Board of Directors Statement RE: The Rapley Report

[realist_2010]

If nobody at the club is willing to entertain a joint venture with our neighbours then perhaps it's time the BOD went public with their vision for the club going forward over the next 10 years.

Mega sponsorship from one of the new build partners at Moorside in a few years time. Surely its a possibility and if we can hang on in there till then ?

[CUMBRIAN BOY]

Sorry but the only thing.this report.has clarified is that I was correct in thinking that it would be a total waist of money by the rfl again, how can.such a report be done without consulting the.grassrout clubs, players and supporters, along with the championship clubs and supporters, someone has made a good little £20,000 for doing not a lot.

[town4me]

If nobody at the club is willing to entertain a joint venture with our neighbours then perhaps it's time the BOD went public with their vision for the club going forward over the next 10 years.

it will take far more than a mega sponsorship deal To take a club forward. You would need a steady flow of income and a vastly improved fan base attending regularly . There's nothing wrong with carrying on as we are in WC if that's what some want but you have to be realistic as to what it will mean.

Mega sponsorship from one of the new build partners at Moorside in a few years time. Surely its a possibility and if we can hang on in there till then ?

it will take far more than a mega sponsorship deal To take a club forward. You would need a steady flow of income and a vastly improved fan base attending regularly. There's nothing wrong with carrying on as we are in WC if that's what some want but you have to be realistic as to what that would mean.

[Steven DeMont]

People need to start looking at the bigger picture. It's not just about Whitehaven and Workingtons first teams.

People whinge about not merging yet are happy to stand and watch a team made up of travellers.

A combined team with proper youth development programme and pathway to SL is the only way that  pro RL will survive in WC.

[realist_2010]

If nobody at the club is willing to entertain a joint venture with our neighbours then perhaps it's time the BOD went public with their vision for the club going forward over the next 10 years.

it will take far more than a mega sponsorship deal To take a club forward. You would need a steady flow of income and a vastly improved fan base attending regularly . There's nothing wrong with carrying on as we are in WC if that's what some want but you have to be realistic as to what it will mean.

Mega sponsorship from one of the new build partners at Moorside in a few years time. Surely its a possibility and if we can hang on in there till then ?

it will take far more than a mega sponsorship deal To take a club forward. You would need a steady flow of income and a vastly improved fan base attending regularly. There's nothing wrong with carrying on as we are in WC if that's what some want but you have to be realistic as to what that would mean.

Agreed but I don't think any RL club at any level would say no if such an offer was to be presented.

Rightly or wrongly in all sport these days money talks and all the possible options for the continuation of the sport in WC involve a necessity for ongoing serious investment, be it in improving / providing stadia, recruiting players  (dare I say home grown ideally), general running costs etc. Lets be honest, if the money came from a Russian oligarch with a dubious past no one would say a word so long as its their team.

I will be honest...which ever way it falls I am pessimistic on the future of Pro / Semi pro RL in Cumbria as a whole given the way the sport is run and peoples changing lifestyle choices on a Sunday afternoon.

And on that gloomy note: good luck to all Cumbrian teams this weekend.

[cran.cran]

Steven, that is exactly what is happening behind the scenes. The club does have an overall plan, it does include a proper pathway, and a properly: thought out, cost effective, revenue raising re - development. This is what the club wants to pursue. It all started with the HH report that preceded rapley. That's why rapley hardly gives it a mention because IMo it's much better than Rapley. The club does want a reserve team, we are working hard with sky try, the academy and tentatively trying to improve relationships with the community game. But it takes time effort and ££££££ and the club has had to start from a very poor base line which again IMO is a seven year malaise. The travelers issue is much more complicated on several levels least of all is the fact that we are where we are at this moment in time and it can't be altered as easy as putting a post up. It's something that has gradually built up since 2010 and has been made much worse by DR etc etc I could go on.

[Steven DeMont]

Is what you have mentioned achievable on our own?

We had a new stadium lined up and the previous BOD blew it. That's not to say our current hardworking directors would do the same but I doubt funding will be forthcoming from the likes of BEC again. Especially now Town are trying to pull from the same pot.

[CUMBRIAN BOY]

When the reported was raised by the rfl I was under the impression it was to look at the demise of rugby league in Cumbria and what was required if anything to Streatham the game  in our area again. I'm also very surprised but I shouldn't have been as the rfl are involved  that the local amateur teams both youth and open age were not involved in the report,  also no supporters from either championship clubs who support their clubs finically week in and week out were involved in it.

£20.000 for one of the boys to have a few days in the lakes for someone.

[Aja7rugby]

Is what you have mentioned achievable on our own?

We had a new stadium lined up and the previous BOD blew it. That's not to say our current hardworking directors would do the same but I doubt funding will be forthcoming from the likes of BEC again. Especially now Town are trying to pull from the same pot.

But nuclear funding would probably be more accessible with a 'joint' development plan, whatever that may look like  - and that's the whole point is it not..?

[recre]

There's two options really. It's a matter of opinion which one people prefer. 1. Carry on in West cumbria as we both are (grounds, fans & finances wise) but accept we are what we are as separate clubs and accept that super league is a pipe dream that will never happen or be sustainable in WC as separate clubs. so we carry on supporting our clubs and be proud of their history. OR 2. look to develop a new single club and Move forward. There are fans on both sides that would choose  option 1 and some will choose option 2, and that's life everyone has different opinions.

I'm behind this board and hope that the ambition they've shown produces the results they merit. We've struggled recently but they've shown the drive and determination to move things forward so I'm prepared to let them run with things as they are and not go for an unsustainable pipedream (thats what I see SL ambitions in West Cumbria as being).

So which is your prefered option then Callum? You've never actually stated which you'd go for.

[haven94]

There's two options really. It's a matter of opinion which one people prefer. 1. Carry on in West cumbria as we both are (grounds, fans & finances wise) but accept we are what we are as separate clubs and accept that super league is a pipe dream that will never happen or be sustainable in WC as separate clubs. so we carry on supporting our clubs and be proud of their history. OR 2. look to develop a new single club and Move forward. There are fans on both sides that would choose  option 1 and some will choose option 2, and that's life everyone has different opinions.

I'm behind this board and hope that the ambition they've shown produces the results they merit. We've struggled recently but they've shown the drive and determination to move things forward so I'm prepared to let them run with things as they are and not go for an unsustainable pipedream (thats what I see SL ambitions in West Cumbria as being).

So which is your prefered option then Callum? You've never actually stated which you'd go for.

your right about this current board marra the last boards would of had us merged by now. this board is doing a great job and taking forward as whitehaven rlfc.

[arfwayliner]

I think today is a good example of why merging is a good idea. Although if you want more of the same just carry on

[jammy dodger]

While I am not anti - merger (nor pro merger at this stage) I think today was a one off.

I believe it is next season where we will see if it's sustainable carrying on. Have have given themselves something we haven't had in a while in continuity. The coach has known for some time that he will be here and the transfer committee are working on our squad and have been for a short while. If we don't show any signs on and off the field next season then perhaps it will be time to reassess the situation

There is a mountain of work to do and details to be sorted before the club's are even close to being ready to amalgamate