I have read a few comments across this forum about our attendances at The Stoop, and whilst they fall some way short of many in the SL, what are the expectations for the attendances (Average of 4K and up??)



Is there a real danger that we will miss out on a franchise come July? I know there are a number of criteria that need to be met, and whilst attendances are one of them, how do we fare on the other crirteria??



Would the fact that we are not a "heartland club" count for or against us?



Interested to hear peoples thoughts on this...

It counts for us as we don't have another team within X miles, doesn't it?

I believe that Harlequins RL will receive another 3 years with a stern warning that they need to get their gates up to over 5k. This may well be the last 3 years in the history of the club in its current guise, as David Highes will not be prepared to bail us out for too much longer.

I believe that the only way the club will be able to survive after 2014 is if a new investor is found or if SKY bite the bullet and do what they have with the Melbourne Storm.

...10,000 gates is the break even figure...that should be the overriding target at TW2 from now on.......IMO that is.

You may have to enlighten me about the Melbourne Storm, are they now being funded by TV??



Also I have seem plenty of ideas about how to increases gates, are the club just being slow on the uptake here - 10k gates is a big jump from the current 2 - 3k??

100% owned by News Corporation (aka Sky aka Rupert Murdoch)

SKY own them.....





Massive jump from 2500 current average and 3,600 average we normally get.......but it can be done. Years of neglect have made the task a lot harder than it could have been, but the fact remains that DH will not be our sugar daddy for too much longer.

I guess it's just a matter of getting someone at the club to listen then?



Out of interest what are the other criteria? Someone mentioned proximity of another club....

Ralph Rimmer has pretty much stated that without a London team Sky would offer us a derisory TV contract, for as long as 'without London there is no Superleague' rings true then your nailed on. Just a feeling but I doubt you will be known as Harlequins RL for much longer.

If you are correct then it is just another example of the club moving again to disguise the fact that failure has again ruled the roost. As much as I applaud the work done by the community teams and the development of players, we would be nearly self sufficient by now if the club had had the b0ll0x and the intelligence to market itself properly...as it is, we are currently on 2,500 after 3 games.....

..............stability of tenure would assist grow this but it's never going to have been something that happened overnight, 2 or 3 generations in one place would be required + many other obstacles being overcome.

Homer-I agree-Living in Warrington in my youth meant our town was represented in sport by the RL team. In the past Wigan(poor football team) was the same as is Widnes, Saints, Cas, Wakey, Hull(football weak in the past) etc or you followed Man Utd etc but still had an affinity for your local town team. Thats something we havent got-In fact football is probably more popular now than ever, even around the northern teams and in Wales.



Having said all that the crowds at Wire weren't great-poor ground, Wigan domination, winter weather etc so even they have faced crowd growth challenges, although they probably have an easier marketing target plus a new ground and a decent team which I suspect helps

I believe the points system used 10 miles as the radius, so nothing within 10 miles you got a point, no point if you had a club within that radius, eg Hull and KR, Cas and Wakey Salford warrington Wigan saints all got be pretty close

The points system is rubbish. Rugby League is a Northern game for Northern people. Forget expansion and create more local interest with local derbies. Throw out Harlequins, Crusaders and Catalans and bring in Workington, Whitehaven and Wigan St Patricks.

Luckily am northern so counts us in then