Any news

[Anonymouse]

spot on .

[havenhater]

Superb news thank you Gary

[Town Army]

Evening folks. My name is Gary McKeating and I'll be the forum link between you guys and the Board in future. I'll be helping the new board with communications and liaison with the press. In terms of information flow, I hope that you understand that there is an awful lot of things going on at once at the moment. The Board is meeting weekly to position the club for its new challenges. Les Ashe is meeting potential players every day and night, but there is obviously a period of time for players to consider offers from us and maybe other clubs. The advert for our new coach goes live tomorrow. Applications have to be in for next Friday and the Club will conduct interviews over the next fortnight after that. There have been several people expressing interest already.

As information becomes available we plan to communicate it via the Town website, Twitter, on here and through Facebook. They have asked me to tell you that there will be a Fans Forum probably early December when there is more to say.

From my point of view I would ask that you bear with the Board while they get things in place for the new season. I can't be on the forum constantly so if there are burning questions you can message me at garymckeating@aol.com or DM the club twitter account . I'll be getting a Town email at some point soon and I'll let you know what it is.

I recognise that there will be genuine questions and an element of trolling because that is the nature of the internet/ social media beast. All I would ask is that there is an element of decorum and we all play nice. :-) Cheers, Gary

Just nearly fell off my seat. What we've been crying out for for years!

Awesome news, made my weekend

[homeandawayer]

Brilliant news Gary. I know it must be hard being a director in your spare time, but last season there was a bit of a them and us scenario cos  the fans felt alienated from there own club.

[GMcK]

Coach advert now out. League Express , Twitter and club website. 

Hate the Rec. I've been a Townie for 40 odd years. My work took me to haven for 6 years as main sponsor.  :-)

[Old standoff]

Coach advert now out. League Express , Twitter and club website. 

Hate the Rec. I've been a Townie for 40 odd years. My work took me to haven for 6 years as main sponsor.  :-)

Christ this is a big turnaround to the closed shop Russian style of information service we are used to Gary, Very positive sign of a new attitude at the club and long may it continue and we can all look forward to better things to come in future. Well done.

[GMcK]

And just to clarify. This is at the direction of all directors new and old .There are more people to share the workloadad now. It won't always be easy and there may be frustration at times but but any delay with info will be for good reason. 

[Hate the rec]

Coach advert now out. League Express , Twitter and club website. 

Hate the Rec. I've been a Townie for 40 odd years. My work took me to haven for 6 years as main sponsor.  :-)

Well am pleased that is out of your system marra, it cant have been a pleasant experience for you   

[shaun mc]

Evening folks. My name is Gary McKeating and I'll be the forum link between you guys and the Board in future.  I'll be helping the new board with communications and liaison with the press. In terms of information flow, I hope that you understand that there is an awful lot of things going on at once at the moment. The Board is meeting weekly to position the club for its new challenges. Les Ashe is meeting potential players every day and night, but there is obviously a period of time for players to consider offers from us and maybe other clubs. The advert for our new coach goes live tomorrow. Applications have to be in for next Friday and the Club will conduct interviews over the next fortnight after that. There have been several people expressing interest already.

 

As information becomes available we plan to communicate it via the Town website, Twitter, on here and through Facebook. They have asked me to tell you that there will be a Fans Forum probably early December when there is more to say. 

 

From my point of view I would ask that you bear with the Board while they get things in place for the new season. I can't be on the forum constantly so if there are burning questions you can message me at garymckeating@aol.com or DM the club twitter account . I'll be getting a Town email at some point soon and I'll let you know what it is.

 

I recognise that there will be genuine questions and an element of trolling because that is the nature of the internet/ social media beast. All I would ask is that there is an element of decorum and we all play nice. :-) Cheers, Gary

Excellent stuff Gary, and we all understand what has to be dealt with at present

Just a few words says a lot for us on here

[bomberisgod]

well done Gary a positive move.

[GMcK]

Afternoon all. Just a heads up. The board is just finalising a few things with some players but there will be a few announcements over the next few days in terms of first signings. In order to try and coordinate with the local press and club social media, I'll come on here and let you know at 7.30 (ish) tomorrow , Thursday, Friday and maybe Saturday. The news will also come out on twitter and the club website in the morning for those who want to get information that way. The information will obviously come in waves as negotiations conclude over the coming weeks so hopefully it'll work seamlessly :-) 

[town4me]

Afternoon all. Just a heads up. The board is just finalising a few things with some players but there will be a few announcements over the next few days in terms of first signings. In order to try and coordinate with the local press and club social media, I'll come on here and let you know at 7.30 (ish) tomorrow , Thursday, Friday and maybe Saturday. The news will also come out on twitter and the club website in the morning for those who want to get information that way. The information will obviously come in waves as negotiations conclude over the coming weeks so hopefully it'll work seamlessly :-)

Cheers gary

[Ginock1]

Without saying too much Gary is it resignings or new signings ?

[Hate the rec]

Afternoon all. Just a heads up. The board is just finalising a few things with some players but there will be a few announcements over the next few days in terms of first signings. In order to try and coordinate with the local press and club social media, I'll come on here and let you know at 7.30 (ish) tomorrow , Thursday, Friday and maybe Saturday. The news will also come out on twitter and the club website in the morning for those who want to get information that way. The information will obviously come in waves as negotiations conclude over the coming weeks so hopefully it'll work seamlessly :-) 

Spot on, thanks

[GMcK]

Without saying too much Gary is it resignings or new signings ?

 

The Board have expressed their intention to retain and attract the best local talent. Les Ashe is talking to players who played for Town last season as well as potential new signings. I'm sure there'll be a good mix over the next few weeks. However, he is eager to retain players that will get us challenging for promotion as I'm sure the fans are. 

[The Voodooguru]

Brilliant news! I'm liking this new stream of info, it keeps the crack going in the off season.

[dkw]

Well we cant ask for any more that that Gary, thanks for the effort, its what we fans have been needing for years, a proper link to the club. 

[Ginock1]

Gary you obviously work within the media. Do you have a set plan to work more closely with the papers, even in this computer media era I still think the area is set in stone that it looks forward to a friday Times and Star with some big news or an interview to excite them for the game on the Sunday, I feel the fans who have drifted away must be from this demographic and it could be the channel to get them excited about Town again.

[GMcK]

Hi. Yes we want to use every media from printed to social. I'm active on social media but I still like my sit down with a paper. We'll try and get info out every way we can. 

[old un]

You are doing great job so far without any proper news!

[Derwent]

The Board have expressed their intention to retain and attract the best local talent. Les Ashe is talking to players who played for Town last season as well as potential new signings. I'm sure there'll be a good mix over the next few weeks. However, he is eager to retain players that will get us challenging for promotion as I'm sure the fans are.

Actually, and I realise that I might be alone here, I'd rather we didn't go for promotion next year and build a young local team with a few old heads around them that can develop into something special. If it takes a year or two so be it, but let's build a team that are proud to pull on that shirt and who understand the passion and pride required to wear it. For me promotion isn't a priority next year, putting a marker down for the future is.

[Ginock1]

The league of northern based Town, Haven,Barrow, Newcastle, York, Donny,Keighley,Hunslet and the Midlands/southern/ Canadian element of Skolars,South Wales, hemel,gloucester,oxford,toronto, north Wales and Coventry cries out to me that the Rfl should consider 2xleagues of 8 ,play each other 3 times , top 4 from each league play off on a Super 8 scenario and top 2 go up.

To me this would reduce clubs expenditure on long trips on coaches, trains,hotels which would be better served being spent on players, running the club,developing the club rather than lining non rugby people's pockets like bus companies and hotels.

Hopefully every team north and south would benefit from better away support and to be honest more competitive rugby week in week out which may help the southern game especially attract and keep players who currently are traveling into northern strongholds and getting pasted which would probably reduce the enjoyment and commitment of the semi pro to a point where they play amateur and don't give it a go.

For us Barrow , Haven, Donny , Keighley, Hunslet , Newcastle and York would present a challenge and some very attractive fixtures without travelling up and down the country and my point about retaining amateur players would be a lot easier without having to travel the M6 for hours on end......

What do you guys think ???

[Anonymouse]

its a catch 22 situation , if you build a team of very good promising local talent with ambitions and do not get promotion early then those young talents could easily be poached by the bigger clubs in the league above , promotion however could keep them at town .

[town4me]

Actually, and I realise that I might be alone here, I'd rather we didn't go for promotion next year and build a young local team with a few old heads around them that can develop into something special. If it takes a year or two so be it, but let's build a team that are proud to pull on that shirt and who understand the passion and pride required to wear it. For me promotion isn't a priority next year, putting a marker down for the future is.

my thoughts too derwent but it appears promotion is the target.

[Sir Jekyll Stocking]

The league of northern based Town, Haven,Barrow, Newcastle, York, Donny,Keighley,Hunslet and the Midlands/southern/ Canadian element of Skolars,South Wales, hemel,gloucester,oxford,toronto, north Wales and Coventry cries out to me that the Rfl should consider 2xleagues of 8 ,play each other 3 times , top 4 from each league play off on a Super 8 scenario and top 2 go up.

To me this would reduce clubs expenditure on long trips on coaches, trains,hotels which would be better served being spent on players, running the club,developing the club rather than lining non rugby people's pockets like bus companies and hotels.

Hopefully every team north and south would benefit from better away support and to be honest more competitive rugby week in week out which may help the southern game especially attract and keep players who currently are traveling into northern strongholds and getting pasted which would probably reduce the enjoyment and commitment of the semi pro to a point where they play amateur and don't give it a go.

For us Barrow , Haven, Donny , Keighley, Hunslet , Newcastle and York would present a challenge and some very attractive fixtures without travelling up and down the country and my point about retaining amateur players would be a lot easier without having to travel the M6 for hours on end......

What do you guys think ???

That would be a cracking idea, but for the fact that the "southern / midlands" teams are currently so much weaker than the northern teams. Currently the top four southern teams would have no realistic chance of promotion, so why put them in with the likes of Barrow, Keighley etc?

Hopefully as the game develops in southern areas they'll become more competitive, but this will take many years, I fear.