Yesterday I watched the Bronco match v Wakefield. One end was empty. The stand where the TV cameras are placed is usually shut. The other end had the Yorkshire fans who had gone down for a weekend out. (The only real purpose for most of us of a London franchise). The other side which has all the bars and facilities beneath it had about four sp sections of spread out fans! At half time they had 4 games of tag rugby on the pitch and during the second half the number of fans watching the game reduced significantly. They were obviously the teams and parents down for the half time kid’s matches on the pitch. Given that they were probably given free tickets what was the paying attendance for this match?

To take this further, "What an own goal by the RFL!" No crowd, no atmosphere, and no chance of effective promoting the game in London. Did the RFL miss the fact that this televised match was taking place at the same time as the big match at Wembley? The fact that Quinns were playing in this and that it attracted a world record crowd make this whole episode even more ridiculous.

As a Rhino fan last week I pledged £100 to the Bradford cause. If we are having trouble in our homeland should we really be continuing with the long living London disaster? If we want to continue at least have the nouse not to shoot ourselves in the foot by having an empty ground on TV. The stoop for the right match is a good day or weekend out. An empty stadium just portrays a dyeing experiment..

So we shouldn't allow Wakefield, Cas, Salford, Bradford & London to be shown on TV and Bradfords financial troubles are London Broncos fault.

Only in rugby league.

Why do you and various other northern cavemen believe the life and death of another Rugby League club somehow mysteriously lies in your hands? Why is it up to "us" if London RLFC "continue"? Do you ever refer to the financial disaster of the Bradford "experiment" or the poor crowds of the Salford "experiment"??

and not once did you mention the performance of the Broncos and how they managed to 'Nill' a traditional RL side

pathetic

Indeed, it just further proves that franchising works.

The worse thing they the London Broncos did was to move into The Stoop, I know they are playing a game at the Leyton Orient's ground later in the season, hopefully they can tap into a new market on that side of city.

London must have a difficult job promoting our sport in Union territory just as the Tykes or whatever name they go by do in promoting their code in the League heartlands.

League fans should be supporting London not decrying their efforts, IMO.

It's unlikely such as McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sharp, Clubb, Dixon, Sarginson, O'Callaghan, Bryan, Krasniqi would be playing in SL but for the Broncos existence. Hopefully there will be more like those in the future.

well said

I think the part about playing and televising the match the same day the big Union game was being held at Wembley involving Quins is a fair point. It was poor decision by all involved. However i didn't mind see London or Wakey playing on tv and can understand why they picked this game as it had potential to be a close game (although it didn't happen). Sure if they wait until a top 4 team roll down to London it will provide a bigger crowd but at the risk of potentially seeing London comfortably beaten which would do them no favours at all.

My main point was the choice of game on the same day as the wembley game that involved Quinns. With 8 replies most of the crowd have posted here! Enjoy my trips to London but those empty stands did nobody any favours!

Can't say I particularly noticed much difference between yesterday's turnout and the norm for this SL Regular Round fixture. A little down on the average - without being the lowest - in front of the Sky cameras with a particular local counter attraction. The Broncos were also coming off the back of a loss at Widnes so they wern't exactly doing themselves any favours form wise manfully helping Castleford to prop up the table.

I never thought a crowd figure could stoop so low.

Ahem.

Shouldn't the main criticsm here be aimed at the whole Rugby League community who can't even fill Wembley for international games involving the national side, nor for one of the two showpiece events of the year, whereas the RU community can fill it for a normal league game?

Union has a much bigger fan and player base, particularly in the "casual" fan category. Clubs may not get huge crowds week in for normal games but there are lots who have little affiliation but would turn out to a showpiece event just for the beer and the day out.
I was at London Irish Sunday for the game against Leicester (the St Patricks day manufactured marketing event). Frankly I barely noticed the game, it was a day out for our entire minis section (and for 15 other clubs). It's a comfortable stadium and unlike when they play football there they actually treat you like adults and leave the bars open all through the game and after.

I don't know why we don't fill wembley anymore for CC or internationals (well maybe here the small shred of optimism we all had during the 80's and early 90's has finally been crushed out of us).

theres lots of local rugby games going ahead in the london area but its usually taking place at the same time as the bronco's games so local rugby fans cant get to see the professional game
i really hope that they draw a big crowd to the game at leyton orient as it might get barry hearn interested and he does know how to market events, a ground share offer from him might offer more benefit than the quins one as it puts the broncos nearer the heart of london