The Scarlet Turkey
The Independent Salford Rugby League Fanzine
Reds preseason Camp Proves A success You're the new captain!
No, you are!
Shaun McRae: three years or thin ice? / Gus, Emlyn & Me The Importance of A standing terrace / Barton R.F.C Where’s Ratchford? / Super League: too Expensive? This is a fanzine, written by fans for fans. It attempts to be amusing and occasionally serious. It is not Hello!, OK or an official programme. It may not be suitable for people who lack a sense of humour. Mard types may find some of the contents offensive, so they’d be advised not to read it.
#28
Editorial the Scarlet Turkey PO Box 128 Manchester M25 3BQ zine@scarletturkey.com www.scarletturkey.com
And it wa
The characters, events and situations portrayed in this publication are entirely fictional; any similarity with events or persons past or present is purely coincidental. Most of the contents are lies, half-truths and complete bullshit. No animals were injured in the making of this fanzine and no genetically modified organisms are present. The opinions expressed in this fanzine, unless stated, are not the opinions of Forever Reds. This fanzine has no official connection with Salford City Reds Rugby League Club and they therefore cannot take any credit for the quality and ideas of the content within.
A thousand apologies for leading with an [unfortunately] unforgettable Coldplay lyric; but after the events of Salford’s pre-season training camp abroad and subsequent Super League form you’d be forgiven for feeling as low and limp as the dreary band’s usual fare. As you can imagine, the rumours surrounding ‘Jacksonvillegate’, ‘Alkergate’ or whatever name you wish to use with the suffix ‘-gate’, were rife. Drunken antics, cliques in the camp—the usual. It’s probably best to assume that, to bastardise Pareto’s principle, 80% of the hearsay was bullshit; whereas there was an element of truth on amongst the remaining 20%. Malcolm Alker and John Wilshere we’re outed publicly as those punished for indiscretion, but whether or not they were the protagonists for whatever happened in Florida I suppose we’ll never know. Regardless, it was just the kind of news we didn’t want to hear as the Reds entered what is going to be a tough and unforgiving season. Whilst these rumours were in circulation, Howard Clague and Steve Simms came down to a Forever Reds meeting. Although they were legally bound not to comment on what occurred, Simms iterated that during the daytime, the actual training—their ‘work’ if you will—the whole of the squad were model professionals; and there’s no reason to say they weren’t. Let’s be honest: groups of rugby lads, playing at any level, regardless of whether they are professional or not, will go on the piss. In itself that isn’t a bad thing; in some scenarios it is actively encouraged. Adrian Morley once said that when Ricky Stuart began his stint at Sydney Roosters with a disappointing run of results, he took his squad on a team bonding session, namely a piss up. The night ended with some of the players almost missing the last boat back to the mainland, and a few almost had to be pulled aboard by the rest of the party. Did they bond? Well, the Roosters forged a mean defence from then on and went on to won the Premiership. In Salford’s case, however, a curfew was in effect and some players broke ranks. The rules being so, they undoubtedly deserved to be wrapped across the knuckles for the breach. Stripping Alker of the captaincy, however, in retrospect, was a baffling move. Rather than wait for the findings of the internal investigation, which must have found Alker not as responsible for the ill-behaviour as was originally thought, the club took the guilty until proven guilty approach. This enraged Shaun McRae in the process, who has no doubt got his way in the end by reinstating Alker with the armband. Does this reversal undermine the Reds’ board? The most disappointing aspect of the captaincy wrangle was the treatment Rob Parker received against Harlequins at the Willows—where he was on the end of undue vitriol from a section of boo-boys. Here we have a bloke who agreed to take on the captaincy from a future legend, when nobody else had the bollcoks to take the mantle. Even much more experienced players than him turned it down flat; and the thanks he got was a raft of boos and jeers—that’s bound to help his confidence. It was a shit response, as was throwing stuff on the pitch at Castleford. Fair enough, you pay your money, you’re entitled to give them some stick, certainly the way Salford have been playing at the moment; we’ve all done it but there is a limit, and a small minority are taking the piss. There is give and take; you also have try and pump the boys up, get them motivated. Otherwise, why bother coming? I don’t know why I say that, we know full well there are people who have been coming for decades just so they can take their frustrations out on the Reds; fuck knows what they’d do if we won the title. So what’s with all the yellow? Well as colours go, nothing conveys hope and reassurance more than yellow. And we need some of that good stuff at the moment! Pantone®—a ‘world renowned authority on colour’—selected the hue of Mimosa as their colour for 2009; a colour for uncertain times. Sounds Bollocks I know, but that’s the colour we’re using throughout this issue. And if you’ve been taking any notice of the colours we used for the previous two issues, you’ll probably be able to guess the colour we’ll use for #29. I’ll leave that with you… Enjoy your Scarlet Turkey, RMcD.
Inspirations The crappy 1998 season Fans’ opinions George Orwell Red Issue The late great fanzines: The Tangerine Dream House of Pain and Wally Lewis Is Coming Been and Gone since issue #1 Paul Carige The Fat Slags Zavvi The Boulevard Aussieland Malcolm White Jason Critchley Tiger-print thongs Garen Casey Luke Robinson Andy Platt Neil Tunnicliffe Joe Bloggs Sportspages Karl Harrison Capitalism Andy Gregory Steve McCormack Pete Waterman Karl Kirkpatrick Central Park Wilderspool Bobby Goulding Paul Terzis ‘Big’ John Harvey James Lowes Valley Parade The Corvos Hudson Smith Greg McCallum That pub in Dewsbury Daredevil Duck The Valley Hilton Park Alf-Red South of Shed bogs Advertising This fanzine is read by a fair amount of rugby league supporters, the vast majority of which are Salford fans. If you want to advertise your business with us, either in the fanzine or online, then we’re sure we can come to an arrangement. ScarletTurkey.com is a member of the RLFANS.COM network: The Worlds Most Popular Rugby League Website.
as all yellow Postcard from the Turkey flag
With a carbon footprint bigger than Michael Phelps’s flip-flops, this bad boy has clocked up some air miles in its time. As long-term readers of the Turkey may remember, our flag loves being snapped in front of national treasures. The pièce de résistance was arguably in Egypt, stealing the limelight from the Giant Pyramid at Giza. In the photo below, the Turkey flag took in the sights and sounds of the Rugby League World Cup in Australia. Here, it obscures a legend in the game—the SFS (Sydney Football Stadium).
is time run out for B
nning Bomber?
…or does McRae really have immunity for three years?
Shortly After Salford scooped the treble they’d set out to achieve, a fair few of us were in the Lord Rodney pub opposite Warrington’s Halliwell Jones stadium. Over the usual pint or three, the topic of conversation was whether we all rated Shaun McRae. Think about that for a moment. Here is a man who, coaching the favourites for the National League title, in an increasingly tough division, led his team to victory in all the competitions the Reds could lay their hands on (the Challenge Cup forbidding). Yet, here Salford fans were, still debating on whether or not we still rated him. The crux of the argument was that although Salford were all-conquering, they rarely dominated in 2008. The goal-line defence wasn’t as steely as should have been, the style of play was dour if not adequate; the Reds had to fight back from deficits in matches they shouldn’t have been down in, and crucially, we really struggled against our closest challengers. Salford couldn’t defeat Widnes, and they were lucky against Celtic (apart from in Bridgend—surely the best performance of the season). Should all this matter? Isn’t winning, rather than the manner of how you win, the most important thing? Well, apparently not. A few long-time supporters went as far as to say that they doubted whether they could stomach another season like that. Silverware galore and still some fans were not happy. Perhaps these feelings are the reasoning why Shaun McRae was never going have an immunity with the fans that Karl Harrison, Andy Gregory and even Kevin Tamati enjoyed in their first season back in the top division. Early on during the Scarlet Turkey Christmas drinkies, again we were mulling over what our expectations for 2009 were. The response was polarised. On one side, McRae had three years to mould Salford into a competitive outfit come 2011 when Super League licences were up for renewal; 2009 therefore was an expected write-off. On the other side, Salford needed 4 points from their first four matches—perceived to be the
easiest, or rather, less harsh period—of the campaign; otherwise where else could they win away? It’s clear that five games into the season, these are still the views of many; you’re either on one side of the fence or the other. What unites us all, however, considering our expectations are pretty low, is that the team show something: whether it be fight, a steely determination or an attempt to open up defences with intelligent of inspirational play, even if it means pissing against the wind; rather than plod on with a game plan that failed miserably in the first 20 minutes. So far, Salford have played a brilliant quarter against a side who aren’t up-to-the-pace with Super League yet—and even then let them back in the game—were easily beaten by an under-strength Wakefield, and walloped by an in-form Castleford and Harlequins. The display at Knowsley Road was improved; but let’s not kid ourselves, St Helens were woeful compared to their usual standards. Simply put, the Reds just aren’t good enough… yet. We keep hearing McRae that Salford aren’t up to speed, and are struggling to keep up with the fitness of our counterparts; but why? Isn’t that what preseason is for? Surely our fitness regimes and sports science facilities at Salford University are equal to if not better than most others’. Or are we being naive? Perhaps it’s the players that aren’t good enough. Is our core feeling its age? Did the young fellas who shone last season reach their level? Or is it the recruitment policy that’s at fault? The new batch of overseas players promised much but haven’t really delivered… yet. At present the most flattering praise you can bestow on them is ‘workmanlike’; if not ‘average’. If they don’t buck up soon the recruitment policy has to be questioned. The likes of Ratchford, Thornley, Sidlow et al. could do as much; certainly no worse. Despite all this, we’re 11th in the league; it’s amazing. Salford are above Warrington and Bradford; a win
against Wigan puts us level with them. Would you have taken that position, after five games, before the season started? Probably. Perhaps this is more than we should hope for? Consider the circumstances McRae is working under. Salford are probably operating on the lowest salary spend in the league—£400k-ish below the cap—which may explain something; although it didn’t stop Harrison getting off to a good start in similar circumstances in 2004. Then again, we only just got away with relegation that year; if Kevin McGuinness hadn’t joined late on in the campaign, Salford may have slipped down. So is Bomber on thin ice? Clearly, it depends on who you ask. The board don’t think so, even though he’s had the dreaded vote of confidence! Level-headed types will
We keep hearing that Salford aren’t up to speed, and are struggling to keep up with the fitness of our counterparts; but why? Isn’t that what the preseason is for? say that we are in the same situation as Castleford were last year. They struggled after promotion from National League, especially defensively; and look at them now— they are holding their own. Level-headed types will also say that the three-plan is paramount; that a gradual progression is most important. There’s a problem with that thinking. Given the current economic climate and today’s admission prices, can you expect people to turn up to matches, week-in week-out, knowing Salford will be trounced? If the dropoff of 650 people between the Celtic and Harlequins home attendances are anything to go by—the answer is a resounding ‘no’. Shaun McRae’s job may not be on the line but unless Salford do something different on the pitch, it’s clear there’s going to be boo-boys, protesters and malcontents, regardless of the intended plan.
We’re sure most of you will remember Eddie McGuinness, who was Salford’s fitness conditioner for most of Karl Harrison’s tenure in Super League. On Saturday 7 March, he was knocked over by a car in Bradford and tragically died shortly afterwards. Aged 43, Eddie also worked at Bradford Bulls. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.
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Eddie McGuinness
ACROSS 1. Manager of the 1975 Championship winning side (3,9) 5. Name linking Rogers, Brown & Treacy (6) 6. See 8 across 7. See 10 down 8 & 6. GREY BEND (anag): Salford & Wigan player during the 80s (3,5) 11. Former long-time main sponsors (6) 12. Legend of the game who scored his 500th career try whilst at the club (6) 13. Chairman who preceeded the great John Wilkinson obe (5,5)
DOWN 1. Only side we have not won against in Super League (5,6) 2. Opponents in our Challenge Cup Final win in 1938 (6) 3. Forward banned for assaulting a touch judge in 1997 (3,6) 4. Amateur team who provided the opposition in the Challenge Cup 4th Round in 1998 (7) 9. Nickname of Paul Forber (6) 10 & 7a. 1st team's top try scorer in 2008 (4,5) Answers on page 12
Not long to go until Andy Coley returns with Wigan. Is he ready for the roasting of a lifetime? Amongst the minutiae of the day-to-day, month-to-month, year-to-year running of a football club, the fans never forget. Well, perhaps not always. Does anyone remember what Craig Murdock and Vinny Myler did in a Salford shirt? Thought not. But certain details that club officials and players may have thought were long forgotten—a minor deal— can, conversely, be construed as a major gripe by the supporters. In the case of Andy Coley's acrimonious departure from the Willows in 2007, a particular bugbear has been festering for some time. Come the Reds clash against Wigan this week, it may morph into an uncontrollable, foaming at the mouth Grizzly. I can’t think of many, perhaps any, exSalford players who are vilified as much as Andy Coley. Be it among the hubbub of pub chatter or via collective chants at the ground, on even on the train or the Fun Bus. That’s not to say there haven’t been other departures which left the Reds’ faithful seething. Take a look through the Turkey archives and you’ll find some prime candidates. Hudson Smith’s sneaky contract swerve pissed us all off royal. He’d barely left Millets before chucking his rambling boots and trekking gear in the Irwell to cross the Pennines and trot out for Bradford in their red, amber and black, just as if it was planned all along. David Bradbury, a.k.a Badbuy, fell out with the Shed by giving the V-sign in its general direction, on several occasions. Signing for Leigh later on just compounded the issue. After leaving Salford Jason Critchley must have felt he had something to prove by being noticeably hostile towards us and believing he’d backed the team of the future—Keighley Cougars. Richard Webster did a great job of
shutting him up. Though in these cases none of their departures caused much of a dent to the team. At the time of their loss, they were hardly key assets. Such a statement then makes it sound like sour grapes when blasting Andy Coley’s move to Wigan. After all, he did tour with Great Britain the previous Autumn. But we aren’t a bitter lot—or at least I’d like to think we aren’t—because we’ve endured players leaving on merit for wealthier pastures before. Taking away the Super League era’s get out clause, where players become free agents after relegation, there aren’t many in recent times that have left Salford—in the top division—to sign for a so-called ‘big’ club. Paul Groves signed for St Helens in the latter half the 1980s and went on to play for Great Britain. Although a virtual certainty in any greatest Salfordian XIII, you could argue the club and Kevin Ashcroft didn’t stand in his way, what with Mark Moran waiting in the wings as replacement. Then there was Nathan McAvoy and Scott Naylor, both of whom reached a level of standing among the RL populace where it was only a matter of time before they left for Bradford. In McAvoy’s case however, we were more happy with the £100,000+ transfer fee; his form, or perhaps even his potential, had long since gone. You’d have to say Terry O’Connor is the best example of a modern player who left us to further his career and was irreplaceable. You knew after watching O’Connor a couple of times in the ‘A’ team that Salford wouldn’t be able to knock back the overtures of Wigan for long. And that’s how it transpired. (On a lesser scale, Ian Sherratt—another a popular prop forward—also left when the ‘mighty’ Wigan came knocking. At the time, who could blame him.) O’Connor was too good for Salford when you had a colossus down the East Lancs. (Oh how the mighty have fallen!) Even though O’Connor was on the receiving end of jibes on his return visits to The Willows, it was with the knowledge that he was a very good player and we were always resigned to that fact. So in a
way, he went with our reluctant blessing. As for Coley, his delusions of grandeur and refusal to play to anything like what he was capable of in 2007 left a bitter taste in all our mouths—fans, players and club officials alike. To recap: at the end of 2006 Coley had a brilliant end to the season and was the stand out performer in those matches. This didn’t escape Brian Noble’s attention and he selected him for the Great Britain Tri-Nations squad. As it happened, Coley only played against a hotchpotch Newcastle select side before being found surplus to requirements. I remember watching a segment on Sky—a video diary from one of the players, might have been Rob Burrow—and seeing Coley becoming pally with the Leeds contingent. It was then I thought the chances of Salford keeping hold of him were slim. If on merit, fair enough. When Coley came back to Blighty, it was alleged that he asked Salford for a big increase in wages or face him leaving on a free at the end of 2007. Again, that’s understandable. After all, his stock had risen. Salford either weren’t able to meet the demands or wouldn’t play ball and so were already resigned to losing him. However, Coley was terrible in 2007, playing like he was staging a protest of his own on the pitch. For much of the season he was about as much use as the Pope’s todger, bar one or two games, namely against Wigan and Leeds—two potential suitors. When Wigan came to The Willows, it was as if somebody had shoved a rocket up Coley’s arse—he was on fire. It was this seemingly blatant attitude, a disregard for Salford’s plight that year, that riled up Salford fans. In fairness to him, that he bad-mouthed us in the press could be a myth. Perhaps he was tired after touring in the Autumn. (For reference ask those who saw Chris Hesketh after his escapades down under.) So some may forgive. Yet for many other fans this rationale won't wash; as they generally cite Coley as the protagonist for Salford’s relegation: a bad seed that split the camp. And come kick-off, they’ll want blood.
Safe standing employed at Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion. The Südtribüne is the largest standing area in Europe, regularly housing 24,000 fans. The ‘yellow wall’ gives the ground its moniker: the ‘Opera House of German Football’ ►
The Importance
Of A Standing Terrace Now Peel are in control of the new stadium build, certain aspects that were supposed to be included before may be cut out. One of them could be the terrace. We put the case forward: why it is important that a standing area is included, not just for a minority of supporters’ benefit, but to attract more corporate sales and enhance the club’s chances of being indispensable to Super League
Since Red City Developments went the way of Warrington’s Super League hopes it’s generally been accepted that Peel are controlling the stadium build. Correct. Not only that, Peel will own the stadium when it’s finished, which no doubt compromises Salford’s position when compared to the vision us fans were originally sold. However, RCD’s collapse was underplayed; the truth is Peel saved the project from extinction. What then does this means for us: the supporters? A lot of the stadium’s logistical plans could be scrubbed out. Amongst them is the 3,000 capacity standing terrace for home supporters. That’s not to say the decision is final. Such elements are set to be discussed by the club and Peel in due course. With that in mind, we’d like to point out the benefits of incorporating a standing area in the vain hope that it registers with the powers that be. Whether to plump for ground or seated admission is an issue of choice; but let’s not kid ourselves. The reason some people have always chosen to stand is because it is cheaper. If you offered both options at the same price, plenty would choose the relative luxury of a seat. However, there are also many that would prefer to stand; perhaps this something we have to consider if a standing area is to be included i.e. you may have to pay the same amount of money as those who sit. Why would you want to do that? To get more emotionally involved in the game; to generate a crackling atmosphere. These two factors are no doubt why surveys of English football supporters show as much 90% would prefer to stand, given the option; an option has been denied for a generation since the Taylor report. As rugby league has been able to continue to provide the standing option at matches, it’d be easy for Peel & Salford City Reds to implement terracing procedures in the new ground with no hang ups about safety concerns. There are two ways terracing can be employed at the new stadium. One method is the traditional way—a static terrace, as employed in new stadiums such as Warrington’s Halliwell Jones stadium and Leigh Sports Village. The other is the ‘safe-standing’ method, which is employed in stadiums throughout Europe and extensively in Germany. In the short-lived Red and White magazine Michael Holdsworth described how this worked. Basically, seated areas can be converted to standing areas: ‘Each row has a barrier right the way along. The seats are locked into position and can be unlocked as needed. The barrier is designed so that you can see over it even whilst sat. Yes, it might not look as good as standing on a terrace of old, but it is safe. There’s no surges, there’s no chance of you getting crushed, [meaning] kids can stand there safely too.’ But isn’t this just a rigmarole for the benefit of a small minority of supporters? The reason why many of Germany’s football clubs retained or even installed the facility to create standing areas is because they recognised that it was of mutual benefit. The Bundesliga—Germany’s equivalent to the Premier League—has, for some years now, attracted the biggest crowds in Europe; collectively, it is the most watched league in the continent. To use Borussia Dortmund as an example: they are the only club in Europe that has an average crowd of over 80,000, that’s an average attendance.
Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion has a capacity of 80,552: 24,454 of which is allocated for standing. However, for international competitions and national matches the standing area is converted back to seating, reducing the capacity to a no-less impressive 65,718. There are more reasons to why Germany attracts such crowds regularly than just the option to stand. Pric-
It’s accepted as fact in Germany that corporates are attracted by the atmospheres generated at matches. They want to be associated with vibrant clubs, both because it’s good for their kudos and it endears them more to potential and existing clients. ing is also a big factor. Admission prices are subsidised at the top clubs, meaning that they rely more heavily on sponsorship and corporate box sales. And this is where the mutual benefit of terracing kicks in. It’s accepted as fact in Germany that corporates are attracted by the atmospheres generated at football matches. They want to be associated with such clubs, both because it’s good for their kudos, therefore endearing them more to their potential and existing clients. So for German football clubs it’s a cyclical nobrainer: give the fans what they want, let them enjoy themselves, and the corporates will come. Salford fans are, or least can be, amongst the most vibrant, colourful and creative in rugby league. Allowing our supporters to stand and generate what could be a unique atmosphere in the game, an atmosphere that harbours a positive reputation, could go as far as anything else to attract more gate receipts and business sales. Let’s face it, without the revenue streams we all dreamed about in the original stadium plan, Salford will need more than the team consistently playing above themselves (and that won’t happen without quality). If Salford take lead on this, it could benefit them greatly.
Turkey Teasers
1. How many grounds/stadia are there where Salford have played a Super League game and never lost? 2. How many grounds/stadia are there where Salford have played a Super League game and never won? 3. Who scored the first try for Salford in Super League? 4. How many different players have scored a drop-goal for Salford in Super League? 5. In season 1968–69 Salford lost to Castleford in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, but who did we beat in the semi-final? Answers on page twelve
Time Machine
Brief encounters with rugby football Contrary to opinion, Barton isn’t quite the rugby league barren area we think. Well, at least it wasn’t. Over a century ago, Barton had its own rugby club that, like Salford and Swinton, defected to the Northern Union. Its success, however, was short-lived. Ajax plots some key moments in the club’s history For many the move to Barton is viewed as a step into an area of relative rugby wilderness, with no history of the game there. However, this is not fully accurate. From the early 1880s to 1898 a rugby club playing in red was in existence in that area. Barton Rugby Football Club based at the Bridgewater Hotel, Patricroft achieved some fleeting success before the age old story of overspending sent the club under. Formed around an aqueduct that carried the Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester Chip Canal the team quickly earned the fantastic, if inevitable, nickname of ‘The Ship Canal Lads’. The club’s major problem in rising through the league ranks was caused by the close proximity of the local and national powerhouse clubs Salford, Swinton and Broughton Rangers. It was in the 1891–92 season the club secured its first major achievement beating Failsworth in the final of the South East Lancashire Cup. The following year they retained it, again defeating Failsworth, coupled with winning the South East Lancashire League too—beating off other long gone local clubs such as Pendleton, Boothstown, Manchester Athletic and Cheetham Hill. When the Lancashire league was split into three tiers in 1893 Barton were placed in the bottom tier and achieved a respectable 4th place in the last two seasons before the great split of 1895. After the mass defections to the Northern Union, Barton stayed local to the RFU and were promoted to the second division. In a great year for the club they were pipped by Mossley for the Championship on the last day and ended up joint second alongside Radcliffe and Leigh Shamrocks (Leigh admitted their Gypsy heritage back then). Here, the club were enjoying their most successful period and were honoured with a place in the first class competition for the 1896–97 campaign. After a run of 9 successive wins the club took the decision to join the ranks of the defectors and joined the Northern Union—a decision undoubtedly influenced by both Salford and Swinton having joined the new code at the start of the season. The club played its last game of rugby union on February 27, 1897, defeating Boothstown 12–4. The club could look back over its time in rugby union with pride having advanced through the divisions and having two players J. Johnson and J. Hadcroft represent Lancashire; a great achievement for a ‘village’ club. Due to defecting mid season the club had to play a number of friendlies until the next season began. In its first game of Northern Union on 13 March 1897 they club carried on good form by beating Blackley Rangers 12–0 at home. Further encouragement was gained from wins against established clubs Tyldesley and Stockport, followed by one of the clubs finest hours: a 6–4 victory over Huddersfield at the legendary Fartown ground.
Placed in the Lancashire Second Competition, Barton set about improving their squad: bringing in goal-kicking full back J. Farrimond, wingman Harry Grindley and, the biggest coup of all, the capture of former England RU international half back Buff Berry from Tyldesley. Even at the time questions were raised from where the funds were coming to secure such renowned, quality players. Barton started the season superbly: against Championship favourites Millom they lost a thriller 15–9 having led 9–0 at the interval. A win at Lancaster was followed by a 13–3 victory against a strong Barrow side, where a record crowd of 4,000 flocked to the Tetlow Fold ground. By the time of the return match with Millom in January, the ‘ship canal lads’ were in fine form and a 5–3 win put them top of the league. Soon afterwards, however, a terrible lack of form hit that signalled the start of the clubs demise. Inexplicably losing the last five games of the season, including one to lowly Fleetwood—their only win of the campaign—the Challenge Cup provided only a brief respite. Barton beat Rochdale Rangers and Werneth to set up a 3rd round clash with Bramley, where a dour struggle saw the Yorkshiremen win through 9–3. Despite spending money on players, Barton’s Tetlow Fold ground went relatively unimproved and won few admirers. The Birkenhead News wrote: ‘The Wanderers players found a rough and uneven field, lacking in grass’. Proof that even in the 1890s people enjoyed a good moan about the state of grounds! The 1898–99 season started with rumours abound that Barton would not be able to continue. The decent crowds they attracted when successful were barely enough to cover wages as it was. Now the crowds had dropped into the hundreds it was becoming impossible. Gone were the star players, and local men were drafted in to shore up what was left of the side. After a rare win against Walkden, the Eccles Journal stated bluntly: ‘Officials made a serious mistake in playing foreign players. Both Walkden and Barton have fallen on evil days’. By 19 November 1898 they could continue no more; a dour 0–0 draw with Altrincham in front of a derisory crowd was their final game. Barton sent notice to Fleetwood saying they would not be completing a scheduled fixture because of ‘financial difficulties’ and whilst officials strived in vain to find a way out of their spiralling debts it was announced at the last Lancashire Second Competition meeting before Christmas that they had disbanded. The story of Barton is so similar of what is still often found today— ambition exceeding resources. A fight with larger local clubs for both spectators and players meant Barton was always fighting a losing battle. The cost of professionalism proved too steep and fleeting success could not be sustained when the club reached a more natural level. That said, it shows that Barton is not such a rugby football wilderness after all
Teaser answers: 1: Five—the Valley, Hilton Park, Craven Park, Charlety Stadium (Paris), Stade Aimé Girale (Perpignan), 2: Twelve—Headingley, Odsal, Knowsley Road, JJB Stadium, The Boulevard, KC Stadium, The Stoop, Griffin Park (Brentford), Gateshead International Stadium, Millenium Stadium (Cardiff), Parc des Sports (Narbonne), Stade Gilbert Brutus (Perpignan), 3: Phil Coussons (won 4-0 v Castleford), 4: Fouteen—Ian Watson, Steve Blakeley, Mark Lee, Martin Crompton, Josh White, Carl Briggs, Martin Offiah, John Duffy, Graham Holroyd, Bobbie Goulding, Malcolm Alker, Gavin Clinch, Luke Robinson, Andrew Dunneman, 5: Warrington. Crossword: Across: 1. Les Bettinson, 5. Darren,8&6. Ged Byrne, 11. Cebora, 12. Offiah, 13. Brian Snape. Down: 1. Leeds Rhinos, 2. Barrow, 3. Ian Blease, 4. Ovenden, 9. Buffer, 10&7a. Paul White
Page Thirteen
Gossip, rumours, complete bullshit and the rest of the crap we couldn’t think of anywhere to put. We remind you that Page Thirteen is best served with a pinch of salt
☻ Of the rumours and downright bullshit that was circulated about the Jacksonville debacle, one particular tale cropped up more often than most. That was of one player being jumped by two others outside McDonald’s. MEN‘s Neil Barker briefly touched on it in one of his comment pieces but nothing more was wrote of it. That didn’t stop the rumour being the talk of the Fans Night a few weeks back. So if you spotted anyone trying to examine the players’ faces for marks, now you know why, ☻ Taking of the Fans Night, Sky Sports’ Angela Powers was hardly worth her fee. Mixing up players’ names, getting the shirt presenters wrong again and again… It was a bloody sham. Do some research woman! Perhaps it’s because we’ve been used to Eddie Hemmings’s polished presentation. That said, the case against Powers has been building for a while. Her piece about the facilities at various Super League grounds grew tired when she appeared to place uppermost importance on toilets and baby changing facilities. What do you want, a fucking bidet? Then recently, her live report on Celtic vs. Hull was delivered with the post-match elocution of Wayne Rooney, which left us pining for perennial understudy Rod Studd. ☻ Eddie Hemmings doesn’t quite get off that easily. According to him, in the opening exchanges of St Helens vs. Warrington, the major talking point was about how illegible the shirt numbers were on the Wolves’ jerseys. He mentioned it a good three times in as many minutes. Then tried to explain that his real concern was for the supporters. Speak for yourself Eduardo. And whilst we're on the subject, could you commentate on what’s
Secret Santa Did you enter Salford Advertiser’s guess the Santas competition? We’re guessing you didn’t bother because there were only 40-odd entries and just one of those got all four correct. Not sure what this means. Did many Salford fans think they’d have little chance of winning and so couldn’t be arsed? Or does nobody actually bother to read the newspaper? Or is it, rather, that scant few from our city are even remotely bothered about Salford City Reds and/or rugby league in general?
happening on the pitch instead? You’ve just missed another knock-on thanks to your inane jibber-jabber. ☻ More Keith Senior news: he sold his World Cup medal on eBay. Yes, the England squad got medals for their shoddy displays in Australia. Can you believe it? We don’t blame him for getting rid; it’s a tournament he’ll probably want to forget. Yet you can always count on Alex ‘rent-a-gob’ Murphy to stick his oar in, who said Senior had ‘gone beyond any pride’. And what is the price of pride? Well according to eBay about £2,051. Amidst the hullabaloo, the wittiest remark was made by the Sun who published the story nationally with the headline ‘eBay Gum!’. And people say rugby league has managed to shake off it’s flatcap image. Other items Keith has sold on eBay recently include a pink diamante dog collar and tickets for High School Musical on Ice ☻ To finish on Jacksonville, did you watch the video on its local media’s website previewing the Reds vs. Rhinos friendly? Warm weather training it wasn’t as the Salford squad did their drills in the driving rain and average temperatures of 9°c. Although it was funny to hear Salford billed as the ‘UK National Champions’. There’s an element of truth in that…
Proof that the things they do in Yorkshire thrives. Here are two genuine photos shot by Salford fans at Wakefield. The top one highlights the effects of the credit crunch in Yorkshire, where a gallon of petrol is as expensive as ten pigs & two daughters. Whilst the bottom pic shows the Ultimate Hand Job stood under a sign.
When Pete Bowden was the tender age of 10, he fulfilled a boyhood dream of leading out the Reds as their match day mascot. This wasn’t any old game though; it was a fixture in France commemorating fifty years of the famous Red Devils tour. Not only that, Gus Risman and Emlyn Jenkins—two of the original tourists and bona fide legends—also took part in the festivities. Lucky little bleeder. Here, Pete reminisces about the trip and lets us in on some of the scrapes the lads got into…
Gus Emlyn & me
In 1934 Salford’s all-star team including Rugby League Hall of Fame member Gus Risman travelled to France to help launch the game over there. It was during this visit that the French dubbed their illustrious opponents Les Diables Rouges. Fifty years later, in April 1984, the Red Devils returned to play an exhibition match to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of French rugby league. At the age of 10 I was lucky enough to accompany the team in my capacity as mascot, alongside my dad and a small bunch of loyal reds. Also on the trip were two of the original Red Devils—Gus Risman and Emlyn Jenkins—who were to lead the teams out and kick the match off. Our trip started on a Saturday, March 31st. After a coach trip to Heathrow airport we flew to Barcelona and from there we transferred to Perpignan, also by coach, in a journey that was less than comfortable given the extremely windy mountain roads and a driver who thought he was Ayrton Senna. The following day (April Fools Day!) we made the short trip to the Stade GilbertBrutus for the game between the then second division Salford and the champions of France: Catalan XIII. The weather was disappointingly British, raining throughout the game, making conditions very difficult. In the end it was Catalan who ran out 8–7 winners thanks to a drop goal with just five minutes to go. With formalities over it was time for us and the team to relax and enjoy the warm sunshine of southern France, which thankfully arrived on the Monday morning. J For this 10 year old from Salford it was the time of his life so far and the high jinx the team got up to was great fun. First of all we had David Griffiths, getting the nickname that was to remain with him throughout his career: ‘Crazy horse’ had the uncanny knack of falling down stairs, and it wasn't always as a result of being under the influence of the local produce. He proved to be the clumsiest player I’ve ever seen take to a rugby field. On one of the days we were invited to a local vineyard to sample its wares. It was here we met a German couple, just married. They asked one of the players to take a photograph of them with the beautiful vine filled hillside in the background. The photo was taken to much hilarity as he newly weds were blissfully unaware of the semi-naked Stewart Williams posing behind
▲ French Champions XIII Catalan enter the fray. Founded in 1935 as an original member of the French Rugby League Championship, the club merged with St Esteve in 2000 to create UTC (Union Treiziste Catalane), later renamed to Catalans Dragons after their inclusion to Super League An abstract of the match day programme for the commemorative fixture ▼ Salford line up for the pre-match formalities. How many can you name from left to right?
▲ A young Pete leads out an older Pete—Peter Glynn, Salford’s captain. Check out the size of that ball. Or is it one of Rene’s huge cheddar’s with a transistor radio inside? Emlyn Jenkins and Gus Risman retrace their steps of fifty years previous as Salford’s representatives of their 1934 tour ▼ Both teams retreat for a hard earned Kronenborg or ten. Meanwhile, the Catalans kit man resigned
them. What a shock they must have got when the picture was developed. After the vineyard trip it was back to Perpignan for a meal, and for the players to hit the bars. I returned to the hotel with my dad and the chairman—who by now had become known to me as ‘uncle’ John. Here, in the hotel lounge, the aforementioned J.A.W contributed to my first ever hangover by buying me one or two local beers, unbeknownst to my dad! It was while we were here that one of the players burst in shouting: ‘Come quickly. Paul Brownbill is stuck up a crane!’ Indeed, Paul had scaled the 80-foot crane on a building site round the corner and once up there had decided that he was scared of heights. So there he was clinging on for dear life. Coach Mike Coulman managed to coax him down and everyone returned to the hotel. The next day the team went to the beach called Canet Plage. Someone decided that a team photograph should be taken… In the nude. Gus Risman and Emlyn Jenkins were the first ones stripped off as I looked sheepishly on. As the team settled down for the photo Mike Coulman shouted: ‘Hey there’s someone missing. Where’s our mascot?’ Unable to escape, I stripped off and joined the photo. Once taken it was a naked race down to the sea, which as you can imagine was salty and shockingly cold. Wednesday was our last day abroad, travelling to Barcelona for the flight back home. After the usual wait in departures we boarded the plane and started to taxi to the runway. It was at this point that somebody shouted ‘where's Mick Gill?’ Mick was our 17-year old prop forward from Oldham. It transpired that he had fallen asleep in the airport lounge and we’d left him behind. ‘Who was looking after him?’ asked coach Mike Coulman. No reply came… ‘He'll have to get the next plane back then,’ he said. Rather reluctantly, Darren Bloor replied: ‘I’m afraid he can't do that cos I’ve got his passport!’ A week later—after Mick had arrived back—we were all sat in the tea room after Saturday morning training when sheepish Darren Bloor asked him ‘what did you do when you woke up and found you had been left behind?’ Mick replied: ‘I stood up in the middle of the departure lounge of the airport and sang at the top of my voice “I wish I was in Greenall Whitley land, where beer is cool!”’ At which point the much loved ‘Doris’ patted him on the head and handed him another cup of tea.
Statistics
is Super League too When we originally planned this piece, it was in reaction to season ticket renewal prices published in Rugby Leaguer & League Express [8.12.08]. In an article about whether rugby league can survive the recession, the newspaper put together a league table of prices together based on the cheapest seated season ticket available—Salford’s was the 5th most expensive. Our argument was to be that grounds which have a standing terrace usually charge more for a seat. Whether it is to offset the lower price of standing or to accentuate the luxury of a seat; perhaps it is a scam—because those particular clubs can get away with it. Anyway, we’ve changed the slant of the article. After the opening rounds of Super League it’s noticeable that the price of admission for most Super League grounds isn’t cheap, nor is it particularly the ‘value for money’ option—as insisted by Saints chairman Eamonn McManus in the aforementioned RL&LE article. In similar fashion, we’ve compared how Super League’s average cheapest seat stacks up against other popular spectator sports’ elite competitions: football’s Premier League and Championship, first-class cricket and rugby union’s Premiership. We’ve also compared like-for-like, avoiding rates in London which would skew the result. So bear in mind, all comparisons that follow are with clubs based in Lancashire, Yorkshire and those English counties above them. The average prices are based on the walk-up, payon-the-door price rather than in advance. The average cost of the cheapest seat in Super League is £20. That’s a milestone akin to when a pint of Holt’s broke the one-pound barrier. It’s an uneasy mark when compared to football. At many Premier League clubs and Championship clubs, fixtures are placed in categories. Category a are marquee matches i.e. those against the bigger clubs or local derbies. Category c are against less fashionable—for want of a better word—opponents. Category a matches are therefore more expensive than b and c. (Notably. Hull’s FC and KR have began charging a £1 premium for derby matches.) With this system in place, punters can see a category b or c game for an average of £24. In individual cases, such as Wigan and Blackburn, you can stroll up on the day and watch a top-flight Premier League game for less than the price of Salford vs. Harlequins. However, somewhat alarmingly for rugby league, trends are changing in football. Football clubs are realising that they have overcharged a generation of potential support from a young age, which they fear could cause them problems in the
Average cheapest adult seat at northern Super League clubs*
20
£
Average cheapest £ adult seat at northern Premier League clubs†
24
Average cheapest £ adult seat at northern County Cricket clubs‡
17
* Matchday prices. Hull derby premium not included † Matchday prices for category b or c matches. Membership needed in some cases ‡ Matchday prices for first class matches. Durham prices not available. Average price from composite of Friends Provident, Pro 40, County Championship and Twenty 20 pricing. Roses matches not included
expensive? Cheapest seat at northern Super League club: match day price (in £s) St Helens
23
Leeds
23 21
Castleford Hull KR
20
Hull FC
20
Wakefield
20 19
Warrington
18.50
Huddersfield
18
Bradford
17
Salford
16
Wigan 0
5
10
15
20
£
Average cheapest adult seat at northern Coca-Cola Championship football clubs±
£
Average cheapest adult seat at northern Co-operative Championship rugby league clubsµ
£
24 18 14
Average cheapest adult seat at northern England Guinness Premiership clubs§
Matchday prices. Matchday prices. Category c in some cases µ Matchday prices. Featherstone Rovers prices not available §
±
25
future. So prices at many clubs are being frozen or are even coming down. For example, this season you can watch Manchester City against European opposition for £20 and Newcastle United are cutting a swath through their prices for next year. Some Championship clubs are taking it further. Entry to Sheffield United’s category c matches costs just £10, whereas Sheffield Wednesday have abolished category pricing and advance discounts altogether, going for a flat-rate of £18 for all matches. For a well-known football club, that’s good value; and that is a major point. Rugby league pricing is on the verge of parity with football, yet it doesn’t pay anywhere near the amount on wages on players and enjoys nowhere near the amount of public awareness and ‘trendiness’. A few Turkey forumistas have noted that they’ve had problems coaxing some of their friends and colleagues to Salford matches this year because of the £17 door fee—£17 being relatively cheap compared to most. We’re talking about people with few ties and disposable incomes here too. The issue is whether the admission price is equal to rugby league’s, or rather, an individual RL club’s perceived pulling power. The perception with new or fair weather fans is that £20 is a fair price for top flight football, whereas it is too dear for top flight rugby league. These people can afford it, but are they willing to pay for it? The value-for-money option is cricket. You get more for your money, it’s played in the proper summertime and excitement for a newbie is almost guaranteed in Twenty20. Granted, rugby union is a more expensive watch—again, too dear really—but it too benefits more from the exposure of a strong and well publicised international game. Again, its wages are much higher than in league. Also, union clubs could probably afford to slash prices if need be as its corporate and sponsors subsidies are bound to be much larger. The worry is whether rugby clubs could afford to slash prices in line with a potential sportwide trend? Huddersfield did wonders with its £80 season ticket, reflecting similar changes the ownership made to the town’s football club. Is this sustainable? Probably not. The question is whether the increase will be gradually small rather than back up to parity the rest of the clubs in one hit. One thing rugby league clubs can do is to follow Sheffield Wednesday’s lead and abolish advance discounts. Clearly, they don’t encourage large pre-sales; but even then rugby league clubs may have to consider their pricing strategies to continue to woo new supporters without a significant media presence or well-known stars.
scarlet turkey snapshot #28
Salford’s new stadium stalls as new architect demands more money
Top Five
More Tortured Supporters than us It’s hardly been fun watching Salford of late, nor over the last thirty years; but there have been good times. It could be worse, you could be a long-suffering supporter of one of these clubs 1. Warrington As a perceived big club, Warrington have flattered to deceive for decade upon decade upon decade. Sure, they’ve won a fair share of cups, sustained over a lengthy period of time, but as far as the Championship or Super League is concerned, Warrington are either perennial bridesmaids or the bastions of mediocrity. It’s a shame that all of Warrington’s three title wins came within 10 years of each other: between 1948–55. After which they’ve been barren: even Swinton, Feattherstone and Leigh have been rugby league’s champions since. The fact that this club is also the only ever-present in the top flight since 1895 (barring the unconsidered wartime leagues) is not much to be proud of. Though Salford have seen a fair few relegations themselves, as supporters, you feel richer for the experience of winning lower division titles and tinpot trophies; they are treasured memories nonetheless. Whereas Warrington’s have been fewer and farther between. Even now, today, the club flatters; meandering rather than challenging. At the time of writing, Warrington are placed lower than Salford—who have really struggled in 2009 so far—and this despite harbouring some of the biggest and most paid players in the game. 2. South Sydney The people’s club, Souths are the most successful in Australian rugby league, winning 20 Premierships. Yet the last of those was in 1971. They’ve suffered shite periods since on and off the pitch. Wooden spoons, internal wrangles and the Super League War eventually forced the club out of the league. It took a lot of campaigning and toil to get back in, and when they did, they were shite again until Russell Crowe privatised the club, alienating a portion of the traditional, hardy support. This is akin to Wigan gradually sinking to lower table obscurity and eventually going out of business. 3. Bramley The Buffaloes nee Villagers have been part of the rugby league fabric for as long as any club, yet they’ve rarely achieved much—a Floodlit Trophy win in 1973–74 being their crowning glory. So Bramley have suffered, they have been in and out of the league, but they are nevertheless are a traditional heartland club. Bramley lost their place in the professional leagues in 1999 after a shady doings involving Leeds, whose plan to integrate Bramley as a feeder club petered out after they’d already resigned from the Northern Ford
Premiership. Subsequent applications to rejoin the league have been rebuffed in favour of expansion clubs. 4. Featherstone Rovers Thatcher’s government probably contributed as much to Rovers’ downfall as anything else. When the town’s major employer and tourist attraction was its collieries, the writing was on the wall. It was the Super League ideal that hurt Featherstone Rovers more than any other club. At the end of the 1994–95 campaign, having rebuffed the ill-thought out merger proposals, existing Stones Bitter Championship clubs were told that Super League places would be allocated on final placings, meaning the bottom six clubs would be relegated into the Second Division. Too late to do anything about it, Featherstone— placed 11th from 16—were just three points away from Super League, again like Salford. Yet unlike the Reds and the rest of those relegated (apart from Doncaster see 5.), Fev have never made back into the top flight; and as long as the current model exists it’s unlikely, despite their recent noises, that they ever will. 5. Doncaster The Dons are synonymous with failure. Since its conception in 1951, the club has suffered prolonged periods as perennial wooden spoonists. Yorkshire Television famously covered Doncaster in a 1980 documentary, Another Bloody Sunday. It followed the Dons’ attempt to avoid losing every game in one season. They succeded: winning their final game against Huyton. Only the ineptitude of Runcorn Highfield and Nottingham City continued to mask Doncaster’s blushes. For the last 15 years, Doncaster fans have enjoyed a halcyon period; even so, it’s been full of false dawns. You think we’ve had some false dawns recently, they’ve suffered more than Tromsø in December. Having gained promotion in 1994—Doncaster’s first and only season in the top flight—they could only muster five wins from 30 games, finished rock bottom, went into liquidation and lost their Tattersfield ground. By 2007, the club were making big noises. Plenty of RL fans saw Doncaster as a bolter for a Super League licence. This was, again, too good to be true as on the verge of bigger things the club was placed into administration, suffering relegation into National League Two. Last year, under Ellery Hanley’s guidance, the Dons made it to two finals and promotion… Only to see Hanley leave at the end of the year citing financial restraints.
As a perceived big club, they have flattered to deceive for decade upon decade upon decade. Warrington
They’ve have never made it back into the top flight; it’s unlikely they ever will. Featherstone Rovers