Old Pics

Quote: Odemwingie "Personally I would love to know the story of RL popularity! It has dipped and turned and done backflips so many times!

We used to see massive crowds on a regular basis and the international game used to be massive even in the sky era! I just can't get my head around it all.... I can't help but feel RL could have been huge if managed correctly but instead we will always be a minority sport but I do think the sport can maximise potential if all clubs can get in modern stadia.'"

They had some cracking ideas in the South of France in the '30s but something happened.

The international game seems to have sunk under the Sky banner IMO. Sky seem so focused on the SL and the international games seem well planned to clash with something else. Why the World Cup can't be given freely to somebody like ITV or the BBC I don't understand, free sport would get the game on TV (it worked for RU) and so in peoples minds. Winning a series would be nice too! While I understand that revenue is important, with Sky chasing yearly profits and the RFL seeming to tow the line (wasn't the last Sky franchise offered, rejected and then accepted at a lower figure when the RFL couldn't get the money from the BBC?) as there's little other option.

However, on the minority sport thing. What actually defines a "minority" sport? It seems that Football isn't but just about every other sport in the UK is. Cricket - I don't hear it described as a minority but have only met one or two that actually play. Athletics, many sports but many minority sports under an umbrella. RU, same deal, wikipedia actually lists it as minority.

Anyway... cracking pics. Brings back some memories. I remember work experience painting the Douglas Stand (not the top bit) thank god and then helping out with the under pitch heating. Driving tractors and the like, meeting players and just being "part" of Central Park for a few weeks was absolutely fantastic. I remember Joe Lydon wrote a letter back to the club from the flight to Aus for the tour, on the back of a sick bag!