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Thread: Swinton Lions petition

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    Default Swinton Lions petition

    The owners of Swinton Lions have decided to change the name of the club to Manchester Lions. Some of the fans have raised a petition to protest this.

    For those who want to add their support:

    https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https...3gT4tUybpuj3An

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    In The West Stand Dux's Avatar
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    While I do feel for the few loyal fans who are upset by this, the text of that petition basically reads like an explanation of why a change of this nature is absolutely necessary. As the petition says, they are perennial strugglers with no geographical base and a core support of 3-400.

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    How the mighty have fallen.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saint Ged View Post
    How the mighty have fallen.
    Yes they had some great players in the early 60's think they were Champions about 63

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    I heard their chairman speaking about it.
    Frankly they cannot carry on existing out of Swinton with crowds in the low hundreds.
    I get it's a major change but I in reality it's a case of change or die.

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    In The South Stand Sean Day's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Div View Post
    I heard their chairman speaking about it.
    Frankly they cannot carry on existing out of Swinton with crowds in the low hundreds.
    I get it's a major change but I in reality it's a case of change or die.
    Heard him too. Found myself agreeing with Wilkin actually in that we need to start making brave and bold decisions like this as a sport

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dux View Post
    While I do feel for the few loyal fans who are upset by this, the text of that petition basically reads like an explanation of why a change of this nature is absolutely necessary. As the petition says, they are perennial strugglers with no geographical base and a core support of 3-400.
    Well said. Swinton, sadly, are never going home. As a club they need to move on and be all they can be.
    I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.

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    This is understandably quite emotive and when you see recent history you do get it. We had a CEO who saw us as Merseyside Saints till Eamon chased him. Warrington would have become a Widnes feeder club as Cheshire all within the last twenty years or so.

    Then you go onto life outside of Super League. Oldham are playing on a rented field which is for those who remember it Houghton Road ex St Helens Town and in the opposite end of town to the historic fan base. Crowds are now 500 and it only serves the current owner, the club is basically dead living on RFL handouts etc.

    Swinton. Andy Mazey the owner was heavily involved in Leigh until Beaumont had a bigger wallet. Mazey on and off the field has done a good job, crowds on the up (850) figure and the team doing well. The previous poster is right they will never return to M44 its been far too long now. The club has lurched from crisis to crisis over 30 years or more.

    The sad but logical answer is if you are playing out of Sale or the Belle Vue Speedway Arena "re-brand" to focus on Manchester and a new audience "hopefully" Swinton has always associated to Manchester and not Salford so in many ways it makes sense. The RFL is a basket case and central funding will diminish and a few clubs will die in that process sadly.

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    They have nothing to lose as they have nothing. The game at junior level is fast disappearing from these former bedrock places. Sadly neglected by the super league clubs and the RFL in general. They used to hold the Lancashire cup final and many of the Challenge cup semi's there. Have attended on many occasions but so long ago.

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    Don't blame The Directors announcing they have all resigned! it is being reported, if I invested my own money into a RL Club what was not moving forward I would have to choose if I want to throw my money away! At times there has to be change, names, grounds everything to develop and more important to resign. A sad day, I remember so well as a kid Lancashire Cup Finals at Station Road, what experiences they were! games were Saturday afternoons and as you walked out of the ground The Manchester Evening News had a mobile printing van and they would be selling copies of the paper with match reports and football scores in the big stop press! days when we attracted Major Crowds regular to our game! not like now.

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    This just in.

    https://swintonlionsrlfc.co.uk/news/board-statement/

    Swinton diehards probably need to can the petition and open up a justgiving page , having chased off their benefactor.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Mander View Post
    This just in.

    https://swintonlionsrlfc.co.uk/news/board-statement/

    Swinton diehards probably need to can the petition and open up a justgiving page , having chased off their benefactor.
    Being careful what you wish for comes to mind.

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    In The South Stand Sean Day's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angry Dave View Post
    Being careful what you wish for comes to mind.
    Precisely.

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    It will end up as a members club similar to Hornets and then realise it is not sustainable without a benefactor to plug what remains from central funding. Once central funding goes its goodnight Vienna with what fans are left realising what they had in Mazey who is pretty good to be fair.

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    It's a shame. I saw them at Leigh a few weeks back and they were pretty good and lost a close game. Yes back in the day they had players like Stopford and Blan but those days are gone. If Bradford can't even play in their home city, what next?

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    I remember two great Premiership finals; 1976 and 1977 at the old Station rd. I think the last time i went there with my old dad was in the Murphy coaching era when fans were listening to one of his half time team talks in the changing rooms under the old stand. It involved loads of expletives and not much else. Happy days though!

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    HaHa carbon copy.

    Remember both. 76 Prem final my second ever game.

    Had my ear cocked like all the other fans listening to Murphy bollock everyone after Tommy
    Frodsham ran rings round Saints for 40 mins.

    Happy days.

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    I’m sure Eric Ashton was coach in 76/77 !

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    Quote Originally Posted by johnno65 View Post
    I’m sure Eric Ashton was coach in 76/77 !
    Two different matches.

    http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/match.php?seq=3629

    http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/match.php?seq=4127

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    Moderator Div's Avatar
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    Unfortunately I think the actions of what I am sure are passionate fans may have actually signed the death warrant for their own club.

    Echo some of the above. Think my first Saints cup final was the 1976 Premiership at Station Road against Salford.
    Think my last visit there was Gary Connolly's debut in a Challenge Cup game?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Div View Post
    Unfortunately I think the actions of what I am sure are passionate fans may have actually signed the death warrant for their own club.

    Echo some of the above. Think my first Saints cup final was the 1976 Premiership at Station Road against Salford.
    Think my last visit there was Gary Connolly's debut in a Challenge Cup game?
    Emotions always run high with stuff like this so one hopes time is a healer, everyone calms down and there is a proper conversation as to the future direction of the club.

    I’m not convinced Manchester rebranding would be a panacea for their problems. It would take a huge effort to attract a materially bigger audience to their fixtures. That said their fans appear to have a choice: exist as a community driven club or take a bit of a punt on Mazey’s vision (assuming he comes back).

    Post script: my memory of Swinton as a kid was Lockers doing his arm there (twice), Devine’s awful ankle injury at Maine Road and the ‘ghosts’ of a grand past at Station Road. Loved that ground...

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    I know that they’re 2 different matches but Ashton was coach in 76 and the other game you quote is 1988 which isn’t a premiership final !

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    Quote Originally Posted by johnno65 View Post
    I know that they’re 2 different matches but Ashton was coach in 76 and the other game you quote is 1988 which isn’t a premiership final !
    Similar to Houghwood's memoir.

    I remember the 1976 final. my first final and my second ever saints game.
    Didn't go in 1977.

    Like Houghwood I went with my Dad when Murphy was coach and listened to the half time teamtalk with my ear
    to the plywood walls.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Mander View Post
    Similar to Houghwood's memoir.

    I remember the 1976 final. my first final and my second ever saints game.
    Didn't go in 1977.

    Like Houghwood I went with my Dad when Murphy was coach and listened to the half time teamtalk with my ear
    to the plywood walls.
    1976 v Salford ; 1977 v Warrington.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Div View Post
    Unfortunately I think the actions of what I am sure are passionate fans may have actually signed the death warrant for their own club.

    Echo some of the above. Think my first Saints cup final was the 1976 Premiership at Station Road against Salford.
    Think my last visit there was Gary Connolly's debut in a Challenge Cup game?
    Two superb cover tackles from Gary Connolly that day kept us in the game, the best youngster I had ever seen play at Saints until KC.
    I think Gary was only 17 though KC may have been a year older.

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