I wonder how far away we are?

[whitehavenRLforever]

It  is  a  good  post  but  the  main  problem  as  I  see  it  and  its  been  mention  many  times  recently  is  the  fact  we  don't  own  the  round  and  therefor  probably  aren't  in  a  position  to  carry  out  any  major  work.  It  would  be  geat  if  we  could  purchase  the  ground  then maybe  we  could  start  planning  for  the  future.

Its  fustrating  for  us  all  especially  when  you  see  other  clubs  getting  grounds  done  up  it  becomes  even  more  depressing.  Away  fans  must  come  up  here  and  feel  sorry  for  us.  I  can  remember having  a  crack  with  Maurice  Bamford  after  we'd  played  Batley  and  he  was saying  pretty  much  the  same  thing.  A  good  side  but  the  ground  would  prevent  us  from  bettering  ourselves

[jonah1]

I've said for a while if I win the Lotto or the ?95 million on the euro millions tonight, I will buy that land and give whitehaven the ground they will be proud of. Then just see how quick the council will come running with their tale between their legs.
What do you say?

[parton.marra]

This council are keen to be high profile when the cameras are rolling or there's lots of press interest, otherwise they are useless. Forget the Rugby League team, they have stood by collectively over the years and allowed Whitehaven, which has a rich history and which is a more attractive town than Workington, to become a scruffy, chewing gum covered dump with charity shops and takeaways. Hats to Allerdale, they have moved forward -  to the detriment of Whitehaven  - and we are now the poor relations. The council is run by people of a similar ilk to the BOD of Whitehaven RLFC . Their parochial outlook and incompetence will keep this are in the past unless someone steps in to give the whole thing a shake up.

[Full80mins]

imo too many "old timers" an both BOD an council, stuck a lil too far in the past

Totally agree, but how many forward thinking people are willing to put in both the time and effort.

If there was anybody with half a brain running for council, would they stand a chance of getting in anyway? Nothing changes round here

[harbouragrudge]

Good rant, Parton Marra!

The fact that the club does not own the ground is not an excuse for it being in such a shabby state- it is barely an excuse for no real action on the new stand. I do not want appear ungrateful for all the hard work that many people do at the club, but as has been pointed out in this and other topics-

1) The ground is depressing.
2) The scoreboard is a joke.
3) The sign advertising the next game outside The Castle pub is often not updated and (at the moment especially) looks extremely amatuerish.
4) The club doesn't appear to get the most out of the media, including the papers, the local telly and the internet. Even on this website some of the player profiles need updating.
5) Parton Marra is obviously very well informed. There are several large companies down the road at Sellafield with very deep pockets and who are crying out for some good PR locally, and yet how much money is actually being directed towards the club?

I could go on but it just makes me angry. I am sure that there are people at the club who are being paid to deal with much or all of the above, there appears to be no real drive or ambition at the head of the club, let alone any kind of plan.

Compared to this the actual playing side seems in pretty good shape, funnily enough. But let me spell it out. A good team is now nowhere near enough - we could win the next 3 play-off finals and it wouldn't matter. Two new 'franchises' for Super League next season, then there'll be no change to the set-up for at least 3 years. If we do not make significant improvements with our ground, with increased gates and with starting to build the status of the club generally by that point then we all may as well give up and go home.

Sorry for being depressing, I'm sure everything will seem better in the summer when the weathers better and we are top of NL1!

[hensingham boy]

another good post

[havendan]

Good rant, Parton Marra!

The fact that the club does not own the ground is not an excuse for it being in such a shabby state- it is barely an excuse for no real action on the new stand. I do not want appear ungrateful for all the hard work that many people do at the club, but as has been pointed out in this and other topics-

1) The ground is depressing.
2) The scoreboard is a joke.
3) The sign advertising the next game outside The Castle pub is often not updated and (at the moment especially) looks extremely amatuerish.
4) The club doesn't appear to get the most out of the media, including the papers, the local telly and the internet. Even on this website some of the player profiles need updating.
5) Parton Marra is obviously very well informed. There are several large companies down the road at Sellafield with very deep pockets and who are crying out for some good PR locally, and yet how much money is actually being directed towards the club?

I could go on but it just makes me angry. I am sure that there are people at the club who are being paid to deal with much or all of the above, there appears to be no real drive or ambition at the head of the club, let alone any kind of plan.

Compared to this the actual playing side seems in pretty good shape, funnily enough. But let me spell it out. A good team is now nowhere near enough - we could win the next 3 play-off finals and it wouldn't matter. Two new 'franchises' for Super League next season, then there'll be no change to the set-up for at least 3 years. If we do not make significant improvements with our ground, with increased gates and with starting to build the status of the club generally by that point then we all may as well give up and go home.

Sorry for being depressing, I'm sure everything will seem better in the summer when the weathers better and we are top of NL1!

 IMO were are so far away from a franchise 2015 or 2018 is realistic. By this time Workington could have a decent stadium built. Am I wrong? Would we not be in a worse position? As fans what can we do? I'm being serious aswell. It's depressing. 

[rdc]

We won't ever get a franchise, face it.  West Cumbria is an economic backwater with a population far too small to sustain a Super League side, so realistically it's never going to happen now automatic P&R has gone.

[Chorley Blue and Gold]

We won't ever get a franchise, face it.  West Cumbria is an economic backwater with a population far too small to sustain a Super League side, so realistically it's never going to happen now automatic P&R has gone.

It hurts me to say it but I think rdc is 100% correct. Our only real chance of Super league slipped away a few years ago when Mr Turley kicked that bloody goal. 

We could be proved wrong, but there will have to be an unbelievable transformation at the club for that to happen.

[Haven Regular]

I think we're going down the same road as our neighbours down the road. All this talk of Super League and new stadiums? Sounds like when the board led them into a whole heap of financial trouble.

I hope I'm wrong but I've heard all this before!