Your 5600 average attendance figure is definitely up for argument. The attendances figures this year have been totally miscounted, with numerous corrections subtracted from the attendances first given. I find it hilarious the ijit's actually believe they've won more support than lost since the move to Barton. If there is an increase in attendances this year it totally through the vast followings of away support.

Why get rid of Catalans?
They seem to have more French in their squad than the average NW based team have English and the game is very popular in that region of France.

Of all the new franchise teams I'd suggest that Catalans are the most succesful by some margin and more than pay their way.

The short answer to this thread is, because we have an SL licence and a wealthy (and long suffering) chairman who is prepared to fund our losses every year (at least for now).

As for why we have an SL licence, because we play at a reasonable ground, and have development programmes that mean we've gone from the team full of Aussies that I started supporting to a team with quite a lot of southerners in it.
Let's face it we didn't get the licence based on our crowds.

Something I've been banging on about for ages. Calling ourselves 'London' is a bit like you calling yourselves 'Greater Manchester' and thinking that people from Stockport and Bury etc. will identify with the club.

At last, someone who understands that nomenclature has nothing to do with growing crowds. Salford and London have lots in common around the demographics that we operate in - i.e. surrounded by rich and successful premiership football teams plus top flight rugby teams (in our case RL in the shape of Wigan, Saints and Wire and one RU club and in London's case RU with Quins, London Irish, Wasps etc.) having first call on crowds sitting on our doorsteps. It's easy for fans of Wigan, Wire etc. to throw stones at us about crowds but none of them ever reply with a solution to growing crowds when facts are presented to them. In fact, if they were that bothered about our crowds in particular, then they should pop down to Barton and watch us too!

Also, it's ironic that folk suggest that you should retreat from the London name and stick to a certain town/area to grow crowds and then suggest the polar opposite for us!!

I'm glad someone else has picked up on this. Personally I think renaming yourselves would be a disaster. Vague geographic identities don't generally wash with the public.

Now here it gets a bit more complicated. London is not quite the union hotbed you may think. Of the existing top flight 'London' RU teams, only one actually plays inside the Greater London Authority (GLA) area, namely Harlequins. Looking at the others...
Saracens have played at Watford for 15 years. Watford isn't London, even if it is inside the M25. Now granted they are about to move to Copthall (inside the GLA), but then again their average gate is about the same as your own.
'London' Wasps play at High Wycombe, 12 miles outside the M25 and 32 miles from the city of London.
'London' Irish play at Reading, 19 miles outside the M25 and 39 miles from the city. Think about that one for a second, 39 miles is probably most of your away games with the exception of Hull.
And the newly promoted 'London' Welsh will be playing (I kid you not) at Oxford, 50 miles from the city. And bear in mind all these distances are 'as the crow flies', which is fine if you're a crow, not so much help in a car or on the train.
So if RU clubs can't cut it in London, you do start to wonder if the the Broncos gates are crap because we couldn't organise a p***-up in a brewery, or if London just isn't intersted in rugby of any kind.

Never a truer word said. It takes me one-and-a-half to two hours each way to get to a home game. I don't think they realise how lucky they are to have you so close by.

Because they are not British... Don't belong in my opinion... never have... never will. London bring more to the British game than Catalans do and I only care about the British game... not the French game. They take up a place I'd much sooner see occupied by another British team. Different country should have a different competition.

They do have a competition. The problem is it's subpar.

I know they do... and I know it's sub par... but personally I don't care. French teams should be in a French competition... Subpar or not. SL is subpar in comparison to the NRL... it happens... Scots Premier is sub par to the Premier League... and there has always been resistance to bring in one of the top Glasgow clubs to the English competition... why ?... because they don't belong in it.

There was a hope that having Catalans in SL it would have an impact on the French national team, but it hasn't really. They are still poor and always will be. People seem only too keen to give up on the London 'experiment'... but very quick to defend the French one... and I'm not sure why... oh I know... weekend booze-ups abroad.

The competition is actually called the European Super League.

If we (England/GB) ever want some valid international competition in this hemisphere we can't sit around and just wait for the French comp to improve. Without valid international competition the game will continue to struggle for press coverage and keep losing players to union. Unfortunately, not all players are like Paul Newlove and some may wish to have some variety in their career beyond the M62.

Super League was supposed to improve the GB/England team but it hasn't so should we scrap Super League,

Perry,
I think I should tell you that coming on here and informing folk of rugby union sides playing at stadia not belonging to them could be met with some resistance. 13.599609375:10