The Hornet

HORNETS TURNERS DANCE SQUAD LAUNCHED The Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation and Turners Dance Studios have teamed up to launch a new project to attract young people into dance. The Hornets Turners Dance Squad will aim to engage new participants to weekly street dance classes, held at Turners Dance Studio in Rochdale. The classes will be led by experienced practitioners who are skilled in leading enjoyable and accessible dance sessions. The project was made possible with the Foundation securing Local Pilot CIF Funding through Your Trust, Action Together, and Sport England - it brings together two of the oldest and most respected organisations in Rochdale. The Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation is the charitable arm of the rugby league club. It's designed to create positive, accessible, and inclusive environments for participation in physical activity in the Rochdale Borough, regardless of people's age, ability or circumstances. Turners Dance Studios provides classes for all ages and levels, from beginners to advanced and their students have appeared on Britain's Got Talent, Blue Peter, Got to Dance, Live and Kicking, and Can you do it on TV. The studio has also won many British and European Dance Championships. Chris Tomlinson, Business Development Director at the Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation commented: “The Hornets Turners Dance Squad is a new approach to meeting the needs of the community and engaging with a new demographic of participants who are currently not taking part in any physical activity. The feedback we have received, that has shaped our strategic direction, is to introduce non-rugby league activity to engage with a broader cross-section of the community. Turners Dance Studios is one of the oldest and most highly respected dance schools in Rochdale; I have been speaking to them for a while now and I’m really excited to see this project come to fruition.” Paul Jones, Senior Dance Instructor at Turners Dance Studios, is looking forward to teaching new students who haven’t danced before: “Turners Dance Studios would like to thank Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation for asking us to be involved in an amazing project. Turners is a fun, friendly and vibrant place to learn to dance. We are always ahead of the game with new and current styles of dance. Turners is a great place to make new friends while learning to dance and keep fit!” The first Hornets Turners Dance Squad class will be Thursday 28th August 6.15pm – 7.15pm and will continue each Thursday at the same time. The project is aimed at boys and girls between 8 – 16 years old. Each class is £5 per person and is delivered at Turners Dance Studios (34 George Street, OL16 2DA).

HORNETS LAUNCH COMMUNITY RUGBY LEAGUE TEAM Rugby league in Rochdale has received a huge boost, with the Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation launching a new community playing side. The Rochdale Hornets Community team will play their first game on Saturday 23 July, in the merit league, with the aim The team is managed by a group of volunteers and chaired by Stephen Strand. He commented: “I’m really happy to have formed a new open-age rugby league team, in Rochdale. I spoke with Steve Kerr and Chris Tomlinson about the idea of a new team, in the borough, and they were on board straight away with the idea. They've helped and advised throughout, to make this idea possible. "The team is proud and honoured to be part of the Rochdale Hornets family; the response from lads who haven’t played rugby for a few years has been excellent. I’d like to thank coaches Lee Wilson, Damien Mitchell, and Neil Connolly for their efforts in putting on good training sessions for the lads. The team have their first game against Portico Vine of St Helens on Saturday - and the lads can’t wait.” The community team is the third team under the Rochdale Hornets umbrella and joins the Women’s and Wheelchair teams that compete in the Rugby Football League’s competitions. Chris Tomlinson, the Foundation’s Business Development Director, is enthusiastic about the new venture: “Stephen came to us with a goal of creating a new club to provide more opportunities for participation, ranging from junior grades all the way through to open-age. "As an organisation we share that same vison and we want to achieve the same things. Ultimately we want to see more people playing rugby league, so we jumped at the chance to help. There’s been a considerable amount of effort behind-the-scenes to get the new team to this position. We believe this is a significant step forward for rugby league in Rochdale.” The team will play in the famous Rochdale Hornets colours of red, white, and blue and Hornets CEO Steve Kerr explained why the club were so enthusiastic to offer support: “Our strategy for growth is based on increasing participation and spectatorship, so to welcome a community open-age team as part of the Rochdale Hornets brand is incredibly exciting. "I’ve had the privilege of meeting with some of our new players and coaches - their enthusiasm and passion for the game was fantastic. Whether you're returning to the game or taking it up for the first time there’s an opportunity for you, and I’m incredibly proud of the work we’re doing in the community. "I’d like to thank Supro Sport for sponsoring the playing kit along with Premier Kia and Russell Homes, our principal partners. As an inclusive club that welcomes all faiths, backgrounds, and abilities, I’d like to welcome our newest members and I congratulate Chris, Stephen and the team for taking this huge step forward with us.” For anyone interested in joining the team, either as a player, coach or volunteer please contact Stephen Strand - stephen_strand@aol.com. Training is every Wednesday and Friday at 6.30pm at Firgrove Playing Fields, Belfield Lane, Rochdale, OL16 3AY. Rochdale Hornets Community team will face Portico Vine in St Helens on Saturday 23rd July, 2pm kick-off. All fans are welcome to watch the team make their debut. For general enquires please contact the club at info@hornetsrugbyleague.com.

PAT MORAN JOINS HORNETS FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON Rochdale Hornets is delighted to announce the arrival of Newcastle’s Pat Moran, on a season-long loan. The prop forward is no stranger to Rochdale having played 36 times for the club, between 2017 and 2019, when on loan from Warrington Wolves. Since leaving Wire the 24-year-old has had spells at Widnes Vikings, SO Avignon, and London Broncos – before making the move to Tyneside last November. He also joins Gregg McNally as the second Ireland international at Hornets, having made his debut in 2019. Head coach Matt Calland is excited by the acquisition. He said: “I’m really pleased we’ve got Pat in before the deadline this week. “He’s been up at Newcastle and not getting much game time, so we saw an opportunity to bring him in and it’s great to have got it done. “He’s previously played for the club, when on dual-registration with Warrington, so he knows what we’re about and was really keen to come back and get some game time. “This gives us plenty of competition now in the pack, which is vital at this stage of the season.” Hornets Chairman Andy Mazey is equally pleased. He said: “We’re delighted to have Pat on board with us, heading into the business end of the campaign. “I know Matt is really looking forward to working with a player who has predominately operated at the higher echelons of the Championship, and is also a full-time athlete. “He also knows what it means to wear the Hornets jersey, having played for us before. “I’d personally like to thank my good friend Jordan Robinson, over at Thunder, for the support on this deal and Denis Betts for allowing it to happen.” Moran will come straight in contention for Sunday’s game against London Skolars (3pm kick-off).

Agreed.

HOW TO GET FREE TICKETS FOR HORNETS VS SWINTON With a return to a 1600 capacity confirmed, for next Sunday’s game with Swinton, we are delighted to offer a Community Counts ticket incentive. The fixture has all the makings of a classic with currently just one place separating the two Lancashire sides in Betfred League 1, as both teams aim to win promotion to the Championship. This new offer will see coaches and juniors from community clubs receive free entry to the crunch Round 15 tie with The Lions – on Sunday 31 July. Once your community club registers, you’ll receive a unique code allowing you to add an adult ticket to your basket for £10 with KIDS still FREE! To book simply order via tickets@hornetsrugbyleague.com or ask for Danny on 01706 648004. We’ll need the lead person's booking information and tickets will be emailed to you. Any community groups looking to reward their Juniors are invited to get in touch. Rochdale Hornets vs Swinton Lions is sponsored by Rochdale Council and Old Rochdalians.

HORNETS SUMMER CAMPS NOW FULLY BOOKED The summer camps delivered by the Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation have proven to be a huge hit with young people and are now fully booked. The Foundation is hosting it’s popular camps across 3 weeks in August at Balderstone Park. The multi-sport sessions will be packed with fun, engaging and inclusive activities suitable for boys and girls of all playing abilities - aged 7 to 12 years old. Chris Tomlinson, Business Development Director for the Foundation, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response to our camps and we must thank the Holiday Activity and Food coordination team for their funding and support which allows us to offer the camps free of charge to our participants. "Due to demand we’ve even extended our programme this year and we’re looking forward to introducing so many young people to the Hornets family.”

ROCHDALE HORNETS MATCH OPERATIONS AND TICKETING INITIATIVES Rochdale Hornets provide the following update for fans, and spectators, ahead of the London and Swinton fixtures in July. Our matchday operating procedures will change, as we no longer occupy the ground floor office and shop located in the main stand. The club's main office will remain as Box 12 during the week, but will be vacated for matchdays. We will therefore operate a cash and card ticketing desk from reception, which will be clearly marked on arrival for fans wishing to purchase tickets on the day. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online or in advance to avoid any unnecessary queues on matchday. We cannot accept cash payments on the turnstile - and you must have a valid ticket to enter the game. Hospitality will be unaffected by the changes and we will be continue to receive fans through reception. Unfortunately we are no longer able to offer a stadium store, but are working hard to find solutions for a temporary or pop-up shop in the near future. Fans wishing to purchase merchandise can do so via our Technical partner Supro Sport and by visiting our online store . London Skolars – Sunday 24 July. The anticipated crowd is likely to be under 920 and therefore we will only operate half a main stand. Fans are welcome to join us in the lounge for refreshments, as normal, and we look forward to welcoming all fans. The turnstiles will be open from 2pm. Swinton Lions - Sunday 31 July. Following extensive discussions with RAFC, the capacity of the main stand will be reinstated to its capacity of 1600. Both Turnstiles 1-3 and 4-6 will be open with the relevant turnstile printed on your ticket. We are aiming to fill the main stand and as its likely to be a busy game, we remind all fans to buy online. Hospitality for the Swinton game is now SOLD OUT but fans will be able to access the lounge after the final whistle. Refreshments will be available to those in the main stand via the usual main stand kiosks. Car parking is limited and remains on a first come first serve basis. With an increase in capacity we are delighted to offer our two ticketing initiatives to local community clubs and groups: 1. FREE juniors and FREE support staff tickets. This means that your coaches and volunteers can bring their team at zero cost. To book simply order via tickets@hornetsrugbyleague.com or ask for Danny on 01706 648004. We’ll need the lead person's booking information and tickets will be emailed to you. 2. Discounted tickets for all your club members. Once your community club registers, you’ll receive a unique code allowing you to add an adult tickets to you basket for £10.00 with KIDS still FREE! Any community groups looking to reward their Juniors are invited to get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you all back to the Crown Oil Arena as we push for promotion. Please email info@hornetsrugbyleague.com if you have any questions.

Three Hornets team in action today!

Wow…..what a thread that is, some big brave keyboard warriors at full throttle RAFC Blue is clearly making it up as he / she is going along it’s hilarious and clearly desperately hammering google for links and bits of information to try to support fabricated and malicious BS and lies he / she is peddling about Hornets and people connected. It seems like some kind of relentless scatter gun approach to throw as much mud as possible in the hope something might actually stick, but it just comes across as pathetic hence only two or three regulars engage with it and one of them has been exposed as an Internet troll here recently. Imagine wasting so much of your spare time on little old Hornets. Clearly something has got them rattled, but empty vessels often make the most noise.

Another pathetic and child like response. Still haven’t answered the question…..

I’ve endeavoured to answer everything you have asked here from facts and information already in the public domain which 99% of Hornets fans would already know. No answer from you again yet again to the question I’ve repeatedly asked? I will try again……..what is your problem/ issue with the Hornets board / Chairman? Your either a Dale message board warrior or someone with an issue / agenda trying to destabilise a club you claim to support……which is it?

Still ducking my question….. Your either not the sharpest or mischief making so I will again spell it out to you with facts as best I can. The consortium agreed to take on the club (we approached them) and that comes with all its legal and financial liabilities and a huge commitment which the fan owned model could no longer meet. The club was effectively worth nothing but the consortium not only agreed to take it on and give it a future but committed to funding a competitive team on the field and developing it off field which it’s clear they are doing. As it was a company conversation it needed a limited company to convert the society into. Standard set up of limited company is generally 100 shares and usually valued at £1 per share. As there are five investors / owners on equal basis they clearly decided to divide the share capital pro rata (20% x 5). The club has no property or assets so is effectively worthless. Anyone who puts their hard earned and valuable time into a rugby league club for no gain (and be clear having known directors and chairmen of the past there is no gain and they are a cash cow) deserves respect in my opinion. Had you bothered attending the fan engagement sessions at the time or voted you would know the answers to all the questions your now asking. For accuracy the facts as reported at the time….. Rugby league: Hornets’ supporters unanimously back ownership change 10 December 2019 Steve Kerr, Rochdale Hornets Chief Executive Members of Rochdale Hornets have voted to transfer ownership of the club to a consortium led by Andy Mazey. www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/131417/rugby-league-rochdale-hornets-could-become-a-privatelyowned-club A total of 136 members - 69% of the total membership - all voted to back the move, with no opposition. It is the first step towards the group taking control of Hornets, with a further vote now required to verify the move on 23 December as part of the supporter-owned regulations that the club currently operates under. Mazey – who will take a 20% stake alongside fellow directors and owners Tony Sheridan, Richard Heyes, Peter Smith and current club president Paul Ormerod – has hosted a series of fan engagement sessions to outline their vision for Hornets. Each have been positively received, with the club now hopeful of formally completing the change of ownership early January.

Still no response as to what exactly your agenda against the Hornets board is all about then…. You wont get answers asking questions on Internet forums hiding behind a username. Why not try a platform such as Twitter which the club actually uses and post under your real name / identity so that the Chairman / board members / staff can respond to you accordingly and put to bed any silly mischief making or BS for you if needed. While you fail to answer direct questions I will keep responding as best I can for you with facts if it helps. According to companies house distribution of shares is as per the original proposal that the consortium put forward ahead of the take over. The ownership detail has also been confirmed in official club comm’s since (see statement provided below incase you overlooked it) but you would already know that if you was a member of the old society and voted or indeed your a big fan and follow the clubs official website and / or social media accounts….. In respect of Paul Ormerod refer to the statement made on the 3rd of April which clarifies his reasons for stepping out of board duties. He remains fully committed as a part owner on an equal basis to the other guys and is fully behind the club and vision ROCHDALE HORNETS PROVIDE POSITIVE FINANCIAL UPDATE Rochdale Hornets recently posted its latest financial results which cover an extended period between the 15th of June 2020 and the 30th of November 2021 – the date of conversion on Companies House – to the accounting period at the end of the 2021 season. Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club Limited (PLC) is owned by shareholders Andy Mazey, Anthony Sheridan, Pete Smith, Paul Ormerod, and Richard Heyes. Members agreed to convert the Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club Society Limited (IPS) to the new entity in December 2019 with Incorporation taking place on the 15th June 2020. The accounts largely cover the period of trading through the pandemic, which had an adverse effect on turnover for the 18-month period. However, through prudent financial planning we are pleased to report a pre-tax operational profit of £33,488 and a pre-tax profit of £177,180, the difference derived from a director loan of £143,692 which is now fully written off. Whilst this is positive news, we are cautious that it does not represent a normal season of trading and given the changing landscape of rugby league we must continue to be prudent in our planning. The board would like to take this opportunity to thank all fans, sponsors, and partners for their generosity and support whilst navigating the 2020-21 season. As many may know, life-long Hornets fan Paul Ormerod is Chairman of the Rochdale Development Agency. Given the pressures on time from being Chairman of RDA, he feels the need to reduce his day-to-day responsibilities to Hornets and has stepped down from the board. Paul said: “Over the past year or so the RDA has obtained considerably more government grants than both Oldham and Bury combined, nearly £200 million, and there are further major developments in the pipeline. The club is in safe, well-managed, hands and regrettably I just don’t have the time to give Hornets my proper attention” Paul remains club President and is honoured to support Hornets in this role. The club’s accounts, made available online by Companies House, confirm that Paul has now written off his outstanding loan to the club. He announced this intention a couple of years ago, having already written off a sizable loan in 2019. Following financial advice received by the club, the opportunity arose for Paul to write off the outstanding amount. Paul himself said: “No significance should be attached to this. It is purely and simply a tidying-up exercise to fulfil the promise I made”. Andy Mazey, Chairman of Rochdale Hornets, commented: "We opted to extend our accounting year to coincide with the playing season, making it easier to report our financial position to the RFL as part of the Return on Investment regulations. The accounts show a pre-tax profit which is a continuation of prudent financial planning. We are ready for the opportunities and challenges that we will face in the coming years, due to changes in the way the sport is funded. It is therefore vital we continue to grow our crowds, commercial revenue’s and our community engagement as we continue to build for the future. “On behalf of the board I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to Paul for all his hard work and I look forward to continuing to work with Paul as Hornets President. Fans should join me in thanking Paul for the financial support and security he has provided the club over many years.” “From a football perspective, Matt and our backroom staff and players have had a very good pre-season and we are confident that a successful season is upon us. Our ambition is to return to the Championship and as a board we will continue to support all areas of the business and on-field preparations, without compromising our strong financial position. The changes in rugby league are well documented and now is the time for fans to really get behind the club and help increase crowds. TOGETHER we will succeed.”

All brave behind keyboards. They all have the option of asking Andy, Ste Kerr or the other directors face to face at games directly but probably don’t go. We may not be big in numbers but 99.9% of supporters appreciate what’s going on and are fully behind the club. As you say there is a real in it together approach and some great work going on by all connected. I’m not rich but will keep buying my season ticket, merchandise and paying into all hornets and squad builder and doing my bit while enjoying the ride fully appreciating what might have been had these guys not come in

So once again despite making derogatory comments about the clubs board you fail to back them up. In terms of the crowds I don’t have the answers as I’m a supporter not a board member, however it’s pretty clear the situation is most definitely hurting us. I do also know it’s a fact that last years attendances got inflated by promotions, free tickets and give aways etc, such as the community counts digital ticketing initiative for all community clubs in the area which generated gates of 1400 and 1200 for some games which ordinarily would be in the low 100’s and padded out most other gates also. Due to the present situation all promotions and growth opportunities disappointingly are being lost and having to be shelved I’m told which is sadly more evidence if it was needed that we are being hampered by restrictions. If we are being honest what we are seeing is the reality if we didn’t already know of just how poor the match going supporter numbers are. This is nothing new or indeed a reflection on the current team as at a fans forum i remember it was stated the average in Championship in 2019 was less than 900. With this in mind 4/500 in L1 would make sense without promotions and freebies etc? It is disappointing considering the team is challenging at the top of the table, and there is so much positivity and great work going on by all at the club and particularly around the ladies, wheelchair, academy and community engagement in general which is second to none in my opinion.

What is your issue with the Hornets board? Be clear, are you suggesting these guys who let’s not forget our CEO and board at the time approached to take us on, not the other way round should walk away? Let’s also not forget the state the club was in at that time, and also the fact their take over bid was unanimously voted for without a single vote against. You need to give your head a wobble with some of the constant snipes you aim at good Rugby League people who for no other reason than a love for the sport, put valuable time and money into it, and have stabilised us and furthermore despite covid (unforeseen) and major central funding cuts have backed the coach and put a competitive team on the park, with players and household names that Rochdale could previously only have ever dreamed of. Final question for you, when the club was failing badly in 2019 as a society and reached out to potential owners / investors, how many Rochdale based potentials stepped forward with concrete proposals to take it on???

Only just saw this on the clubs website. Well done ladies!!! FEATHERSTONE LIONESSES 10-24 HORNETS LADIES Round 3 of Hornets Ladies' season brought us to the home of Featherstone Lionesses; in the same fixture last season, Hornets were comfortably beaten 46-20 on a tough afternoon. From kick off, Hornets started as they have each game this season - with uncompromising defence knocking back the Featherstone bodies. Armani Khaliq pulled off the pick of the hits with an Adrian Morley-esqe shot. Steph Hillen was also a woman on a mission. For someone with quite a diminutive figure, she is very much the intimidator and tackles way above her weight. This is something that can be said about a raft of the Hornets players this year and it really is something to behold! Ten minutes in, Hornets' 16-year-old superstar Morgan Pearson broke through the line to go under the sticks for the first try with Harriet Widdup converting. Featherstone hit back with an unconverted try of their own five minutes later, only for Hornets to extend their lead on 25 minutes again through Pearson. Widdup added the extras to make the score 4-12. Pearson completed her hat trick, on the half-hour mark, with her pace and balance creating another line break to go under the posts and leave Widdup with an easy conversion. Featherstone fought their way back down the field, helped by a couple of penalties handed to them by a tiring Hornets defence, and eventually crossed over for a converted try. However, Hornets hit back on the stroke of half time. From the Featherstone ten-metre line, a short ball to the powerful Khaliq resulted in her first try of the season. Widdup again would convert bringing the score at half time to 10-24. The second half started as the first did with strong running from Hornets pack, Tammy Murphy really laying a platform along with Khaliq, while back-rowers Beth Harris and Sam Brazier both dominated their channels. With the score unchanged from half time and Hornets turning up the pressure on the Featherstone side, a Lionesses player went down injured with what looked like a cut to the face - she was swiftly attended to by coach and physio. After a while, the referee announced to the Hornets coaches that Featherstone’s coach was leaving with the injured player. This left Featherstone without a qualified coach and so the decision had to be made to abandon the game. This was a disappointing end to what was a momentous performance in the history of Hornets Ladies. The game was only going one way however and both parties agreed that Hornets should leave with the two points. Everyone at the game was evidently bursting with pride. A large Hornets contingent was there to witness a remarkable performance and it was the first time Hornets songs could be heard being at a ladies game! Hornets: Libby Hadfield, Claire Sutcliffe, Millie Harris, Chloe Mansell, Harrier Widdop, Steph Hillen, Sharon Pearson, Morgan Pearson, Tammy Murphy, Sam Plant (C), Sam Brazier, Beth Harris, Armani Khaliq. If you fancy getting involved with the Hornets Ladies, get down to Mayfield Sports Centre on Tuesdays between 7-8pm.

Its not good for anyone in reality. What is clear the situation is significantly impacting Hornets (effectively a community partner & customer), and not just in terms of bums on seats. This would appear to be a very clear contradiction of what RAFC are trying to sell themselves as, a community centric organisation. Maybe the pressures associated with a lack of a benefactor or investors, coupled with their ongoing decline on the pitch and also well documented legal wranglings (which could be costly in more ways than one) has made them pretty desperate. Hornets may have been seen as an easy target........

16-16 it was getting tasty and interesting when Mr Rush decided to make it all about him. As you say they normally at least try and even things up.