Saints faced administration in 2002. Saints have been around since the start of rugby league. Longer in fact as there was a rugby union club here which converted. Yet we could have been pretty much finished in 2002. However, McManus and his City mate rescued us. That could just have easily happened to Gateshead. Wakefield at present are in difficulties because of unpaid taxes. Almost all Superleague clubs are reporting losses, some (like Saints), year on year. Why should expansion clubs be pilloried because they suffer the same issues as established clubs, but the established clubs are somehow worth saving while the expansion clubs are not?

I don't understand your rationale or that of those like you. To me, who wants to see Rugby League played everywhere, the expansion clubs are as valued as the established ones and just as much support - from all clubs' fans, from the RFL, from other interested parties - should be given to expansion clubs as to the established clubs.

After all, we were all expansion clubs at one time. When the Northern Union was formed, who was to say that so many clubs would still be around today? It was a risky move to break away like that. It may do flatcappers well to remember our roots and just how much effort it will have taken to keep alive those clubs who are around today, especially during the 1970s and 80s.

It was not rationale , it was him stating what would have happened , they were losing money , if they had carried on they would have lost more money , nobody is trying to put down any new clubs , but we can see what is in front of us , yes long established clubs are struggling , so does that make this a good time to introduce new ones ?

Have heard today that the Crusaders look like moving lock stock and barrel to Wrexham where the money man there is Geoff Moss who heads up Elegant Resorts in Chester.
Newport could not raise the cash however they are looking to play three or four games in South Wales however it stills needs Leighton Samuels to sell the shares and the problem is Wrexham are willing to take most of the debt but not pay for doing so
Two are in the frame for a new Championship 1 side in South Wales one being a former director of the Ospreys who has fallen out with them.

Do you think , that if leighton samuels would have GUARANTEED A CASH BOND LIKE Steve O Connor at Widnes offered the rl that he would have walked away as easily as it looks like he is going to? and also ,what if steve o connor put up the cash to buy CRUSADERS move them to Widnes and then change the name . From what ive seen ,its not impossible!!!

The reason why Saints survived and Gateshead didn't was for the very reason that you outline - that Saints have been about since the 1870s and they are built on firm foundations.

Whether that meant money men prepared to stump up the cash or a grass roots movement starting up a new club to replace the failed company, there was always likely to be a thriving pro RL club in the town.

Compare that with Thunder - they had no significant financial backing, no white knight riding to the rescue and too few fans to relaunch a viable club outside SL (although all credit to the determination and loyalty of the few hundred supporters who have been trying to keep the flag flying since then).

In the absence of a sugar daddy and/or a well established RL culture in the area, Gateshead were always doomed to fail at the top level.

You can knock SV all you want but has any RL club ever boasted a more extensive selection of jeans than Widnes had when he was in charge?

£2,877,228 worth to be precise (excluding VAT, of course).

You have got a serious social disorder to come out with such bile and to interpret a reasonable and balanced opinion with such foul and vitriolic abuse. I suggest you seek psychological help immediately.

The game certainly won't miss such neurotic and disgusting 'fans' like you. Shame on you for wishing death upon someone, you are a sub human life form. Wither away soon and crawl back to the gutter where you belong, we don't need trash like you.

Errmmmm


I think it was a 'tongue in cheek comment'

Calm down

Its only an Internet message board.

Apart from my posts, there is nothing anyone should even remotely take to heart on here

Interesting comments and whilst I take on board what has been said about firmer foundations. My view is that the RFL saw the chance as now or never whether that be LS holding a 'get us in SL or I'm gone' gun to their head or not I don't know.

What I do know is that without the CrusadersI wouldn't be hooked on RL which has meant me watching this club come from National League to Super league
my wife and son wouldn't be hooked
we wouldn't have gone all over the country watching this great game,
we wouldn't have gone to watch the under 18's or the colts the year before or the reserves this year
we wouldn't have met so many fans of this great game who wished us well whether at home or away or even the ones with a reasoned argument as to why we should or shouldn't be in Super League.[/list

Unfortunately this also has a down side, without the CrusadersI wouldn't be wondering how I can get my League fix when my club is too far away (and given I used to do a 70 mile round trip before you could hardly call it on my doorstep)
I wouldn't be thinking that we've been shafted by LS, yes we got the prize of SL but what a way to take it back
I wouldn't have to try and converse with muppets or explain how we took our chance like anyone else would and I'm so glad we did
most of all I wouldn't have had the ultimate misfortune of reading so much dross from Bazza Mac