London Broncos target 5,000 crowds in three years at new home
London Broncos owner David Hughes wants the club to aim for 5,000 fans a game in three years at their new home in Wimbledon.
The club recently completed the move to AFC Wimbledon’s new home, the Cherry Red Records Stadium. Before then, the club played at Ealing Trailfinders, which had been their home since 2016.
Hughes hopes the stadium can play a pivotal role in the long-term future of the club. They are heading for a transitional period. The squad is going part-time, and the club is adapting to the new coaching style of Jermaine Coleman.
The long-time chairman of the Broncos told the club website:“Plough Lane, or to give it the correct name of the Cherry Red Records stadium, is going to give us the opportunity to develop a crowd over a period of time that eventually will see the Club become self sufficient, or very close to being so.
“5000 fans in three years has to be the target. That is where we need to be and we have got the best chance of achieving that in the Wimbledon area and with AFC Wimbledon Football Club as partners in my opinion.
“This will not be easy. It will not happen overnight. There will be occasions when it may appear to not be working but we need every supporter of our Club, every fan of the great sport of Rugby League in the South East of England, to get behind this move and help to make the most of this opportunity we are presented with.”
London still hold Super League dream
Hughes also spoke of the club’s aspirations on the field, saying they hope to lay the foundations for a future Super League return.
He added: “For our Club to get back to the Super League, and to rekindle some of those memories we all have, there will need to be a period of re-building, laying strong foundations, and that period is starting now but we will need all of you to help us make this work.
“I’ve appointed a young, highly spoken of, Head Coach who is impressing me with his enthusiasm during the transition to part-time and I am genuinely delighted with the squad we have assembled on the budget we have allocated him.
“There are some very talented players in there alongside the experienced older heads that every team needs to bring on the younger players.
“We’ve also got a number of hungry ‘project’ players that could prove to be astute signings from the league below us. There is no doubt that at times we will face sides much stronger than us and we will have to strap in and give our players the backing they need in every game this coming season.”