To think Frank, there were Widnes fans when we were in SL who said they’d rather be in the championship, winning games rather than playing in SL and getting pasted, week in, week out! What next? I would rather be in League one winning games rather than getting pasted week in, week out!!! The mind boggles !
If you win games in ‘League one’ don’t you get promoted to SL though ?
Quite right and any fan will want to see their team at the top of the pile, winning games, rather than at the bottom of the pile, regularly losing games. I did say that it is much more enjoyable as a fan to see your team playing good rugby and winning regularly, rather than going to games, like we were in 2018, expecting to lose. Having said that I would also prefer to be losing regularly in SL, rather than in the Championship or League 1.
Is going to games expecting to lose any worse than going to games being disappointed if we don't win?
Based on our track record in the Championship over the past 25 years, we would be far better off with the former.
Is going to games expecting to lose any worse than going to games being disappointed if we don’t win? Based on our track record in the Championship over the past 25 years, we would be far better off with the former.
You are probably right James, but my recollection of going to games in 2018 was not so much losing, but players seemingly not making any effort and beaten before they came on the pitch. At the end of games, with few exceptions, I vowed that it was the last game I would be attending, but invariably turned up at the next game hoping they could never play as bad again and they did!!!
In my time watching Widnes, I have seen both highs and lows. You don't mind the lows if you think the players actually cared and were trying. I have seen too many games when this was not the case.
And that was where we have been for much if my time in supporting career Frank! Starting in 1951 with all local lads with pretty well nothing but spirit and determination that they would go down fighting, if nothing else. But that was the case with most teams iirc. Many of the opposition lads were colliers and tough as teak, but that was where the game began.
Handing the game over to big spenders has taken that away. Facilities are better but I can't accept that our well paid players are better footballers than their past peers.
The original concept of rugby being a recreational activity with a working career elsewhere still makes sense for those who are good, but will probably never be big earners.