And that was your first mistake.

Here is the reply I got from the RFL - sod the supporters welcome to armchair viewers:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the change of date of the Catalans Dragons versus Harlequins RL fixture.

We appreciate the disruption this may have caused you and would like to apologise.

All fixtures published by the RFL at the start of the season are subject to change and as host broadcaster Sky Sports has the right to choose any game to show live and at this time in the season must give clubs involved at least four weeks notice. In this case they gave both clubs involved six weeks notice.

In previous seasons Sky Sports has initially chosen 11 Friday games and

22 Saturday games, however this season they have chose the first 14 rounds at the start of the season. This is so that they can choose games which are more competitive and a spectacle for TV viewers.

Once again, apologies for any inconvenience this fixture change may have caused.

Kind regards

Craig Spence
RFL Communications Manager

Yeah, Sky should think about the fans who travell and don't watch the matches on Sky ... ah.

everyone got the same email.
I now hope, given the distribution list of my letter (see the VT) that we may get something slightly different......but I wouldn't hold your breath.

1- b*ll*x, they would never do this for wendyball.
2- better than the NRL? hardly setting your sights high.

Easy general

Only a few weeks to go until "NCP MAYHEM IV"......the return of the paddock puncher


Sky or no Sky....the tear up is still on

I reckon that possibly the most successful route you could take would be to try and get the Catalan club to veto changes to their home fixtures, based on police/French TV commitments. Not sure that they would. especially for our derby rivals, but they are probably the most effective source to tap into here.

The whole process wasn't designed to stop anything from changing.....just making sure that the other 12 UK based SL clubs were made aware of what SKY were up to......
Mr Levy was on the list (hope his English is better than my French) and he will be able to do the maths.....90% fans bu99ered, 2,000 wire fans last year become 200........= Mon Diou!!!!!(sic)

Seems I'm the only person not to receive a reply. I wrote to SKY Sports, Boots N All, RFL, Ady Spencer, Total Rugby and Paul Blanchard. Total Rugby replied imemdiately as they want to print my mail and Paul Blanchard responded. Others - well what a surprise - nothing.

Seems the club sanctioned the fixture so Craig Spencer said on the radio tonight

They said they didn't expect many to be travelling-cheers Quins

Is that Paul Branchard a scouser?

He was on the radio tonight talking sh*t about the away game.

what was said. I was watching Boots N All where we were completely ignored even though they had received a number of emails from fans

Don't know but Paul Blanchard maybe

. To be fair the club can do nothing apart from tell the RFL they didn't like it. However it was concerning that the RFL chap said that the club had raised concerns but then said there wouldn't be many traveling. I would be very disappointed if the club said that but maybe it is the RFL putting some spin on it.

Still a deafening silence from Sky - why don't they say why it can't be on the Saturday! Have they only got one set of cameras?

I watched the 6 o'clock and fell asleep it was that interesting.

I got the same 'standard letter' from Mr Spence. I've emailed him back with this (for all the good it will do

)

[iDear Craig

Thank you for your reply. I note that you have sent a similar response to other supporters who have complained and to the club in the form of an RFL statement.

Unfortunately these apologies are not enough to placate me or any other Quins RL supporters who are out of pocket because of the fixture switch. You have apologised for any 'inconvenience' caused but for the supporters that have wasted money on flights and accommodation this goes way beyond mere 'inconvenience'.

Sky's decision to switch a Catalans fixture in this way is unprecedented and I find it inconceivable that the sport's governing body, supposedly guardians of the game, can allow the broadcaster to act with impunity with regards to this fixture. Would you have meekly sat back and apologised for the inconvenience if a couple of thousand of Leeds or Wigan supporters had been mistreated in this way? I doubt it.

Rather than fine words about contractual arrangements and periods of notice I suggest that you and your partners at Sky TV, together with the management of Harlequins RL and Catalans, look at ways to compensate the fans that have lost out. At the very least you could arrange for free tickets and hospitality at the ground for those who do still manage to travel - I won't hold my breath waiting for an announcement on this though!

I fear that you and your partners have seriously underestimated the PR damage done to the RFL and to Quins RL, and as a consequence to our game here in London, by this debacle.


Yours sincerely ...[/i

I got the same 'standard letter' from Mr Spence. I've emailed him back with this (for all the good it will do

)

[iDear Craig

Thank you for your reply. I note that you have sent a similar response to other supporters who have complained and to the club in the form of an RFL statement.

Unfortunately these apologies are not enough to placate me or any other Quins RL supporters who are out of pocket because of the fixture switch. You have apologised for any 'inconvenience' caused but for the supporters that have wasted money on flights and accommodation this goes way beyond mere 'inconvenience'.

Sky's decision to switch a Catalans fixture in this way is unprecedented and I find it inconceivable that the sport's governing body, supposedly guardians of the game, can allow the broadcaster to act with impunity with regards to this fixture. Would you have meekly sat back and apologised for the inconvenience if a couple of thousand of Leeds or Wigan supporters had been mistreated in this way? I doubt it.

Rather than fine words about contractual arrangements and periods of notice I suggest that you and your partners at Sky TV, together with the management of Harlequins RL and Catalans, look at ways to compensate the fans that have lost out. At the very least you could arrange for free tickets and hospitality at the ground for those who do still manage to travel - I won't hold my breath waiting for an announcement on this though!

I fear that you and your partners have seriously underestimated the PR damage done to the RFL and to Quins RL, and as a consequence to our game here in London, by this debacle.


Yours sincerely ...[/i

Did you expect anything else?

because they work for sky and clearly couldn't make themselves look bad

I’m still awaiting my cut and paste reply from Craig Spence, given that he seems to have done his selective mail out of the same email to a few at random today I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t see it.

Regarding his interview with Rammo tonight, I can’t decide if it’s the RFL trying to shift the blame, or whether Quins really did under estimate our away support. Apparently, according to Mr Spence, Quins suggested that those who would have traveled were most likely to go for a longer break, plus, Quins believed that not that many would travel at all.

Someone somewhere isn’t telling us the full story, meanwhile Sky, unsurprisingly, aren’t telling anyone anything, and I don’t expect them to either.

Well, amlomax1991 has been invited to meet the Sky people including the Executive Producer for RL (who has been in that position since the start of SL, I believe).

Maybe they'd be amenable to meeting a small delegation?

Well if Quins management are part of the problem and don't expect many to travel maybe I will take them up on that for the future and cancel my "promise" to gutterfax to go on the wakey express.

So much for thinking the future looks bright and considering joining the away crew, but in the present economic climate and how supporters are viewed what is the point? I might as well stay at home.

However it is the players who suffer and deserve support not the idiots who call themselves administrators.

Think this is a good idea! At least it would make our feelings known.

Reading through this, it's all Sky TBH. Like here in Oz, TV determines when the fixtures will be played.

Maybe SKY are too naïve to realise that Quins fans like to go to France and many would have booked up well in advance.

As Gutterfax has said, it's more about trying to stop this happening again, unfortunately for some. As suggested, SKY/Superleague should just inform people of whom they're playing and on what weekend. Then specify the exact date a few weeks out!!!

I really feel for the poor bastårds that have been turned over on this one. It's a lot of dosh.

Quite an interesting idea to 'move' into the Lexcus at the Leeds game but regret to say & knowing our fans the actual numbers will not be that many - guess not more than 150 to 250.

However, it might help if the visiting Leeds supporters also squatted in the Lexcus - afterall it could be them next time.

Fans who decamp into the Lexcus need to do so at the last minute and so perhaps ensuring that the QRL 'stewards' are caught short i.e. with their pants down.

A few large 'protest' banners would also help. Finally think that post match Stevo & his side kick should be prevented from entering the main bar on the grounds of 'personal safety'........ .