Ealing Welsh Trailfinders

Richard Lowther wrote: MikeGC wrote: Is Ealing a proper rugby club with members paying an annual membership fee ? Not trying to start a scrap, I genuinely don’t know. My own little club floated a project to amalgamate with another club a couple of miles away in Stockport. That produced the biggest ever turnout at an Annual General Meeting (playing members, non-playing members and general members) where it was roundly voted out. Strikes me that, if Ealing is a member’s club then it will be what the members want as opposed to the wishes of the Committee I don't know what the Ealing set up is but if it was a members club who voted against the plans, then what would it mean financially? Would the Trail finders money stop and Ealing would have to look elsewhere for income to play at Championship level? This deal I guess is to bring top level rugby to Ealing to justify the Trail finders investment over the years. Other than that it makes no sense.

Yeah Ealing is most definitely a ‘real’ club by any measure. It is rooted in the community and has 150 years of history. Over the past 25 years the club has progressed from the London leagues, playing on Sudbury Hill to Vallis Way playing in the Championship. Its Mini/Youth numbers are huge and there is solid youth rugby section. We established an Academy years ago as well as development structures with colleges etc. The Club pioneered Girls Rugby when the RFU had nothing in place between 13-16 formed a women’s section 20 years ago and were championing Child Protection, Safeguarding and developing referees when most of the RFU blazers were basking in the afterglow of the 2003 World Cup victory.

The actual Rugby Club is a mutual society with each member owning a share. As you would expect in the ‘modern’ era and as is the case in most, if not all top clubs, there is a separate professional club which gives some security to our players, staff and investors/supporters.

The develop of the club since the 90’s is a great example of how clubs can develop on and off the field in a challenging, competitive environment if you love and care about the game of rugby.

It is almost a fairytale …

However it turns out that Fairytale stories are only for those blessed few clubs annointed, preferred and protected by the RFU establishment and a cynical, selfish PRL.

Yeah Ealing is real rugby club. One that has values and principles that won’t risk its future on the promises of l i a r s and cheats.

Edited by dumbape - 07 Mar 2023 at 17:28

OK, so like Sale FC and Sale Sharks in the early days of this century.
The professional franchise spilt from the members club and moved to play at Edgeley Park in Stockport.
If I remember correctly the members club had to restart at the bottom of the league structure.

The Champ Clubs podcast out today has a lengthy interview with Simon Halliday - Trailfinders Strategic Adviser (amongst other roles). A very good listen. 

Camquin wrote: Did Simon actually say anything in that podcast. Except that nothing is going to be done to help the Championship before 24/25. He did not quite say that the uppity Championship and National 1 clubs need to know their place. But he did say that the Premiership clubs have put a lot into the game and need to be looked after. Which sort of implies that we need to learn to live off the crumbs from their table.

So what have they put in apart from bankruptcy?

Brizzer wrote: Camquin wrote: Did Simon actually say anything in that podcast. Except that nothing is going to be done to help the Championship before 24/25. He did not quite say that the uppity Championship and National 1 clubs need to know their place. But he did say that the Premiership clubs have put a lot into the game and need to be looked after. Which sort of implies that we need to learn to live off the crumbs from their table.  So what have they put in apart from bankruptcy?

billesleyexile wrote: Brizzer wrote: Camquin wrote: Did Simon actually say anything in that podcast. Except that nothing is going to be done to help the Championship before 24/25. He did not quite say that the uppity Championship and National 1 clubs need to know their place. But he did say that the Premiership clubs have put a lot into the game and need to be looked after. Which sort of implies that we need to learn to live off the crumbs from their table.  So what have they put in apart from bankruptcy? don't you remember? They've made rugby union a spectator sport.  No one at all watched it before. 14000 definitely didn't attend Moseley vs the International Rugby Writers XV. The North aren't a side, let alone one that filled a ground against touring test sides. The clubs at the top table have been there since time immemorial. Waterloo, Orrell and West Hartlepool never existed. Moseley v Coventry with 17 England internationals on the pitch? Fantasy. 1995 was year zero. Anything before that is a false memory.

Ah yes. That will be it then…. Silly me!
Thanks for the tutorial Billesleyexile.

Brizzer wrote: Camquin wrote: Did Simon actually say anything in that podcast. Except that nothing is going to be done to help the Championship before 24/25. He did not quite say that the uppity Championship and National 1 clubs need to know their place. But he did say that the Premiership clubs have put a lot into the game and need to be looked after. Which sort of implies that we need to learn to live off the crumbs from their table.  So what have they put in apart from bankruptcy?

Edited by WEvans - 09 Mar 2023 at 14:46

dropout22 wrote: Richard Lowther wrote: MikeGC wrote: Is Ealing a proper rugby club with members paying an annual membership fee ? Not trying to start a scrap, I genuinely don’t know. My own little club floated a project to amalgamate with another club a couple of miles away in Stockport. That produced the biggest ever turnout at an Annual General Meeting (playing members, non-playing members and general members) where it was roundly voted out. Strikes me that, if Ealing is a member’s club then it will be what the members want as opposed to the wishes of the Committee I don't know what the Ealing set up is but if it was a members club who voted against the plans, then what would it mean financially? Would the Trail finders money stop and Ealing would have to look elsewhere for income to play at Championship level? This deal I guess is to bring top level rugby to Ealing to justify the Trail finders investment over the years. Other than that it makes no sense.  The club has a number of season ticket holders, members etc apart of the pro squad, with a massive amateur club , academy & womens section

Seems like many other clubs. They all have a governance structure of sorts but its usually meaningless.

Not part of the deal