IT’S been a busy day for all 36 professional clubs following the vote on IMG’s plans to ‘re-imagine’ rugby league.
The vote was passed by an 88% majority with all Super League sides eventually voting in favour.
One of those, Castleford Tigers, were thought to have been planning to vote against the proposals, but they dismissed any such thoughts by outlining their intention to pass the proposals.
Now, managing director Mark Grattan has explained why there was an initial concern, stating:
“We brought it up at the first consultation meeting,” Gratton said. “We were always in favour of it, apart from that element of it. Your catchment area, we know where our fans come from and our catchment area shouldn’t just be down to town status or city status.
“If Castleford is not allocated as a town we get the whole of Wakefield to go at. It’s as simple as that, that was always our bugbear with it. They’ve said that it will be a process that goes through and they’ll look at various parts of that process going forward.”
In terms of where the Tigers would sit under IMG’s proposals, Grattan was optimistic.
“Between eighth and tenth I would think, and then the stadium will drop us further up there, that’s where we stand.”
In terms of that progress on the stadium, Grattan had this update to give fans: “All we’re waiting for now is literally a date for the council to put it to planning and then the decision. Once that goes through, we’ve been told funding is there, available and good to go.
“It’s not going to be May because there are local elections, so we’re hoping June or slightly beyond that.”
