Ideas for planned amalgamation

[Boxer]

What about the simple fact  that many fans want to watch a Whitehaven team play in Whitehaven.  I would prefer any day to watch local lads playing for Haven in the town than a contrived amalgamaion in Lilyhall or distington.

Let me ask you this Keith if the built Pow beck stadium and a franchise was offered on the basis it was called West Cumbria - would that satisfy you- would you and the Town fans come to support it?

[Keith]

Boxer, after 63 years of doing it I would love to be able to say I want to watch Town playing in Workington for many many years to come and once again reach the pinnacle of RL in our country.     However, I am a realist and instead of being selfish and greedy for my own benefit I want to see something more substantial for the kids and grandkids of people who post on here.

That is never going to be possible with two lower league clubs not even if they get to the top of the Championship again, like Haven, for people at Fev, Barrow and Halifax are also asking - we won the league so what, where now, where are we going?    The answer is nowhere and as a result people are walking away from lower league RL.     If you cannot see that then you really are blinkered.   

Super League licences are only handed out every 3 years and for a club to get in another has to be relegated and after this year how many do you see in there that will be relegated in the future?   So SL is a no go area for either of our clubs on their own.   The only chance of any SL coming to west Cumbria is by a new club and a combined support from both our connurbations.

If, and it is a big If, Pow Beck ever does get built and a franchise offered to west Cumbria would MR Raaz and his board of directors disband and allow a new club to take up the offer at the Pow Beck Stadium?    They would have to do that otherwise it would just be Whitehaven (2010) under another guise, wouldn't it?    Doesn't the business plan for the stadium give proceeds to your new company?   So, that would never work, would it?

Sadly, there are some people from Workington, who still live in the olden days like yourself Boxer, who wont go to the Rec and that is why it has to be somewhere away from both towns if it is to succeed.   However, I have often been to the Rec to follow Haven in the past so that has never been a problem to me if that what you were getting at?

[Davey]

Good post, Keith.

Im open on this debate.

But.. I do think we have to look at - What is best for the long term rather than the short term.

[Enoch]

How many times have we had this debate on this site over the past two years?

In fairness we could argue this one until the day we all die. However given that the RFL (SKY) have created an unfair, corrupt system that is extremely open to abuse, there really is no point. Why is there no point?

1. The RFL will NEVER allow a Whitehaven or Workington team into Super League, mainly due to the fact that it would not be a great idea on financial grounds for them. West Cumbria will not sell a great deal more SKY dishes or bring in a great deal of money via sponsorship. They would find it far more attractive to take a franchise from Scotland, Ireland or even France, Spain or Italy.

2. There are too many people in both Towns who are unable to move with the times. If you want Championship rugby then fine we have it. If you want SL then the only chance is a merger. Stick with what we have and eventually both teams will fold due to a complete lack of interest from the RFL. The RFL do not care about anything other than SL and they are slowly allowing the lower leagues to die. They get very little money for the Championship and consequently don't care.

3. If we do merge who will be chucked out of SL to allow us in? SL currently has 14 teams. I would imagine the RFL would quite happily get rid of Wakefield, but other than that the rest are probably there to stay (on money grounds). Take into account a team from Scotland, Ireland and possibly another Welsh/French team and Widnes and we would be FIFTH in the pecking order for one place.

IMO what should happen is that the RFL is completely disbanded and a new governing body put in place (completely free from SKY manipulation). The league structure would then be completely overhauled to develop a SL and SL1, both with twelve teams. All monies would be divided throughout the game and relegation/promotion would be brought back in. Unfortunately this will NEVER happen. We have a corrupt administration leading our sport who only look after themselves and SKY. They don't care about the sport as a whole and have showed their utter contempt for EVERYONE outside SL by saying that 'THEY WILL DECIDE' who is allowed to sit at the high table, I'm sorry but that is not sport! They have taken the whole ethos of sport and competition out of RL.

So however you look at it things are bleak in the long run. Don't merge and our teams will slowly die, do merge and the RFL is likely to either ignore us or allow us in before throwing us out. Sad but probably true!!!

[random2]

Enoch i totally agree with your last point about the Rfl. My other great fear is that at some point in the not too distant future the powers that be will think:

We have strong northern clubs
We have no 'real' clubs down south
international RL is not a big draw

The RFU need strong northern clubs
The RFU have lots of clubs down south
International RU is the strength of their game

a merger between the 2 sports would put 'Rugby' as the clear No2 sport in this country.

It is only a matter of time before Wigan are jumping for line-outs!

[havenbeachbum]

To be honest Random i thought the two codes would have merged long ago. I remember when Wigan were at their peak about 15 years ago and they played a double header against the best RU team at the time ;Bath.

It raised the profile of the game and I thought then that it would only be 5 years till both codes found a common set of rules.

[random2]

Sky have promoted the game and yet no one (general public) knows the name of any Rugby League player since Martin Offiah retired???

[pies4dotty]

Random2, i agree with your comment, but if coverage etc was left to the RFL and say the BBC, then still the average joe wouldnt have a clue about the sport.

Look back to the 80s/90s, and the coverage of the Challenge Cup with the BBC...its was a joy to watch. Today you get Mr Rugby Jonathan Davies and Claire Balding, with attrocious camera action and commentators not knowing who's who. Frankly, its crap!!

Stevo and Eddie may talk a load of bull, and have their favourites, but without SKY and its cash, RL would have been left in the dark ages, and i'd say with moreclubs going to the wall.

[Keith]

Sky might put millions in to the RFL but you may also have noticed that not much of it gets down to the lower league level.     The majority of the Sky money goes to Super League clubs with the odd crumb or two dropped off their table for everyone else!!!!!

[town4me]

cbandg01, excellent posts lad.

[Haven Crazy]

Not interested in this thread !!! Yawn !!!

[chocbluegold]

me neither what a load of tosh for a thread that everyone knows aint going to happen

[HavenMascot]

me neither what a load of tosh for a thread that everyone knows aint going to happen

if your not intrested then you dont have to post then do you
the rest of the people apart from the one above you have put a idea forward
no wonder that every subject on here always turns to the haven V town argument or the new posters idea

[chocbluegold]

havenmascot i have my opinion and you have yours if i choose to exercise my right to post i will i dont need your permission.i just think this topic is worthless and im sick of hearing all this rubbish on something that aint going to happen so but out

[red white and blue]

make no mistake,if haven joined with town,it would be the town mafia that run it.
sorry but no thanks