I think the merged clubs would lose too many hard-core fans to make merger viable. It certainly wouldn't be the case that all Cas and Wakefield fans would support the merged team, I'd suggest that sales of season tickets would be less for the merged team than both Cas and Wakefield's stand-alone numbers (ie IF Cas and Wakey both have 5000 season-ticket holders each, the merged club may well achieve less than this figure owing to a lack of supporter identification with the new club).
Sorry to be boring, but research often makes use of the term "supporter identification", a measure of how closely supporters identify with their team and therefore committ to supporting it, particularly financially. This is often developed over many years (generations usually) and you can't just create a team and expect strong supporter identification. This, in gereral research opinion, is why it is difficult for new clubs and organisations to succeed in the short-term and usually fail.

why thank you

Go ask Fev for a merger, in just over 18 months we will be at Newmarket. Then again so will you.

Ground share not merger. Is that not a better option?

It's been interesting reading this thread with some strong opinions on both sides. The thing that has struck me is, even though there are still the vociferous anti-merger opinions that were evident 15 years ago, they are more than matched by others who see a combined club as the way forward. As I said earlier, I do feel this issue will raise it's head sooner rather than later. If you'll excuse me straying a little from hard facts, the last couple of days have seen many suggestions that the loan players are being pulled from Cas because of the bad situation at the club currently, including suggestions of a drinking culture (players turning up to training drunk, a 7 day bender for Chase and Westerman, players being spotted drinking the night before the cup game and even a big party at Sherwin's the day after the cup defeat!) Now I stress this is just what is doing the rounds, but I've seen similar here on the Cas board, so I'm assuming there's a fair chance there's something in it. That being the case it's difficult to see how the club can pull it around this season and, if relegation does happen, what chance is there of a return to SL any time soon? Franchises are only given out every 3 years and a relegated club may well be in no position to make an application 2 years after taking the drop, which is when the application would have to be made. This could meant 6 years or even longer in the lower leagues, a far cry from the prospect of instant promotion which applied the last time the club went down. How many of the supporters who now say "I'd only support Castleford" would still actually be watching the club at the end of this period, particularly in light of a season ticket holder of some 24 years already saying that 'enough is enough' on this very thread. I know some would still be there but how many more wouldn't? I can't remember what the attendances were like last time the club was relegated but that was with the promise/expectation of an instant return to the top flight. Facing 6 years, or even a decade or more of NL1, would crowds hold up or would the support dwindle to the point of a merger not even being a viable option as far as the RFL is concerned? I notice that a couple of people have mentioned a shared stadim as being the solution. Would it be a solution if one (or even both!) are playing in NL1? Maybe it still would. I can't claim to know one way or the other but, again looking as a neutral, I'm sure it wouldn't neccessarily be the priority for the RFL who seem far more concerned with expansion clubs like Crusaders and Catalans.

Anyway guys, thanks for the well thought out posts. It's good to know there are still fans capable of talking about emotive subjects like this without decending into trolling and name calling. Good luck for the rest of the season. Hope things pan out for you.

15 years ago and 10 years ago. I would have said No No No to a merger. Now today its different.

Wakey and Cas are both in Financial Trouble and Wakey have a CVA against them. Cas have no money, a crumbling stadium and Wakey have had Tax bill demands and are selling best players to pay off debts. Wakey's ground is the worst viewing stadium in super league and charge £20 to get in. Both Clubs have seen falling attendences and Both clubs know they are not good enough to compete for a trophy.

If we merge and have a brand new stadium(wherever it is) and new fresh board. We could be a big force in Super League. We have a great catchment area for fans and Junior talent and the area is rugby mad. In a new stadium with a team ready to compete, we could be a force again. All I want to do do is watch quality rugby league, and the only time i see this is on the TV, when saints play Leeds or wigan etc....

I wish both clubs could compete seperately. But I think the longer they try the bigger the fall. Its time for Fans to get behind both clubs and do what is right. Otherwise it could be bye bye super league for Both

You really should fix that record

I thought they exited the CVA years ago?

Lol did you get that one off a lolly stick??

Fortune cookie or christmas cracker I reckon!

Does Wires success have nothing to do with their sugar daddy? I don't see too many of them coming out to support Cas or Wakey!!

It almost exclusively is. Given the accounting methods uncovered at the Melbourne Storm today though, I expect some squeaky bottoms in the Warrington area at the moment.





If Cas or Wakey have someone similar in the background waiting to come to the fore then that would possibly change the situation. Is that the case?

I'm sure it had some impact, but whatever is behind the new stadium being built doesn't really matter, the fact that their attendances shot through the roof once they were in the new stadium is the significant factor, once we finally get in there, I'm sure our attendances will also be boosted and along with that will come a greater commercial activity, with hospitality bringing in even more much needed revenue.

In all the years i have supported cas i have known many lows, but nothing has left me feeling as bad as reading this thread, many times we have heard the word merger but i have never been worried since i knew the cas fans would never let it happen. But now i see cas fans are actually considering it and that sickens me. No matter how dissapointing a result may have been theres was always next week, the club would go on and our fortunes would change one way or another. All that matters to me is supporting cas tigers, what league they are in and how many trophies we win does not come remotly close in importance.

If this merger were to ever happen, why the hell should any cas fan support it? it would have as much to do with cas as salford does. I would despise any merged club with a passion, and end my assosiation with pro rl completly, and there are thousand more like me.

For someone to say that no other club could bear the castleford tigers name makes my blood boil why the hell if cas fans want to start afresh in the lower leagues shouldnt they be allowed to? Even doing a bramley and becoming amatuer is better than just allowing the club to die, and the club would be dead, killed off by a new team that has nothing to do with castleford or its history.

I have sung 'cas until i die' on the terraces since i was a child, and i damn well meant it.

Don't you thinks its about time you went home then, you must be starving




You are bang on the money for me, i feel the same way.

Ditto me.

Well if you move to Newmarket a merger will happen eventually.

Best thing you could do if you don't want to merge is also refuse to move to Newmarket under any circumstances.

We won't be moving to Newmarket, I don't think Wakey will either, for that matter
and last but by no means least, there will not be a merger!

Totally agree mate. I couldn't have anything to do with a soul-less merged together club. I would rather us battle it out in the National Leagues then staying "Super League" and lose our club.

It may be a difficult concept for you to grasp! But calling it a joint venture is a joke are you suggesting that two organisations are kept , maybe we should keep two teams and play them both at the same time against the opposition then maybe the merger/ joint venture would win more than they lose.

Have you actually bothered to read the link I posted? Your ignorance of the facts suggests not.

But we won't move to Newmarket...well, apart from in your own head.

I have read your link and am I to understand that you are proposing a similar set-up in the Wakefield /Castleford situation ?