Re: Quins RL announcement today? : Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:01 am  

Rob from Erith wrote:

As long as he remembers RL is a different animal to the toffs game!

Yes.

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:02 am  

gutterfax wrote:

bollox......
get over this "us and them" scenario....we need management and if we get what I think we are going to get, the I for one will be 100% behind the new board

Union turncoat?

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:06 am  

Prince of Denmark wrote:

Unbelieveable! We finally have a ground that feels like a proper home, where it's comfortable to arrive well before kick off and linger well after the final whistle and some people want to revert to being an itinerant club squatting at football grounds at all points of the compass: The Valley is far too big (28,000 all seater) and Loftus Road has a small pitch and the seats have no leg room.

The Broncos has already FAILED and we're damn lucky London retained a Superleague club at all.

If Mark Evans does come on board and is able to help us fill the ground as he did for our union partners great! I don't see how that would compromise our club in anyway whatsoever - we'll still be playing league, and hopefully with greater success and a more stable long-term future if there are a few thousand more people supporting us at each home game.

Why do you mention Loftus Road? (Totally out of interest).

With regards to the Broncos, it is too simplistic to say that the Broncos failed because it was implausible, as this IMO was not the case.

With regards to your final paragraph, being very stereotypical, but IMO fairly, a rugby league fan is a different breed to a rugby union fan and I personally would be disgusted if our club began to be followed by this other "type". We have a fantastic following as it is, the people are out there all over London and the South of England, and just need to be tempted in.

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:56 am  

Dave Lister wrote:

Union turncoat?

Harlequins Rugby Union have gone from being a shambolic club with no real infastructure, through relegation and have come out the far side as one of, if not the most stable Union clubs in the UK at present.
3,000 crowds were the norm only 7 years ago at the stoop, so any man, regardless of what his attitiude is to the game of RL, who can turn a business around like that gets my vote.
This is a massive positive (if it's true) and to all those who think we are losing our identity, I say this.
London Broncos failed. Put simply, we are supping in the last chance saloon and it's getting near closing time. If we fail here, then it's trips to the skolars for all.

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:07 am  

Dave Lister wrote:

Why do you mention Loftus Road? (Totally out of interest).

With regards to the Broncos, it is too simplistic to say that the Broncos failed because it was implausible, as this IMO was not the case.

With regards to your final paragraph, being very stereotypical, but IMO fairly, a rugby league fan is a different breed to a rugby union fan and I personally would be disgusted if our club began to be followed by this other "type". We have a fantastic following as it is, the people are out there all over London and the South of England, and just need to be tempted in.

Loftus Road was suggested as a suitable venue for our club by Beer Monkey. I saw the Australia v NZ international there about five years ago - the pitch is smaller than Brentford with very little space around the touchlines and the seats have an uncomfortable lack of legroom, at least in the stand where I was sitting.

We don't have a "fantastic following", our attendances aren't much more than half what the next lowest supported clubs get and I don't see how we can compete indefinititely even as a mid-table club under those circumstances, so frankly I'm not fussy about what type of new supporters we attract as long as they aren't abusive or anti-social.

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:53 am  

I have only posted on here a couple of times but feel I must once again put pen to paper.
AN announcement is due from the club office – it has not yet been made and already people are voicing negative thoughts such as :
Rob from Erith - As long as he remembers RL is a different animal to the toffs game!

Why is it a toffs game – does that mean RL fans have no decorum, decent life styles or money in their pocket

Dave Lister - As much as he would bring, ATEOD i'd rather we were a struggling "proper" RL club than a Union club playing League. AND Don't get me wrong (and i'm not accusing you of doing so), I think there is potential for Harlequins RL to be a successful club but changing Harlequins RL into a Union style club would be wrong IMO as the 2 products and experiences are very different.

What is a proper RL club? I thought it was one where people attended through love of the game and it had a professional structure in place. Why has the club mentioned they will change the style. In fact where has the club mentioned anything at the moment it is all supposition

Finally
With regards to your final paragraph, being very stereotypical, but IMO fairly, a rugby league fan is a different breed to a rugby union fan and I personally would be disgusted if our club began to be followed by this other "type". We have a fantastic following as it is, the people are out there all over London and the South of England, and just need to be tempted in.
I have been an RU fan for a vast number of years loved playing the game and watching as I got too old to play. I discovered the RL at the Manly game and attended Wigan and Warrington. I love it I intended to keep coming back. But it is closed minds like yours which stop expansion. As I am the other ‘type’ should I stay away and cancel my ticket for Hull and the tickets I have booked for my RU friends as they too are the other type.
Like I said previously the annopuncement is not yet made and people are jumping to conclusions. Open your minds and listen to what is being said.


Finally s I am from the old school can anyone tell me what AETOD means?

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:56 am  

rosetintedspecs wrote:

I have only posted on here a couple of times but feel I must once again put pen to paper.
AN announcement is due from the club office – it has not yet been made and already people are voicing negative thoughts such as :
Rob from Erith - As long as he remembers RL is a different animal to the toffs game!

Why is it a toffs game – does that mean RL fans have no decorum, decent life styles or money in their pocket

Dave Lister - As much as he would bring, ATEOD i'd rather we were a struggling "proper" RL club than a Union club playing League. AND Don't get me wrong (and i'm not accusing you of doing so), I think there is potential for Harlequins RL to be a successful club but changing Harlequins RL into a Union style club would be wrong IMO as the 2 products and experiences are very different.

What is a proper RL club? I thought it was one where people attended through love of the game and it had a professional structure in place. Why has the club mentioned they will change the style. In fact where has the club mentioned anything at the moment it is all supposition

Finally
With regards to your final paragraph, being very stereotypical, but IMO fairly, a rugby league fan is a different breed to a rugby union fan and I personally would be disgusted if our club began to be followed by this other "type". We have a fantastic following as it is, the people are out there all over London and the South of England, and just need to be tempted in.
I have been an RU fan for a vast number of years loved playing the game and watching as I got too old to play. I discovered the RL at the Manly game and attended Wigan and Warrington. I love it I intended to keep coming back. But it is closed minds like yours which stop expansion. As I am the other ‘type’ should I stay away and cancel my ticket for Hull and the tickets I have booked for my RU friends as they too are the other type.
Like I said previously the annopuncement is not yet made and people are jumping to conclusions. Open your minds and listen to what is being said.


Finally s I am from the old school can anyone tell me what AETOD means?

Take no notice of them mate. You and your mates are very welcome

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:00 am  

ATEOD - At the end of the day

The perception of rugby union as a toff's game is antiquated and outdated. These days people of all social classes watch rugby union and the "experience" of going to games is pretty much the same for every sport, never mind just the two codes of rugby. Meet friends, watch game, abuse referee good-naturedly, enjoy a bit of banter, have drinks, go home. Ok, some football fans might include "have punch-up" in the experience, and they have to wait until after the game for a drink, but that's it. Or do we think that going to a union match involves formal dress, silver service and a ball after the game?

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:29 am  

I am a RU supporter as well. I went to a couple of games last year - the St Helen's and Castleford games. Unfortunately the side lost both heavily and I was put off. However I had learnt (most) of the rules and began to appreciate RL.

This season I came along to the Manly game and decided to give Quins RL another chance. I'm glad I did - what a result against Warrington. I brought my daughter along as well. She is a real RU supporter more so than me and she was ecstatic by the end. Ok I realise that it wont always be this way but it was nice to see Quins winning finally!!!

I don't expect all your new fans to come from the RU club, but it is madness not to make the most of the opportuity.

I hope you can grow your crowds as the RU club has done and look forward to supporting a successful RL side in the years ahead.

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:37 am  

tyr wrote:

The perception of rugby union as a toff's game is antiquated and outdated. These days people of all social classes watch rugby union

£70 a ticket for Twickenham says otherwise