Could we have a thread on the pro's and cons of each of the clubs that have applied to join championship, my knowledge of most of the clubs is limited to say the least and i'm sure i'm not the only one. To be clear this is not about the pro's and cons of the move to introduce the clubs, we have a thread for that already.

Not very much is known about most of the bids.

E.g. much could be said about the Sonics but the Bristol bid is nothing to do with them. It's also a mystery who is behind the Oxford bid.

do we know which grounds the teams will all play at?

The Hemel Stags website www.hemelstags.com gives a good overview of the club. PRO's Commercial programme Administation Staff Volunteers Own ground Longevity CON's Player pool Ground improvements still needed

The Hemel Stags website www.hemelstags.com gives a good overview of the club. PRO's Commercial programme Administation Staff Volunteers Own ground Longevity CON's Player pool Ground improvements still needed

Not sure if it is but if the Chester one is still going thats alot to do with the Warrington Wizards but they will move to chester and play at chester football ground which is a good stadium as I have been there before.

Thanks, is it the deva stadium, the one that straddles the english welsh border? Would be a big plus in there favour to be so close to wales and be near enough to the northern playing pool to attract players.

From what I'd been told, they were planning on playing at Chester RU rather than the Deva?

Hope they've done some serious development there because last time I was there it was no better than Tyldesley RU.

They've got a main stand, a clubhouse and floodlights so doesn't seem much different to when Blackpool played at Fylde RU (though admittedly Fylde had a small amount of terracing on one side as well).

Chester is a fantastic day out on the ale (no better place in Cheshire for a daytime session I think) as well so if anyone drew them in the Challenge Cup their fans would be in for a cracking day out

Oh well that's a good enough reason to let them in

I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be at the Deva.

Northampton confirmed they would be at Sixfields, Coventry would be at Butts Park. Presumably Medway would be at Gillingham FC, Oxford at Oxford United and Hemel at thier current ground, although I don't know if it would meet requirements? No idea about Bristol.

Medway currently play here apparently: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrison_S ... ket_ground) Not too sure on what it's like but I'd guess that it holds over the required amount.

Medway currently play here apparently: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrison_S ... ket_ground) Not too sure on what it's like but I'd guess that it holds over the required amount.

I've had some discussions with one or two people involved in the Bristol bid - mostly to say that personally I feel it's too early for a Championship One team in our neck of the woods and that they might have a detrimental effect on the good progress the Sonics have been making.

I know that Filton College are building a rugby ground (the Sonics are due to play there from 2012 onwards) with stands etc so that may be used by the new Bristol team.

For the record, the bid is from a consortium of people who don't actually live in Bristol but have close links with RL in this part of the world. One also used to be involved with Oxford RL a few years back (i.e very early days). Another person in the consortium was involved, I think, with the 2000 RLWC and the RFL at one time.