Stevo says the rent being asked for was astro.....I say 10% is the maximum they would have dared ask fo unless of course they are happy to lose the 200k a year.....this decision has very little to do with any rent increase......
BTW....5,000 fans this year instead of 3,000 would have generated 520k in revenue......sorry....EXTRA revenue. The rent increase, or should I say, the supposed rent increase wouldn't have mattered.....

Gutters- you keep overlooking the fact that people won't come and watch a losing team and that is what we've been since the move to The Stoop (look at the number of people on this forum that are interested enough to post, but say they only come to a few games).


I agree I'm surprised Quins are prepared to lose our rent but maybe they simply don't need us anymore.

We are unlikely to ever know the real situation but I can't blame DH for wanting to keep the costs down.

Every sport in the UK is a minority sport when compared to football now.

A bit o/t but, as someone who used to trail around the RU grounds of London when the leagues began and prior to professionalism, there were no attempts then to build up a fan base. There were no stadiums to speak of (usually just a small stand) and the clubs were still member based. My recollection is that the biggest RU stand (outside Twickenham) was at the Met Police recreational ground where London division played home matches. The seating area at Quins was even less than it is at Richmond presently.

Things only changed in 1995 and undoubtedly Union clubs have struggled to deal with professionalism.

As to leaving the city, Saracens are moving back this year and chances are London Welsh will next year. All four clubs who play first team games outside London still have their bases inside London with training facilities, lower grade/amateur teams and clubhouses in the city. Hammersmith Hills Hoists, the newly crowned Southern Premier winners, play out of Wasps ground in Ealing. If we move to Gillingham, I suspect no trace of our club will be left.

Yes, and I f**king hate them for it! Bee Army!! Bee Army!!

Do you seriously think that Quins need the money so desperately? when we first returned they have done, perhaps it is all too much hassle for them, no one really knows. But as Dan Stains was God says you can't blame DH whatever the reason if he can find a better deal. We can go on and on and usually we do here but until the facts are known everything on each side is speculation.

Just feel we should all stand together with a campaign LONDON MUST STAY LONDON! it would be great to see us all put our energies together - no way can the club now that there has been so much media coverage wait until the next home game.

Well I just read from Ian Ramsdale he understands we are most likely to remain at The Stoop for two more years, can the club now confirm?

Brilliant if true. Must have been some poker game with Quins, now to be called the Gillingham bluff. Still after all this it leaves a nasty taste and we are last to know.

Indeed great news if it comes to fruition.
Plenty of things to sort in the meantime but its a good starting point.

BBC website quotes Hughes as saying it's most likely the club will stay at the stoop for the next two years.

and there is a 4 minute interview with him on the same site!

What was he supposed to do, ring us all up and tell us not to worry this was all just a bluff? I know we are few and far between, but........

Impending decision sounds good and the short radio interview is encouraging........I think I am probably more annoyed now at being sold a dummy by that buffoon Stevo!!

Pity glumfox will have gone to his den for the night.

I grant you Saracens are moving back, even if the timing wasn't of their choosing.

Yeah, I'd wait and see on that. Has crash-and-burn written all over it.

Now I could get all nit-picky and point out that Saracens admin and training base is in St Albans. But even where clubs do have some presence in London, how many people passing through the turnstiles know or care? Not many I'd bet.

Now slightly off-topic here but you can answer a question for me. I was under the impression that around 1995 all the clubs split into a professional and amateur arms, which is how there is still a London Scottish in the lower leagues even though the pro London Scottish went bust. Doesn't that mean the Wasps based in Ealing are legally a separate entity to London Wasps?

Back on topic, yes you're right we won't leave much behind. But how much trace is there in Charlton? Or Brentford? And more to the point, does it matter?
There are RU clubs who have built up reasonable gates playing away from their traditional home, and as I said above, I doubt those supporters are aware of where the admin and training facilities are. This seems a more successful model than the 'move and see what happens' approach that the Broncos have followed to date.
Please note I'm not suddenly in favour of Gillingham, I'm just not implacably opposed to being outside the M25.

cant be true, it was in the times sports pages today about TR and mentioned the club going to Gillingham as well, dont ya just love a good rumour