By Simon Webb @Sim0nWebb
One of the most exciting days of the year for a loyal supporter of any team in whatever sport, is the announcement of the fixtures for the forth-coming season. If you happen to be a season ticket holder this date takes on extra importance, since you’re intentions are for sport to take priority over pretty much every other aspect of life. Then comes the feeling of dread as you work your way through the list, hoping your favourite away trip or the all important local derby doesn’t clash with a family occasion that would be oh so difficult to get out of.
In November 2013, for the first time in over fifteen years, the announcement of Super League fixtures did not have anything like that feeling of anticipation for me. I’d been a season ticket holder at the Stoop since the London Bronco’s move back from Griffin Park for the start of 2006, but even before then I was a regular at Brentford, occasional visitor to Charlton and had first been lured in by rugby league on my doorstep during London’s first tenure in Twickenham. The Hive however, near some place in North West London on the Jubilee Line I’d never heard of before, was a move I was not prepared to commit a sizable chunk of every other weekend to. Relocation itself was not the issue, it’s unlikely I’d have renewed even had we remained at the Stoop, a half hour walk from my house, but the extra travel was certainly a deal breaker.
Sport at its best is a combination of hope, belief, drama, unpredictability, excitement, pride in the team or individual you’ve chosen to back, and the certainty that regardless of the outcome you can walk away knowing they’ve given everything, win, lose or draw. With the exception of the latter on that list, watching the Broncos in recent years has been a gradual move away from everything that makes sport an enjoyable experience, to the point last summer where I found myself drifting away from Rugby League in general, only drawn back by the play offs and the prospect of three London developed players lining up in the Grand Final.
And this is why I feel relegation couldn’t come soon enough for the London Broncos.
Yes it gave ammunition to the nay-sayers who don’t believe the sport should be played outside of a few miles either side of a straight line between Hull and Merseyside, even with the afore mentioned three Londoners on the pitch at Old Trafford. There was always a feeling of satisfaction in reminding them that London had never finished bottom of the league, no matter how close we got on occasions, but in truth, giving that narrow-minded view of how Rugby League should exist even the benefit of a reply is a distraction from the reality of where the sport is and can aspire to be.
For whilst London Broncos are down, we’re certainly not out, and this is important both for the sport as a whole, and we the Broncos supporters in particular.
We often hear about player pathways, the opportunity for young southerners to see there’s a chance, all be it a small one, that they might reach the very top. Dan Sarginson heading down under with England the latest in a growing list of successes to aspire to. However for the next in line, playing in a team which loses every week was actually harming their chances. There comes a point for young players where repeated failures as a team means they will inevitably start lose belief in their own personal development. Moving down a level to a league which will be no less competitive than Super League, all be it one where the quality isn’t quite so high, will, we hope, give what is clearly a talented group of emerging players the chance to learn what winning actually feels like.
The RFL’s restructure presents a great opportunity for London and Bradford. Both should be considered favourites to go into battle with the bottom clubs from Super League come August and, should the Broncos reach that stage, we should see a team playing with confidence and belief as well as the undoubted ability they possess.
Yes games next season are on paper harder to promote than the visits of Wigan, Leeds, St Helens and the rest, but frankly one-sided contests that we often saw between us and the big boys weren’t exactly an enticing sell.
I see relegation as an opportunity for all connected with the London Broncos to refocus, appreciate what we have and what we can realistically achieve. A return to the Broncos being about hope, belief, drama, unpredictability, excitement and pride will be the first steps on the road back to Super League.
The squad looks like one that should at least compete but realistically should see us fighting near the top of a table rather than the bottom, something we’ve become very used to in recent times. 2015 in the Championship won’t be easy, we’ll have our noses mudded along the way, but if we’re not showing signs of being a stronger club for the experience by August, that’s when we should be really worried.
One of the most exciting days of the year for a loyal supporter of any team in whatever sport, is the announcement of the fixtures for the forth-coming season. If you happen to be a season ticket holder this date takes on extra importance, since you’re intentions are for sport to take priority over pretty much every other aspect of life. Then comes the feeling of dread as you work your way through the list, hoping your favourite away trip or the all important local derby doesn’t clash with a family occasion that would be oh so difficult to get out of.
In November 2013, for the first time in over fifteen years, the announcement of Super League fixtures did not have anything like that feeling of anticipation for me. I’d been a season ticket holder at the Stoop since the London Bronco’s move back from Griffin Park for the start of 2006, but even before then I was a regular at Brentford, occasional visitor to Charlton and had first been lured in by rugby league on my doorstep during London’s first tenure in Twickenham. The Hive however, near some place in North West London on the Jubilee Line I’d never heard of before, was a move I was not prepared to commit a sizable chunk of every other weekend to. Relocation itself was not the issue, it’s unlikely I’d have renewed even had we remained at the Stoop, a half hour walk from my house, but the extra travel was certainly a deal breaker.
Sport at its best is a combination of hope, belief, drama, unpredictability, excitement, pride in the team or individual you’ve chosen to back, and the certainty that regardless of the outcome you can walk away knowing they’ve given everything, win, lose or draw. With the exception of the latter on that list, watching the Broncos in recent years has been a gradual move away from everything that makes sport an enjoyable experience, to the point last summer where I found myself drifting away from Rugby League in general, only drawn back by the play offs and the prospect of three London developed players lining up in the Grand Final.
And this is why I feel relegation couldn’t come soon enough for the London Broncos.
Yes it gave ammunition to the nay-sayers who don’t believe the sport should be played outside of a few miles either side of a straight line between Hull and Merseyside, even with the afore mentioned three Londoners on the pitch at Old Trafford. There was always a feeling of satisfaction in reminding them that London had never finished bottom of the league, no matter how close we got on occasions, but in truth, giving that narrow-minded view of how Rugby League should exist even the benefit of a reply is a distraction from the reality of where the sport is and can aspire to be.
For whilst London Broncos are down, we’re certainly not out, and this is important both for the sport as a whole, and we the Broncos supporters in particular.
We often hear about player pathways, the opportunity for young southerners to see there’s a chance, all be it a small one, that they might reach the very top. Dan Sarginson heading down under with England the latest in a growing list of successes to aspire to. However for the next in line, playing in a team which loses every week was actually harming their chances. There comes a point for young players where repeated failures as a team means they will inevitably start lose belief in their own personal development. Moving down a level to a league which will be no less competitive than Super League, all be it one where the quality isn’t quite so high, will, we hope, give what is clearly a talented group of emerging players the chance to learn what winning actually feels like.
The RFL’s restructure presents a great opportunity for London and Bradford. Both should be considered favourites to go into battle with the bottom clubs from Super League come August and, should the Broncos reach that stage, we should see a team playing with confidence and belief as well as the undoubted ability they possess.
Yes games next season are on paper harder to promote than the visits of Wigan, Leeds, St Helens and the rest, but frankly one-sided contests that we often saw between us and the big boys weren’t exactly an enticing sell.
I see relegation as an opportunity for all connected with the London Broncos to refocus, appreciate what we have and what we can realistically achieve. A return to the Broncos being about hope, belief, drama, unpredictability, excitement and pride will be the first steps on the road back to Super League.
The squad looks like one that should at least compete but realistically should see us fighting near the top of a table rather than the bottom, something we’ve become very used to in recent times. 2015 in the Championship won’t be easy, we’ll have our noses mudded along the way, but if we’re not showing signs of being a stronger club for the experience by August, that’s when we should be really worried.