Just posted similar post on Harlequins bit. Richard Lewis recently said in an interview about the growth of Super League that in 10 years time Celtic will be averaging 10,000 crowds. Do you think this is a bit optimistic?

i think it's psychotic, salford have been around for 104 years and still can't attract the crowds, look at quins gates after all on 30 years, saints would love a weekly average of 10,000 and even in their pomp widnes struggled to get 8,000.............come back to reality dickie and realise that the game does not have the global appeal you would like to believe it has!!!!!!!!!

Not at all .They won't be around in 5 years , never mind 10.

Their chairman quoted they need 4500 to break even, so why o why do they need anymore. They have a good benifactor ,so why "bleed" the rest of the Rugby fraternaty to keep them going ??? Let him put his money where his mouth is 'after all it was him and his cronies who wanted "fast tracking" into the mess they are in now. Just so the away fans could bail him out. 2000 away fans put at least £36000 in their pockets. when they come "North" with their 100 fans your club gets the princely sum of about £1800. Fair aint it.

10,000 ave for celtic???? The day that happens day this ginger haired bug_ger the size of a tree will be mistaken for Brad pitt!!!!

Dickie has been in Rugby League for about 5 minutes, most supporters have been in this glorious game of ours "ALL THEIR LIVES" and will continue to be until they die.Unlike Dickie who can jump ship when he wants. It is no surprise to me at the state of the last sporting fiasco he was involved in!!

They did get 9000 at one time, although how often it was I don't know and I can't remember whether it was as Quins or Broncos (if the latter then they were playing elsewhere, so that might have made the difference).


Um, I think that's what we get, actually. This season anyway. Back in my Dad's day, 20,000 was common.

There is no reason to believe that the Crusaders won't get 10,000 crowds. It may mean some serious recruitment and investment (pending additional sponsors to lighten the load) and a change of venue - or it may not - but once the team begins to experience regular success and is known in the area for it then there is no reason to believe the crowds won't come. It just takes time. South Wales loves rugby; who is to say that it won't love the league variety as much as the union if given the chance? It sounds to me, from media reports and such, that the local youth are enjoying playing league. Let that spread for a while and things will happen.

Maybe he meant the average would be 10000 over the ten years

Don't post any of this on the VT, we will get called sad and bitter flat-cappers even though we were right about Celtic all along.

For any other ridiculous theories on this forum a new phrase shall be used: Richard Lewis' Calculator

The only way any of us were right as you put it is that you cannot rely upon a single person investor to build a sports club

This is not a criticism of Mr Samuels , I will never have a go at anybody who is willing to tip their hard earned into our sport

However if Celtic are in trouble then the RFL should commit to keeping them solvent at least until 2012 until they should be assessed again

This money should come out of the SL SKY money

Saints would have gone into administration in 2002 had it not been for our current chairman and his buddy (subsequently returned to the City) putting in their hard earned. Our chairman still has to put his hard earned into keeping the stadium from falling down on the fans. A lot of British RL clubs are loss making entities funded by one or two wealthy individuals (plus Sky money) and we all live on the edge of that same cravass. It's hardly beneficial to buy into rumours - denied by the Crusaders' investor in this week's RL press - and listen to those whose agenda it is to see the Crusaders fail.

It's good to get the place going as a business with as many sponsors and fundraising opportunities as possible as that takes the pressure off the initial investor and will make him happier. However, that takes time and he has said that he wants to give the club time so trust him to follow through on that. We have to do exactly the same thing at Saints.

Nowhere near at the same level

I am fully aware [ probably a lot more than you ] of the levels of ' investement ' that go into virtually any sports club , I am a friend of your ex chairman Arthur Thomas

However if Eamon decided that he could no longer tip in , Saints would still have a professional RL club in the town , because as long as you have fans there will be a club

Would that be the case at Bridgend ?