The Virtual Terrace • Manchester Rangers Withdraw From NWML
Manchester Rangers released this club statement recently:
https://www.manchesterrangers.co.uk/club-statement-3/
Manchester wanted to become a professional club up the leagues. The board secured proper funding from serious backers, they secured a move to the 6500 capacity Manchester Regional Arena next to City’s Etihad Stadium on the same site where the RFL will be moving to soon.
Manchester do a lot of good work in the local community and work with Manchester University, local schools and local clubs East Manchester Rangers and Belle Vue Bees; all spreading the rugby league word across the city.
Manchester were pulling in crowds 300+ in the fifth tier, with a crowd of 358 against Bury. If this club could have had a few sustained decades under its belt as a professional club, what crowds they could have drawn?
Everything was geared for this club to become a professional club. A club that once won a Championship and two Challenge Cups (and were runners-up twice too)!
Only two years ago they were on BBC Radio talking about their long term aims to become a top club.
However, very strangely, the RFL made it clear that it had no desire for Manchester to join the elite. They were not interested in giving Manchester a professional license. So the financial backers have left (no point in them being there if they’re just going to be a club in the NWML) and the club have withdrawn from the league for the rest of this season while they get themselves sorted out behind the scenes and will be back possibly next season.
I don’t know if that will still be at the MRA or whether they now have to find a new home.
But what a missed opportunity by the RFL!
https://www.manchesterrangers.co.uk/club-statement-3/
Manchester wanted to become a professional club up the leagues. The board secured proper funding from serious backers, they secured a move to the 6500 capacity Manchester Regional Arena next to City’s Etihad Stadium on the same site where the RFL will be moving to soon.
Manchester do a lot of good work in the local community and work with Manchester University, local schools and local clubs East Manchester Rangers and Belle Vue Bees; all spreading the rugby league word across the city.
Manchester were pulling in crowds 300+ in the fifth tier, with a crowd of 358 against Bury. If this club could have had a few sustained decades under its belt as a professional club, what crowds they could have drawn?
Everything was geared for this club to become a professional club. A club that once won a Championship and two Challenge Cups (and were runners-up twice too)!
Only two years ago they were on BBC Radio talking about their long term aims to become a top club.
However, very strangely, the RFL made it clear that it had no desire for Manchester to join the elite. They were not interested in giving Manchester a professional license. So the financial backers have left (no point in them being there if they’re just going to be a club in the NWML) and the club have withdrawn from the league for the rest of this season while they get themselves sorted out behind the scenes and will be back possibly next season.
I don’t know if that will still be at the MRA or whether they now have to find a new home.
But what a missed opportunity by the RFL!
Statistics: Posted by Psychedelic Casual — Sun Jun 02, 2019 4:51 pm — Replies 2 — Views 75