But it didn't. Besides, what would *really* have happened? A new Wigan RL would have appeared. A rugby town like Wigan wouldn't just stop having a club. It's not at all helpful for clubs to go bust and I'm all for working very hard to minimize the possibility, *but* nor should we be so absolutely terrified of it that it stifles all ambition. There are plenty ways to go bust other than overspending on players. A slow terminal decline to amateurism is much the same thing, and no less painful.

In practise, it's the owners at the time and the club's creditors ( who make a calculated decision in extending credit to any customer ) who get hit the worst.

A complete clear out at the top and we have a great future

We never had a problem like that at Knowsley road - we didn't have a roof on the loos.

Think of the carbon emissions saved by not wasting electricty! Very Green some grounds used to be.

Well, the toilet walls were anyway.

I do miss the fusion of urine, wintergreen and burgers wafting around the smallest club shop in the world.

I miss the old open-air Knowsley Rd bogs.There was something quaint and old-worldy about using them and being able to see the moon and stars!

Better than being sealed in them!

On a more serious note, I went to my first game in '76. Recently I read the Rothman's Yearbook for that year; the average top-flight attendance was just over 2k.

The fire damping properties of a pee soaked (wooden) Threepenny stand at the Boulavard, either a slash at the back or run the golden shower to the bogs underneath...lol
We've gone all soft, hot water, soap and paper towels...ladee fecking dah

That cant be right, can it? Wasn't everything better in the old days? Surely? Attendances are plummeting. Its a fact. People on here say so. The game is dying. Im sure you must have misread that number. *cough* *cough*

Less than 6k attendance at "top of the table" Shuddersfield. Shocking. And dare I say it? But I watched the Italy -v- Ireland RU match today and it was far more entertaining than last night's boring Whinos-v-Wigan RL match. I agree - RL is in the worst state I can remember

If we're going to take comfort from observations that the game has been in worse states, then we're in a pessimistic mindset. Any backward step is bad news, whatever the starting point. I'm glad there's plenty people starting to see the direction of travel ( backwards ) because the sooner its spotted, the better. Once again, we get a list of excuses as to why the top side attracts such a poor, well, disgracefully poor, crowd. These things feed on themselves...who wants to take new fans to rattle around in an empty stadium with no atmosphere?

That Huddersfield attendance should shock us into a commitment to find out what the heck is going on. Making excuses for it is pointless.

Another one the game is better off without? What a great idea. Get rid of anyone who doesn't think that every single RL match is greater than any other sporting contest and that the RFL are the pinnacle of sports management. Then you and Smokey can have a stand each at Huddersfield, all to youselves.

The attendance at Huddersfield has nothing to do with the 'state of the game' though, and everything to do with a number of Huddersfield specific issues. It has diddly squat to do with the sport being well/poorly run or disillusionment with the weekly rounds or Nigel Wood's cholesterol levels.