Toronto should be promoted should they deserve it. Should they not be granted promotion, the whole thing is a farce.
I won't miss them if they pack up and Bogoff, but it wouldnt be fair !
I do not like the concept of North American (or French) teams playing in a British competition. However, the rules were made plain to Toronto, in that they had to work their way from League 1 to Sooper Dooper League. They are on the cusp of fulfilling the 'terms' of acceptance to SL, and they now have to be allowed in. (providing that they qualify)
It's a bit late for SL owners/chairmen to discover that:- Toronto is a long way away; they can't play at home in February and March; there may be visa issues with some of their players; return flights land you at a remote British airport; the hotel facilities provided by Toronto are not exactly five star; there aren't any training facilities, etc. etc. With a bit of luck, one of your number could end up with two trips there on 'loop' fixtures, plus another couple in the play offs! Welcome to the 'Global Game'!
Last edited by Alan on Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Atomic and thanks for the reply, Firstly and lets take the Championship as a whole do you not think collectively it is of a much better standard since 2015 when P&R was reintroduced? So are you just hopeful or confident that the Championship can make it's own way in the world, forget the club's presently employed in SL and gain as you put it a "massive cash" injection from some Sky competitor? Leigh is a "yoyo" club I will most definatley agree with that and it is the population of SL being 12 teams that makes it so, I would say that our rightful place in the order of merit is between 10th and 14th place in the league ladder of all clubs and in that I am referring to throughout the history of the game, not just the last few years, we have had our moments of joy and we have also spent a lot of the time at the bottom, we will never consistently be a top team neither will we ever be a permanent basement dweller. The Toronto issue, I have said this before that if they gain promotion this season I think they will be allowed to step up, not as an associate member but as s guest of the the SL, BUT i also think that they will be under the microscope throughout 2020 and if the fit of how, where and when they can play their games, how teams will take the away trips to Canada and especially those chosen away in the loop fixtures, the cost implications and just maybe the exclusion of some player's by Immigration means, it will all be monitered, logged discussed and adjudicated before 2021 comes around. So if SL do reject Toronto I think that P&R may just be suspended for a season.
Harry, I see Betfred have doubled their annual sponsorship for L1 and Champ. Now why would they do that? I agree the Championship is a far better competition than ever. But I don't agree with SL. So from 2020 SL will reduce what they pay to the lower tiers. Or should I say what SKY pay!
If Betfred can see the future of the lower tiers, why can't the product SL see it? Yes its time for the lower tiers to go it alone, it may split the game but the future of the game can no longer be held by the weakening product of SL.
Toronto (should they gain promotion) are now at the mercy of SL. SL now control SL,whatever the RFL agreed too is immaterial now.
I do not like the concept of North American (or French) teams playing in a British competition. However, the rules were made plain to Toronto, in that they had to work their way from League 1 to Sooper Dooper League. They are on the cusp of fulfilling the 'terms' of acceptance to SL, and they now have to be allowed in. (providing that they qualify)
It's a bit late for SL owners/chairmen to discover that:- Toronto is a long way away; they can't play at home in February and March; there may be visa issues with some of their players; return flights land you at a remote British airport; the hotel facilities provided by Toronto are not exactly five star; their aren't any training facilities, etc. etc. With a bit of luck, one of your number could end up with two trips there on 'loop' fixtures, plus another couple in the play offs! Welcome to the 'Global Game'!
As I understand it, it is up to the SL clubs to decide where they stay and where they fly back to, Toronto will not be paying should they get promoted
As I understand it, it is up to the SL clubs to decide where they stay and where they fly back to, Toronto will not be paying should they get promoted
Yes, I believe that is so, Col. However, the SL clubs are still going to find themselves subject to some of the 'discomforts' of having to play in Canada.
their aren't any training facilities, etc. etc. With a bit of luck, one of your number could end up with two trips there on 'loop' fixtures, plus another couple in the play offs! Welcome to the 'Global Game'!
Are you sure you were Head Boy at Leigh Grammar School, or an impostor?? He wouldn't have made that mistake :O)
As an aside, I remember bowling to you in the cricket nets in an Open Day in 1965!!! I had only just started and you were the then Head Boy. How time flies :O) I loved going to that school. Also, a few years ago you gave me the address of Mr. Elleray, who was sadly terminally ill. I sent him a long letter and 'thank you' card for being a big impression in my life. I received a lovely letter back from his daughter about 3 months later saying how happy that letter had made him, so thank you for passing those details on to me, and making that possible. :O)
Are you sure you were Head Boy at Leigh Grammar School, or an impostor?? He wouldn't have made that mistake :O)
As an aside, I remember bowling to you in the cricket nets in an Open Day in 1965!!! I had only just started and you were the then Head Boy. How time flies :O) I loved going to that school. Also, a few years ago you gave me the address of Mr. Elleray, who was sadly terminally ill. I sent him a long letter and 'thank you' card for being a big impression in my life. I received a lovely letter back from his daughter about 3 months later saying how happy that letter had made him, so thank you for passing those details on to me, and making that possible. :O)
Deliberate error to keep folk on there( ) toes!
Keith Elleray was a great bloke - I got to know him well, through rugby at school, and then at Tyldesley.
By the way, thank you for elevating me to the rank of head boy. I actually only made it to the dizzy heights of deputy - always the bridesmaid and all that. Of course, I would argue that standards of English expected of deputy, were obviously not as stringent of those demanded of head boy! Or was it that because my standards were not as good, that I was only deputy?