Don't forget the jellied eels. Lose London, lose the eels. Lose London and lose the "annual once in a lifetime" trip t'city wi'streets a' paved wi' gold for cloth capped thickos from oooop north.

Lose London, lose Eddie & Stevo and Phil Clarke's Virgin Meter.

Oh, hang on . . :think:

No the sport needs a presence in the south.

I agree 100% with those who are starting to lose patience with the London ESL team.

For 17 years we have had a team in London that apart from finishing 2nd, making the Challenge Cup final and achieving 2 play off finishes the club has done so little for the game when compared to teams like Castleford, Wakefield, Salford and Hull Kingston Rovers who between them have achieved sweet fCk all!

Get real......Londons lack of away support may be a reason to whine, but their home support has absolutely SFA to do with anyone other than their owner.
That they sit second bottom of the table (Wigan have been there and bumped the cap to get out of it) is a worry again for the fans and owner, but SFA to do with the northern knuckledraggers who, like trolls under a bridge, enjoy this type of thread.

I will say this though, if SKY insist on a London team, then it's time to put up or shut up.....Melbourne (100%) and Brisbane (67%) are the 2 main expansion teams in the NRL......without News Ltd propping them up, they'd be in the same boat as London....

Just a thought!

It would appear that a change in the coaching setup might help. London's defence is really poor.

Bottom line is a better team - including not getting absolutely smashed far too often especially at home - for a couple of years, and London's core crowds would increase to more reasonable levels.

The title of the thread simply asks Can London survive. . . . not "should they be in SL". But it seems that you've blindly succumbed to the bait set by the thick knuckledraggers

The answer to the question in the title is also dependant on the owner of the club. If I was a guessing man - I'd say two more seasons of funding a SL club on Championship crowds will convince him that it just isn't sustainable.

I agree with this. The RFL should adjust the rules to help London be a success. Yeah people may not like it but it will benefit the game.

Also I know they are struggling for crowds but remember there must be plenty of london/south based RL fans who support northern teams. I am one one of them so I dont help the london cause at all.

I am spending money traveling north to watch Rugby League.

Then there is the issue of player development, we need a a presence in the south. How will England ever be a dominant force when its player pool is only from the M62 corridor. It is vital that talent from the south and other areas make it into the professional game.

I agree with GF as well, just do it out in the open and above board, no problem

What must David Hughes feel about the Bradford saga?

A heartland club with a 10,000 fan base up the financial crapshoot? What chance have London - long term on crowds of 2,300?

He's a dickwad 99% of the times but have a read of Leaguefreak's article (The Bradford Bulls Are The Canary In The Coal Mine, And They Are About To Die ) and tell me that it isn't absolutely bang on the money .........

rlhttp://www.leaguefreak.com/news.phprl

No they can't, let's finally give the Cougars the chance they deserved in 1996 instead of FCBQE.

Gutterfax my problem is FCBQE contribute nothing to other clubs, where the likes of us do, eg watch us take 1500-2000 to Cas on Friday night.

There was already a long history of the sport in the south of France.

As a northern knuckledragger I cannot possibly comment,however I have me ferrets to concentrate on.

50 miles along the M62 is a piece of compared to trying to get from one side of London to another, you should try it one day then wonder why a nomadic team such as 'London' don't have the fan base many clubs do that have/had close knitted communities at the heart of their clubs. It makes a massive difference.