I'm commenting on people being critical of what's being published now, not what was being published in the mid 80's.
Totally disagree. Fc are a franchise, as are all the SL clubs. In football a club rises up the league tables by winning more games then the other clubs over the length of a full season. In RL you just buy a franchise off the shelf and off you go. Like Fc bought the Gateshead Thunder franchise and moved it to Hull when the original club went bust.
Aren't they the only rugby league club that done that? And if you want a football club example of exactly the same thing, there's MK Dons.
It's not exactly the same thing. Hull Sharks we're going bust, the league interjected and merged them with another club that was successful on the pitch but not off it, transferring all the players into one club in Hull. Whereas the Wimbledon owner decided to relocate his club to another town.
When Hull FC were wound up bankrupt they transferred the Gateshead Thunder franchise to Hull. For the first season they were known as Gateshead Thunder trading as Hull FC, although you would never ever hear them referred to as that by any form of the media. It was a taboo subject, and when you see the club pushing the 1865 strap line you can see why. I read the other day that the RL have granted a franchise for a club in Toronto. Strange when the long established historic heartlands of the game like Widnes are denied a place in the SL. Correct on the MK Dons case. David Lloyd once considered moving Hull City to Wimbledon and Martin Fish thought having us ground share at Scarboro would be a good idea when his regime couldn't afford to maintain Boothferry Park.
Didn't Gateshead Thunder moved their team/club to Hull ? That's exactly the same as moving Wimbledon FC to Milton Keys.
Wasn't it suggested that Wimbledon move here to provide the area with top flight football. Lloyd suggested moving FC to Leicester to groundshare with Leicester Tigers. A suggestion which prompted Pst Doyle to declare "I will move heaven and earth to keep FC in Hull". This is the same Pat Doyle who not long before had said,mehen asked about the council helping City, "Sport plays no part on my agenda". The leader of the council which paid FC £750,000 for the Boulevard, coincidentally the amount F. C in were in debt, when not long before Waudby had said he would sell the Boulevard AND the team for £350,000. This enabled FC to move into the KC debt free . The safekeeping of F C always was a prime consideration of those involved with getting the KC built. And still is with many on the council. Gersghty for one.
Don't forget the HDM 'atmospherometer' City- SWFC at Wembley in front of 70,000 = 5/10 Widnes Bulldogs- HKR in front of 5,000 = 9/10
As an aside, and not a dig as such as it applies to other areas to, but given the fact they use it as a plus, what exists from back then in 1865? There wasn't rugby league until 1895, so even the sport has changed, never mind the name etc. What makes a club, a club?
It surprises me when people try to defend our local media against the charge of bias. They very clearly are, and have been for years.
