there must be a formula somewhere which could be put into being so that each club could get an even number of home gates, this would make the play offs and grand final worth playing for as a competition, we cant survive on less home games than we have now.

And then what happens to the clubs that are excluded? We're supposed to be setting an example to Super League as to how EVERY club matters rather than the elite, but chopping three clubs in to extinction certainly wouldn't go along with that!

I think merging in to one league would be a huge mistake when you cast your mind back to some of the ridiculous scorelines in 2001 and it just wouldn't give anything for the lower clubs to play for, certainly something to think about when you consider Swinton's crowds increasing during their promotion push etc.

I think the only way to solve it would be to provide some assistance to the likes of Coventry, Bramley, Nottingham, Warrington Wizards etc so that they can be in a position to move up to C1 in the next couple of years, thus improving the base of the competition and that would then feed up to an increase in Championship clubs. I went to a Coventry Bears game earlier in the season and there were 400ish on at a fiver a head at a ground better than plenty I've been to, so it's fair to say there's certainly something to work with.

As it stands though, I don't see what would be wrong in playing each club three times, with the 'extra' home and away fixtures alternating each year.

That's the problem , expressing an interest is one thing , expressing an interest backed with serious money is another thing altogether

I'd suggest the RFL were hoping for a few of the second , but only got the first

The answer is simple , the RFL commit to finance a new Championship 1 club every three years

I'd agree with all that Matt , 1 comp would just kill interest full stop , more clubs has to be the answer

SPL had 10 teams and play each other four times, plus the cup comps.

You could even play half the teams twice at home and once away, then the other half once at home and twice away, making 15 home games?

Clearly won't happen though!

I agree, no offence to them but having the likes of Gateshead and Skolars in the same league as Fev and Leigh would be a huuuuge soul destroying mistake. It would take the game back, not forward!

Agree. Well said and backed up with course work as well (the visit to Coventry)

can the sport sustain more clubs? ,we're all struggling as it is

But where would we be financially competing with any new clubs ?

Only through central funds , but that is another issue entirely

Apparently Coventry were sold a line & had started to geared up to join Champ 1 next year only to be told no in recent weeks. If Crusaders could be allowed into the Semi Pro game from basically nothing, surely Coventry should have been!

Lack of home games is killing Semi Pro assume clubs need around twenty in this recession. Is playing each other four times the only option left.

unless the season is drastically lengthened then 20 home games would be a non starter unless the trains cup went

and are you saying the RFL have been leading Coventry on? shock horror well that's you off the 'let's all hug an RFL director' christmas card list then

I support J Kears idea of 3 divisions of 10 teams. 1st div full time. 2nd div full time with a slightly lower slary cap and 3rd div part time. 2 up and 2 down subject to minimum standards. All games would be competetive to the end of the season. How you make the extra fixtures clubs need is the only problem and i'd let the clubs decide.

county cups? or another knock out trophy for each division? but even that - unless the Trains cup is still on - wouldn't give all the clubs the extra home games, difficult one is that/this.

For me each league under Sooper Dooper League should mirror it.
If SDL has 14 in it, then the leagues below it should.

Rename Champ1 the Championship and rename The Championship the Premier League, each league then sounds just as important to each other from an outsiders point of view.

The Championship would be strictly Part time.
The Premiers would then be a mixture of part and full time with every club having aspirations to play on SDL.
No change in the top league apart from a play off with the Premier winners v bottom finishing SDL team.
If the bottom SDL win the game they deserve to retain thier place. If the Premier league team win they have proved they deserve a place.

Well, the RFL stated an intention to re-vamp the NRC. But that was in the same missive, as the one that committed to a Championship increase to 12, or 14 teams, and an increase in TV money for Championship clubs........................

If the championship does stay at 10 teams then we should follow the scottish football model.

Everybody plays each other home and away after that the league splits into two. With top 5 playing each other home and away again and the bottom 5 playing each other home and away.

Teams placed 1-5 cant move below 5th place and teams place 6-10 cant move above 6th place after the league has been split.

This would ensure 13 home games - I imagine the aim should be to get each division upto 12 teams to increase the home games again.

Play offs could be simple with top four from the league playing each other (1st v 4th and 2nd v 3rd - 1st and 2nd getting home advantage).

You could also have play off for relegation between bottom four teams (although it probably is a bit daft)

Just out of interest does anyone know how many home games the Champ league clubs need to make it viable is it 13, 20 or somewhere inbetween.

I think that someone posted that we need at least 15 home league games with a crowd of about 3000.

Depends on what 'market' the new clubs would be coming from. If it was a second Leigh club then of course they would be competing with ourselves for fans, but the likes of Coventry wouldn't be competing with existing clubs, while I believe Bramley already have an established fan base from their pro days.


I think we're an extreme situation Tony in comparison to other clubs - would dare say both figures would be slightly lower for other clubs.

With a ten team Championship everyone could play each other 3 times for 13/14 home league games, throw in Northern Rail Cup for another couple of home games, kick the season off in the second week of January.. sorted.

Think that's the way forward - the only issue as you have noticed would be some clubs would have 13 home games and others 14. Not sure of a way around that other than making sure it's the reverse for the following season.

Scottish Soccer League did that for about 20 years. You could never guarantee getting it right for alternate seasons - owing to promotion and relegation.

We're more likely to kick off in March than January.

just testing this is working tut.

Welcome back frank!

Have you had problems Frank?