south yorks my apologies not being from up there i was just glancing at a map.

as for birmingham the joy of a franchise is that it can be moved. so essentially you set up in birmingham at say a football ground. hire in a SL squad, mainly aussie to start i guess then this will attract the acadmeny players. players will switch codes. benefactor there is always someone willing to put money into sport.

franchise work from the top down. you put in the SL team and the rest will follow.

as we all know the whole franchise system is a crock anyway.

Which is why we're not using a franchise system, but a system of three year licenses granted to clubs which have already proved themselves on and off the field in either the Championship or SL.

The championships still has P&R with no licences, so how has franchising made this into a better competition?

It's just like having an old friend around for dinner.....another franchising thread.
GET OVER IT YOU NORTHERN FLAT CAP WEARING, WHIPPET RACING, HOT POT EATING, PIE MAKING WANK3RS.
YOUR TEAM DESERVED A FRANCHISE...but didn't get one...Boo bloody Hoo....
Move on.....
FWIW, the new div 1 is spot on and more entertaining (in some cases) than sooper league....just learn your place at the table.

Really? Care to provide a list of clubs that have bee relegated to the amateur leagues for finishing bottom of the semi pro league?

Or clubs promoted into the semi-pro ranks as a reward for winning an amateur comp? Or even for winning NL3, as was?

The fact is that every club in the Championship / Championship 1 has an indefinite franchise, without even having to reapply every 3 years.

Ok you right I can't. Your turn now to answer the bit you conveniently forgot to quote. ..........

I think he was referring to someone else's post.

But going down even further this year

Exactly. Was it 900 biggest crowd outside of SL last Sunday? Dark days indeed.

I fail to see any irony however.

Yes well, we couldn't stay in NL1 just to boost the averages and make everyone else look good

Only way a current club will be booted is if:
1.They go bust (unless they are an expansion club or deemed important in which case they will simply come back under another name)
2.They are kicked out of their ground and have nowhere to play (very unlikely)
3.They finish bottom each of the three seasons and win very few games (very unlikely as any club SHOULD be able to build a squad that will win at least 33% of its games each year)

It will stay as is with Toulouse coming in 2012 and then maybe another in 2014-15 imo.