Fat Gary Schofield at it again

[exile in Tiger country]

Fat Gary has claimed that Barrow are ready to take Wakefield's place in SL 2011.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ja ... per-league

Because being beaten by a Wigan U20 side and having a prehistoric stadium means they are well prepared for top flight rugby, obviously.

[Kittwazzer]

He loves to see his name in the papers. Truth is, Barrow are a long way from being a Super League side but he's hardly going to say that is he!

[exile in Tiger country]

[quote="Kittwazzer"]He loves to see his name in the papers. Truth is, Barrow are a long way from being a Super League side but he's hardly going to say that is he![/quote]

I suppose not, but Widnes or Leigh are in a far better position to make such a claim, but they keep their moutsh shut, because A) they aren't desperate to be in the press (As you said) and B) they aren't stupid.
Wakefield, unless they cease to exist, will be in Superleague 2011, albeit with a points deduction.
I don't think Fat Gary has done Barrow any favours with these crass coments.

[medlocke]

He loves to see his name in the papers. Truth is, Barrow are a long way from being a Super League side but he's hardly going to say that is he!

why is this

[exile in Tiger country]

He loves to see his name in the papers. Truth is, Barrow are a long way from being a Super League side but he's hardly going to say that is he!

why is this

Because their ground makes Knowsley road look like old trafford?
Because their first team were beaten by a Wigan U20 side?
Because they have Fat Gary Schofield as a coach?
Because in a wet summer their pitch resembles the Somme in 1916?

All valid reasons I think

[jobo]

Bit of a serious note here, Cumbria deserves a super league side. There are many people in Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven etc who remember the glory days. There's a great tradition for RL in Cumbria, bit of a sleeping giant really, just waiting for the spark.

[GeoffN]

Bit of a serious note here, Cumbria deserves a super league side. There are many people in Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven etc who remember the glory days. There's a great tradition for RL in Cumbria, bit of a sleeping giant really, just waiting for the spark.

Buit they don't support their clubs, and didn't even when they were in the top flight. When Workington were in Super League, they averaged about 2,000. Haven were roughly the same when they were in the top division in the 80's.

[jobo]

Bit of a serious note here, Cumbria deserves a super league side. There are many people in Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven etc who remember the glory days. There's a great tradition for RL in Cumbria, bit of a sleeping giant really, just waiting for the spark.

Buit they don't support their clubs, and didn't even when they were in the top flight. When Workington were in Super League, they averaged about 2,000. Haven were roughly the same when they were in the top division in the 80's.

Yip, you're right as it stands at the moment but back in the 1950's and I quote a piece about Willie Horne of Barrow,

"On two occasions at least he beat a peerless Wigan side at Craven Park virtually on his own before 20,000 spectators (Barrow population 60,000, allowing for babies and pensioners, they were all at the match!). He revolutionised the game with his side foot place kicking, now the norm in both codes and the ability to pass a heavy often wet rugby ball like a bullet twenty yards straight to either wing, missing out his centre three-quarters if need be, with the accuracy of any American quarter-back.

Don't forget, St Smellys, despite all they've acheived in the past 10 yrs, have never averaged more than 11k attendances. It just makes you think what they would get, had they suffered relegation.

The potential is there, it's the will from RFL that seems to be missing.

[cpwigan]

I would disagree. Cumbria will never join together and support a Cumbrian SL Club. Cumbrians are very insular people and parochial. No Cumbrian club can stand alone to become a SL club but that is what they aspire to. A Cumbrian SL team probably closer to Haven / Workington than Barrow with all 3 clubs retaining their identity in a lower tier is ideal.

[Nezza Faz]

cpwigan is right - used to work up there & they HATE each other, with a passion and would rather see their club go bust, than combine a merged SL side.
Also, not the population up there to support Super League & nowadays not the industries that there were in the past - Sellafield being decommissioned, so lots of working people have left the area.
Also, tried at Carlisle - that failed too.