Completely wrong. Backwards, in fact.

~What? Hull were sacrificed to save Gateshead? You on drugs or something?

rlhttp://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports/rugby-league-news/2009/11/26/rugby-league-kevin-ellis-calls-crusaders-plan-a-tragedy-91466-25253709/rl

Quote: Kosh "Completely wrong. Backwards, in fact.'" This article seems to disprove your statement archive.warringtonguardian.co.uk ... 26530.html

Quote: Kosh "Completely wrong. Backwards, in fact.'" This article seems to disprove your statement archive.warringtonguardian.co.uk ... 26530.html

Where does the quote

But the merger has meant we have saved Hull, one of the oldest and most traditional clubs in the game, from going into liquidation.
prove his statement?

It is commonly said that the merger was Hull buying Gateshead's SL place and forcing them out of business into the bargain.

What happened was that the sides merged and the new company was to run two sides; one being Gateshead in the SL and the other Hull FC in the NFP.

Then the other clubs objected to Hull FC's inclusion in the NFP (for reasons that I don't really understand) and the upshot was that Hull took Gateshead's slot in SL as a (theoretically) merged "Gateshull".

this is getting off topic a bit but it was hull who was skint at the time of the merger so how did they buy gateshead's place and if they did, how come the new company's board of directors were pretty much all of the gateshead clubs board from the ceo down.

saints fan is right, as most people know gateshead's owners baled hull out and moved to hull as they saw a far more lucrative and long term future in running an established club with a big support rather than flogging a dead horse of trying to establish RL in the football mad north east.

I said it would all go wrong in south wales.It a hot bed for union and cardiff and swansea doing well in the championship. Got no sympathathy bring back promotion and relegation.Make fair on all teams.We are no closer to the aussies without bringing on youth.We bring too many aussies.

cardiff and swansea in football popular aswell?

Yes, well. Being commonly said does not mean it is true! It is not true. Ask Shaun MacRae. He was the coach of Gateshead at the time. He has spoken openly about his disappointment with the RFL over the Hull-Gateshead merger because it gave HULL something stupid like 45 players for their squad and left zip in Gateshead. Hull were on the brink of bankruptcy and Gateshead were sacrificed for the heartlands cause, which is a damn shame because Gateshead had a good crowd attending matches at that time. Had they been allowed to develop naturally who knows what might have happened?

I do.

They would have lost even more money.

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.

Of all top down sides they had the best chance of successding as they got higher crowds than Newcastle Falcons then got (who since grew theirs massively) and their debt wasn't much more than the Sky money they weren't given. They still might not have succeeded though, although if they got half the stuff thrown at them that Crusaders get or Paris got and London used to get they'd have succeeded in my opinion

Steve Fox,

As with your unsubstantiated opinions, I have one too.

You are an utter edit – watch the language. tb An arrogant stupid one at that.

Of all the pork-pie-eating, pigeon-fancying, ferret-worrying, clog-stomping, strike-breaking, coal-industry-betraying, flat-capped, backwards-looking, change-resistant, incest-afficianados that frequent this site, you are one of the most ignorant in a highly competitive pool.

I will miss the sport. I will miss the great supporters of all sides I have met (except the two punchy Hull FC fans and Evil Solly who plagues Salford) and the forward thinking supports I've met on here.

Hell I'll even miss Starbug and Barry McKenzie.

But I won't miss Glorious League Freak and I won't miss you Steve Fox. Don't die horribly or anything!