@jdgsport I think the ‘tipping point’ has passed James. I think for a lot of traditional clubs the ‘next generation’ isn’t there. The number of kids playing the game is dwindling and the path to the senior game is virtually gone, particularly for the smaller clubs like ourselves.
The game can’t support a full time professional structure as there just isn’t the money in the game.
it needs to revert to semi-amateur to survive but that would mean the end of the cushy number for those currently “running” the game.
it seems there might be a tiny glimmer of hope. Surely the name calling that is starting to creep back onto the board shows that there are still some kiddies around ?
I think the long term future for super league is a game made up of large cities/towns and I believe the franchise system will be the only way
widnes and clubs alike will fit in the league below like the NSW cup in Australia, compare us to the like of north Sydney Bears 🐻
I can see a Spanish team or a Scottish/Irish team in there
@mckeeverviking
Not familiar with the Aussie second division but iirc aren't the senior club required to finance the operation of the lower division club as a self-contained unit? Can anyone confirm or explain the set up?
If that were the case then wev could be the feeder for Wire or Saints!
If that were the case then wev could be the feeder for Wire or Saints!
No blooming thanks!!
Although it’s very far from perfect, I’m content with the current system of loans and thus keeping our individual, independent identity.
@sandgroper I am not exactly sure how they’re funded but I thought the league was funded through tv deals and sponsorship just like the championship should be. This whole waiting desperately for the crumbs from super league is a load of crunchie. Championship should arrange a tv deal and have their own sponsorship but I guess that can’t happen until the franchise system is in place and are separate entities
sadly we’re already a feeder club but for Salford which just shows us exactly where we are as a club.
I have been a widnes fan all my life and always will be but at nearly 40 I caught the back end of the glorious 80’s/ early 90’s team
like james said we had a competitive team 2013-2016 but then rule and crew started draining our pond
Finney/finnegan don’t have the ability to help us progress so we need a full buy out for us to see improvement
I don’t buy into this whole we’re lucky to just have a club, no we’re not the fans (myself included) saved us
people will not continue to pay £22 to watch a team underperform week after week, same poor recruitment in areas we know about
I hope the council and clubs looking for an investor and or be prepared to have 1200 fans every other week. Time for a reality check
I hope the council and clubs looking for an investor and or be prepared to have 1200 fans every other week. Time for a reality check
Why? The council have absolutely nothing to do with the Vikings, apart from being their landlord.
The number of times on this board where the council are meant to be doing X,Y or Z to help Widnes is baffling & bizarre.
@torn-sock-1 I am talking about the ownership of the stadium being a big red flag for any perspective buyer.
the council needs to work with the club on a dual ownership to help both parties but would only work with an investor
@mckeeverviking Again though you're missing the point. The council DON'T need to do anything.
It's not their problem that Widnes is a mess. Why should they give dual ownership to an investor?
I have no idea if the stadium is making any money, but if it is then the council will be using it to prop up much needed and massively underfunded parts of their budget, instead of giving that (Or part of it) to an owner that would have enough money in the first place to buy a (Semi) Professional sports club.
Why should that be the case, just to help Widnes Vikings?
Edit - In what way would dual ownership help the council in any way?
Why should the Halton Council be interested in helping Widnes Vikings, a tenant ? From their perspective provided the Council are satisfied with the revenue that the stadium brings in it is no skin off their nose if one of their tenants is suffering.
Does anybody know what we pay (pa) as tenants? If we continue to lose fans in big numbers / income, is it sustainable for us to stay on in the stadium? Maybe in reality we are already there? Is the burden hampering our recruitment? Or is that stating the obvious
On another tack the stadium and facilities attract many players, certainly upwardly mobile ones, who have endured rubbish facilities elsewhere. It looks like a SL stadium and that is a plus.
The only rub may be the rent, though in the past they terms have been a good as the Council could afford (as Torn Sock says the Council have 150,000 masters to please!)
As I have said before the country's economic situation is pretty dire and that will affect Government, Council's and financiers as well as the supporters. It remains to be seen how that will all play out.
The club and council should work together for the good of the town, seriously what else is widnes known for and can be proud of. I lived in Australia and New Zealand for 5 years and a lot of the old boys knew of widnes because of the rugby league club
im not suggesting that we should be just given ownership of the stadium but more of a collusive partnership with the council where if a potential buyer comes in he has some options to bring in extra revenue from the stadium. We are in a position where we bring in the fans but then pay for rent but don’t make any money from goods sold in the stadium drinks pies etc… If I rented you a commercial space and said you can only make money at the door but anything sold inside I the landlord profit only I doubt I’d be in business for long
The council are in no position to let an asset, the stadium, slip away cheaply. Nor do anyone (ANYONE) any favours with it's fiscal pulling power. I don't know, but I suspect, that they don't crucify the rugby team for rent. However, if they need to raise the rent and we can't afford it, we'd have to look elsewhere.
Councils make money through central government grants, council tax, business rates, planning permissions and private investments. The Tories have cut the central government grant by an average of 60% since 2010 so when your council tax goes up and every Tom, Dick and Harry planning application gets accepted, you know why. Business rates and revenue through private enterprise also needs maximising. So, to me, being beholden to a Local Authority as a Landlord isn't a great place to be as rents will only be going one way.
The Council has, over many years, been very supportive of the club (they built the stadium for SL!) but when their funding is stretched as tight as it is now their hands are tied and they have to attend to the provision of essential services.
Hopefully when public finances improve things might change for the better.
The club and council should work together for the good of the town, seriously what else is widnes known for and can be proud of. I lived in Australia and New Zealand for 5 years and a lot of the old boys knew of widnes because of the rugby league club
im not suggesting that we should be just given ownership of the stadium but more of a collusive partnership with the council where if a potential buyer comes in he has some options to bring in extra revenue from the stadium. We are in a position where we bring in the fans but then pay for rent but don’t make any money from goods sold in the stadium drinks pies etc… If I rented you a commercial space and said you can only make money at the door but anything sold inside I the landlord profit only I doubt I’d be in business for long
By the same token, how could Widnes RLFC staff the stadium for 3 hours every other week - stewards, turnstile operators, concessions staff - and make money?
The only value I can see in having any control over the stadium is being able to monetise it outside of home match hours (whether the council do enough of this themselves, I'm not sure). They shut down the sports bar and turned it in to offices (which I presume saves them money elsewhere). Warrington, for instance, rent out a lot of the areas under the concourse and in the main stand to their foundation, England Handball, NHS and a few other private bodies to generate revenue; they use the Martin Dawes Stand for conferencing and corporate events.