me how?

What i want to know, is why neutral fans (i'm talking to you frank) are doing helping a rival team make the criteria

Because we all know that Widnes are the only ones who have a hope in hell of getting a franchise and some of us might enjoy going to games as a neutral?!

Im just saying it as it is jonnie. Yesterday there was no way 4700 there, its almost as if the board are taking the micheal out of the rfl.

Yesterdays game was poor in my opinion. Flat atmosphere, slow game with little to get excited about. The only piece of skill I can remember was blackys kick for patersons try.

At least Whites attempt of a tackle when chasing down their right winger in the first half was entertaining

Despite this, I cannot wait for the Fev game

Lots of tickets given away at the Halifax Show apparently.

Hardly squeaky bums and sour grapes. We can hit average attendance without freebies, you are hardly a threat to a Widnes Super League application.

[list[*You have a crumbling stadium[/*
[*No youth set up[/*
[*No reserve squad competing[/*
[*Poor attendances[/*
[*No finances[/*
[*All you have is a first team[/*[/list

Widnes on the other hand[*Have a top quality stadium that can host Super League Games & Challenge Cup Semi Finals[/*
[*Under 15 academy squad[/*
[*Under 16 academy squad[/*
[*Under 18 academy squad[/*
[*Under 21 academy squad[/*
[*Reserve squad[/*
[*Highest attendances in Championship[/*
[*Stong financial and business plan[/*[/list

It's all well and good you lot shouting about how you have ticked another box, but you are ticking the wrong kind of boxes if you want long term success and stability.

Leigh are the closest threat to Widnes' Super League application, but they fall short on a few key areas and won't be in this time round. I do see tem realistically in Super League in 2016.

I also hear people banging on about "We are a heartland team, we deserve to be there". Well if these so called ‘heartland’ clubs doesn't start to invest in heartland youth then there will be nothing left of the 'heartland'.

You can't just run a first team and no youth set-up and expect long term stability, it's madness! Bringing through top class British youth should be top priority for every club.



That's called having a modern, professional stadium. Still an amateur looking set up if people are handing over cash at a turnstile instead of a more controlled professional outlet via a ticket office. Even Whitehaven don't accept cash on the turnstiles, they have a hut outside the ground you have to buy your ticket from.



Yeah, only when there is a free ticket though ).

As it's £13 for a standard adult ticket if you buy your ticket before match day. If you buy your ticket at the ground on match day the same ticket costs £15.

If this is the standard of maths in Widnes, I think the RFL need to look at your books a little closer?

id rather just turn up at the turnstiles and pay in cash than go through the fear of allowing a widnes official handle my bank details over the phone.

its pure bullsh*t having to buy a tiket in advance at these largely empty stadiums

Also on your other point....

Again this boils down to not having youth system and opportunities. If you get the players in the club from a young age then they will feel some sort of loyalty and desire to 'go all the way'.

If other young players are making their way up through the ranks and being given opportunities in the first team, then this will spur on other youngsters at the club to do their best and try and push through the ranks too.

However, if your youth are not being given first team or reserve opportunities then any potential youth you could recruit in your area are going to look elsewhere for clubs who have a pathway for youth to break through.

If the opportunities are not there, then there is no incentive for you to recruit youth or retain youth. If a young player at your club doesn’t make the 17 come match day, then they have nothing o look forward to or other avenues to shine as they can't compete in a reserve grade fixture. All they do is go home and have a cup of tea?!



Hardly proving a point. It's more like stating the obvious

For a user with only four posts to his name, you sure know your way round a Halifax messageboard...

If Fax fans really expected us to get into SL this time they are even more delusional than I think they are already - we have no chance.
The thing I would like though is A CHANCE. We have every right to apply for a license as we have 'ticked the box'. However crucial decisions from the club and performances on the field have resulted in us having slim to no chance of getting a license.

We have no reserve grade, our gate price is too expensive, the NRC performance had a massive hit on our attendances and the Challenge Cup debacle also had a double whammy of crowds dropping, loss of confidence from fans in the club and on the outside world seeing Fax not being able to run the club properly.

Through all this though, we are 2nd and in great form to get us to a second consecutive Grand Final. We deserve the right to apply for a SL license, just as much as Widnes, Leigh, Barrow and Batley.

It's important for Halifax to apply for Super League, not to get in but to learn the procedure and expectations for where they are now and where they need to be next time. That is the key to getting the right bid together. (Plus you have to hope that the independant adjudicators really are that! )

I don't think any Halifax fans really expect to get in this time round. However we do have the right to apply now despite the attempts to block any bid by the RFL.

What does a post count have to do with anything?



Yeah but the only reason you have a strong first team is because 100% of your squad budget is going into the first team and first team only. If 100% of Widnes' budget only went into first team I'm positive it would be a different story.

I'm not denying you don't have a right to apply. Would it not make more sense to save the money that it will cost in terms of time invested, documentation produced/printed etc to submit a bid and invest that time and money somewhere where it's more needed? Such as defining a youth strategy or long term business plan?

It's pretty obvious where your short falls are and you don't need to waste time and money on a bid for someone else to point it out to you.