I assure you I'm no knocker of London RL or a London SL team. I personally still think a strong London team would be great or the sport and I hope one can be developed. I want to write something that encompasses the current attitudes and feelings of London fans about whats going on. I was hoping some of you Broncos fans could answer a few questions for me? Please feel free to elaborate on your answers.

1) On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 not at all / 10 very) how confident are you that the team will be in Super League in 2014?

2) On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 not at all / 10 very) how confident are you that the team will be in Super League (top division) in 2015?

3) Where do you want the team to be playing next season and beyond (area/stadium)?


4) Do you think its more damaging that home grown players are looking to move on or that its becoming hard to attract top players from outside?


5) Do you play/coach/support any of the junior or amateur teams and do you think there is a sufficient link up between the SL club and the amateur/junior scene?


6) What do you think is the biggest obstacle facing the Broncos? (i.e. location, financial support, isolation from heartlands, crowds)


7) Would you still support the team if they dropped out of the top division and do you think a step down would help or harm the long term prospects of the club?


I'd appreciate any genuine answers either on the thread or even better by DM. Thanks.

@jaybs

I don't know that these working class communities really exist any more. Fulham RLFC was the early 80s - since then we've had the loss of traditional jobs plus gentrification; further mass migration and white flight.

I remember reading Nick Hornby's book on soccer. On moving to Highbury, he had expected it to be full of Arsenal fans loyally making the pilgrimage every Sunday, instead he found that Arsenal fans travelled in and the local community viewed home games as an inconvenience. And that was a book written in the early / mid 90s.

Broncos need a base to create a community but the community needs to be created, it does not exist naturally. Even if Fulham had stayed Fulham, there would have been a need to keep recreating the community of support.

My point is that it is no more likely to be successful in any other place in London. Remember we had some good crowds at the Stoop first time round. By focusing on location we are simply trying to solve the wrong problem. It is a smokescreen for all the other failings at the club. Frankly ridiculous that our future is dependent on this. Makes you wonder if David Hughes wanted an excuse to get out when he saw what a failure things had become.

Don't know if you will remember, but first time around we always did well with corporate boxes all full every game, there was also a time when we did a promotion with Capital Radio, who at that stage were the Number 1 Radio Station, also we had a fair team, think of some of those big names.

Seriously David Hughes could have got out at any time, he never needed excuses, you just cut off the tap! be fair the personal money pumped in has been way above what any owner has put in any club in Super League virtually. Wakefield is in a mess for £400,000, David Hughes put in just over £2 million a season.

I didn't intend to start a class debate but its funny how these forums go on here. An argument between posters always results! Ha.

Anyway, here is the piece your comments helped inform: [urlhttp://markillsport.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/should-we-be-worried-about-london.html[/url

Good luck to the Broncos for 2014 and the long term. Keep supporting Rugby League and your team and don't keep the Rugby League secret to yourselves like many northerners want to!

You would have to be a total simpleton to want to return to Fulham.

Anyone who has visited the ground will know it's not particularly accessible by car for visiting supporters and has a lot of parking restrictions in the area so even less 'away' fans will bother coming. Even from a home supporters perspective the nearest tube station is a good 10 minute walk.

Griffin Park (Brentford) was in a not particularly nice area with only on street parking for away fans (as far as I can remember), a 10 -15 walk to the nearest tube station and the ground itself was nothing special.

Loftus Rd (home of QPR) has been mentioned on other forums and might be a reasonable option. Parking in selected streets nearby to the ground is free at weekends, Shepherds Bush is the nearest tube and is a 10 minute or so walk. There is a large Westfield Shopping centre in Shepherds Bush )about 15 mins walk) with an underground car park if you don't fancy parking on the streets around the ground.