https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58264373 Even mentions the “M” word…..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58264373 Even mentions the “M” word…..

Hull United in black red white kit

Can you see the rfl handing over power?

Pearson really is losing the plot.

What is your counter argument?

Pearson talks about owners putting self interest of individual clubs to one side, then in the next breath talks about mergers, and selling the game for private equity, as he’s skint !!

he is talking fact, the sort will be lost without Private Equity, its nothing to do with how much money he has, he is talking about the game as a whole.

Its obvious that fans are a bit wary of discussing this latest development in any sort of detail for it is certainly a subject close to everyones hearts and of course opposing fans will discard it as simply 'Pearson Rhetoric'

But, man you can always rely on Adam shooting from the hip and on occasions into his own foot. I can't agree with some of what he says, at all, of course I can't, but at least he's saying something and perhaps just perhaps when you scrape away at the surface of what he has said you realise what a parlous state the game is in and what an impact the massive reduction in TV money will have on the sport. Plus therefore the control that Sky has over the games future destiny.

Sky knew no one else was interested in a tired and flagging product and therefore took the calculated risk of offering a much reduced bid. In turn the Clubs knew that no one else was interested so we snapped their hand off. But this is just a situation that will continue to spiral downwards if we don't do something about it. Many say what the hell has Sky's opinion on the format of the game to do with anything, but I would hazard a guess it now has quite a lot.

We are marginalised by the press and the media simply because we are as Adam says lagging behind other sports who don't have as good a product as ours but who have been proactive at moving with the times and the changing way that people engage with sport because they have looked at what others are doing and cherry picked the best bits. I switched on the hundreds ready to scoff at it and ridicule the format and although its not totally for me I have watched it and can 100 per cent get how it appeals to new fans and brings new money into the game. Headingley has seen more in for a handful of games than it will for a whole season of Yorkshire County matches. The weak leadership and 'fiddling as Rome burns' we have seen from the RFL for years saw the Clubs take the initiative off them and that's where the self interest from owners started. Something Adam admits he has been party to as have all the other owners. Whats more the RFL continue to make poor decisions just look at the Academy fiasco.

On a note closer to home, some will say that in this interview Adam's placing of so much of the future of the club on this weekends game and us getting into the play offs is just an attempt to get bums on seats and perhaps they are right in part but the bigger picture for Hull FC is much darker.

At present there is still a big resistance from older fans to attending anything where large amounts of sometimes unvaccinated people are attending. but that's a fact the game, cinemas, theatres and even pubs have to live with for now, but we are none the less as a club with few assets, a shared stadium with a stadium Management company creaming off our ticket sales, almost wholly dependant on Sky, on what we can sell in our shops and get through the gates and so in a bad place at present. Therefore I would shy away from dismissing Adams comments about the next few months being critical for the clubs very existence as just trying to drum up ticket sales for the remaining games, Those inside the club will tell you a lot different. In fact some staff are really worried about things and pursuing other options outside the game for fear of what the future holds. So, despite the usual hype 'hip shooting' and sensationalism this interview includes it perhaps does indicate that things are going on behind the scenes and that the clubs and the RFL realise together that action is needed to save the game.They have to put their differences behind them and forget about self interest something history has proved is easier said than done.

One things for sure whatever you think about Adam Pearson and his comments the next few months are critical for the game.

"If it includes merged clubs, it includes merged clubs. We have to consider it. It is an unknown we're going into and we have to be brave. Because if we're not brave now and we're not intelligent now and we don't take self-interest off the table, I'm telling you the sport's going down the pan.

do you read how he gets almost ‘angry’ when reinforcing his merger concept by saying ‘down the pan’

for me - he’s dead set on a merger and he’s floating the idea first so people get used to the notion

that’s what politicians do

float an idea with no commitment - get the people
talking and debating etc etc

i’m all in favour and I was as the FC shareholder meeting way back with Shane Richardson and almost every FC shareholder backed the merger that was discussed in the meeting room

Merging clubs makes business sense, but not sporting sense (on an emotional level). Strange how the idea gets floated in the week his mate and business partner Grudgell stays in at the Dobbins.

That said, if you had a powerful combined club (wherever it was) , people would go and watch if it was successful. You’d have problems if it wasn’t successful.
It might take a generation of new fans to make it work.

Something needs to change though. This isn’t a Hull FC issue and AP is moaning , this is a game wide issue.

We’re falling so far away from other sports. Women’s football Super League starts in September, and you can bet your life Sky are going to put a lot of their resources into it. Far far more than rugby league.

Its fine being resistant to radical change, but you may have to be okay with watching a part time semi-pro sport.

Hull FC have lived beyond their means for a long time.

Adam gambled with a massive wage bill (third highest in superleague). He continued to sign players such as Reynolds, when he knew Covid was still having a massive impact upon income, and he did very little to cut his cloth accordingly. The club still has a mega wage bill, as he has said so himself.

Hull FC have also not paid an proportionate share of the cost for use of the stadium for many years, as the stadium running costs have continually been met by Mr Allam. As the 25 year rental agreement is coming to an end, he knows that its either accept a rent increase to reflect the stadium running costs, or play on pickering park.

So now he starts mentioning a merger, as he is running out of options, and doesn't have a plan B. The Boulevard got sold off the last time the crap hit the fan, so he's got no other assets, apart from flogging off the players.

Any true lifelong supporter would never entertain such a merger proposal, yet he appears to be quite open to such a prospect, should the opportunity arise.

Didn’t we make a profit a few years on the bounce pre covid?
Not really living beyond our means.

Grudgell eventually got fed up of ploughing £300K in every year to cover the shortfall.

This isn’t about FC. It’s the game as a whole. It faces massive challenges due to mis management and self interest stretching back years. It’s all catching up with the game now post covid.

I honestly think it’s nearly too late now anyway.

I would not put it past Pearson to uproot the entire club, and move the franchise to another city, if it improves his prospects. That's how desperate he appears to be.

Oh dear. How I love Derby week

We should move to East Hull. There’s more Hull fans there than anywhere else in the city (according to season ticket sales)

The game is dying a slow death at the moment.
Pearson is right in what he is saying.