But Bluey is only contracted for next season then going home.

Mac is coming in as No 2 for 2011 to then become head coach from 2012

Agreed!

Quote: j.c "that figure can't be right?. Here is the link www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... eason.html

Quote: j.c "that figure can't be right?. Here is the link www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... eason.html

I think we get charged about £20,000 a game by Quins holding company which is a bit of a bargain. The main point is that £200K to £300K for the stadium does not have any big impact on our £1,500K to £2,000K losses per season.

Sadly even after 30 years we are very dependent on away fans and northern exiles to make up the numbers, I have no doubt our attendances would improve if we played somewhere near the M1 and the top of the M25. As it would be easier to get too and there would be more northern exiles in that area.

Without David Hughes or another man with a love of the idea of a southern RL club and deep pockets, don't really see us being viable paying Superleague wages for some years.

The success of the grass roots of the game does mean that I think I Championship side might only lose a liitle money or even breakeven playing somewhere like MK Dons (may be too big and costly) or Luton Town. If it could build on the Fulham/Centurion/Broncos/Quins support, and get RFL support.

Sorry if this sounds defeatist to some people, I as a Sarf Londoner would be very sad with the loss of a SL franchise and an accessible club. BUT I can see the South being without any decent RL club unless we can start thinking of a plan B after DH and/or a franchise.

We have a home, and it would be no cheaper to relocate. The thing that should not be allowed to continue is David Hughes bankrolling the club in the current way, ie just enough to keep it ticking over. He needs to get on the 6.30 BBC London News and get it out there that Rugby League in London needs a new chairman and owner. If they feel that the name Harlequins RL is detrimental to us as a business then we get London back in the name.

We are going to have to do something and quick! as today's weekly rugby press letters pages are just the start of the hate that is building up with thoughts of a Yorkshire team not being in Super League, it did not matter with Widnes, but never a Yorkshire side!

If we don't relocate then a name change has to be considered of only adding London, but being realistic that is not going to do it!

Gutters is right on this No new location is required just hard work by the marketing people now for next year. New shirt out for xmas. Local kids marketed properly existing fans asked for their ideas etc etc.

Apparently not if the Moderators are to be believed. I asked what had been done by the media star marketing person for the wire game and it was locked.
I have asked why the players and coach are fair game for threads on these boards, but the other staff at the club are not. I don't expect a reasoned response.........but I will repeat, 2 pages in RLWorld basking in the glory of getting the average gate for a saints game at the stoop is going to get a reaction........FFS.....if the club are really patting themselves on the back for getting 5,200 to a saints game when the average for a saints game at the stoop since 2006 is 5,292 then we really are supporters of a club that is being very very badly managed as a business.

As for 2011......I posted in September 2009 what I hoped the club would try to achieve this year with various ideas on how this might be achieved. 11 months later I am still as passionate about this topic and the club in general, but to be honest....I doubt it will ever change.

You see this is exactly the reason why you mickey people off........a thread gets locked [with an answer to your pm asking why] but before reading the answer you reply to at least two other threads minging on about threads being locked in a real persecution stylie.

why re locate? Possible costs now quins charge us, find somewhere cheaper
Name change, lets get london back in the name
Closer 2 m1 make it that little bit easier 4 away fans 2 get 2 us,

Quote: mickyb1234 "why re locate? Possible costs now quins charge us, find somewhere cheaper'"

Name another dedicated rugby ground available in or near London at the same standard as The Stoop. If we move to a football ground we lose points for the stadium - one of the few things we do get points for at the moment

Quote: mickyb1234 "Name change, lets get london back in the name'"

Everyone knows where we are - how many other Harlequins RL sides are there to confuse us with?

Quote: mickyb1234 "Closer 2 m1 make it that little bit easier 4 away fans 2 get 2 us,'"

If you've driven 200 miles, what difference does another 25 make?

Would add that part of the whole "weekend experience" for other clubs supporters coming down is to do things in and around London, can't see the same excitment being raised for a trip round Watford town centre.

Great though away support is and encouraging it [getting some of it back from France and the MM] to grow is good, but should never be the main focus of this club, growing home support is.

As you can see from my user name I am not exactly local to the Quins but am a Southerner, and I find it easier to head to Yorkshire for the weekend and catch some rugby up there than I do going to the Stoop.

The ground is great but anyone coming from North London can not be bothered as it’s stuck out in Richmond and not somewhere which is accessible for the everyday person unless you drive.

Put it this way. If I fancy a beer whilst I watch the match I need get a bus to Hatfield station. 30mins including waiting at the bus stop.

I get the train into Kings Cross - 35 mins.

I get the underground across London to get the train down to Twickenham - 30mins

I then get the train down to Twickenham or more realistically Richmond - 35-45mins

Little walk to the ground - 15mins

Total one way journey is about 2.5hours assuming that all the connections arrive at the correct time and that i get to Twickenham rather than Richmond.

Or I can have a weekend away and catch a match as well. Even if I go for the day to Yorkshire its only 3.5hours in a car. Or I can watch a game a football as well there is loads of choice there to the neutral

The point I am trying to make is that the stoop really is not London - people coming from Hertfordshire etc don’t really go because its such a pain for them to get there.

Now some may argue that the Stoop is not a long way from central London where much of your marketing will likely occur. And yes, I would agree but you must remember that if you advertise Quins in central London as something to do on the weekend half the people seeing the adverts are likely to be commuters who will have to travel like me a good trek to get to the match.

If the ground were lets say on the M1/M25 corridor (like London Wasps) or on the M6 ( London Irish) corridor the chance of attracting non locals is much higher than being in Richmond where lets be fair the majority are union fans and always will be.

So you obviously don't drink when you drive to Yorkshire?
Having worked in Hatfield, it is about a 75 minute drive from Twickenham during the rush hour.
How long does it take you to travel to Yorkshire on public transport ?


P.S. London Irish are on the M4

If you read my post i clearly state that i have a "weekend away" when i go to Yorkshire. If i go by car this allows me to drive up on lets say a Saturday morning/ Friday evening. Park my car go to the match and then have a drink. Return to a hotel and then drive back the following day. Thereby negating the risk of drink driving. I assume that was what you meant.

As for getting to Yorkshire on Public transport:- If i decide to go by Train its about 1h 30 mins from Stevenage to York about 1h 45mins to Leeds and about 2 hours to Hull.If you go from Kings cross add about 15 mins more (and that leaves at about 6pm) so not bad compared to your 1hour 15 mins to travel by car to the Stoop.

As you can see when comparing times etc the alternatives certainly are worth considering i am sure you will agree. And if you book in advance on the train the prices are very reasonable.