Well my widely distributed views and opinions on the horrific state of the game are meant to crush the spirits of the British nation as a whole.

The game itself is just part of the collateral damage.

I could see your drug habit turning into something dangerous.
I could see you finding your way onto a computer and coming up with even dafter ideas than this one.

Neither Whitehaven nor Workington will ever get into SL, and I think a lot of their fans not only know that but also don't seem to mind it. Barrow won't make it either, there are other cliubs in front of them despite their fantastic improvements this year.

Given the distance from Barrow it's probably safe to exclude them from this and concentrate on haven and town.

About a year ago I was trawling their fans websites and opinion seemed to be split 50/50 at both clubs regarding a new, independent, club being set up to play in SL with haven and worky playing in the championship. The hardcore fans of those clubs seeing it that way is interesting because they are the ones you'd expect to be most against it.

However the opinion that really counts from a business perspective, and will make or break any potential SL club, is not the combined 3,000 or so that follow those clubs at the moment but the 165,000 people living in Copeland and Allerdale that don't go and watch them. Everyone knows how popular RL is in the area, and that the amateur scene still produces talented players, but people are unlikely to go and support a neighbouring town in SL at the expense of their own. If that love of RL can be translated into support for a team that doesn't step on the toes of traditional loyalties then there is the potential for a strong SL club in West Cumbria.

And if it turns out that respected and influential members of the local amateur RL scene are involved in this project (which seems to be the case) then that surely would only increase it's chances of success?

Like who? And why?

Would you be saying this if it were you club people were calling to be merged? I very much doubt you would.

Why is it killing the game , we have 3 small clubs instead of one big one , besides which as you point out we're all crap at RL anyway , so having one SL club in Cumbria isn't going to turn us into world champions is it

Carlisle as a base? Brunton Park's a half-decent ground, 2 minutes from the motorway.

Get a good support structure in place, cheap coach travel for the fans from all parts of the county, etc.

By rights, it should succeed. Everyone in the game knows the passion for the game in Cumbria, and if it was anyone else other than Red Hall involved in the decision-making, then we know it would work.

And how far from Haven and Town is Carlisle , let alone Barrow ?

A bit like Leeds fans going to Birmingham to watch their local SL team

Let W Cumbria have a merged team if they want one but in the South of the county the club is and will remain to be called BARROW RLFC.
By having the only club in the area we have a large area to draw fans from extending from Millom in the NW of us to Windermere/Kendal to the East of us & Lancaster /Morecambe/Heysham to the SouthEast.
We had coaches of fans from these areas supporting us in the Grand Final recently.
Our support has increased every season in the last 4 / 5 seasons, has your clubs ? has Havens & Workys ?
We are currently building a Marina complex including a Cruise Liner Terminal for all these new European SL sides some people want to include.
We also have an Airport in case they want to fly into Barrow.
We may get the biggest bridge in the UK just to make the travelling less daunting for you RL fans with phobias of distances greater then 50 miles.
Sl might not be coming to us, but we are coming to them & you

''Let W Cumbria have a merged team if they want one but in the South of the county the club is and will remain to be called BARROW RLFC. ''

Barrow is classed as Cumbria by some freak decision back in 1974. The amateur clubs in the Furness area dont even play in the Cumberland League's.

If 'BARROW RL' want and can manage to get a team into SL then fair enough but the town being part of Cumbria should have no bearing in the decision whatsoever.

The problem with Whitehaven and Workington is that there isnt a rich benefactor behind the scenes pumping money into the club. RL is massive in the area however most people wont attend games as they percive the standard of RL as being inferior and would rather buy Wigan or Leeds shirts and watch games on TV.


I also think people would be suprised @ how many people if asked would attend if there was a SL club in West Cumbria/Carlisle to follow.

1, Thats not BRLFC's fault or problem.
2, Why not they have been living in Cumbria for THIRTY FIVE YEARS.....
3, Haven have been and still do get BNFL or whatever its called these days money pumped into them FACT.
3a, Barrow dont have any rich benefactors pumping money in as its self funded these days, Des only started it.
4, Carlisle are not interested, been there, tried that, It FAILED.

No it isn't. Des stated recently in the press that you needed 2000 new lottery members to make the club self-funding. There was a big push to sign new members and I think you got about 300. So the club is still 1700 lottery members short of being self funding if Des is to be believed.

What are Lottery members if you dont mind me asking?