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Top article ! Maybe RL authorities should be made to read it once a week so they do not forget that this game is far more thyan just Super League !!

"Flying Flynn" sounds about right to me - just cannot say it after a couple of Gins !!!

1.GLEDHILL 2. COOPER 3.WHITE

Shall we tell him not to bother getting off the plane ??

Thanks for that info !

Hi Bill - thanks for your input . Like you I go back to the late 80s where I had to use hand held "bricks" at work !! You had to keep conversations short because of very short Battery life and fear of straining your biceps from holding the damn thing up to your ear for more than a minute !! My criticism still stands as the club have really not explained themselves very well. If I cannot get a hard copy Season Ticket then I will not , repeat , will not be spending any more money with Batley Bulldogs after 63 years. They really do need to learn some PR Skills !!

A question for KN or any Board member:- How do I continue to get a Season Ticket ? I have no phone so consequently I cannot download a Ticket on my phone. Are there no arrangements for such as myself to get a Physical Ticket or have I been abandoned by the Club after 63 years ??? Generally , I get my Batley information second hand because I do not follow Twitter or Facebook ( or whatever you call them these days ) or indeed access U tube .You make the huge mistaken assumption that everybody has a smart phone. If I have misunderstood and I can get a Season Ticket the normal way then fine. HOWEVER , if I am correct in my reading of the situation and there is not an alternative arrangement other than your "U Tube" route then I am sad to say that you can whistle for any more of my money because unless I get get a Season Ticket the sensible way then I am done with Batley (seriously). If I have misunderstood and I can get a Season Ticket the usual way then fine - I would be delighted to walk up to the Club and give "Iro" £150

It is all down to money - we do not have any money because of our small crowds so we are easy to "pick off" . For years Batley has been a well run club on a shoestring but the reality is that a lot of clubs in our Division can outbid us because their gates are better or have a Sugar Daddy . Unless we can double our gates ( or find a sugar daddy ) then the problem is going to remain . The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Super League clubs can grab any of our decent players for free - the deck is stacked against non-SL clubs for sure !! The reality is that the more we struggle to sign and keep decent players the more likely it is that gates will decrease further which in turn reduces income which in turn means we have less money to sign players !!! It's a vicious circle and very worrying . The best we can hope for is that we continue to punch above our financial weight

Is that a score or a time ???!!!

Why not 12:12 - Rugby League games never kick off on time so you can advertise what time you like !!

Am I missing something here ! Surely the point is that despite increasing the average gate Batley LOST money on the deal . Bottom line is that they cannot afford to carry on charging a Tenner !! A very rough calculation demonstrates why Batley cannot afford this policy :- 1. If the new average crowd for last season was , say, 1250 then charging £10 entrance would have yielded £12,500 per game. 2. If the old average crowd was , say , 1000 then charging £18 would have yielded around £18,000 per game. 3. This suggests a shortfall of £5,5000 per game . 4. Over a season of 13 home games the reduction in gate income would amount to £71,500 (£5500 x 13 ) reduced to £41,500 by the £30,000 sponsorship of the £10 policy on this occasion ! The additional 250 bodies would have spent cash at the refreshment outlets on the ground which is why the overall loss would be reduced further but still levelling out at £30,000. It's OK taking some pride in the fact that we increased our Gates by around 20% but at the same time we slashed our income by operating the £10 policy . Repeating the £10 policy for a second season would amount to financial suicide ! Increasing the crowd means nothing if income is reduced which in turn means there is less to invest in the Team .

This is good information from Kevin ! Everybody should do a reality check because the bottom line is we can only spend what we have . Our small crowds are the root cause of our financial limitations , period ! The current demographic of Batley's population is not exactly steeped in Rugby League culture and this really makes it almost impossible to significantly increase the gates . You only have to look at our success on the field in recent years to realise that the local population have not been flocking to The Mount in droves !!! Consequently , this makes it essential that the Club has to cut it's cloth accordingly unless of course somebody has a spare £100k to give for the recruitment of "better" players !! In the absence of anyone coming forward with lots of money maybe we should back the current restraint being shown by the club .

Do not rely on Kirklees Council for anything . The current Regime have been wasting money left right and centre and are now crying the poor tale. We will have to stand on our own two feet , as usual .

If this is referring to Meadows then it is really bad news if it turns out to be true ! That would be a big blow !

Featherstone obviously thought they weren't worth it !

Of course you can judge them especially when it is twice in a row and at home on both occasions ! When it came to the BIG game on both occasions they failed themselves big time , they failed their supporters , they failed their employers . Clearly their collective problem was under-estimating the opposition ( I recall they under-estimated Batley 3 times in the season before last ). To lose a home semi final against Batley is a "one-off" but to repeat the dose against London is very careless from more or less the same squad - so YEAH people can judge them !! Had they been worth the money they would have learned from their mistakes from the first loss (against us) but clearly did not . You can bet your last Pound that most of these 16/17 Featherstone players who have been "moved on" were on more money than most of Batley's squad . Expecting the same money at another club , having failed in successive seasons , is unrealistic especially for those players at the older end !! Finally , the mere fact that Featherstone having released these 16/17 players clearly demonstrates that Featherstone's Bosses " have sat down and judged them !!! You can bet your life on that ! A lot of these players could be worth a place in our squad BUT at realistic money . You can bet that Batley's BOD will know their worth so that any discarded Featherstone players should be disabused of any ideas that they can squeeze out an inflated payday at the Bulldogs .

Yes you are correct ! However , these are the players that "bottled it" when it came to the crunch two years in succession !! To my mind that means they are not worth the money they were on at Featherstone !!!

There's a new name in Super League - CASTLEFORD BULLDOGS . I think it's time we started pinching players !

This looks a fairly strong line-up BUT we still lost , again !!

This has got be stated - as usual with these forums many contributors are missing the main point of the original post ! (sorry to say). Those accusing me of "negativity" should read the post again , carefully !! I have watched this club through thick and thin for 64 years and consequently I will not take lessons from any of you about negativity. This was not a moan about the Batley BOD in any way . It was not a moan about the Players or Coaches . It was not a moan about getting to Wembley. If you take off the Blinkers and read the post carefully it will be realised that the tone was congratulatory in every respect. If I have to spell it out I will ! The whole point of the original question was simply to establish the FACT that the participants of the 1895 Cup Final at Wembley , after much hard work and dedication , are probably doing so at a financial disadvantage ! I think that Kevin's contribution concisely confirms the question ! I think it highlights the difficulties of running a club at our level and cuts to the whole point of the original question ! It is clear that our outstanding achievement is not going to be rewarded with a meaningful boost to club funds How can it be that you get to a Wembley Final without any real reward ! I wonder if Hull K R and Leigh are going to face the same problem ? (don't bother answering as it is a rhetorical question !) Just to be clear this question has always been a "dig" at the RFL and not our Club !! It is about the way the game is funded below SL . Just think - if Batley only take 2000 to Wembley it would still add £100,000 to the gate receipts. Half of this amount wouldn't go amiss - now what is wrong with highlighting this issue . Negative you say !! Wise up I say The reality is that we can enjoy the day and soak up the experience ( win or lose) but come the following day the Batley BOD will have to face the continuing , unenviable , task of financing the club on a day to day basis. Had the RFL played fair it would have made the BOD's job that little bit easier . It's called reward for success !!

T'was my question and your inference is correct !!

I am just wondering about the upcoming historic trip to Wembley . We have reached the final of a cup competition . BRILLIANT !! We have reached Wembley . BRILLIANT !! For we fans the whole experience is BRILLIANT !! It is BRILLIANT for everyone involved at the Club from the Board down to the volunteers !! Most of all , for the playing squad and Coaches , it is a FANTASTIC achievement !! Another example of "little" Batley upsetting the RFL applecart yet again ! Amid all the current euphoria that is flying around there is an obvious question to be asked - will we make any money out of the venture ??? We are a small club and it is vital that success such as ours should bring financial reward to help build the squad for next season . It is clear that taking the squad down south is going to cost the club a good few thousand quid just to get our Batley team to walk out on that famous turf . The cost of a Hotel for the Squad and club officials will not be cheap nor will the cost of a Coach for the weekend plus all the froth that goes on ! What I want to know is :- 1. Is there prize money for getting to the final ( i.e. Winners and Runners Up prizes )? 2. Does the Club get a cut of the tickets they sell ? If so , what is the percentage cut ?? 3. Will "1 & 2" above cover the costs to the Club as a minimum ?? If the media reaction to the 6 semi finals ( CC ; 1895 Cup ; Women's CC ) is anything to go by then I fear that Batley & Halifax could be left wanting in the monetary reward stakes as the 1895 Cup barely raised a mention on either Saturday & Sunday's coverage ! I think BBC Look North gave it a one line mention on Monday evening ! . Considering that the RFL has had a bad financial year I am wondering if we are going to profit from this historic venture ?? It would be a big shame on the RFL if we didn't !!

Graham Buy a Match Ticket then get a train from Leeds to Kings Cross. Jump on a Circle Line Tube to Baker Street then the Bakerloo Tube up to Wembley . When you get there , look at your Match ticket and it will tell you where to sit ! Simples !!! OR ask RAC to give you a route map ( Batley to Wembley ) and drive there . Remember to fill your car with 3 mates making sure you charge them enough to cover the cost of petrol and the cost of your ticket and refreshments . This way, the day costs you nothing and you get to see Batley win !!!

1. MANNING (awsome today) 2. MEADOWS. 3. WOODS

Any away win is good . Just noticed that young McGowan was absent . Was he carrying an injury or just rested ?? ( he cannot have been dropped for poor form !!! ) Just curious .