From an outsider looking in I don't think where you play is the issue, we are forever hearing about the number of grass roots players in the London area (which is in itself very commendable) but the club should be asking why these players, their families and friends aren't coming to watch you play week in week out as for me they are an obvious target to boost your attendances.

The re-launch was a falure from the moment Gus came up with the idea........there was nothing wrong with being known as Harlequins...the supposed confusion was a myth.

David Hughes has employed a number of "yes" men......that has been hi #1 failing.....IMO that is.

woolfie
Nah its not as easy as that the club tried it a few years back all registerd players got free season ticket!! problem being am game played on a sat, and london in whatever guise play on err sat!! so a waste really
A fair few of the kids who play turn up but again there is an issue, lads who play at medway play then have to get over the other side of london
The stoop is a good stadium! its not the stadium! thats the problem!!

No response from the Tearoom. Must have run out of Assam.

Well, the answer does has to do with the venue.

Firstly, the players playing junior and Open Age RL in London and the surrounding counties are playing on Saturday's and the vast majority of home games for the Broncos are scheduled for Saturday's. Would their be a mass influx of players spectating if their games were a Sunday or Broncos played Sunday? I'm not so sure.

Also, you commend the grass root players but the venue of The Stoop and their clubs is the issue. There is junior rugby all over London & the South East such as Southend, Sussex, Brentwood, Guildford, Medway and Elmbridge. the travel times for those places are as follows;

* Southend to Twickenham via train - 1hr 56m
* Hove (where Sussex Merlins play) to Twickenham via train - 1hr 30m
* Brentwood to Twickenham via train - 1hr 53m
* Guildford to Twickenham via train - 1hr 13m
* Chatham (where Medway play) to Twickenham - 1hr 31m
* Claygate (where Elmbridge play) to Twickenham - 47m

These journeys are on top of spending the morning/early afternoon travelling to where those junior teams are playing thus making the day very long.

I'm not saying that its the Stoop's fault but due to the vast amount of clubs spread over such a large area it will be a long way for some to come and a few minutes for others (like the players of Richmond Warriors for example). Its not as cut and dry as the northern sides. I doubt that many kids or adults in Wigan support Leeds and go and watch them on a regular basis. That's the sort of travelling distance many people make to go and watch the Broncos.

Sorry Moe, but the details you rightly give do show that most amateur club players will Not travel so far to Twickenham, perhaps when we have say two amateur clubs with all age groups from youngster upwards playing in TW12 but can we and the game wait so long?

Do you think that is a full list of clubs or that any other location in London would not have the same problem.

Where ever Broncos play the issue of travel time will remain for all the amateur teams. There is also an issue with many of the youth players not able to travel without a parent who may not like league and will not go to any first team game.

It was a comment on the list that Moe listed that is all! it is a problem most northern clubs do not have!

The problem is simple the club needs to resolve how we attract fans to the Twickenham area, do you first go for fans within a radius of the stoop? 15-25 miles and concentrate on that? all Amateur clubs and open age players are aware of us by now. Younger players may not be fully aware but how far will they travel. This next season we have to see everything done possible to increase fans no excuses and then if it does not work, perhaps we have to re-think! it is the last throw of the dice in TW12.

You still appear to be under the illusion that our location is a problem. In reality, we would face the same issues anywhere else.

Not sure how you come to that conclusion? I'm open minded, but I do have doubts throw all the money in the world at TW12 and I am not convinced we will ever be anything but the poor cousins. If we ever find another ground we can part own in London if it still does not work it is time to call it a day!

I still see Super League? going back to be perhaps a semi professional sport in the end, unless the game itself is run by new and fresh blood who will do something spectacular to attract major sponsors,

Its not just amateur clubs though. Wherever the club plays, it will suit some people better than others. For me, Twickenham is a 4 hour round trip via public transport and for others on here it will be a five minute walk to and from the Stoop. That's where London is different from Wigan or St Helens for example. Both have moved grounds but both grounds are still in their respective town's whereas if the Broncos moved to Leyton for example, thats like St Helens moving to Stoke as its a similar distance between Twickenham to Leyton.

The Skolars are the model despite being a teenager in comparison with the thirty-odd year old Broncos. They moved to North London and have set roots in that community. The Broncos have never pitched their caravan up long enough to get into their immediate community.