Merge or Die?

[RegDunnsFlatTop]

A short one this.


Merge with Town to form one SL club with the full backing of the RFL or let the club die?


Discuss.

[forty twenty]

hell will freeze over first

[chocbluegold]

hell will freeze over first

here here

[RegDunnsFlatTop]

What so you'd rather have the no profesional RL in the west of the county than merge.

The term 'cutting ones nose off to spite ones face' comes to mind.


There are an awful lot of people in Whitehaven who follow SL but will not pay to watch Haven due to the standard of rugby being played.

People of the older generation need to realise that a merger is the only way to gain the backing of the RFL and SL rugby in the county.  As Phil Clarke said on Sky 'Until they decide to help themselves than how can they expect anyone else to help them?'

By sticking to this infantile 'we wont merge with Workington' is suicidal! You would think we'd been to war with them! We need to open our eyes and look at the bigger picture and as Clarke said 'help ourselves'.

[chocbluegold]

the likes of mr rugby league alias phil clarke need to stop dictating this game and playing mind games with clubs like whitehaven this clubs run by our board not stevo eddie or phil clarke who are they to say we have to merge are they the rfl in disguise

[Chorley Blue and Gold]

This is a topic that I have a different slant on. I currently live in Chorley, hence I could go and watch St Helens or Wigan as they are only a short drive away. However I choose to go to most Haven away games and about half of the home ones. The reason I do this is because having being brought up in the town for 18 years and started going to the games since I was 3, I am a Haven fan. This is why we support teams! You support your team through thick and thin. The whole point of sport is to support your team. So why would people want to just destroy their club and merge with another whether it is Town, Barrow or any other team. If that was absolutely the last resort or go out of business then I would choose to merge, but otherwise the club should just continue. Anyway knowing the RFL and SL they would probably tell a West Cumbrian side to bugger off too.

Supporting your team is the whole point of sport. Why destroy it?

[puppetmaster]

gateshead and hull
sheffield and huddersfield
barrow and carlsile

all merged, and all ended up being called by the bigger clubs name, ie HULL, HUDDERSFIELD and BARROW

gateshead, sheffield and carlisle all DIED because of merger, not in spite of them,

fortunately gateshead and sheffield got lucky and reformed and were allowed back into the fold,

my point being,if we merge we could end up like them, or worse like carlisle who now have no pro RL team in the city

mergers dont work here

[cbandg01]

I make no appology for re-posting an opinion (below) which I delivered some weeks ago on this site :-

My opinion (for what it's worth) is that neither 'haven' nor 'town' would ever aspire to SL status on their own and a combined 'West Cumbria' team from the present two sets of players isn't an answer either.

Additionally, Barrow are too far away to figure in a composit Cumbria team.

A new West Cumbria team and a major sponsor stepping forward to work with the combined Whitehaven and Workington BOD's, pooling their finances for a new team and stadium would get the attention and support of SKy and SL...............and is the only logical way forward if we want a SL team in West Cumbria.

As it stands now,  Sky and SL choose to forget about this RL 'outpost' because there isn't the support, finances or willingness across the BOD's, sponsors and supporters to face reality and work with SL to establish a top class team in Cumbria in a similar way in which ones have been in France and are being in Wales.

Whitehaven (team and directors) are presently doing a great job maintaining a high standard of RL in the area, but sadly it will never become SL .........AND...... someday soon, 'haven will start a downward slide as finances and players slip away ........ then it will be all too late to go the West Cumbria RL route into SL as the SL franchise will be all tied up.

[Keith]

Why merge?     Why not a new club/team and leave the two current teams to struggle along as feeder clubs?    Reg Dunn's Flat Top said it's time the older generation realised that a merger is the only way, etc, etc, well Reg I am 67 years old, I have followed Town since I was 8 and I am the first in the firing line every time this subject is broached.    So, it isn't only the older generation it is many of the younger fans who are more bitter that us oldies.

Many people say no because they don't fully realise the impact of where the game is moving.    Super League is getting bigger and bigger and the National Leagues are being left behind, well behind.    At this time next year the SL will know which 14 teams are going to form SL for the next 3 years.   There are going to be some higher profile clubs than Town and Haven disappointed but they will have a better chnace of gaining a licence in 2012 than our teams, so I think it is safe to assume that National League RL is the highest our two clubs are going to achieve.

If people are happy with that then so be it but I think many people will just stop going to matches.    That is the reality and no amount of huffing and puffing is going to get Haven or Town into SL on their own.    Town's chairman on the radio on Sunday when asked about a Cumbrian RL team for SL stated that he was willing to sit down and talk about the prospect if there were people out there to bring it about.  I think by this time next year we will regret not having done something more positive in that direction earlier.

I don't think there is any Haven fan with more choclate, blue and gold running through them that I have blue and white through me BUT both our clubs have had their "glory" days and it's time to move on to another level.    Stevo as been shouting to do away with P & R for years because that is what they do in Australia.   The next level down from the NRL is the Premier League and the Queensland Cup played for by reserve teams of NRL clubs.   Is that what we want Haven and Town to become?   Reserve or feeder teams for SL clubs?    Sorry, that's not for me and I bet I'm not alone in seeing it that way.