2021 fixtures

No point announcing fixtures until the promotion happens.

Also, they may be recalibrating plans one way or another based on some crowds being let back in.

Let's not forget they are promoting a L1 team too.

Barrow or Rochdale to come in.We need to get a full uninterupted season behind us after the chaos of 2019 and this season's write off.Gonna be tough but we must compete and be thereabouts,it is only second division rugby after all.As mentioned before, clubs who get by on much less support than ourselves manage to make a fist of it.Without wishing to look too far ahead the season after will be interesting with a SL team going down, probably the one that goes up for next year.How strong or otherwise might they be ? Will they have a parachute payment ?

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

The historical area of Lancashire, as opposed to the administrative areas created in 1974, includes Widnes, Warrington; Wigan, St Helens, Salford, Leigh, Swinton, Oldham and Rochdale. I recollect that the three Cumbrian clubs, Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington played in the Lancashire Cup. Maybe a third team from London Broncos, Catalan, Toulouse, Newcastle, North Wales Crusaders, West Wales Raiders, Coventry could be thrown into the mix and possibly an Exiles team. A four team format could work, with each team playing each other once and the top two go into a final play-off.

1895 cup needs binning off.

I was thinking more on the lines of a State of Origin competition with a Lancashire, Yorkshire, Exiles (overseas players) and Barbarians (Players from other areas). The criteria for selection could be based on current UK players from the clubs in those areas; or location of first team they played their first senior rugby league game. There could be rules limiting the number of SL players or even excluding SL players.

snafu wrote:

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

The historical area of Lancashire, as opposed to the administrative areas created in 1974, includes Widnes, Warrington; Wigan, St Helens, Salford, Leigh, Swinton, Oldham and Rochdale. I recollect that the three Cumbrian clubs, Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington played in the Lancashire Cup. Maybe a third team from London Broncos, Catalan, Toulouse, Newcastle, North Wales Crusaders, West Wales Raiders, Coventry could be thrown into the mix and possibly an Exiles team. A four team format could work, with each team playing each other once and the top two go into a final play-off.

Barrow was in Lancashire, not Cumberland. IIRC

Paulie xx

There was some idea of splitting the lower leagues into East and West Conferences but it seems to have been rejected.

For me, the NRC was fine with a final at Blackpool in July, so rather than scrap the 1895, I'd revert to that.

It would be interesting to see how many of the current Widnesians were actually born when we were in Lancashire.

why stop at Lancashire though - perhaps we could have the Mercian Cup ?

It would be interesting to see how many of the current Widnesians were actually born when we were in Lancashire. why stop at Lancashire though – perhaps we could have the Mercian Cup ?

Interesting one this. In 1974, Widnes and Runcorn councils were abolished to form the Borough of Halton within the county of Cheshire. So, on that basis, unless we have any players aged 46, then none will have been born in the administrative county of Lancashire.

In 1998, Halton and Warrington became unitary authorities separate from the county of Cheshire. The administrative county of Cheshire was abolished in 2009. In 2009, Halton became part of the Liverpool city region.

So maybe we should change our name to Liverpool Vikings.

And as an aside, anyone born in the Kingdom of Mercia would now be 1141!!!

I am a proud Widnesian and Lancastrian.

In case people have forgotten TODAY is LANCASHIRE DAY.

Widnes was not in Mercia  from the 9th C . It was invaded by the Vikings as part of the Danelaw. Mersey translates as sea boundary, separating us from Runcorn, which WAS and remained in Mercia and founded by Etelfleada, King Alfreds daughter. Mercia translates as Border people.

I think we will be able to start at the beginning of March, if the cases keep falling like they have been. The latest figures for Halton are 219, and just a month ago they were over 400. Hopefully with some people starting to get the vaccine from next month, the figures should start to fall further. If they limited the crowd to 4,000 that would be nearly our average crowd, so would be fine.

I think we will be able to start at the beginning of March, if the cases keep falling like they have been. The latest figures for Halton are 219, and just a month ago they were over 400. Hopefully with some people starting to get the vaccine from next month, the figures should start to fall further. If they limited the crowd to 4,000 that would be nearly our average crowd, so would be fine.

We've got Christmas and new year before the start of the season, cases will no doubt rise significantly after Christmas,  putting all area's at higher risk of going up into higher levels.

In tier 2, the limit is 2,000 people, I can't see anywhere coming out of tier once they're in it, not until the majority of the population has been vaccinated, which is unlikely to be before the start of the season.

How many season ticket holders does Widnes RL have?

If its more than 2,000, how does the club pick who goes to home games?  Every season ticket holder will want t attend games, is it going to be a case of if you[ve got a season ticket (if more than 2,000 have been sold) you go into a lottery each game, a husband/wife could get the go ahead to attend, but their other half doesn't get approved. Non season ticket holders banned until attendances allowed to increase.

Its a minefield that the admin staff are going to have to deal with, we'll all have to be patient.