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Egg Chasing wrote:

That would mean the Championship clubs going out and doing something rather than moaning about anything and everything. Far too many clubs in RL are happy to just take the money from Sky and do nothing else. Those with ambition to grow themselves and the sport (and I don't include the likes of Toronto in that) will be rewarded for it, others won't.

FWIW - I do enjoy watching the Championship and miss the Premier Sports days

Very nice. How many SL clubs would suffer without their big chunk of Sly money?
FWIW, The Championship is a very competitive league despite the the cut in central funding. What's your problem?

Cokey wrote:

Very nice. How many SL clubs would suffer without their big chunk of Sly money?
FWIW, The Championship is a very competitive league despite the the cut in central funding. What's your problem?

I enjoy watching the Championship yes, but as with some clubs in SL there are clubs in the Championship not interested in trying to improve or grow attendances and are just happy to take the sky money and move on.

Interesting views in this post? But are we all missing the elephant in the room? Everyone is assuming that SKY or some other broadcaster is willing to pay. I hope I am wrong but apart from the few thousand devotees of the game is there an interest out there? Union is struggling to make ends meet & they have a much bigger profile nationally/world wide. Even soccer below the premiership is in dire strights.
With the game being now fully professional only teams in large catchment ( big cities) areas can carry on. Even the Hull area is struggling with the local league even having a meeting to see if it is possible to run a competition this year. I am very worried that with a change at the top of SKY (Americans) that there is no appetite for league, add to that murmurings in politics against the involvement of gambling sponsorship in sports An interesting couple of years are in store for all sports not just league.

Egg Chasing wrote:

I enjoy watching the Championship yes, but as with some clubs in SL there are clubs in the Championship not interested in trying to improve or grow attendances and are just happy to take the sky money and move on.

Ask Mr Lenagan if he would part with Wigan's Sky money? It's also noted that Wigan's crowds have dwindled lately. Where is the growth there?

Beverley red wrote:

Interesting views in this post? But are we all missing the elephant in the room? Everyone is assuming that SKY or some other broadcaster is willing to pay. I hope I am wrong but apart from the few thousand devotees of the game is there an interest out there? Union is struggling to make ends meet & they have a much bigger profile nationally/world wide. Even soccer below the premiership is in dire strights.
With the game being now fully professional only teams in large catchment ( big cities) areas can carry on. Even the Hull area is struggling with the local league even having a meeting to see if it is possible to run a competition this year. I am very worried that with a change at the top of SKY (Americans) that there is no appetite for league, add to that murmurings in politics against the involvement of gambling sponsorship in sports An interesting couple of years are in store for all sports not just league.

There is a broadcaster and an online platform interested apparently

Egg Chasing wrote:

There is a broadcaster and an online platform interested apparently

I do hope you are correct but will they or the current deal pay what is paid now? & will the BBC want to pay after they are under enormous pressure to cut costs or go commercial? As much as I love this game I am not so sure the rest of the world actually give a toss!

Egg Chasing wrote:

I enjoy watching the Championship yes, but as with some clubs in SL there are clubs in the Championship not interested in trying to improve or grow attendances and are just happy to take the sky money and move on.

Really, I think this is a myth peddled by some fans of the "big 4" in SL.
Do you really think that any SL club or ANY business out in the big wide world, is not trying to grow their business ??

Most SL clubs NEED the Sky money to sustain their current business and even the stronger clubs in the comp would ned to re shape their business if they were suddenly to find themselves without the Sky cash.
However, to suggest that ANY club isn't trying to improve and grow their business is just plain daft

wrencat1873 wrote:

Really, I think this is a myth peddled by some fans of the "big 4" in SL.
Do you really think that any SL club or ANY business out in the big wide world, is not trying to grow their business ??

Most SL clubs NEED the Sky money to sustain their current business and even the stronger clubs in the comp would ned to re shape their business if they were suddenly to find themselves without the Sky cash.
However, to suggest that ANY club isn't trying to improve and grow their business is just plain daft

Well several clubs vote against pretty much every idea to grow the game

wrencat1873 wrote:

Please do provide your list, it will make interesting reading for everyone.
I still maintain that IF the parachute payment for relegated clubs were to disappear and without ANY Sky monies, any relegated club would be in serious peril.

THE most important aspect here is that, calling the second tier of the comp Super League 2, just means that is The Championship by another name and it merely hides the fact that the top flight and funding would have been cut, which under any measure is contracting the professional game.

IIRC, last time the 2 x 10 was muted, there was to be decent funding for all 20 clubs, which probably isn't the case this time around but, we live in hope.
Maybe it will be Elstone's finest hour

Some managed to get into serious peril even with the parachute payment.