Hello, I've been reading your posts with interest and wondered if you had considered the influence a supporters trust could have on the future of the club? From my personal point of view, all of the clubs problems, both on and off field. ultimately come back to money, or lack of it and whilst I am not suggesting for a second that the supporters should pump mopre of their hard earned cash into a black hole, there are numerous ways money can be raised and used in a sensible way, increasing the supporters influence over the club and therefore having some influence over it's future. As someone who has close connections with Quins, I have a big soft spot for them, and would love to see them be successful and a supporters trust could be an ideal way to assist this process. I would urge you all to have a look at our website at www.supporters-direct.org and see what we are about. If anyone would like more information please feel free to contact me on 07985 628215 or laura.harrison@supporters-direct.org Thanks Laura Harrison Rugby League Supporters Trust Development Officer - Supporters Direct

Hello, I've been reading your posts with interest and wondered if you had considered the influence a supporters trust could have on the future of the club? From my personal point of view, all of the clubs problems, both on and off field. ultimately come back to money, or lack of it and whilst I am not suggesting for a second that the supporters should pump mopre of their hard earned cash into a black hole, there are numerous ways money can be raised and used in a sensible way, increasing the supporters influence over the club and therefore having some influence over it's future. As someone who has close connections with Quins, I have a big soft spot for them, and would love to see them be successful and a supporters trust could be an ideal way to assist this process. I would urge you all to have a look at our website at www.supporters-direct.org and see what we are about. If anyone would like more information please feel free to contact me on 07985 628215 or laura.harrison@supporters-direct.org Thanks Laura Harrison Rugby League Supporters Trust Development Officer - Supporters Direct

Sorry Laura, but I have offered assistance over the years, in many ways, both free and on a commission only basis (1 new fan = Commission) and including an avenue to the club to raise funds at NO EXPENSE TO THE FANS OR CLUB and as per usual, was ignored. At the time of this offer, the avenue suggested was in its infancy, but is now a nationally advertised revenue stream that, for Example, Pays 1 National Newspaper in excess of £100,000 a month in revenue.
As such, although I am a fan of the club and of RL in London, the club would need to show me exactly where the £,000,000's of pounds went that make up the reported losses before I ever offer any assistance again. What would be the point? Apparently, fans don't make the most reasoned employees........unless your initials are DH that is
This may sound bitter and if I am honest, it probably is, but after nearly 10 years of pointing out what was going to happen if the club didn't market itself properly and after being barracked for saying it, I have been proved right.
£30,000 a week in losses over 52 weeks is plainly unacceptable...so why should Fans be expected to offer any further assistance to an organisation that, regardless of what is happening now (2 little/2late IMO).

I will continue to sit up at 3am over here and try to listen to a dodgy on-line radio broadcast of Harlequins Games and if I ever return to London I will attend the Stoop and the occasional away game, but the events of Last season, with the on and off pitch management patently not up to the job, have left a bitter taste in my mouth that just won't go away.

Laura,
I'd love to see this happen and would support it. Problem is though, that this has been mooted a few times in recent years but no Quins supporter has ever been willing to take the lead. One seemed to be getting quite close last year but it didn't happen then. And without the leadership, I'm afraid it won't happen.

Gutterfax, I can very much appreciate what you are saying and I am aware that a number of supporters over the years have offered help and assistance to the club. However, a trust is slightly different in that it is not there simply to service the club and raise money for the 'black hole', it is there to become a voice for supporters and influence the club to ensure that future generations can enjoy watching Quins.

Currently, 65% of the club is owned by Ian Lenagan and as far as I can see, this situation does not look like changing any time soon. That means that there is 65% of the club up for grabs. A trust, as a legal entity, is able to hold shares and there is no reason a trust could not get the funds together to acquire some of these shares. Whilst I am not suggesting this would be easy, it is definitely possible and a strong trust, with a united voice and message, can be a very attractive investment opportunity for individuals and businesses alike. Even as a minority shareholder, the trusts influence increases greatly and a collective body of supporters pushing in the same direction is far more difficult to ignore than one person offering ideas and assistance, regardless of how good they may be.

The major selling point of a trust is that it is open and democratic. Every member gets one vote regardless of their level of investment and every member has a say in where money is spent. It is up to the trust to ensure that any money invetsed, produces a return for the trust, whether this be in shares, publicity or another method.

I appreciate that these are difficult times for the club and supporters alike, but surely it would be better to act now rather than sit back and wait for the club to disappear?

Also missed - Hendon, Barnet, and Kingsmeadow (Kingstonian)

How does this work? Normally trusts are administered by trustees whose decisions have to be unanimous. While the trustees have duties towards the settlors/beneficiaries, they do not have to follow their wishes.

A supporters trust is not run in the traditional sense of the word. Our supporters trusts are run as Independent and Provident Societies, or not-for-profit cooperatives. Each person joining the IPS holds one share in it and therefore has one vote. The board of the IPS are elected by the members and must then act within the constitution which is registered with the Financial Sevices Authority. Whilst the Board [icould[/i then go off and do whatever they wanted, they would be accountable to the trust membership and possibly the FSA if they did.

Do you think you started the slow death when you dropped "London" from your name? I don't live in London, but if I did, I can't see how I would be remotely interested in watching a rugby team that seemed to have nothing to do with the city I lived in, other than the fact that it is the nearest geographically. It must make it twice as hard for the marketing department, which is a shame, because it's a good ground that is easy to get to from the north.

We were called London Broncos in 2000 and averaged 3,430 that year. In 2009 we were Harlequins Rugby League and averaged 3,436.....so no, London being removed hasn't caused the attendance problem, the lack of any Marketing over the 1 years has!

It works for cricket ie counties, Rugby Union-Ospreys, Munster etc, Crusaders aren't called Wrexham. Sale have moved from Sale and now play in Stockport with bigger crowds. So no London hasn't made any difference

Fair enough. It was just my perception from 250 miles away.

fwiw the RU lot are actually The Harlequins of london

Are they?

No. The are known as Harlequin Football Club.

Now that we appear to have a marketing dept do you not think a re-branding along the lines of London Harlequins would make publicity / promotion easier? I know you've quoted a few attendance stats, and I don't dispute them but I'm sceptical as to removing London from the name has had as little influence as you suggest (I await being shot down in flames!) It would give us a distinct identity from the RU joke shop boys - it takes a bit of explaining to some folk that we are not Bloodgate FC!