Could Bedford save London Welsh?

Bedford will face Newcastle Falcons in the two legged Championship Final. However the independent audit details found they did not meet the minimum requirements at goldington Rd. the RFU ratified this.

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Sport/Bedford-Blues-RUFC/Rugby-Union-Bedford-Blues-ineligible-for-promotion-20130429143045.htm

At the club’s AGM last month chairman Geoff Irvine indicated that the club would not seek promotion under the present circumstances but he said Blues reserved the right to legally challenge the process. He added that the club have no plans to leave Goldington Road.

Should the Falcon's win the play-offs it all becomes irrelevant, but if Bedford win we could either see LW stay up or yet more legal action.

CMON THE MIGHTY BLUES

I don't think so much legal action is good for the sport. Whoever qualifies should be promoted, last place team relegated.

The RFU should encourage the system to assist those teams who earn promotion to be competitive in the Premiership.

Agreed maesteg. If the bogs aren't good enough then maybe some help from the RFU should be paying them more rather than increasing the EPS players win bonuses.

I thought I heard a rumour that Bedford would look to move ground as Welsh did if promoted but maybe thats not true.

Bedford would look to move ground

What? Move from Goldington Rd and play on a flat pitch?

That would goose their tactics.

Apart from the levity of my earlier post I think the RFU should dig into their pockets and help the Championship sides upgrade their facilities.

And they should get rid of the Dual Registration that is allowed - a Championship side is currently allowed seven DR players to borrow from a Premiership side.

If they rely on these players to succesfully gain promotion they then faced with finding 7 premiership grade players to replace them as well as bolstering their own homegrown squad.

In my opinion that's just asking too much. Let the clubs gain promotion using their own players, they will strill have to buy in a few new faces anyway but having to replace DR players as well is just too much of a financial burden.

TrailApe, it's all academic. You're not going to let it happen are you?

The dual registration thing is not good for the Championship overall. It can be a root cause of lack of competitiveness in promoted sides. It's like buying promotion, you load the squad with players you can't keep if promoted. It also starves other clubs of talent because the big clubs suck in players who won't get 1st team game time (except in emergencies) but don't affect the salary cap. Often these are Championship players lured away from their original club as they begin to show promise thus denying them to the club that's nurtured them.

The RFU will only ever do the minimum to support the Championship.

That would be exceptionally ironic IF London Welsh ended up staying up on the same technicality that they fought against in order to get promoted. That would just lead to even more people adding them to their least favourite team list.

http://www.warriors.co.uk/images/news/web_610_goldington_road.jpg (not sure why the Warriors have targeted Goldington Rd with their spy drones).

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/46682011

Is not not partly the RFU's job to sponsor Rugby and promote the game?

And after being 'surprised' last year why are there no modified regulations in place this year?

Because the RFU and the PRL are a bunch of bleedin' inadequates. That's why.

Entitlement for promotion and the terms signed up to by each club should be a pre-season requirement.

And an audited proposal for their arrangement presented by Jan 1 and approved by Mar 1.

Promotion goes to the highest-placed Championship club which satisfies the conditions.

Playoffs ( ) if they are deemed necessary could be between either the top four placed sides or the top four approved sides or whatever.

But the opportunity to run to litigation every year is both damaging and farcical.

Rocket science it is not.

While I like how the Blues have brought their 'possible' legal challenge out into the public domain quite early, I'm not sure on what grounds they will be challenging the MSC.

LW got away with it because there were teams within the premiership that didn't have Primacy of Tenure, however that's not the issue here its the other part of the MSC - mainly capacity I think in this case - and I can't imagine the RFU/PRL being niave enough to enforce these regulations on a potential promotion candidate if there are current premiership sides not meeting the requirements.

That would be plain daft, incompetent and amatuerish wouldn't it. Can't see the RFU being associated with that.

aitchw - now don't you go and put the mockers on us you naughty Tyke!

At the club’s AGM last month chairman Geoff Irvine indicated that the club would not seek promotion under the present circumstances but he said Blues reserved the right to legally challenge the process.

As it's not just the stands which don't meet PRL specs, but the pitch which doesn't satisfy the RFU requirements, the Blues always knew (like Welsh last year) that promotion would be a prima facie no-starter.

Lets just hope that the deserved champions go through this year an avoid another pantomime.

greytiger wrote:

At the club’s AGM last month chairman Geoff Irvine indicated that the club would not seek promotion under the present circumstances but he said Blues reserved the right to legally challenge the process.

As it's not just the stands which don't meet PRL specs, but the pitch which doesn't satisfy the RFU requirements, the Blues always knew (like Welsh last year) that promotion would be a prima facie no-starter.

Lets just hope that the deserved champions go through this year an avoid another pantomime.

It seems ridiculous that the PRL use the competition created by relagation/promition in their league as an excuse while bartering in Europe vs franchises, whilst ring fencing elite wealthy clubs in the league to protect their club owners interests...?

What you don't get in a cartels is fairness - unlike monopolies maes

If that was to happen...i would be sick as f&&*

And too be honest i think i could see our chairman putting a nice written letter in advising legal action etc etc...

In all honesty...anything other than us going up this season would be as farsical as it was for Bristol last season. We are heads and tails the best side in the league...and for us not to gain promotion would be an abolsute f*&*ing disgrace!!

GeordieFalcon wrote:If that was to happen...i would be sick as f&&*

And too be honest i think i could see our chairman putting a nice written letter in advising legal action etc etc...

In all honesty...anything other than us going up this season would be as farsical as it was for Bristol last season. We are heads and tails the best side in the league...and for us not to gain promotion would be an abolsute f*&*ing disgrace!!

If there is no parachute to promoted clubs from the League then it would probably be best to get rid of play offs for qualification. The league leaders are more likely to be determined early and able to organise their necessary amenities for the PRLs requirements.


At the moment a team might scrap in to the play offs in a tight league, make the finale and win it thus causing promotion.

There are too many variables for clubs to be able to afford to make sensible plans.

If Bedford only failed on capacity grounds then it would be daft. however their ground fails in so many aspects - most notably medical facilities, toilets and the dip in the corner of the pitch. In many ways Goldington rd is a death trap. As someone who used to play for Bedford I hold a real soft spot for the club. the ground though is not good enough.

hopefully:

A) Falcons win to make it irrelevant.
B) RFU (and PRL) wake up to their responsibilities and provide proper funding to the championship that would allow teams like Bedford to make the structural changes needed.

Are falcons fully within the requirements ?

maestegmafia wrote:Are falcons fully within the requirements ?

They passed the audit, so I assume so. (Leeds and Nottingham also passed).

Yeah as far as im aware mate we fulfill the criteria.

We're currently rebuilding the whol stadium actually...gonna be a little cracker once its done...

GeordieFalcon wrote:Yeah as far as im aware mate we fulfill the criteria.

We're currently rebuilding the whol stadium actually...gonna be a little cracker once its done...

I went there about 12 years ago it had a fantastic atmosphere and a die hard support of proud local fans. I hope it is still the same.

Great to hear about the rebuilding.

How did the club afford to finance that?

I thought you were a bit down on your luck financially.

We have a generous new chairman mate...a real deal Falcons fan, whos come in and has huge ambition.

The appointments of Deano, etc showed us that.

Its still a good atmosphere...but would be nice to see regular full houses every game. Too be fair the standard of rugby we have played the last few seasons has been utter cr*p so i dont blame people for not coming.

For the first time in a long time i actually believe the club is going somewhere and could possibly match its dizzy heights of the league winning team of many moons ago...

GeordieFalcon wrote:We have a generous new chairman mate...a real deal Falcons fan, whos come in and has huge ambition.

The appointments of Deano, etc showed us that.

Its still a good atmosphere...but would be nice to see regular full houses every game. Too be fair the standard of rugby we have played the last few seasons has been utter cr*p so i dont blame people for not coming.

For the first time in a long time i actually believe the club is going somewhere and could possibly match its dizzy heights of the league winning team of many moons ago...

Fantastic news for the North East.

Keep us Welsh lads posted next season on whether the gate increases and why you think it's doing so. As our regions could do with a few tips..