32 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

he's a money grabbing selfish bstard who's only interested in his club and doesn't give a toss about lower league clubs.perhaps if his own club made a profit occasionally he may be happier

Is that the lower league clubs who are fielding 14 and 15 men in games, at a time when they’re getting a bigger slice of the games income then clubs at that level have ever been given?! Is it any wonder he along with at least 9 other club owners/chairmen are unhappy.

The game in this country isn’t big enough to spread it’s income around a whole mass of clubs. If the new plans push a few clubs with park field facilities and sub 1,000 average attendances in to the amateur ranks then so be it. It’s time for clubs with ambition to be rewarded and for the game to make some tough calls before we’re all watching a semi pro sport at the top level.

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:17 am  

I'm with Nicky on this. The points made about fixture list uncertainty etc are completely valid, however much you might like them not to be.

If the sport starts letting Championship clubs make decisions on the best way forward at the top end, the only outcome will be a semi pro sport down the track. Again, like it or not but not all clubs, even within SL, are equal. Whilst quite a few fans seemingly found the demise of the Bulls funny, its been a huge commercial negative for the sport as a whole. What we need is to find ways to grow the revenues to the sport at the top end.

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:24 am  

Like most people I'm open to a change in the structure (although Hetherington is very wed to the current one, a replacement which still included P&R would be fine). But the money side is pathetic. The money given to Championship clubs is a drop in the ocean for SL clubs. People like Lenagan shouldn't be trying to grab a bit of that back, they should actually try and grow their own clubs and their own revenues. Wigan are the most egregious example of a loss-making club with declining attendances and falling revenues that the bile coming from their chairman lecturing the RFL and other clubs about how to run the game properly is embarrassing.

[DaveO]

Re: Lenighan blames West Yorkshire mafia : Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:27 am  

The Ghost of '99 wrote:

Talking of red herrings, this is going to be exactly the same under Lenagan's plan.

The fact that is all you seemingly took from my post is a bit bizarre but given I am not sure he's proposed how many fixtures there will be without the S8's I am not sure what you are saying anyway.