LOYAL Featherstone fans hope the sight of players wearing Rovers colours on the Millennium Stadium pitch on Friday week, August 14, will be a sign of things to come next year.

The independent supporters’ group True Blue, formed to support any new owners of the club who are currently in administration with the team mothballed, have raised a side to take on a Rovers Legends line-up in a special fundraising match (7.15pm kick-off).

Among the former Featherstone players turning out in a show of support for their old club are skipper and forward James Lockwood, hooker Richard Chapman, Kyle Briggs, the halfback who had three separate spells there, and Gareth Gale, the winger who stepped up from amateurs Featherstone Lions.

Another winger Ikram Butt and forwards Stuart Dickens, who topped 400 Featherstone appearances, John Davies and Luke Cooper are also in the squad.

It’s £5 entry, with Under 16s free, and True Blue hope their latest event, which follows last month’s family fun day at the stadium, will significantly bolster the £52,500 already raised.

Amid mounting financial problems and debts nearing £3 million, Featherstone, league champions in 1976-77 and three-time Challenge Cup winners, who had played in the professional ranks since 1921, went into administration in December.

They were denied RFL membership for this year after the sole bid to take the club out of administration was rejected by the governing body.

It’s believed several consortia have expressed an interest in taking the club on.

Bids must be in by September if Rovers are to have a chance of returning in 2027.