good gawd do want some squirty cream with that waffle

The snowmeister is back...........and back on form........

Yes but as we know, it’s 1972 in Featherstone at best, so that means the pit is very much still open

Not sure it is though! Exactly BECAUSE places like wakey and Cas don’t have a football team is why they support Leeds United. It’s also the nearest big place for these towns.

Huddersfield don’t need to as there’s prob only a small cross over of fans and those that do have a soccer club on the doorstep.

I’d hazard a guess there’s more Cas and wakey fans who support Leeds United than huds who support town! There’s also a sizeable amount in wakey etc who support Leeds rhinos as I’ve seen on countless train journeys that way after a Leeds rhinos game....it’s probably why wakey etc struggle with poor crowds

What always is funny is going to league games at cas and wakey hearing them sing “we all hate Leeds” on Friday night when a good chunk are at Bellend Road the following day singing Marching on together and ALAW

On the topic of why fans attend/support certain teams. It's the same over here. You'd think that The Warriors would be the only team for Kiwis to support, but the reality is they're only 26 years old and there's a whole generational thing to get past. Plenty of Manly shirts on view down here in Welington because the Sea Eagles ran training programmes down here.....it's hard to change allegiances just because a new team comes along. The Dolphins are gonna have to work hard before they join the NRL, but the Warriors are basing themselves there in 2022, so they'll get plenty of tips on local fan engagement.....but supporting NRL sides is never an exact geographical thing, especially outside Sydney.

Back to Toulouse. Depending on which game is first, you'd fly in to either Barcelona or Bordeaux.....Hire a campervan (or car and book hotels) and I reckon (looking at ruinair and uneasyjet) you'd be looking at about 2 grand between 4 of you before food and drinks for the week. If (and I have seen the number 1,000 used here a few times) a thousand fans booked their trips through their clubs, with the clubs getting say 5%, then that's £10,000 for your club. that's 500 "away" fans revenue.

I really hope Toulouse do well. This isn't another PSG, or even London Broncos. This is a club, with a plan, backing and a town that supports ALL sports. Of the 12 SL sides next year, I suspect they won't have the lowest average attendance....not by a longs stretch. As for their games in the UK? These are the ones where UK clubs need to dole out free FAMILY tickets like confetti, especially in 2022, because a lot of people will be vying for the ever reducing disposable quid and RL needs to step up is game!

Thanks for that. I don't believe that people who live in Castleford or Wakey were all born and brought up there. People move around a lot and whilst you may note people can be seen going from Wakefield to a Leeds game at Headingley, does that automatically pinpoint them as Wakefield born??

Over the years Cas have really entertained the fans. As a town it's only a 40,000 population, so I don't believe an 8000 crowd is a fifth of the town going to Wheldon Road. One Cas poster from years ago said most of the lads he went to games with weren't Cas born. Wakefield is five times bigger than Cas but as the RL club has lagged behind them for years and as Soccer is the much preferred game to Rugby anywhere, then I can agree that maybe "sizeable" wakefield numbers support Leeds United, but I would suggest this is not in preference to Trinity, it is more that Rugby league never floated their boat anyway as Soccer lads.????

You get quite a few Town fans from Wakefield. There are also a lot of Barnsley fans there too.

I guess in 1947 those record crowds were "locals", but today with a car and a handy motorway supporting your favourite club is easier to do at a distance than queuing for local trams......

Sorry atmosphere and Huddersfield should not be mentioned in the same sentence

As Snowey said it's not the X word........

We know Superleague was launched as a European competition that TO tried to join, but Paris got the nod. We know Paris failed and TO still didn't get the nod as the "Superleague Europe" title indicated they should have done. But what's in a name. Years on including a great win over the "cup kings" Widnes TO still didn't get the nod when Les Catalans did. It may be by then the criteria for entry may have included a rich owner and Bernard has been just that.

The TV deal thing was highlighted when this last deal just ending was negotiated and SL took the stance that French clubs were "guests" of Superleague and not members. Indeed Gausch did not disagree and didn't vote on that last deal. Gausch has understood the need for French SL clubs to try to get French TV deals from French TV channels and ultimately French subscribers. He also understands he can't and (AFAIK) doesn't) really argue he is "entitled" to a penny of the SKY money.

So the fact is as it stands TO are guests. As guests they have been allowed to take a Superleague place by invitation effectively.......That is very kind of Superleague, and it was also kind of Featherstone not to complain that they have more of a right to an SL place than Toulouse regardless of results and regardless of more SKY subs being collected by SKY in Featherstone than in the whole of France

.

I'd add how much it will cost TO to come and play here isn't anything to do with Superleague either, I don't think London Broncos got an extra travel allowance either . Asking the English clubs to sub French guest clubs travel isn't fair, they didn't have to let them in, and you may not find Toulouse disagreeing which is perhaps the key point. As for the future if we dreamed of an Anglo French league of big clubs that would certainly need a big French TV deal. As per McManus SKY must have at least 9 English clubs to get the subs in.......

So the bottom line is unless the two big French clubs can (1) use their SL membership to boost the number of quality French players and (2) Use their status as Superleague clubs to attract a French TV deal to add to the English one, then there will be no Anglo-French league of big city clubs..........

there will be no anglo-french league of big city clubs regardless if they bring those things - since when was wigan or saint helens a big city?

Fair enough on your first point, on your latter point since when was support for any club, RL or soccer ring fenced??

Plenty of fans will travel to Wigan from Manchester, from Liverpool to Saints, or from Chester to watch Wire.

Leeds attract fans down from York, Wakey from Barnsley etc etc.....Wigan Wire and Saints are big names in Rugby League and attract sizable crowds from a wide radius.