Harlequins ask RFL to secure the club's future

[ancientnloyal]

BAILOUT!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 952050.stm

Harlequins have asked the Rugby Football League to help ensure the club's future, BBC London understands.

Chairman David Hughes has been financing the club, which has been losing £1.5m a year, despite only owning 35% of the franchise.

Wigan chairman Ian Lenegan holds the majority stake, despite a two-year deadline to sell expiring in 2009.

An announcement about future is expected before their final league game with Warrington on 3 September.

"It seems discussions with the RFL have been, on the whole, positive," said BBC London 94.9's rugby league reporter Ian Ramsdale.
...

CONT.





Went to school with ian ramsdale, how funny.

[Kittwazzer]

Looks like another London experiment is on its last legs!

[exile in Tiger country]

Looks like another London experiment is on its last legs!

No of course it isn't, just ask the RFL, it has been a massive success, from a population of about 7,000,000 they regularly get attendances of 1,500. A huge success to get this many people to attend.

To be fair, they do have some good London lads playing now, but they will never reach the average gate of 10,000 that is required for a Superleague licence.

[Kittwazzer]

Average gate of 10,000????

Surely not??

[NathanCroucher]

Not again, pah.

They should replace them with London Skolars or something.

[exile in Tiger country]

Average gate of 10,000????

Surely not??

That was the standard set by the RFL for Superleague team franchise.

[gpartin]

Average gate of 10,000????

Surely not??

That was the standard set by the RFL for Superleague team franchise.

the same standard that gave Leeds and the Headingley ground in particular an A rating for their licence! The whole franchise system is a joke and everyone knows it, the rules are made to fit who they want. As far as I'm concerned its a disgrace that they make clubs spend money they can barely afford to put together an application when the RFL know damn well who'll be in Super League next time round and who won't. If going into administration wasn't punished by a points deduction, a kick in the balls when they're down, and if players in the championship were paid a reasonable amount then the money wasted on licence applications wouldn't matter so much but at the moment its like the RFL are dangling a carrot on a stick, charging them for trying to get the carrot, removing the carrot before they get chance to try get it and punishing them for failing. Here endeth the carrot analogy.

[butt monkey]

You must have been up all night thinking of that carrot analogy








note his post time if you don't get what I mean

[gpartin]

You must have been up all night thinking of that carrot analogy








note his post time if you don't get what I mean

lol made the mistake of letting my little un sleep too much during the day... Never again

[cpwigan]

I think IL should sell his shares to the RFL for a £