Death to the Rah Rah's

You make some fair points, but you’ve missed one glaringly obvious reality: the RFL now controls the entire player pathway from the community game right through to Super League. That’s the root of the problem. Town have actually done a huge amount to rebuild links with the community clubs. The takeover days have been a massive success, and they’ve pushed hard to reconnect with the grassroots. But realistically, what more can you expect from a club with a tiny staff and limited resources? And you also have to ask: what help do the community clubs actually want? Most of them have more volunteers, coaches and boots‑on‑the‑ground manpower than the professional clubs do. The frustrating part is that the game used to have a proper pathway, and it worked. The system that produced the Schofields, Edwards, Gregorys, Lydons and countless others was dismantled by the RFL years ago. Back then, players at every level of the amateur game had a genuine chance to progress: shine in inter‑town or district games, earn a county cap, and maybe even make a BARLA Great Britain tour to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Loads of top internationals came through that route, mainly signing pro after completing the Under 19 tours and it gave amateur clubs real pride in their achievements. And let’s not forget: we could compete with the Aussies at Test level when that system was in place! Just look at Kells — they’ve got that many GB shirts hanging up they barely need to paint the walls. Now? Nobody really knows how international squads are selected. There’s always been a bit of nepotism, but it feels even worse these days. I certainly can’t remember seeing the Cumbrian‑based international coaching staff at any game I’ve been at in recent years so how do they select the squads? The points I was raising about linking up with the Broncos was more to tap into their professionalism off the pitch and tap into their commercial expertise and also overseas recruitment, so taking a longer term view rather than a short term fix There are no easy solutions, the community clubs in Lancashire and Yorkshire seem to hate the SL academies as it robs them of their best players when the reality is only 2 or 3 might make the professional grade. In Cumbria we have an even smaller pool of players to pull from, so I have no idea what the solution or what compromise can be made, but I do agree something needs to be done but in partnership with community clubs

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about Championship clubs forming closer links with Super League sides, and if that’s the direction the sport is heading, one partnership stands out to me as both unconventional and genuinely strategic: and that's London Broncos!! It might sound surprising at first, but once you look past the geography, the logic becomes clear. For a start, the travel argument isn’t the barrier people assume. A train from London to Carlisle takes just over three hours, which is no further than the journey from Wigan to Workington. If distance is comparable, then ambition should be the deciding factor and its a damm site more comfortable sitting on a train for 3 hours than in a car !! London brings something different to the table. Their current leadership has strong NRL connections and a development‑focused mindset that aligns well with what a club like Workington needs to grow sustainably. We could offer them a competitive environment to test emerging players, especially overseas recruits as our recruitment is often patchy with some players performing and others coming for a working holiday! They provide expertise in conditioning, coaching structures and long‑term planning. In return, London gains a northern development base and access to a region that consistently produces tough, talented rugby league players. The benefits wouldn’t stop at the professional level. With targeted investment, London could help raise standards across the Cumbrian amateur game through coaching workshops focussing on what works down under, physical development programmes open to all our community players and clearer pathways for young players. This would be a refreshing change from the long‑standing one‑way relationship with several Lancashire Super League clubs, who historically take talent without putting much (if anything) back into the region. Timing also matters on this one. With a new stadium on the horizon our club is entering a crucial phase. Access to expertise from the London/Leeds network through figures like Gary Hetherington could support the club’s commercial growth, community engagement and matchday operations. A competitive Workington side would quickly see attendances rise to around 1,200, with big games pushing 2,000. Supporters respond to ambition and a partnership like this could provide exactly that !

I’m not usually one for mixing politics with sport, but I really do hope the stadium project gets moving soon. Until there’s actually work happening on site, any change in government could put the whole thing at risk. Once funding is committed and contracts are signed it’s much harder for any new administration to undo it especially if Labour were to lose the next local elections in 2027 ! We’ve already seen how this can play out. A Reform‑run council pulled the funding for the Keighley grandstand and Reform led councils are questioning the subsidies that keep Widnes and Halifax’s stadiums going. It doesn’t automatically mean that’s their national stance, but it does show a pattern of being more cautious about putting public money into sports infrastructure, particularly rugby league which doesn’t have the commercial clout football enjoys. It worries me whether future administrations might take a similar line on funding sports facilities. Rugby league is especially vulnerable to this. The sport relies heavily on council support to maintain and upgrade grounds, and it simply doesn’t have the financial resources football clubs can tap into. When councils step back, rugby league feels it straight away. This isn’t meant as a political argument and I don't sway towards any party as they all talk s h i t e, but its my observation based on recent decisions and how they connect to the way rugby league is supported

Thank the lord the preliminary work has started over at Borough Park or we might have been in a similar situation to poor Keighley who have had their levelling up funding for the new grandstand pulled by Bradford's council. Reading the comments on facebook it points to a 'blame game' between Labour who previously held the council and Reform who took control at the last election (sounds familiar), and also seems the original plans changed from a complete rebuild to more of a refurb to the existing stand as there wouldn't be enough money in the pot to carry out the original plans so who knows what's garn on and I'm guessing the truth will be somewhere in the middle !! I know we have had a few false starts over the years, but it looks like the stadium work will be starting in the very near future https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/absolute-fury-225m-funding-pulled-34257291?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawS8ijRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETI1bXpZcklLNVM2RkRmSDZVc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHk3idrDiILkddPV-YoTFwlpnzG3pKw8jP2eocoWPsF7ReJFdMSjaeCLWRil3_aem_MPefd6DgexQplzrxgkl2YQ#Echobox=1783514391

The issue you have is that the amateur clubs don't like academies - it strips them of their best young players to showcase the 2 or 3 who might be good enough to make the transition into the pro game. Its well documented in Lancashire and Yorkshire that players who don't make the grade rarely return to their amateur club or even play RL again. That's why the amateur clubs are anti-academy. A college based midweek side wouldn't carry as much opposition UNLESS the RFL enforce the 7 day ruling, in which case lads can't play for their community side if they play midweek. There are no easy answers as we have a very small player pool in West Cumbria - I think its 5 or 6 teams at U16 level. They'll be that many junior sides in Wigan area alone, never mind the surrounding areas !!

All good valid points but nothing new, and a lot of the issues you’ve raised, although fair, are completely out of the clubs’ control. The RFL have repeatedly said there’ll be no return to representative rugby, no doubt because it offers no benefit to the M62 clubs who already run academies. And even those academies come in for huge criticism from their own community clubs for stripping out the best kids just to showcase the two or three who might make it. The rest often disappear from the sport altogether, which helps no one. Would summer rugby bring an influx of players into the game? you are asking a generation of players who have never played RL in winter to suddenly clash with football in the winter months, plus Cumbrian rugby union is hardly thriving in winter, so hard to say there would be any benefit in changing seasons even if it was possible Cumbria has always been an inconvenience to the RFL. We sit outside their M62 bubble, and aside from the nuclear industry we don’t have the big employers or investment streams that other areas rely on. Expecting our pro clubs who survive on sub‑1,000 crowds to bankroll a full development system just isn’t realistic. What should happen is a proper coming‑together of West Cumbrian community clubs, Town, Haven and the referees’ society to take a hard look at where the game actually stands and build a plan from there. But that means breaking down decades of parochial barriers. Will Town and Haven genuinely work together? Will amateur clubs sit at the same table as the pros after years of mistrust? And even if a plan is agreed, who funds it? And is the community game really as bad as suggested? I’m not convinced. Yes, we’ve lost a handful of clubs over the last 20 years Frizington, Broughton Red Rose, Westfield, Salterbeck, Great Clifton, but in the case of the Workington clubs that could be down to a lack of facilities, rather than a lack of appetite. We still have three clubs in the top two divisions of the NCL, and our 14s, 15s and 16s more than hold their own against North West opposition. Plenty of clubs are thriving with a social side far better than it was 20-30 years ago. Your own club at Maryport is a great example so it’s not all doom and gloom. Do standards need to improve? Absolutely. Refereeing especially. We don’t have enough officials, and the ones we do have get next to no support from the RFL, so little wonder they come in for criticism when they aren't given the opportunity to improve their own game. Player pathways? Yes but they must add specialist coaching without ripping kids away from their amateur clubs as without junior rugby there won't be any pathways whatsoever! Coaching quality? This is the big one. If we genuinely want to lift standards, we need proper support structures for coaches. A good coach can improve 30 kids in one age group every single season. West Cumbria gets loads of willing parents involved at mini‑mods who’ve never played the game imagine what they could do with age‑specific support, mentoring and resources. There is passion for rugby league here. There is talent. The challenge isn’t convincing people to care it’s giving them the tools, pathways and support to turn that passion into progress.

Totally unrelated to the stadium as every building job is different and categorically not true either. The delay in build on the Carlton was because Maryport Horizons CiC who will be running the building requested the bottom floor be reconfigured after the building work had commenced to include a stage and performance area which weren't in the original plans, so they had to go through planning etc again - hence the delays. Hope that clears it up for you .....and PS, it never had seating for 350 either !

There’s a growing acceptance across the community game that players, coaches and volunteers need genuine breaks during the season. The past few weeks have shown that when extra cup weekends arrive, many simply choose to step back, not so much out of disinterest, but because life, work and wellbeing have to come first. It’s clear that participation drops when the calendar becomes too crowded which is why the cup comps have struggled over the last few years in the regional leagues. For the good of the sport, I hope the RFL recognises this and keeps these current bank holiday weekends free rather than adding more fixtures into an already demanding schedule. A little breathing space helps everyone return refreshed, and ultimately strengthens the game we all care about. After years of constant fixtures, players doubling‑up and the expectation that rugby comes before everything else, people are finally drawing a line. The game has changed, people’s lives have changed, and the old assumption that everyone will turn up for every extra cup weekend just doesn’t hold anymore. The community game thrives when it respects the limits of the people who keep it alive. Force more fixtures into those gaps and you’ll only see more withdrawals, more walkovers, and more frustration.

From the moment the restructure was announced, this season was never going to be straightforward. League One clubs were handed a monumental challenge to step up to a single national division packed with established Championship sides, and do it at short notice. In truth, this decision all but guaranteed that most clubs at this level would struggle. How can any League One outfit build a Championship ready squad in a matter of weeks? There simply aren’t enough players available, and history shows that our local talent thrives best when supported by a sprinkling of higher‑division quality players. Clubs in this part of the world don’t have the luxury of a deep player pool or easy access to elite pathways. If anything, it highlights the need for closer links with a Super League club. Our coaches deserve opportunities to learn, engage and develop alongside the best in the game. At present, that support network simply doesn’t exist strongly enough in Cumbria and there doesn't seem to be a willingness from either the RFL or the Super League clubs to help fill this void. The ideal solution for Town would be to establish links with The London Broncos as the Aussies know he sport inside out! The Board of Directors and coaching team will already know which areas need strengthening for next season. Yesterday’s result was frustrating, but perspective matters. The club is trying to build a squad capable of competing at the top end of the league within realistic financial limits. Progress isn’t always linear, and sometimes the toughest seasons lay the foundations for the strongest rebuilds. Predictably, the old debate about a single West Cumbria club has resurfaced on social media. Few would argue that in theory, one united side could be the long‑term solution. But the same sticking points always return: the name, the location, the identity. In truth I think the decision may eventually be taken out of everyone’s hands. The RFL appears to be gradually slimming down the number of professional clubs and survival may come down to which clubs have the best structures, governance and facilities. On that front, Town will be in a strong position once the new stadium is complete. The days of expansion clubs being waved in on a whim are over. The sport is moving toward sustainability, not scattergun growth and for clubs like Town that means holding firm, learning from this season and preparing to go again in 2027 with clearer direction and stronger foundations. This year was about always about finding a marker and understanding the gap, identifying what’s needed and build from there.

I don't think it is being led by the Reds, they just give that impression because they are making the announcements outside of the normal channels. Our board will have had just as much input into the overall build so I wouldn't concern yourself on that score

Great news about the funding for Phase 2 which will take the capacity to 5000, but surely any stadium updates should be joint announcements through the Cumbria Sports Village Board. That’s the whole point of having one! The Town Board have kept things tighter than a drum, but over the road it’s a different story… they’ve had more leaks than their defence in the first half of the season! The stadium team might as well just come out and update everyone as the Reds Chair has stolen the thunder on this one !

No apology needed, sure all Town supporters are rooting for the Reds to stay up. I can see them pulling 1500 on a weekly basis in the new stadium, even more if they are winning as football unfortunately has the rise on RL at the minute

A modern 5,000-capacity stadium will give Town and Reds the most up-to-date ground in Cumbria, and that's a real achievement. With light, modern hospitality areas, it also creates a genuine opportunity to attract business investment, as the stadium becomes somewhere you’d actually want to entertain clients. Hopefully there will be a bit of a “new stadium bounce” in terms of attendances too as supporters will enjoy modern facilities. I've always been impressed as to how both clubs have managed to stay afloat with their current facilities. They’ve really made the best of a difficult situation and deserve a lot of credit for that. It does make me wonder what they could achieve with proper, modern infrastructure. The Reds are getting a League Two standard ground which will be one of the best in non-league circles, while for Town, Super League might be unattainable, but a top end Championship push feels like the realistic next step. That said, a new ground on its own doesn’t guarantee success on the pitch. Plenty of clubs have moved into impressive stadiums and still struggled competitively or financially. The key will be how well both Town and Reds can actually leverage the opportunity through strong management, smart recruitment, and building sustainable fan engagement matter is just as much as bricks and mortar If the new stadium hadn’t gone ahead, both clubs could have been staring down the barrel, with aging facilities and no real funds to replace them. In both cases, it felt like they were edging closer to serious issues, potentially even one failed safety inspection away from major problems. Taking away the constant financial and logistical strain of maintaining old grounds should allow both clubs to focus more on improving what happens on the pitch, which can only be a positive for the area. Both grounds are full of memories, and that history won’t disappear, but times change. It’s about looking forward now and creating new memories in a modern setting. And hopefully we get a scoreboard to match the one down the road I’d hate to be upstaged by the jammies!

West Cumbria Marra-jammers !

Typo, meant to say 16 with 15 home games