Why are we waiting?

[RegDunnsFlatTop]

Still not a sniff of any new signings at the Recreation Ground for next year. I wonder how season tickets sales will go pre-season with no fresh blood and lingering doubts about the stadium will this discourage past and prospective buyers from purchasing their season long passes?


Another point, does anyone else think that perhaps due to the boards uncertainty over the proposed redevelopment of the ground that they are unwilling to splash out on any new players to push for SL as we most probably will have our application rejected come August?

Again i say we should be really worried. A poor season this year and we are likely to lose Duffy, Maden and Smith come the end of the season with Lester, Fatialofa, Seeds and Joe all coming towards the end of their careers we really would be left out on a limb. If we are left with a squad of unproven inexperienced youngsters if fear for our status in NL1.

[Jaypeet]

The text below is my oppinion of what is happening, I am not connected with the club, it is from what I have read in the press, from statements made by club officials on here and from what I know about ?1M construction projects;

I think the club have made things clear on a number of occasions.  Currently (rightly or wrongly) the club are only seeking a replacement for Mark Leafa, other than that, they are intending using the (34 I think it is) players that are currently signed on.

The situation on the ground is also pretty clear - the contracts will be issued in February 2007.  I doubt whether this is soon enough to have the requirements in place for the deadline. Perhaps thats why the "Gretna stand" option is being considered.

All in all I think the club are telling us pretty much all they can.  I would rather they kept targeted signings under wraps to prevent other club approaching our targets!  As far as the stand is concerned, the club have to go through the proper procedures and comply with many pieces of legislation which determine when contracts can be issued and construction can start.  On projects of this size there are legal timescales which you must adhere to e.g. length of time for tenders.

Be patient..........the future is bright - unless the club tell us otherwise.

[whitehavenRLforever]

We  have  a  settled  squad  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  for  most.  Maybe  a  2nd  row  or  a  prop  or  both  would  be  nice.

As  for  the  ground,  rumours  rumble  on.  I'm  sure  at  some  point  everything  will  become  alot  clearer.  Its  getting  more  and  more  complicated

[haven123456789]

Dunno bwt u 'RegDunnsfFatTop' but i'm getting a season ticket i'm no part time supporter!!! and i dont think the vast majority of haven supporters are! Just because we havent made any signings so what and just because you dont think anything of the ground improvements SOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT!

[MrsHavenWarrior]

Blooming heck Reg - do you EVER have anything positive to say and do you actually bother to read replies on other threads regarding new signings.

Below is a link to a posting made by Des Byrne in reply to the Sack the Board thread where he states the reasons why thus far we have not made any signings - presumably the reasons are the same!

http://www.whitehavenrl.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=200.15

[forty twenty]

reg u realy are cheerfull 2 words for u ba humbug

[whitehavenRLforever]

At  least  he  gets  to  the  point  and  raises  concerns  that  many  are  too  afraid  to  fetch  up.

[havenchamps2005]

he maybe does fetch them up but behind a computer screen if he has these issues why doesnt he sit down face to face with des dave and the rest of the board and disscuss these problems.

[RegDunnsFlatTop]

It isnt my place to 'sit down with the board'. I merely state what others are afraid to say in fear of upsetting the apple cart. Surely stimulating debate with a questioning attitude is more constructive than spreading utterly stupid rumours that circulate around these boards on a regular if not daily basis.

To those who label me as a whinger then perhaps you havent read my posts since the board was put up two years ago over which 99% of the time i have posted praise and encouragement to the players and board. However i am now worried the team is in a downward spiral.  With the proposed changes to SL promotion in the next couple of years unless the club adopt a more progressive attitude we may be left to rot and all the boards BRILLIANT (yes i said brilliant) work in keeping the club solvent and pushing for promotion will be in vain and we will be back to square one. I also have an inkling towards the obstacles placed in the clubs way by the shall we say less than honest people who run the sport. It saddens me to think that after all the excitement and glory of the past few seasons we will never reach our target.


Perhaps a single Cumbria team would be the way forward?

[haven lad 06]

please no not back to the merged cumbrian team

[Keith]

Reg is right to raise any concerns he or others may have in the hope of getting a solid reply rather than hints or rumours.    I don't know what it is about RL but it seems to exist on rumours and secrecy within clubs, all clubs that is, not just Haven.

As Jaypeet says above there are a lot of legal matters to go through and once again I would guess that the agreement that the chap from Westlakes says the club hasn't got for the land is something to do with the Charity Commission.

These people take for ever and a day, I can assure you of that, and no amount of pressure or people writing to papers or MP's will speed them up.    Sad as it sounds you are entirely in the hands of people who have no affinity to this area or any sense of urgency that every fan has.    The Charity Commission is only one small part of the Chinese puzzle that has to be gone through.

Jaypeet also mentions the "Gretna Stand" but as far as I am aware there has not been anything in the press from the club about this matter.   Is it only on here that it has been mentioned?

[RegDunnsFlatTop]

Surely a Cumbria team in Super League would be better than a team with no future and no way of being promoted. If the drawbridge comes up and Whitehaven and Workington are outside the gates then it could lead to the death of both clubs. What if the team was based in Whitehaven, Town fans may not support it but who cares! Sneaking into Super League under the disguise of Cumbria could be our only chance. A team known as 'Cumbria' would be a hundred times more appealing to the powers that be at the RFL headquarters.


In no way am i supportive of the end of Whitehaven RLFC and these are merely ideas to see what peoples thoughts are.

Constructive, inteligent comments only please!

[Keith]

I agreed with you above Reg but on the question of SL I think people have let the differnces get too deep to have any sort of a merged team and some would rather walk away from the game than see it happen.   However, you are right that neither club is going to get in SL on their own prior to the drawbridge going up at the end of 2008 season.   

I cannot see either of our clubs being allowed to enter SL on a "Cumbrian" franchise because it would not be a true "Cumbrian" effort and I'm sure that the RFL and SL clubs would see through the ploy and turn it down.    The area is not big enough to support an individual club SL team and if the two won't even discuss a joint venture then both our clubs are destined for second rate RL for ever and a day.   

[brett kinghams mullet]

the gretna stand is for the railway end and is as well as the proposed development of the popular side...again the issue of permission from the miners is raised..... yet we have put 1 stand on the ground already, are looking at putting one on the railway end(with westlakes involvement) and the proposed development of the popular side

all this from the guy at westlakes is a smoke screen to deflect from the fact that although they signed an agreement ,and went on TV saying that the development of the popular side would be well under way by june...they have no chance of meeting this deadline...so what do they do? blame  the miners and some knottweed and get us somthing for the railway end to keep the club happy for the mo

thats how i see it

[haven hora]

merged cumbria team will never happen and im very glad that it will not  and on this note is reg dunn flat top a town supporter nothing but critisem and not even constructive