Trailfinders a sad indictment of rugby

[Not a jock]

What Ealing is doing, is to prove (yet again) that there is no appetite for a third top flight rugby club in the London area. The population of London is something like eight million so similar to the entire island of Ireland, yet is can only sustain Quins and Sarries. Wasps were based in West London for many years then tried to tap into the wider home counties by decamping to High Wycombe. The Not Nots tried to do something similar by going to Reading - that move failed and they failed again in Brentford.

In the late 1980s I lived a few miles from Rosslyn Park's ground and went to see Tigers play there a few times. I'm sure even in those amateur era times the crowds were bigger than 2700! I also saw them play Quins at HQ - the Stoop at the time was four grassy banks and a garden shed.

Regarding Exeter, rugby is relatively more popular in the southwest than elsewhere in the UK so if ever a new pro team was going to make it then it would be Exeter or Plymouth. The population of the entire SW is only 5.7 million yet is appears to sustain four (of the 10) pro clubs.

[Hot_Charlie]

From what I could see on TV it looked a splendid small ground.

The pitch looked horrendous. It looked like one of those 3G/4G pitches that you see at schools when they spend a shed load of money laying it but forget to pay for its upkeep. The clue being how the players were covered in rubber crumb as it was all sat on top of the fibres.

Flash playing squad, not paying for Premiership standard facilities.

[GB72]

Back in the good old days, tickets were cheap and so people turned up in bigger numbers. Then again,they did not have player wages to pay.

I guess you have to ask, is Ealing a attractive match. Bearing in mind we will always be classed as a 'premium' fixture with price set accordingly, would you pay £30-£40 to watch a match v Ealing either home or away. Which if the current Prem matches would you see as less of a draw to go to. Not sure we would exactly be filling of MWWR for that fixture.

There is no easy answer. I am a bit frustrated with the media selling the story of them being plucky underdogs denied promotion when they have a premiership level squad bought in by a rich benefactor.

[Rugbygramps]

From what I could see on TV it looked a splendid small ground.

The pitch looked horrendous. It looked like one of those 3G/4G pitches that you see at schools when they spend a shed load of money laying it but forget to pay for its upkeep. The clue being how the players were covered in rubber crumb as it was all sat on top of the fibres.

Flash playing squad, not paying for Premiership standard facilities.

Totally agree about the pitch. Any surface where players are not diving due to concern over risk of injury is sub standard.

Re Exeter as another poster said they were able to tap into a strong rugby infrastructure in Devon and Cornwall without relying on support from further up the M5

[Rugbygramps]

Back in the good old days, tickets were cheap and so people turned up in bigger numbers. Then again,they did not have player wages to pay.

I guess you have to ask, is Ealing a attractive match. Bearing in mind we will always be classed as a 'premium' fixture with price set accordingly, would you pay £30-£40 to watch a match v Ealing either home or away. Which if the current Prem matches would you see as less of a draw to go to. Not sure we would exactly be filling of MWWR for that fixture.

There is no easy answer. I am a bit frustrated with the media selling the story of them being plucky underdogs denied promotion when they have a premiership level squad bought in by a rich benefactor.

Good point re their squad. Where were the youngsters coming through. It seemed mainly to be players that have grown with the club or ex premiership payers brought in

[Old Hob]

From what I could see on TV it looked a splendid small ground.

The pitch looked horrendous. It looked like one of those 3G/4G pitches that you see at schools when they spend a shed load of money laying it but forget to pay for its upkeep. The clue being how the players were covered in rubber crumb as it was all sat on top of the fibres.

Flash playing squad, not paying for Premiership standard facilities.

I accept the criticism of the pitch; what I meant was the general appearance of the stadium itself - clean and neat - looked good. I liked the tale of the itinerant rubbish collectors, too.

[Tiglon]

How are Ealing supposed to build a fanbase if they're not allowed into the Premiership?

The Championship itself generates so little interest that you're never going to have a lot of fans until you move up a level.

Instead of saying they've failed, and Premiership Rugby acting as a gatekeeper, perhaps there should be a clear pathway and support process for ambitious clubs to grow over time, in which we work with clubs like Ealing to help them become strong professional outfits?

Unless we're happy with a maximum of 10 Prem clubs, until the next one goes bust?

We all (I think) accept that the Premiership needs to be bigger, yet here we have a wealthy man who wants to invest in rugby and build something.... and our response is "no thanks, mate". Crazy.

[GB72]

How are Ealing supposed to build a fanbase if they're not allowed into the Premiership?

The Championship itself generates so little interest that you're never going to have a lot of fans until you move up a level.

Instead of saying they've failed, and Premiership Rugby acting as a gatekeeper, perhaps there should be a clear pathway and support process for ambitious clubs to grow over time, in which we work with clubs like Ealing to help them become strong professional outfits?

Unless we're happy with a maximum of 10 Prem clubs, until the next one goes bust?

We all (I think) accept that the Premiership needs to be bigger, yet here we have a wealthy man who wants to invest in rugby and build something.... and our response is "no thanks, mate". Crazy.

If it were part of expanding the number of teams, I would have them in for next season. Sadly I think the chances of that due to protectionism are going to get even smaller.

If the Saudi investment in Newcastle story is true, you are going to have a club that can now spend up to the cap and that will not be the whipping boys that they are now. With a strong Newcastle team, it really could be any team out of the 10 that could get relegated and the turkeys are not going to vote for Xmas.

[BengalTiger]

You are looking down from your ivory tower, those involved with the grass roots of the game admire what the Championship clubs are striving to do with no help from the people charged with growing the game. Clubs in the National leagues play the game for the love of it, no trophies to win, just a love of the game. I think you need to find your local rugby club and immerse yourself in the game that is real. Then when you go to Welford Road, you will perhaps view the game quite differently.

What an arrogant and ill thought out post!
My point was nothing to do with grass roots rugby, it was that rich individuals can buy in a team without growing the support to maintain the club, then the London centric media cheerlead for them to be let into the Premiership, which IMHO is utter nonsense.
If Ealing's owner instead had spent the cash on developing a strong local team with good connections to local clubs then they would have a claim to being hard done by, but like a lot of rich people they want quick gratification for their ambitions and vicarious pleasure by holding up a trophy or two.

[Rugbygramps]

How are Ealing supposed to build a fanbase if they're not allowed into the Premiership?

The Championship itself generates so little interest that you're never going to have a lot of fans until you move up a level.

Instead of saying they've failed, and Premiership Rugby acting as a gatekeeper, perhaps there should be a clear pathway and support process for ambitious clubs to grow over time, in which we work with clubs like Ealing to help them become strong professional outfits?

Unless we're happy with a maximum of 10 Prem clubs, until the next one goes bust?

We all (I think) accept that the Premiership needs to be bigger, yet here we have a wealthy man who wants to invest in rugby and build something.... and our response is "no thanks, mate". Crazy.

Just playing devils advocate if this man wants to invest in rugby why isn’t he doing something about the nice little ground, which looked to be part of a larger complex and shocking pitch. Why didn’t their team contain some promising youngsters rather than a large number of ex premiership players.
I agree there should be a pathway but the funding within the club needs to be directed in the right areas, otherwise 4 clubs going under could easily turn into 5. And the biggest question what happens when rich man gets bored or looses his money

[Hot_Charlie]

How are Ealing supposed to build a fanbase if they're not allowed into the Premiership?

Because they've show no evidence of being able to do it in the Championship. In five years they've raised their average attendance by less then 200. The only good crowds they get are with local derbies (London Irish) or strong travelling suppport.

Also notable was how they went for £40 tickets for the PRC rather than maybe £25 and getting more people in.

I don't think they have any realistic ambition to be in the Premiership - if they did they'd have voluntarily sought a groundshare. They invest in the playing side, but not in infra; how is that fair to teams who do both? They are just system disruptors who, deep down, I think live off their "victim" publicity.

[tigerburnie]

How are Ealing supposed to build a fanbase if they're not allowed into the Premiership?

The Championship itself generates so little interest that you're never going to have a lot of fans until you move up a level.

Instead of saying they've failed, and Premiership Rugby acting as a gatekeeper, perhaps there should be a clear pathway and support process for ambitious clubs to grow over time, in which we work with clubs like Ealing to help them become strong professional outfits?

Unless we're happy with a maximum of 10 Prem clubs, until the next one goes bust?

We all (I think) accept that the Premiership needs to be bigger, yet here we have a wealthy man who wants to invest in rugby and build something.... and our response is "no thanks, mate". Crazy.

Just playing devils advocate if this man wants to invest in rugby why isn’t he doing something about the nice little ground, which looked to be part of a larger complex and shocking pitch. Why didn’t their team contain some promising youngsters rather than a large number of ex premiership players.
I agree there should be a pathway but the funding within the club needs to be directed in the right areas, otherwise 4 clubs going under could easily turn into 5. And the biggest question what happens when rich man gets bored or looses his money

That could quite easily happen at any of the PRL teams, too, apparently Jersey Reds who had won the right to be promoted lost their investors because they could see no future due to the PRL denying them their rightful place in the Premiership.

[tigerburnie]

You are looking down from your ivory tower, those involved with the grass roots of the game admire what the Championship clubs are striving to do with no help from the people charged with growing the game. Clubs in the National leagues play the game for the love of it, no trophies to win, just a love of the game. I think you need to find your local rugby club and immerse yourself in the game that is real. Then when you go to Welford Road, you will perhaps view the game quite differently.

What an arrogant and ill thought out post!
My point was nothing to do with grass roots rugby, it was that rich individuals can buy in a team without growing the support to maintain the club, then the London centric media cheerlead for them to be let into the Premiership, which IMHO is utter nonsense.
If Ealing's owner instead had spent the cash on developing a strong local team with good connections to local clubs then they would have a claim to being hard done by, but like a lot of rich people they want quick gratification for their ambitions and vicarious pleasure by holding up a trophy or two.

Really what trophy are Ealing likely to win? Why do you think people invest in sports teams, because they don't make any money from doing so. Do you think people like Dyson made any money out of investing in Bath for example?

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

On Radio Leicester last Friday the Premiership was referred to as a "Cartel".

The RFU aren't interested they would prefer the pro. Club game to go bust.

This weekend just gone in a fallow weekend of the 6N that gets the most Union Interest amongst the casual sport watcher, there was no terrestrial TV Rugby Union to watch unless you went hunting for it in IPlayer, meanwhile the 13 man code is going to get more free to air exposure.

PRL are in my view are pretty inept.

[tigerburnie]

You are looking down from your ivory tower, those involved with the grass roots of the game admire what the Championship clubs are striving to do with no help from the people charged with growing the game. Clubs in the National leagues play the game for the love of it, no trophies to win, just a love of the game. I think you need to find your local rugby club and immerse yourself in the game that is real. Then when you go to Welford Road, you will perhaps view the game quite differently.

What an arrogant and ill thought out post!
My point was nothing to do with grass roots rugby, it was that rich individuals can buy in a team without growing the support to maintain the club, then the London centric media cheerlead for them to be let into the Premiership, which IMHO is utter nonsense.
If Ealing's owner instead had spent the cash on developing a strong local team with good connections to local clubs then they would have a claim to being hard done by, but like a lot of rich people they want quick gratification for their ambitions and vicarious pleasure by holding up a trophy or two.

Really what trophy are Ealing likely to win? Why do you think people invest in sports teams, because they don't make any money from doing so. Do you think people likes of Craig or Dyson made any money out of investing in Bath for example?