I have to add my weight behind BKM, Enoch and Jayforhaven and a few others on here.
Ged is not perfect, calling for Woods just because he comments on radio is a pathetic standard of reasoning, claiming Ged is repeating his Workington team destruction is equally daft.
First things first, if Stokes can get hold of decent players he can produce a team. This has been pointed out by both haven supporters and the town ones who presently decry him. Haven't they both already said when XXX, YYY and ZZZ there were in their team Ged got results, and when they left he didn't.
Well there was a good reason behind both poorly made points, Whitehaven certainly have not given Ged the funds to restrengthen the team , and neither did town. Both for the same reason, they were broke. Ged cannot produce wine from water I'm afraid.
I ignore the town supporters who presently jump on Geds back, as they have a vested interest in doing so. My advice ignore them. Some haven supporters who cry out on here for him to go also have a vested interest in calling for his dismissal, some never wanted him, and others have grown to use our present position to resent the fact that he came from town, but generally they didn't have that much faith anyway.
Stokes may have strong opinions, but boy o boy doesn't every good coach you ever knew. The ones who didn't are no longer in coaching I'm afraid. Pick your sport, the scenario fits all of them.
Get real, the people who ARE most responsible for our current position are (in no particular order) :-
The BOD, for not finding a way of funding our necessary team building over the closed season.
The people of Whitehaven, for not turning out in sufficient numbers and supporting their team.
The current crop of first players, (not all of them by the way), for using our current position to try to 'nail' the coach, and in doing so cover their own failings and help alienate what little support we have left as a club.
The players again, who refuse to do even the most basic things right on the field, thus screwing up every match, often so early on that the rest of the game is little more than a pointless lost cause anyway.
The coaching staff for not getting the off field and on field discipline sorted out, which would have put an early end to some of the goings on mentioned above.
Ged, for not standing his ground during the closed season, and making the BOD see some sense, by allow him to recruit at least a couple of strong minded players who could set a good and professional example to our poor performing, poor club men who seek to take advantage of the present position.
I feel I need to mention Ralph Calvin some where along the line here too, as he is the only BOD member with a true RL background, and who was brought in for that reason, to help the BOD sort some of the above out. Where has Ralph been in all of this, what has he said / done, what has been his input. I honestly don't know, other than being able to say I have seen nothing emanate from his BOD membership relating to the obvious RL improvements required.
Not knocking him, simply pointing out that he is in a better position than anyone else to get the none financial aspects of club performance onto an even keel.
So going back to my first point of blame :- The BOD, for not finding a way of funding our necessary team building over the closed season.
If we have no money, then we can do no more than than work together as a team, group of supporters and coaching staff to make the very best of what we have. THAT HAS TO START WITH THE PLAYERS WHO GED PUTS ON THE FIELD GIVING OF THEIR VERY BEST ALL OF THE TIME, IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES AND IN EVERY GAME. If they can't find a reason for doing it for their coach, then they should be finding a reason for doing it for the rest of the coaching staff, the supporters, the club, the badge and their own professional self respect.
If they can't find at least one or two reasons in that lot then switch the lights off, close the gates and lets all get on with life without Whitehaven RLFC, because all is lost I'm afraid.
