wouldn't surprise me one bit if they did,

although salford may survive this time, They might not be so lucky next time..

IMO salford/wakey/cas have had their time in SL and Its unfair that they made false promises and they may get away with it.. i hope they are get kicked out, very much doubt it though

Something has been bugging me about all this and now I know what it is.

They have almost certainly cheated to achieve something we did honestly, and now in the franchise race they are on firmer footing than before. We've stuck by our club, we've worked hard and been loyal. They've cobbled togetger *something* on the last day of the season, perhaps a mere figure out of their heads to achieve the exact same.

There is absolutely no way they have achieved this with any sense of normalcy, and there is certainly something underhanded going on judging by the whispers we've been hearing. In spite of my previous support for these clubs, I can't help but think, they're not just pulling one over the RFL, they are pulling one over us, or trying to, because they are competition. And there is no way this has been done fairly.

The reaction of their fans so far has not been one of honesty either, to a man it has been rather obvious that they think they are in on one gigantic scam. They wont get away with it.

i appologise for peppering your board with posts.

the way i see it though.

all we are doing is playing the game the RFL started.

you have been supported all season very well and achieved that average with little difficulty.

you also have less competition from other rugby clubs than halifax for fans.

the support for fax has always been there if it has been needed,

we go back to the thrum hall days we were getting good attendances there, we are the 2nd best supported team in the league statistically,

we are a small market town the attendances we get is it 2,000 around that mark on a consistent basis, the crowds go up if we are in in super league, away followings as well, this would bring our attendances upto 5,000 or 6,000 which is more or the same as some super league clubs.

we are actually quite well supported for a place the size of Halifax.

the final word from me is.

we were told we had to have an average of 2,500, if we promoted the game and handed out a bundle of free tickets to kids then surely thats good business sence from the club knowing what they had to do today to reach that total.

if we just made the attendance up then dont worry we will be punished for it.

First off, no apology necessary. It's a Widnes flavoured board but anyone is welcome to post here as long as they behave, fans and none fans alike.



The game has been oft lamented around here, but its a hard thing to swallow seeing us abide by the rules and other clubs not really bothering and probably swerving the rules like this.



Now this part is nonsense. We not only have the top three clubs in the country on our doorstep (As in, first second and third of super league), we have two of the worlds best supported football teams and many others. We've got competitors in droves competing for fans, and we manage it without complaints.



Widnes actually manage bigger crowds with a significantly smaller population. You have 20,000 more people than we do. And we managed better in super league too, not that I would hold that against you if it were up to me. I'd kick out a few super league stragglers for lying last time and promote us both but Im frustrated that it looks like only one of us and the club which clearly has the best bid is being tested by paper thin last minute rushes like Barrow's new academy and Halifax's last minute crowd which was, to a man, the exact figure needed to break through. Think of that. One person short and the average would not have reached 2500. That is not a coincidence. It cannot be.



I hope so. Because frankly, you will deserve it if this is the case. If you've simply had a director buy empty seats, he is a fool.

Two years ago the RFL said a Championship club could apply if they appeared in a GF, won it or won the NRC - They lied.

Two years ago Castleford, Salford and Wakefield said they'd be playing out of new stadiums by 2010 - They lied.

What's one more lie . . . . . . ?

What will the consequences be for this cheeky little broadside at the RFL's lying game? Who gives a fook? Halifax's fate has been sealed by their financial standing - and rightly so. It has also been sealed by the rank amateur way that the RFL run this game. We haven't touched the tip of the iceberg yet - wait till next year when this latest circus show ends.

For the love of God - don't take it too seriously ya big tart

There's some massive "Whoooooshes" on this thread on that 5k figure.

See it for what it is - a pishtake. Either the club will simply announce a misprint or they'll leave it at that and deal with whatever crap the RFL come out with. It's not as though Messrs. Wood and Lewis have any integrity is it?

You seem oblivious to the past two years. You almost went bust, allowed a group of loan players to win you the NRC and now (despite the attendances) rely on a wealthy backer to keep you afloat. If anything, the injustice is that you guys are the front runners for a franchise.

Unlike a club that nearly goes bust every season overspending, relies on a bunch of over paid Aussies to win them nothing? Ok

Shame Fax didn't sort youth set up as you would be really pushing hard for 2012!

The attendance for Halifax v Batley was 4,795 - FACT!

They've all gone home now so I challenge you lot or the RFL to PROVE the attendance figure was incorrect.

Nat - who do you think should be the front runners?

We as a club have gone by the rules of the Rfl,by setting up academys and playing home grown players.If we did not have a youth academy like Fax, we would buy the better players.Such as your experienced players, so we could be near the top of the league.We are one of the biggest clubs in this league and we should be the front runners.

BOLLOX !!!

Whoever wins the Grand Final.

But that's not the conditions we're playing under is it? We can bury our head in the sand and say that's how it should be but it aint gonna get us anywhere. I'll rephrase the question - given the "mazetastic" specifications laid down by the RFL (not the fault of Widnes) - who do you think best fits their bill?

As said previously if P&R Widnes side would be completely different but better in long term? I don't think so!