Not saying we didn't get a leg up...we did. The point is, before Sky, the professional game was on its backside and wigan, winning everything every year did more damage to the game than putting a team in London or Wales ever will. The idea is for the game to get a broader audience and it is...just not quickly. We had an extended quota for years, but now have to abide by the rules and are developing our own players. When we went tits up in 2005, we weren't bailed out financially by the RFL...we found a benefactor with the funds to get us back on our feet. Sky want to sell dishes and pub subscriptions and to do that, they decided a London team was required. Therefore, we got the nod over Keighly and they are the only team who should have any problems with us. We never finished in a relegation position, so therefore, we are still in SL on merit. We have finished 2nd, made 2 other play-offs and reached a CC final.
London RL does make a contribution to the game and whilst the "team full of Auzzies" tag was well deserved in the past, we are now a genuine RL team, with a development team that wins awards and 2 current England internationals that we produced. It used to be the way that northern players wouldn't come down to play for us and now....we are considered a good option when players are looking for somewhere to play.
I am not saying that the bitterness of some fans in the heartlands is undeserved...just that those fans who think we don't deserve to be in SL need to get a reality check. Without London RL, SKY would possibly walk away and then where would the game be?
I like clubs like Halifax. Clubs with a proud history and great fans, but in reality, if SL was purely based along the M62, then the game, in my opinion, would never appeal to anyone north of potters bar....and that wouldn't be a substainable business model.

I'd have Fax in above Quins and Celtic anyday of the week. I'd also give the French their own 'Super League', get rid of Catalans and replace them with Keighley.

Mmmm. A well thought out and brilliantly constructed 40th Post. What, pray tell, do you believe that Halifax would bring to the table in place of Harlequins RL?
Fans? Doubt it. 2003 you averaged 500 less per game than London Broncos.
Development? maybe, but very debatable. London has a massive talent pool and england internationals at different age levels.
Exposure? Nah....sorry, but London, regardless of what people think is vital to the development of RL as a truly national and international sport.
A RL stadium? Nope, you share with a soccer team, we share with the other lot.

I will say it again. I like clubs like yours, but you had your chance in SL and you blew it. You went down in 2003 with 2 points which we gave you but the RFL took back because you didn't read the small print of the salary cap regulations. Given you have had a 100+ year head start on us, I find it strange that London are the problem and the reason you're not in SL and not your teams underperformance over the years.

I hope that Halifax get back into SL, but not at the expense of an expansionist team. If you submit an application in 2011 and have won either a GF or RW cup, your ground is up to it and the finances are in place, then you will get in.

Well said!....agree totally

Whatever the arguments are, whichever clubs we like to slag off we CANNOT hold our attendances in a positive light against any other club. I'm not sure how much weight BskyB put on having a London club or having a more expanded game - i'm not party to such negotiations but i bet it is significant. We had to sell our soul to Murdoch because the game was losing money and the players were demanding more money. The game has done very well out of the BskyB contract whether we like to admit it or not.

The only people who are in the sphere of influence in getting our club back into Super League are the Halifax club officials and the people of Calderdale. Our officials send out positive signals and are constantly looking forwards and are ambitious. The people of Calderdale have yet to respond in numbers. Sad fact, but true.

Some very valid points! Please dont confuse me with being a bitter fan as im not. I have just always held the view that there should be a level playing field for everyone in order for things to be done the right way. As i said...im all for RL in the capital...Mr expansion..Definately, thats me! but its the way the powers that be go about it. You are right to point out that there are many positives to a London based club but when it often appears to be at the expense of other clubs i.e. Keighley as you pointed out, Bramley as i pointed out, with Rochdale and Oldham currently struggling and not a RFL rep in sight but Celtic are being "advised" with their problems etc....hope you see my point.

Cant argue with that. However, if we were to imagine that we got a licence we all know that with the away support and the fickle fairwhether lot the attendance would get to at least 4000 and maybe more if successful. The priority is to definately get the young fans on board long term IMO.

We can't rely on "what if's". We have to prove that people will come and watch before we get a license.

Thats why i said the priority is to get the young fans on board

If Widnes, Salford, Barrow, Batley or Rochdale have a rich chairman willing to bankroll them good. I hope they are successful and win things. But things usually happen in a circle.Good and Bad times come to all teams. I hope Widnes go in SL and win it soon as possible as for me it would be great for the game I love. Its boring that St.Helens and Leeds win everything despite watching the great brand of Rugby they play. Thankfully Fax are now playing that type of Rugby if not winning anything yet-but our time will come. We just need to be patient and build on and off the field. I personally think we are still some way off and would rather not be in SL if it saves us struggling near the bottom and coming on here and people bag the players and coaching team.

Its good that Quins have survived so far-even though unfairly helped. There are more people playing RL in London area than in Cumbria and East Yorkshire/Humberside. Much of that is down to the Bronco/Quins/Crusaders. Its great to see London guys playing SL and playing for England. I am likely in a minority because while I love my club and love to see them doing well, I love the game more. The game has so much potential both in Halifax, UK, Europe and the World. However its not the fans or the clubs at Quins and Celtic that are at fault for the way things are but the people running the game at the RFL and RLIF. Each club should be viewed and treated as the next club with no exceptions. Its this stupid idea from the RFL that we MUST have a team in Wales, france , London that has caused many divisions in the game. If Celtic, Widnes, Barrow, Rochdale have a rich chairman and have EARNED the right to play in SL-I doubt many people would have a problem. But its the way the game is run by people who have no idea that is slowly ruining the game.

Some fair points in your post and although the urban myth of us being finncially assisted by the RFL rears its ugly head, I agree with your sentiments (mostly).
The point of expansion is that the amateur code (yeah right) that turned pro have left league so far behind that its embarassing and that to try to catch up, the powers that be need to try new things. Believe me, RL in London is only strong because SLY TV and the RFL made the decision to bin Keighly for us in 1996. If they hadn't done this, then RL would pretty much be as it was over 100yrs ago.....a marginalised northern sport that nobody gives a toss about. Because of London, France and now wales, the RFU pay attention to what we are up to and as such, the british media have to keep an eye on us too. When I started watching Live RL (2001), there was little if any coverage in a Monday edition of the national papers. Now, there is coverage in most papers. Small, but it's there.
I am all for a 16 or 18 team league, with a Quota that is set in stone and young english talent coming through, but to look upon the "experiment" in London or France as failures is too myopic to be believed.
Rugby League is better for having a pro team in London and the French have really grabbed the bull by the horns.

Lastly, I agree with the poster about getting young fans to the game. Most SL grounds I go to have a predominently "older" crowd and for the game to grow, we need to get the kids in. The average age of a Quins RL fan is very very worrying!

Agree totally!....When the team over the hill were re launched they came into many schools in Calderdale and i would guess Bradford too and gave tons of tickets away every single week. I believe we need to do the same. A season ticket for a child at a fiver is great but once they have it the exposure ends....the thing IMO is to do this every week and keep the interest going continually...Fax could get Halicat into the infant and junior schools and obviously the likes of big Frank etc into the secondary schools. TBH im sure that this topic has been covered a million times and that the club is likely to be doing most of these things but i feel the exposure for Fax or indeed Town (as i want them both to do well) has definately got to be every week to win the public over. We obviously cant do a great deal about TV exposure right now.

Anyone wanting to help with club exposure are welcome to come down to the Piece Hall on Saturday for Yorkshire Day.We will be promoting the club by chating to folk and hopefully giving away free childrens tickets so any offers of help will be greatly apreciated. The event actually starts at 11-00 but cars have to be off site for 9-00 so we will be there from then.I had a few offers of help some time back when we were going to do one down at the Woolshops so hopefully we may have a few there.

DONT THINK YOU WILL GET IN WITH ALL THEM YORKSHIRE CLUBS AROUND U AND ITS A SHAME A BIT LIKE US WITH WARRINGTON AND ST HELENS SO CLOSE BUT NOT AS MANY AS YOU AND WITH A STADIUM NOT FINISHED NOT GREAT BACKERS.aND I WAS STUNNED TO READ BEFORE IN L EXPRESS YOU ONLY DREW 2500 AGAINST A LOCAL TEAM FEV WHEN U ARE PLAYING GOOD RUGBY AND ARE TOP YOU SHOULD BE GETTING AT LEAST 4000.LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYIMG U TOMMOROW AND LETS SEE WHAT CROWD WE CAN GET IM HOPEFULL OF AT LEAST 4000 BUT WHO KNOWS SEE YA TOMZ