Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:33 pm  

Shark J wrote:

It's not our responsibility to put things right. I once had sympathy for Stockport but these days I kind of smile when they get beat. I'm from Wythenshawe and so although it's Manchester, Stockport are my most local Football league club. I always looked out for their results and behind United who I support, they were one of the few other clubs I always liked to do well. Some things have happened over the years that have been bad, yes. Although he's our owner I appreciate that to a degree Brian Kennedy has left them in the poop. But the degree to which they moan about it is ridiculous. They bought the club and ruined it themselves. They are the ones conceding 4 and 5 every other week at home to some of the smallest teams in the Football league. I've stated elsewhere that I'm a Rugby fan on the pitch and that a lot of what goes on behind closed doors is something I like to stay out of. So if any of you know more, even about a club I support then fair enough. But Stockport fans can take it out on Kennedy all they like, but they need to leave the fans out of it.
Some of the stuff you hear is ridiculous. I've heard stories of people being provoked and attacked by Stockport fans on match days. Do Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie do this to one another? Do Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic? Wycombe and Wasps? Reading and London Irish?
The funny thing is I've spent a lot of my life around Stockport and barely seen any fans. It's only when they have something to whinge about that they like to come out and make it like they're this massive club. I've got nothing against them and their fans but when I hear tales like fans getting attacked for having a Sale hat on it angers me. The daft thing is I've been to watch Bury play Stockport twice and the majority of Stockport fans are about 15 years old. There's a lot of rumours go around by people who have no idea what they're on about because Stockport fans have told them their side. So Sale are seen as some demon club when we're not. If you ever come to a game you'll see we're a family club and nobody has got a chip on their shoulder. We're the complete opposite.
Besides, the majority of season ticket holders at Edgeley Park have got an SK postcode so I don't think we need to do anything to win over the community. I like the ground. It's easy to get to and is good enough for me for the time. It could do with sprucing up a bit but I'd rather stay there than move to somewhere like Salford which would be too hard to get to. But if it means many more years of bad mouthing and protesting outside of match days with little kids giving you daggers then I might support going elsewhere

They aren't losing 4 or 5 nil because of some kind of inate nature, it's because there's no investment and their gate money goes in large part to the rugby club.

As far as I can tell from what I've read and (admittedly biased) County fans have told me, the Supporters' Trust took over because Brian Kennedy was willing to let them just dwindle into nothing otherwise. Unsurprisingly, a gang of supporters struggles to raise sufficient finance in a town surrounded by bigger football teams, then the Football League blocked a better takeover bid, and now there's a consortium of local businessmen trying to keep it going.

Sale being a family club (which I agree with, having been there) does not make it whiter than white, and if you were a County fan you would be understandably angry that their ground is no longer theirs. After all, you agree yourself that Kennedy shafted them. It might have been best for all concerned, and for the county as a whole, if Sale had taken Maine Road.

I would imagine that the time will come when County will fall into the Conference, no longer be able to pay the rent on the ground, and move to Woodley. Which will be a sad day.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:34 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Aironi Rugby 6-43 Ulster
Cetransa El Salvador 5-50 Sale
Connacht 83-7 Cavalieri Prato
Gloucester 60-7 Agen

Does this do anyone any good whatsoever?

Seems increasingly to be a method of providing extra games for clubs in developing areas in the hope that'll it raise moeny and profile alike. Like a pan-European JPT!

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 23, 2011 6:09 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

:shock:

At least you recognise that he shafted them.

I suppose it's who you talk to. I've only ever met/known three people from in and around Stockport and two were County fans the other being he daughter of a County supporter.
Many sporting clubs would kill for younger fans. That, according to some in Wigan, is the problem we are faced with as a rugby league club.

That's quite a big postcode area. Aren't Sale marketing themselves as the North West's rugby (union) club? Yet most of the season ticket holders are from the Stockport postcode area. Sounds like Mick Hogan has work to do.

Sale?
fIf the Sharks continue in exile in Stockport or indeed move somewhere else, do you think they should change or drop the name Sale? Always strikes me as daft when you have teams like London Irish playing in Reading and Sale in Stockport. Bath had plans not too long ago to relocate to Swindon AND keep the name Bath!

I was sort of joking about wanting them to get beat. But when you do hear the stories you do and the way they hate us so much, it does make me smile now and again. I understand that they don't like Kennedy, yes. But the fans aren't the bad guys in all of this. I go to the games on my own, and alright, although I can stand my ground and I'm not a child, it's not nice having to wait at the bus stop on the way home after the stories you hear of the fans provoking others.

I completely appreciate about getting younger fans in. But I think both Stockport and Sale do an excellent job at that. Stockport have been giving tickets away to the community recently and have apparently had a lot of noise from them in the crowd. Although our adults tickets in all but one stand are a rip off, the kids tickets are generally cheap and start at £4.

I don't see too many things about the North West's Rugby club. To me, that's what we are. We're the only professional outfit in the area, yes. A suggestion of the name North West Sharks turns up a fair bit which I don't like. But when I say we're the North West's club I don't think we should forget the roots. Yes, the SK post code covers a large area but it's still people in and around the Stockport area. As for the name change I wouldn't like that one bit. I'd still support them if they became Stockport Sharks, but we're not an American franchise here and so I don't see any reason to up sticks and move too far away and lose all identity. We still have strong links with Sale FC and our reserve sides still play at Heywood Road. What you've got to remember is we play in England. It's a relatively small Country. Just how much free land is available? It's not like Sale itself is a massive countryside area with plenty of area for development. Heywood Road has always been talked of by the loyal fans but the council won't let them extend it. Plus, although I support Sale for being my local team I do admit it wouldn't make sense moving back there. I didn't go to the games in those days but having been around that area, it amazes me 7,000 people could fit in. The streets are narrow, with very little parking. And the only real way of getting there unless you could get a bus nearby would be on the Metrolink. For a lot of people that would mean going into Piccadilly first and is probably a bit of a pain if there's 10,000 or so people coming in.
To be fair though, Millwall don't play in Millwall, Manchester United don't play in Manchester (always a sore one that, I know so don't bite my head off. I'm a United fan but it's the 21st Century and it's Trafford), AFC Wimbledon don't play in Wimbledon. There are plenty of teams that I can't think of. I think it's ok for the London clubs as London is such an expansive area. But I appreciate where you're coming from and can understand why people think it's daft.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 23, 2011 6:23 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Aironi Rugby 6-43 Ulster
Cetransa El Salvador 5-50 Sale
Connacht 83-7 Cavalieri Prato
Gloucester 60-7 Agen

Does this do anyone any good whatsoever?

I don't really know what some of you want. If every game ends 3-3 you say it's a boring kick fest and if there's entertainment you say it's too easy!

In answer to your earlier posts something probably should be done with the competition structure. We won 50-5 yesterday with what was pretty much our Jets (Reserves). Connacht actually lost to Cavalieri in Italy, so although I expected a home win I didn't see that one coming. The French are usually well known for not caring about the Challenge Cup but I think there's 5 teams in the last 8. Again, I think Agen beat Gloucester in France. Gloucester needed to win that game to have any chance of going through. As for Aironi, that's similar, Ulster had to better Biarritz result to go through as group winners.

I feel a bit bad for El Salvador as mentioned when we beat them 97-11. In Mike Brewer's post match interview after the first game you'd think we'd lost with the look on his face. He said it right in that they're the champions of Spain and he hopes they don't go away too negative. Despite the result our match report said we had a frustrating game yesterday. But this is it. We probably made too many errors as always, but where as in the league we're not clinical, against Spanish opposition we still manage to score 8 and concede 1.

I really don't know what the answer is. I think the competition does need something before it gets a bit stale with the same teams every year. The Magners League has spoilt it a bit for me. The only 2 Scottish teams are guaranteed Heineken Cup qualification irrelevant of where they finish in the league. 3 Welsh teams go through, and in Ireland you just need to better the position of Connacht which usually happens most seasons for Munster, Leinster and Ulster. Now the 2 Italian teams are in the Magners they're guaranteed entry to the Heineken Cup and so there's nearly half the teams guaranteed a slot already before the leagues are won. There's 6 nations in the Heineken Cup and 4 of them compete in that one league

I agree about the Spanish and Romanian sides. It would be nice to see more of them and add a bit of flavour to it. I actually thought about them coming into the Heineken but I don't think any of them are ready. Can you imagine what the score lines would be like if Leicester or Northampton needed a win to qualify and they were playing one of them? It could well get into triple figures very easily.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 23, 2011 7:57 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

I can see where you're coming from, but would water down the competitions geographically. One of the big selling points for the European union tournaments is that they are played by teams in several countries.
I'd prefer to see the Spanish, Romanians and indeed some Italian and French sides made to wait before they're allowed to compete.

you'll have a long wait mate

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:36 pm  

Shark J wrote:

I was sort of joking about wanting them to get beat. But when you do hear the stories you do and the way they hate us so much, it does make me smile now and again. I understand that they don't like Kennedy, yes. But the fans aren't the bad guys in all of this. I go to the games on my own, and alright, although I can stand my ground and I'm not a child, it's not nice having to wait at the bus stop on the way home after the stories you hear of the fans provoking others.

I completely appreciate about getting younger fans in. But I think both Stockport and Sale do an excellent job at that. Stockport have been giving tickets away to the community recently and have apparently had a lot of noise from them in the crowd. Although our adults tickets in all but one stand are a rip off, the kids tickets are generally cheap and start at £4.

I don't see too many things about the North West's Rugby club. To me, that's what we are. We're the only professional outfit in the area, yes. A suggestion of the name North West Sharks turns up a fair bit which I don't like. But when I say we're the North West's club I don't think we should forget the roots. Yes, the SK post code covers a large area but it's still people in and around the Stockport area. As for the name change I wouldn't like that one bit. I'd still support them if they became Stockport Sharks, but we're not an American franchise here and so I don't see any reason to up sticks and move too far away and lose all identity. We still have strong links with Sale FC and our reserve sides still play at Heywood Road. What you've got to remember is we play in England. It's a relatively small Country. Just how much free land is available? It's not like Sale itself is a massive countryside area with plenty of area for development. Heywood Road has always been talked of by the loyal fans but the council won't let them extend it. Plus, although I support Sale for being my local team I do admit it wouldn't make sense moving back there. I didn't go to the games in those days but having been around that area, it amazes me 7,000 people could fit in. The streets are narrow, with very little parking. And the only real way of getting there unless you could get a bus nearby would be on the Metrolink. For a lot of people that would mean going into Piccadilly first and is probably a bit of a pain if there's 10,000 or so people coming in.
To be fair though, Millwall don't play in Millwall, Manchester United don't play in Manchester (always a sore one that, I know so don't bite my head off. I'm a United fan but it's the 21st Century and it's Trafford), AFC Wimbledon don't play in Wimbledon. There are plenty of teams that I can't think of. I think it's ok for the London clubs as London is such an expansive area. But I appreciate where you're coming from and can understand why people think it's daft.

The reason the council won't ever let them extend Heywood Road is because there's nowhere to go. The cost of compulsory purchase round there would be incredible even if people there didn't kick up so much of a fuss as to stop it, and I believe that Brooklands counts as some kind of conservation area.

I still think that Maine Road would have been the best bet. Dead easy to get to, a good anchor for a local area which could have done with more than just more housing.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:36 pm  

"I would love to see Kyle stay in rugby league. But if he wants to do it easy and double his money that's his call."

Great quote from Mick Potter.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:30 pm  

On a lighter note, I was at Meadow Lane today and the Notts County club shop is also the Nottingham Rugby club shop. To my great amusement, there was a prominent display of Official Nottingham Rugby Seat Covers.

And they wonder why RU has an image problem...

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:19 am  

Urmston Wire wrote: On a lighter note, I was at Meadow Lane today and the Notts County club shop is also the Nottingham Rugby club shop. To my great amusement, there was a prominent display of Official Nottingham Rugby Seat Covers. And they wonder why RU has an image problem... You'd never find that in your manly game, would you? - http://store.leedsrugby.com/product.php ... =17&page=1

Urmston Wire wrote: On a lighter note, I was at Meadow Lane today and the Notts County club shop is also the Nottingham Rugby club shop. To my great amusement, there was a prominent display of Official Nottingham Rugby Seat Covers. And they wonder why RU has an image problem... You'd never find that in your manly game, would you? - http://store.leedsrugby.com/product.php ... =17&page=1

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:13 am  

Urmston Wire wrote:

On a lighter note, I was at Meadow Lane today and the Notts County club shop is also the Nottingham Rugby club shop. To my great amusement, there was a prominent display of Official Nottingham Rugby Seat Covers.

And they wonder why RU has an image problem...

Does union have an image problem?