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New year Message

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on: 01 Jan 2019, 06:18:59 am
Can I firstly take this opportunity to wish everyone connected to Whitehaven Rugby League Club in whatever capacity a happy and hopefully prosperous New Year. You are too many and too generous for me to even begin to try and mention individually but without you all there would be no club.

          2018 was an incredible roller coaster of a year for the club. From the depths of despair to a much brighter future in view. It was the year that the loss of significant nuclear funding finally had a major effect and losses simply could no longer be sustained. A somewhat complicated take over bid not only did not materialise but promises made put the club further in debt. There was a chance that the club might have folded on several occasions. However at the club's darkest hour - probably since 1965, our 70th anniversary could well have been our last, however, the fans rallied round magnificently and an appeal rescued the club from its immediate problems. There was even a last gasp shot at promotion.

          Since then things have changed significantly. A new coaching team under the leadership of Garry Charlton has energised the club. Training is proving hard and the lads are responding magnificently. A big push to recruit a more local based team has also hopefully encouraged the stay away fans to return. With the experience of Dion, Jessy, Taylor and Thompson and the new recruits we have an exciting team in the making. On top of all the above three new directors have joined the board in Andrew Canavan, Jason Ball and Matthew Stephenson, funding was generously given by other investors. All are committed to move things forward and especially to bring in more sustainable projects to the club. The top priority will be the appointment of a new commercial manager early in the New Year. Tommy Johnstone and the staff are even getting a new club flag manufactured to a high spec.

          In recent years I have taken this opportunity to give specific thanks my Board Of Directors. They get little in the way of praise and take a lot of brickbats over the year and some of these can be personal and hurtful. I can assure all the fans and anyone who has any connection with the club that this body of men work tirelessly for this club of ours. With the gift of hindsight we may not always get some things right but they always make decisions that they believe are the right ones at the time of their making. I am proud to say I am the Chairman of this body. I thank them for the support they give me personally and each other.

A happy new year to you all from Tom.