Re: Fixtures : Mon Oct 27, 2014 8:59 pm  

mickyb1234 wrote:

By the way pc plum wrote 1 line 10 words if you include 2015 as one word so not really drift.
back on thread, do they try and do derby type fixtures at the bash?

There hasn't been one at Champ level before, but, if they did, the lopsided geography of the clubs makes it problematic. Workington v. Whitehaven would be a given and so would Batley v Dewsbury, leaving 1 club from Lancs, 1 from London and 6 more from Yorkshire. Given that Fulham were treated as a Lancs club historically, we'd probably be paired with Leigh.

Re: Fixtures : Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:08 pm  

mickyb1234 wrote:

By the way pc plum wrote 1 line 10 words if you include 2015 as one word so not really drift.

A bullet is a Bullet, no matter what size Michael....the number of words used is irrelevant....as is your question

mickyb1234 wrote:

back on thread, do they try and do derby type fixtures at the bash?

.....we won't get a derby fixture until either we drop down or Skolars step up.....and even the Skolars don't see us as local or box office enough to ask us back to the HAC anymore.

Re: Fixtures : Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:23 pm  

As I understand it, there are 3 full time professional teams in the Championship. This means that either 1 or 3 semi-professional teams will be looking at an unbalanced extra fixture in which they will stand far less chance of getting a win than if they were playing a fellow semi-professional outfit.
Also, if the RFL pit 2 of the professional clubs against each other, then the third pro outfit will gain a massive advantage in the race for the top spot and the added advantage that gives in the following middle 8 competition.

You can expect a backlash regardless of whom gets whom at the bash......unless the RFL decide to leave the announcement of the fixtures until the middle of the season (May 3rd) and then pit 1 v 12, 2 v 11, 3 v 10 etc etc....

Would it make any difference to fans making plans to go up if they didn't know the exact fixtures until 3 weeks before hand? I accept that it would mean anyone planning 1 nights stay in Blackpool may miss out, but surely most London fans who make the effort will got for the entire weekend?

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:45 am  

When we started in 1980 our 'derby' game was with Doncaster.

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:13 am  

If it hasn't already been decided they could just do it as a draw as they did in super league before. No club can argue if they make a little YouTube video of them drawing rugby shaped balls out of some kind of big cider barrel, whether they get attractive fixtures then or not is a debate but doesn't seem like it's going to be televised anyway so just a chance for a decent weekend for championship fans

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:36 am  

sogspurs wrote:

No club can argue if they make a little YouTube video of them drawing rugby shaped balls out of some kind of big cider barrel, ...

Developing this theme still further how about numbered apples instead of rugby shaped balls !

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:12 pm  

Obvious choices for me would be:
Workington v Whitehaven (Cumbrian Derby)
Sheffield v Doncaster (South Yorkshire Derby)
Batley v Dewsbury (Heavy Woollen Derby)

This would leave London, Leigh, Featherstone, Hunslet, Bradford and Halifax
If you assume that the RFL want two games with large crowds one to end each day that would give you
Halifax v Bradford (West Yorkshire Derby with a lot of history/rivalry)
Leigh v Featherstone (arguably the best teams from last year’s comp)
or some other combination of the same four clubs

That would mean
London v Hunslet as the remaining game

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 7:58 pm  

sogspurs wrote:

If it hasn't already been decided they could just do it as a draw as they did in super league before. No club can argue if they make a little YouTube video of them drawing rugby shaped balls out of some kind of big cider barrel, whether they get attractive fixtures then or not is a debate but doesn't seem like it's going to be televised anyway so just a chance for a decent weekend for championship fans

Maybe no club would argue but their fans might, just as fans do after every draw

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 8:35 pm  

Andover Boy wrote:

Maybe no club would argue but their fans might, just as fans do after every draw

as I said, either 1 or 3 semi-professional clubs fans will have plenty to whine about when they are drawn against a 100% full-time outfit. Given they "bottom" 8 Keep their points from the regular season before they enter their "avoid relegation" play-offs, being drawn against Bradford, London or Leigh could be the difference between finishing in a relegation spot or not.
Yes, all 12 teams have the opportunity to be full-time, but the reality is there isn't the money available for 24 pro teams in the UK........It's a skewed system that rewards teams with benefactors prepared to prop them up.

Re: Fixtures : Tue Oct 28, 2014 8:50 pm  

gutterfax wrote:

as I said, either 1 or 3 semi-professional clubs fans will have plenty to whine about when they are drawn against a 100% full-time outfit. Given they "bottom" 8 Keep their points from the regular season before they enter their "avoid relegation" play-offs, being drawn against Bradford, London or Leigh could be the difference between finishing in a relegation spot or not.
Yes, all 12 teams have the opportunity to be full-time, but the reality is there isn't the money available for 24 pro teams in the UK........It's a skewed system that rewards teams with benefactors prepared to prop them up.

It's not down to the RFL to consider who is F/t and who is P/t in my eyes. The set of fixtures by FevGrinder make sense