We Need To Talk About Wasps

[will311293]

Finally, a silver lining!

How is this a silver lining?

 

[Which Tyler]

How is this a silver lining?

Reducing the league to 10 is a good thing.

 

[will311293]

Reducing the league to 10 is a good thing.

Not for @EdBirch @Jimbo @Wasps92 or me its not.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

It's not good at all and I'm sure they wouldn't be saying that if Bath or Tigers were the ones at risk.

 

[Which Tyler]

Then you're wrong, as I've been saying it for years, including last year when Bath should have been relegated and this year when Bath are likely to be relegated.

I stand by my 15-20 year history of calling for the prem to be reduced to 10 (or ideally 8) teams as evidence that this is not a new opinion of mine.

There is absolutely nothing contradictory in thinking something is bad for my club, but good for rugby.
Also please note - I referred to it as a silver lining - which is far from the same as celebrating what's happening - again, as my posting for the last 6 months would suggest.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Norf:
Sale, Newcastle

Midlands:
Tigers, Saints

London:
Irish, Quins, Sarries

South/West:
Exeter, Bristol, Gloucester

Pretty well balanced tbf

I still can't see it happening, though - it would require 1-3 clubs voting to no longer exist (relegation outside of a closed shop is a death sentence)

 

[EdBirch]

The thing is, less teams means less fixtures, less fixtures means less gate and tv revenue, means it's harder for teams to survive

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Less teams only works when you have a stronger and funded second tier which we currently don't have. It also means that we would see more 'premiership cup' or 'Anglo welsh' rubbish games to fill the slots due to the loss of gate and other revenue. We don't need more poor quality games filling the calendar for rugby right now.

Fund the championship but reduce the numbers and have a proper 1st and 2nd tier and things may work.

 

[stus768]

The thing is, less teams means less fixtures, less fixtures means less gate and tv revenue, means it's harder for teams to survive

Doesn't necessarily mean less tv revenue. Bt could still show same number of games a weekend as they only show 3 atm. Would be interesting to see the impact of 2 fewer home games. Loss in revenue could potentially be made up elsewhere.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

so they would rather drop bath they promote ealing

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Personally I would rather that lol

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Dallaglio clarifies comments comparing Wasps to Worcester’s Premiership plight

Lawrence Dallaglio attempted to clarify his comments after appearing to suggest in the wake of Worcester’s relegation from the Premiership that financially-troubled Wasps should be treated less harshly by the authorities

www.theguardian.com

 

[Saintjay]

I can't see how you volunteer a team to drop. It'll end up in a costly legal battle I am sure. Saints rely on match day revenue, consessions etc. I'd love to hear how they can simply make that money up. The loss of 30 plus thousand paying punters a year is considerable.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

when was relegation supposed to resume?
I'd imagine if you cut the season down by two games you could cut down your expenses quite a bit

you got find the quantity where marginal cost= marginal revenue people. it's Econ 101.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Only thing I can think of is if there is a club who is very tight on cash and losing 2 home games might make them fold aswell.

 

[Which Tyler]

Less teams only works when you have a stronger and funded second tier which we currently don't have. It also means that we would see more 'premiership cup' or 'Anglo welsh' rubbish games to fill the slots due to the loss of gate and other revenue. We don't need more poor quality games filling the calendar for rugby right now.

Fund the championship but reduce the numbers and have a proper 1st and 2nd tier and things may work.

Absolutely agreed (except that my suggested replacement for the cup would be rubbish) as anyone can see from my many previous posts on this.

so they would rather drop bath they promote ealing

Yes.
What was it about me saying that Bath should have been relegated last year, and are likely to deserve to be relegated this year, that have it away?

 

[RedruthRFC]

when was relegation supposed to resume?
I'd imagine if you cut the season down by two games you could cut down your expenses quite a bit

you got find the quantity where marginal cost= marginal revenue people. it's Econ 101.

4 games - 2 home, 2 away.

A wholeheartedly agree with your point though. ITT there's a lot of pearl-clutching "think of the lost revenue" with no acknowledgement of savings that would be made. I don't profess to understand the finances of these entertainment businesses masquerading as clubs, so may well be missing something, but to do while ignoring half the picture is disingenuous at best.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

4 games - 2 home, 2 away.

A wholeheartedly agree with your point though. ITT there's a lot of pearl-clutching "think of the lost revenue" with no acknowledgement of savings that would be made. I don't profess to understand the finances of these entertainment businesses masquerading as clubs, so may well be missing something, but to do while ignoring half the picture is disingenuous at best.

If their main business is entertainment then having more days free of rugby can only be a good thing eh?

 

[will311293]

I can't believe we are in this predicament... the fact that I'm having to consider that a club i've been a fan of since 5 is on the verge of disappearing as i know it is really hard to take. The fact I'm having to consider how/who i support in the Prem is really hard to take (obviously i will keep supporting Wasps but you want to have some in prem rugby to cheer on right?).

In all seriousness, unless we solve it before Saturday, that's our last game IMHO. The board are split which isn't buoying potential investors either. At this point, i feel i'd accept relegation and losing our stars to prevent liquidation and following Richmond, London Welsh etc.

If someone buys the stadium and the support facilities, that would handle the £35m bond and hopefully we can solve the HMRC debt somehow. By all accounts, we had a payment plan, it got scrapped and that is us toast.

But surely this is not just a issue effecting Wasps and Wuss, surely the likes of Falcons, Sale and Irish will be next if not careful? (assuming this based on attendance/commercial income vs rising costs).

Something has to be done as if we lose 2 clubs in the space of a few weeks, i'd be shocked if another doesn't struggle before end of year.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Sounds like Wasps debt is a lot bigger than it was made out to be

Also sounds like most offers want Cov city as well