A New Day Dawns
By Haxbytyke
September 7 2013
There is a well known saying that ends, ‘but you cannot please all of the people, all of the time. A week from today, the 2013/14 Rugby Championship will kick off.
At last the competition has a sponsor, there will be increased television coverage, courtesy of Sky, and there is an innovative start to the season.After years of seeming neglect, the Championship now has the chance to promote itself, and hopefully establish itself as a worthy second tier of English rugby.
Yet despite this, fans of some clubs are still not happy. Why?Everybody agrees sponsorship was essential to enable the clubs to flourish and keep its credibility, so the arrival of Greene-King, themselves manufacturers of a product closely associated with the rugby fraternity is to be applauded.Provided this sponsorship is managed correctly, every club should benefit from the arrangement.
Increased television coverage should be good, but only if the matches selected, are played at a suitable time for the fans, and not shunted about to act as a filler between football matches. The matches chosen will no doubt concern the teams at the top end of the table, so I don’t imagine fans of Pirates, or Bristol, would be happy travelling to say, Leeds or Rotherhamon a Thursday evening just to satisfy the needs of television. While it is important to showcase what the Championship has to offer, it must not be done at the expense of the fan on the terraces, at the end of the day, clubs need fans through the turnstiles, not sat on their settees, for they contribute nothing to the clubs, only to the paymasters.
The innovation is, for me, an excellent way of starting, and promoting the Championship. Two games, on one ground, on one afternoon, if promoted properly, can pay huge dividends. It gives supporters a chance to see 4 teams in action, the venues are neutral, and it is an additional fixture. To those who say it may jeopardise their clubs chance of promotion at the end of the season, all I can say is, ‘why?’
If promotion was achieved by finishing top of the league, fine, I may agree, but we have a play off system involving the top four teams, and if, over the course of 23 games, any team fails to achieve a top four finish they can hardly point the finger at the first game. As I have said, it is an extra game, at a neutral venue, no advantage to either side, and because it is the first game of the season, there are still 22 games left for teams to sort themselves out. So now we wait with baited breath for the season to start, let us all hope it lives up to expectations.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:09:15:12:09:50 by Wildwillie .
If our preparations have gone well, which they seem to have done then we are ready. September will be a tough month but I am not expecting any defeats.
With Donny relegated, the additional game is another opportunity to visit one of the best small grounds in the country. Oh! And let's not forget the cow pie!
I, for one, am looking forward to it immensely.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:09:08:10:03:39 by Bobba.
Not only do we still get Cow Pie, but we also are able to have a good look at two of the forthcoming opposition, namely Rotherham & Moseley.
While Nottingham are our more immediate concern, to have a look at the strengths and weakness's of two other opponents must be of use to our Management, (I hope so, for heavens sake!) and to our experts on the terraces.
Roll on Saturday, let's hope the weather is kind to us.
Up the Carnegie TYKES !