Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:24 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

.... I think that was when he decided a life in the south of France might be nice, or Nice.

Just to be pedantic & in the interests of accuracy, you've been on here Toulon.

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:19 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

And that is different to every professional sport in the land because ... ?

Also, what you described as the foundation of the Leeds team is true and applies equally to Newcastle, one made it succeed, one clearly hasn't, its bizarre and even the professionals don't know why - I'll fly a kite here and suggest regional identity, you could dress a tiddlywinks team in black and white and blag some free coverage in The Chronicle and Geordies would turn up to watch them.

Weren't the Falcons effectively just Gosforth, but rebranded with the Hall family money behind them in the outset?

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:10 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Weren't the Falcons effectively just Gosforth, but rebranded with the Hall family money behind them in the outset?

John Hall was attempting to create a Newcastle 'brand' across different sports in the area - I was only about 9-10 at the time but remember it being on the local news - he bought and rebranded Gosforth Rugby as the Newcastle Falcons in 1996 and had done the same with the Durham Wasps in 95 which I was devastated about as I had recently got in to hockey and being from Durham, the ice hockey team was something everyone was proud of.

Anyway, he took over and rebranded Gosforth Rugby and Durham ice hockey as the Newcastle Falcons and Cobras respectively.

He did a lot of good and boosted the profile and success of sport in the North East through almost tying it up together as 'different branches of the same tree' though the Wasps in particular were too famous and I think he would have been better just investing in them to keep them solvent.

'Tales from a north-eastern boy'; coming to your local book store in time for Christmas 2014!

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:23 pm  

Wasn't there a BBL Basketball team as well, Newcastle Eagles?

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:32 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Wasn't there a BBL Basketball team as well, Newcastle Eagles?

Yeah there was and is the Eagles as well. I decided not to mention them for fear of becoming too detailed in my reply, but he took over / invested in them as well. They were already in Newcastle though. As were Newcastle United, obviously.

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:21 pm  

Lawrie L wrote:

not sure ill get chance this weekend as I'm between Whitley Bay & Tynemouth so shall see what happens

My old stomping ground, so you're in Cullercoats then ?

I could think of worse places to be, I used to live in The Queens pub right on the headland as you drive into W/Bay, its now boarded up and possibly demolished now, I also almost bought an apartment on top of the cliff that overlooked Long Sands at Tynemouth, like a fool I didn't, can you imagine what it would be worth now ?

We still discuss the possibility of moving back to Tynemouth now and again, but then I'd have to learn the language all over again and at my age I'm not sure I'm up to it bonny la-ad.

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:27 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Weren't the Falcons effectively just Gosforth, but rebranded with the Hall family money behind them in the outset?

Yep, to the total digust of many of the old boys there, I also think that Northern went at the same time too, or maybe they still exist, not sure.

What Jamie101 has written is pretty much a summary of John Halls attempt to nail down a Newcastle brand across different sports although why he chose Durham Wasps when he had Whitley Bay on its knees at the time I don't know, maybe he thought they were dead in the water already.

But again, what they did at the Falcons is pretty much what Caddick did at Leeds, and all at the same time, it worked in Newcastle because I suspect the brand appealed, but its failed in Leeds because...well no-one knows why really.

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 2:48 pm  

JerryChicken wrote:

Yep, to the total digust of many of the old boys there, I also think that Northern went at the same time too, or maybe they still exist, not sure.

What Jamie101 has written is pretty much a summary of John Halls attempt to nail down a Newcastle brand across different sports although why he chose Durham Wasps when he had Whitley Bay on its knees at the time I don't know, maybe he thought they were dead in the water already.

But again, what they did at the Falcons is pretty much what Caddick did at Leeds, and all at the same time, it worked in Newcastle because I suspect the brand appealed, but its failed in Leeds because...well no-one knows why really.

Being a 9 year old boy from Durham who had just got into Ice Hockey in a massive way (thus a lovely blend of interested and ignorant to the the outside issues) the Wasps were losing money and there was something up with the ice rink in Durham (it was either coming to the end of a lease or needed redeveloping or something) and I think he chose Durham because the Wasps were one of the best teams in the late 80s / early 90s; he was trying to catch a giant that had stumbled over.

Problem was that many Wasps fans didn't follow the Vipers to Newcastle and the Vipers have never been that massive.

I can only assume that because Whitley Warriors weren't at the same level Durham was the more attractive option.

Plus at that exact time, Newcastle United trained at Maiden Castle on the outskirts of Dutham city centre and used to have hundreds of fans going to watch them (thousands in the school summer holidays) - I think he was probably trying to cash in on that.

Anyway, that is all for this chapter!

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 6:29 pm  

Just p1ssed myself off now Loz, look at this http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47596406.html. That apartment is in almost exactly the location that I viewed one in 1982, if anything the one I looked at was closer to the end of the terrace and so closer to the sea. I could have had it for £10,000.

Just p1ssed myself off now Loz, look at this http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47596406.html. That apartment is in almost exactly the location that I viewed one in 1982, if anything the one I looked at was closer to the end of the terrace and so closer to the sea. I could have had it for £10,000.

Re: Sam Burgess : Tue Dec 02, 2014 7:50 pm  

The reason pro union fails in Leeds as much as anything is probably related to the existence of Rugby League. Although there are plenty of closed-minded types, a lot of people are happy to be involved in union whilst watching Leeds RLFC - who are, after all, a relatively middle class club compared to most of their SL brethren. Plus, like it or not, watching Leeds RUFC play at Headingley is generally a less invigorating experience than watching Leeds RL - it can be a windy and atmosphere-less place with 3,000 inside and most locals will probably have seen the ground's owners play there at some stage. That comparison is always going to be difficult, not least if you're trying to attract the kids.

Add on the fact that folk who really wanted to watch club union probably already had their chosen local side and that the proportion of people who want to watch pro sport which isn't football is surely limited and you're left with where they are.