Widnes Vikings can’t afford to play matches without any fans, so how are Widnes and Runcorn football clubs managing to play games without fans? I realise they don’t pay their players as much as us, but they must still have to pay them and the staff and the hiring of the stadium. And they will have a lot less money in the bank than we have.
I'd love to know how Widnes FC functions TBH. Don't know anything about their set-up but do they have a serious money person behind them ? Surely they can only be getting crowds in double figures during normal times ? Perhaps somebody can enlighten me on that. I would imagine the squad would want a fair bit more than a tenner for beer after the matches. It's a long, long way up the football pyramid, requiring millions to progress so I of course wish them all the best. Also, is it just me or do the football team seem to be grabbing the back page in the Weekly Rag these days ? I think it was taken over some years ago by the owners of the Echo. Maybe somebody there thinks Widnes is as barmy about football as Scousers are. Never going to happen.
I emailed the W news twice last season and once this season, before lockdown, complaining about the lack of coverage of the Vikings, who averaged crowds of about 4000 in favour of Widnes and Runcorn football clubs, who average about 100 fans. Told them this was a rugby town, not a football town, but didn’t get the courtesy of a reply.
I emailed the W news twice last season and once this season, before lockdown, complaining about the lack of coverage of the Vikings, who averaged crowds of about 4000 in favour of Widnes and Runcorn football clubs, who average about 100 fans. Told them this was a rugby town, not a football town, but didn’t get the courtesy of a reply.
What is a “rugby town” really though ? To be honest if Widnes got a team into the Premier League there would be more people wanting to get into the current stadium than it could hold.
Sport = business
The reason RL in general is in such a poor state is because the people running it aren’t fit for purpose - it is a very poorly run business.
Football is a different matter. It is a global business with jaw dropping revenue streams. It is light years ahead of RL as a business, so far ahead that it isn’t even worth comparing.
The potential with a (half decent) football club far, far outweighs anything any RL could dream of and the press know that. I can’t see it happening in my lifetime but imagine Widnes playing Liverpool in a Champions League semi final with a match against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final..... I bet there would be a couple of ‘Johnny come lately’ looking for tickets.
I’m saying this as a Widnes / RL fan for 50 years by the way, but our game is more marginalised now than in was 50 years ago and it would be interesting to step forward another 50 years to see what the dominant sports business in the area actually is.
Surely you're not saying that Elstone & Rimmer are incompetent commercial managers? Heaven forfend!
Look at their record, man!
I emailed the W news twice last season and once this season, before lockdown, complaining about the lack of coverage of the Vikings, who averaged crowds of about 4000 in favour of Widnes and Runcorn football clubs, who average about 100 fans. Told them this was a rugby town, not a football town, but didn’t get the courtesy of a reply.
What is a “rugby town” really though ? To be honest if Widnes got a team into the Premier League there would be more people wanting to get into the current stadium than it could hold. Sport = business The reason RL in general is in such a poor state is because the people running it aren’t fit for purpose – it is a very poorly run business. Football is a different matter. It is a global business with jaw dropping revenue streams. It is light years ahead of RL as a business, so far ahead that it isn’t even worth comparing. The potential with a (half decent) football club far, far outweighs anything any RL could dream of and the press know that. I can’t see it happening in my lifetime but imagine Widnes playing Liverpool in a Champions League semi final with a match against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final….. I bet there would be a couple of ‘Johnny come lately’ looking for tickets. I’m saying this as a Widnes / RL fan for 50 years by the way, but our game is more marginalised now than in was 50 years ago and it would be interesting to step forward another 50 years to see what the dominant sports business in the area actually is.
It needs some stretch of the imagination to imagine a Widnes football team winning the Champions League against Bayern Munich - or maybe a local derby against the resurgent Runcorn Linnets!!!
I would suggest that the lack of local news coverage about Widnes RLFC has more to do with the club not promoting the game locally. It would be better if the club actually approached the Widnes Weekly News and the Echo and not just a fan (or both) to ask about the lack of coverage. I guess if we became a top team in the SL again, there would be more coverage. These days, it is likely that the paper will not send a local reporter/photographer to cover games, but rely on the club or some freelance to provide copy.
As for the RFL, I agree with the comments. They appear to follow any passing fad from Australia and jump on board with any passing millionaire who promises future riches with no real long term plan in place. Maybe they should earn their large salaries by promoting and developing the game in the UK and Europe and recognise that RL exists outside SL from the Championship down to the grass roots amateur and school level.
I agree the club should send reports and news to the Weekly news to get more coverage, but it still doesn’t explain why Widnes football club and Runcorn linnets and Town with less than 100 people watching them, can get 2/3 pages devoted to them each week, compared to about 1/4 to 1/2 page for Widnes Vikings, who have about 4000 fans watching them. Surely a local newspaper should give the most coverage to the most popular team/sport in their area. And Widnes Wild ice hockey team, that have been getting 2 pages about them each week despite not playing. They have been looking back at old matches they have played.
Widnes FC and Runcorn Linnets will send stuff in to the Weekly News, plus photos, for free. Same with the Wild.
Unfortunately that's the reality of local newspapers due to resource. Doesn't make it right, but it is what it is.