: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:58 pm  

Alice's Phallus wrote:

Several of the clubs, especially Wakefield and Castleford, were given licenses on a kind of informal probabtion. Richard Lewis warned clubs that they had to satisfy certain explicit criteria, including an adequate stadium, if they were to have their licenses renewed. Wakefield will fail the stadium criterion, and possibly other criteria, in 2011. This will ease the west Yorkshire saturation of the Super League roster, and make room for some new, commercially attractive expansion clubs, like Toulouse, Sheffield/Doncaster, Newcastle/Gateshead, East London etc. in 2011 and subsequent years.

That would seem to contradict the whole franchising process. I don't believe he can do that.

If Wakefield don't build a new stadium but achieve 7 or 8 other marks out of the ten available how could they not have their license renewed? It's not a very fair process if Richard Lewis can arbitrarily decide pet criteria that must be achieved, is it?

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:07 pm  

Forgetting that I am a Trin fan and the fact that I have a large interest in the economy I would be very suprised if the emphasis would be as much on new grounds as it was last time simply due to the fact that it is not realisticaly possible to get the money in place for any new grounds

[tb]

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:19 pm  

Starbug wrote:

Do you have a link to that

Of course not. Albert doesn't do sources, beyond his own febrile imagination - unless he's still claiming to sleep with someone from Red Hall who whispers sweet nothings to him post coitus?

: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:21 pm  

wakeytom wrote:

Forgetting that I am a Trin fan and the fact that I have a large interest in the economy I would be very suprised if the emphasis would be as much on new grounds as it was last time simply due to the fact that it is not realisticaly possible to get the money in place for any new grounds

Forgetting that I am a Leigh fan with the newest and best stadium available to us

I agree with you , it is totally unrealistic to expect any clubs to be able to find funding for new stadia at this time , then again it was totally unrealistic to have stadia as such an important critera anyway

There is no fair way to promote and relegate any clubs except by what happens on the pitch

Any other system like normal promotion and relegation is flawed and damages somebody , that is life , we cannot all be winners

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:04 am  

the best solution is that when the next tv deal comes around is to get extra money and give that money to the championship, each club gets a equal amount of money each season which will make the comp stronger (hopefully full time if they get the right amount of money)and then after 2 years open promotion and relegation again and the team that gets relegated from sl will not be in a financial mess and still a strong comp.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:29 am  

No Frills Viking wrote:

the best solution is that when the next tv deal comes around is to get extra money and give that money to the championship, each club gets a equal amount of money each season which will make the comp stronger (hopefully full time if they get the right amount of money)and then after 2 years open promotion and relegation again and the team that gets relegated from sl will not be in a financial mess and still a strong comp.

Sorry not allowed , the Championships dont earn any SKY TV money , any money forthcoming is a ' gift ' from the RFL and the SL clubs

The Championships are a ' vibrant ' comp already , the RFL say so

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:11 am  

IMO the championships are going to be a great competition over the next 3 years.We are seeing right from the begining that no game is a walk in the park and that any team can beat any team in these leagues.
With the threat of not being allowed to apply for superleague if you have not competed in at least 1 GF this then pushes ALL teams to perform well.
Can you imagine what the last of the three seasons would be like if say Widnes,Halifax or Leigh had not made it to the final for some reason,it would be imense pressure on the clubs.

I for one was against franchising as i feel promotion and relegation kick teams up the butt and bring with it a great Rugby League atmosphere.We are now left with what we have been dealt with and must get on with it.

IMO again, if Gatshead or Toulouse make one of the grand finals then i cant help but feel that the remaining teams do not stand a chance as this is the world of expansion and would easily overcome the question of how good your stadium is.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:18 am  

chubbs1981 wrote:

aren't sheffield and doncaster in west yorks ok southwest. write them off then.

South Yorkshire.

newcastle/gateshead. why not a cumbrian outfit?

Because local differences will stop it from ever happening

Instead i'd suggest say birmingham. big city very central not to far south to really affect away travel, good road and rail links etc.

So you're going to go to Birmingham, magic up a benefactor, stadium, junior development programme etc. I think there is a club in the Midlands that could be ready for a shot at NL2 in around 2012. But you're still light years from an SL franchise.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:45 am  

Barnacle Bill wrote:

That would seem to contradict the whole franchising process. I don't believe he can do that.

If Wakefield don't build a new stadium but achieve 7 or 8 other marks out of the ten available how could they not have their license renewed? It's not a very fair process if Richard Lewis can arbitrarily decide pet criteria that must be achieved, is it?

thats what i think too.

just because wakey dont get a new stadium doesnt mean they wont get a license next time.

stadia arent the only criteria, nor should they be.

its a range of things they look at

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:21 am  

As far as stadium criteria are concerned, 'League Express' reported recently that the RFL had visited all the clubs that had promised new grounds in their franchise bids to see how they were progressing. Oh, and tb please don't suggest that anyone (or thing!) might have sex with Albert - the mere thought of such a thing's quite put me off eating the nice choccie bikkie sitting on my mouse mat