Spot on. This is why Wigan do so well crowd wiser.

While I can't agree with your prediction that we will soon see the demise of RL, I can agree with pretty much everything else. I can tell that you and many other fans care deeply about the fortunes of both clubs, but considering some of the posts on this thread and others on similar ones (such as laughing at attendances), it's hard to see past the view that many fans will criticise anything outside of the M62 corridor.

Care to expand on that point, what is it they do that has such a detrimental affect on other clubs or the sport in general?

You might well ask.



Because you get teased at work?





They already have done. It was a full house at Wembley that day. As is entirely the norm on such a day.



A very good post altogether.

This reminds me, though, of my first experience in Perpignan, when we were on a Catalans Sports Tours day trip to the nearby coast. Cas were that weekend's opposition and tb and I were in a minibus with about half a dozen Cas fans.

One part of the conversation went as follows: "Well, it's very nice, but it isn't a [iproper[/i Rugby League town". In other words, it's not a run-down, former industrial stronghold in the north of England.

To an extent, I think that encapsulates part of the problem. It's not vindictiveness, but the game as a while – as opposed to just individual teams – is (for some at least) so utterly and inextricably linked to a general sense of northern identity and culture. That sense of identity/culture is hat's perceived by some outside – to the sport's detriment, I would suggest – but positively by many within.

And as the north continues to struggle (in general) in this post-industrial world, I suspect that can become even more defensive.



Well, we are all Europeans.

And wow – what a fantastic place to go and watch a game.



There is no NEED for any RL club anywhere. Just as there is no NEED for any sports club anywhere.

End of.

Nice selective quote there.

Okay then, whilst many other Super League clubs are doing all they can to get a Super League franchise, London are seen by non RL fans as a gimmick, when they are on TV and there is less than 2,000 there, with no shirt sponsor it makes the sport look bad. They are spending a lot of money on players and never have any success, the fact that their name has changed so many times, and they have moved stadiums so many times just portrays a bad image.

As a RL fan I can see past these issues, but the facts are that anyone with a passing interest in the sport (anyone that I have met anyway) just see London as a gimmick.

I am in no doubt that we WOULD all love to see London RL flourish in Super League, but it hasn't and the signs aren't positive going forward. Like I said before, it's a sticky situation, the cash cow only has so much milk.

leave earlier then



it takes me SIX hours to drive to every Catalans home game FFS !

They are averaging about 5k more than London. Even your own fans are saying you dont deserve a franchise on this thread "Dave" stop getting so defensive.

From a Wakefield fan!!!!! Your as bad as London!!

To anyone who knows anything about travel in London and the south east, this gate should be no surprise. If Sky really do want an SL team in London they have to realise;
WEEKDAY GAMES IN LONDON ARE A WASTE OF TIME.

The roads are gridlocked by mid afternoon until well into the evening.
The public transport system is entirely geared up for travel to and from the central area, travelling between suburbs is ridiculously time consuming.

The crowd on Friday consisted of hardcore fans who are fortunate enough to live round the corner, or have jobs where they can knock off early.

And as for away fans, not many come from the heartland clubs on a weekday night, so how many did anyone think would travel from another country?

We have enough issues with crowd numbers (as done to death elsewhere on here) without Sky compounding the issue by insisting on weekday games.

Sorry Listy, but you're reinforcing prejudices with comments like that. You know full well that if you worked in parts of London like Croyden or Docklands, you would not have been in the pub for 18:30, unless your employer is prepared to let you knock off early. I'm with Tre Cool on this one, weekday games are just a waste of time.

sanjunien, you clearly have no job, or a very understanding boss who lets you leave work early when you need to. Not everyone is so fortunate.

the game (London v Cats ) wasn't shown on SKY, was it ? so what's it to do with SKY ?

shouldn't you be blaming the RFL for scheduling such a game at a ridiculous time ?