Longo leaves

[Maureen T-k]

Featherstone Rovers can confirm that CEO Davide Longo will depart the club on Wednesday 31 March 2021.

Longo leaves his role at the Millennium Stadium after four years as a Rovers official to begin a new position within professional football.

Featherstone Rovers would like to thank Davide for his services to the club and wishes him the best of luck in his future ventures.

Although everyone at the club is sad to see Davide go, officials believe the new opportunity he begins pays testament to not only the hard work he has done in Featherstone - but also what this club has done for his career.

Longo will continue to operate as CEO until Wednesday 31 March, meaning he will oversee the opening rounds of the Betfred Challenge Cup and Betfred Championship before his exit.

Davide Longo said: “It’s been a fantastic period of my life working for Featherstone Rovers and one that I will truly never forget. I started with a plan to improve all areas of the club and I believe we’ve achieved this.

“2019 will remain a highlight for me, it was a remarkable season and one that brought the fans, players and staff together. Furthermore, ranking first for financial performance in the latest ROI measures just demonstrates the club’s financial stability.

“I’d like to personally thank Mark Campbell for giving me the opportunity to work for the Rovers and all the staff and brilliant volunteers for their long hours and commitment during my four years in this post.

“I am a football fan and having been involved in rugby league since the age of nine, I felt a change was needed for me to experience another sport and write a new chapter in my career.

“I will continue to work hard during my remaining time here and will ensure that the Millennium Stadium is Covid-safe for fixtures to commence in March.”

The ambitions of everyone at the club now is to begin the 2021 centenary season with some positive results to give Davide a farewell that reflects his time with Featherstone Rovers.

#UTR | Featherstone Rovers

[The Phantom Horseman]

That's a bit of a blow. We did seem to portray ourselves in a very professional manner during the time he was here. His former colleague Ryan Sparks is now CEO at Bradford City so the move made sense from that respect, hope he does well there.

I wonder if this will mean that Steve Gill will take over as CEO, or if we'll be looking for someone new to fill the role.

[jamescolin]

If I can give any help please let me know. I will assist the new CEO in any way he or she needs assistance. At my age it would be part time, unpaid, of course but just to remind the powers that be:  Over 35 years commercial experience, two degrees, retired with 32 staff. Have helped out at schools and won awards for the pupils at Pontefract Festival in recent years. Advised customers on wills, investments, estates, loans, overdrafts. Organised events and have been treasurer and chairman at quite a few organisations. This is just an offer I am not pushing for any position. My hours would have to be flexible and mainly during daylight time. Please don't take this the wrong way anyone. I have been a supporter since 1938. I am nearly 87 but in spite of that I will help if I can. Cheers.

[Squidward]

Your names all over the CEO job Jam EsCO lin.

When can you start?

 

 

 

[jamescolin]

Depends how long I live. 

[jamescolin]

19 hours ago, Squidward said:

Your names all over the CEO job Jam EsCO lin.

When can you start?

 

 

 

Sorry about my joke. If needed NOW.

[Robin Evans]

On 20/02/2021 at 10:20, The Phantom Horseman said:

That's a bit of a blow. We did seem to portray ourselves in a very professional manner during the time he was here. His former colleague Ryan Sparks is now CEO at Bradford City so the move made sense from that respect, hope he does well there.

I wonder if this will mean that Steve Gill will take over as CEO, or if we'll be looking for someone new to fill the role.

It'll come out in t'wesh. 

Folks move on. The club won't collapse and there's plenty of time to recruit a replacement.

 

[sentoffagain2]

26 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

It'll come out in t'wesh. 

Folks move on. The club won't collapse and there's plenty of time to recruit a replacement.

 

If we don't get promotion this season and S.L go back to self preservation mode will we need a full time CEO.That aside Longo has done a good job in his time with us.Only dissapointment for me is we have not increased our attendance from the days when playing well under Powell, to be a S.L club we need 3500 home support and encourage away supporters with decent price packages.

[marklaspalmas]

20 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

If we don't get promotion this season and S.L go back to self preservation mode will we need a full time CEO.That aside Longo has done a good job in his time with us.Only dissapointment for me is we have not increased our attendance from the days when playing well under Powell, to be a S.L club we need 3500 home support and encourage away supporters with decent price packages.

Just curious. Where does the figure 3,500 come from?

[sentoffagain2]

2 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Just curious. Where does the figure 3,500 come from?

S.L would want the game played with crowds above the 5000 mark.Our neighbours accross Ponte park can attract crowds of 7000 plus.All i am saying is if we can't get 3500 home supporters  we don't deserve to be in S.L..York would easily get 3500 home supporters.We dont try hard enogh to attract new supporters.Selling cut price tickets in Ponte town centre is about all we manage.

[The Phantom Horseman]

34 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

S.L would want the game played with crowds above the 5000 mark.Our neighbours accross Ponte park can attract crowds of 7000 plus.All i am saying is if we can't get 3500 home supporters  we don't deserve to be in S.L..York would easily get 3500 home supporters.

I think this is a red herring, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, yes York would easily get 3,500 supporters in SL (and then some), but so would we. Every team's gates are higher in SL than Championship (maybe barring Hull KR whose crowds really held up in the Championship), partly because of the "fairweather/bandwagon" type of fan - which every club needs -but also because there are more SL teams with sizeable away followings.

Secondly, it would be impossible to make a credible case to deny us promotion solely based on crowds when London had an average attendance of 1,294 in 2014 and just over 2,000 when they were last in SL in 2019. Moreover unlike London, Fev would take plenty of away support, probably four figures on plenty of occasions. Salford, too, have only had one year where they averaged 5,000 or more and that was back in 2012.

I agree it's disappointing our crowds aren't higher though. A few years ago everyone was getting excited when we started to get crowds around the 3k mark for league games but those figures have dropped since.

I do think the club has made a good move in giving free memberships to under 16s this year. If you get the youngsters coming you're going to be getting their parents coming along too, and to me there haven't seemed to be quite the same number of kids that you used to see a few years ago.

 

[sentoffagain2]

  Totally agree with you about attracting more younger supporters.I do think over the last few years the prices for the last minute walk in supporters has become almost out of reach for some of the not so well off.For Championship i would Charge £14 and £10 concessions then a supporter could take £20 out of the cash machine and go to the match and have a couple of pints (if not driving}.For some of the less attractive games i would offer a family ticket to new supporters{might be difficult to police} at £22 for up to 2 adults and 2under 13's.Go round all the schools within a ten mile radius and give free tickets out to under13's with the proviso at least one parent must go in with them at a cost of  £10.My mate Bob retired teacher has supported Huddersfield town for over 60 yrs.When they were in the Premiership his seasons membership cost just£100 for 21 home games.

[The Phantom Horseman]

18 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Totally agree with you about attracting more younger supporters.I do think over the last few years the prices for the last minute walk in supporters has become almost out of reach for some of the not so well off.For Championship i would Charge £14 and £10 concessions then a supporter could take £20 out of the cash machine and go to the match and have a couple of pints (if not driving}.For some of the less attractive games i would offer a family ticket to new supporters{might be difficult to police} at £22 for up to 2 adults and 2under 13's.Go round all the schools within a ten mile radius and give free tickets out to under13's with the proviso at least one parent must go in with them at a cost of  £10.My mate Bob retired teacher has supported Huddersfield town for over 60 yrs.When they were in the Premiership his seasons membership cost just£100 for 21 home games.

That all sounds fine, until somebody asks if you'd be happy to lose, say, Chisholm, Holmes and Harrison from the squad to pay for the massive drop in income. There's no way we'd get enough new people into the ground to pay for that sort of reduction in cost. For a start, you'd have to almost slash the current season ticket cost, paying your walk-up price would be nearly £50 cheaper than the current season ticket price.

As an aside, presumably your retired pal Bob is talking about when Huddersfield were in the top flight in the early 1970s?! The current season ticket price for an OAP at Huddersfield is £249.

As a comparison to our prices (£200 season ticket, free for U16s) - Bradford are charging £249 for seated season tickets, £219 for standing, and £99/£49 for kids. Fax are £240 seated/£204 standing. York are £195 adults (including a seat) and free for children, so similar to us.

Unfortunately times are hard for a lot of people and it will continue to be the case for some time you'd think. Getting new people into the ground isn't going to be easy.

[sentoffagain2]

  Chisholm,Harrison,and Holmes will be gone anyway if we don't get promotion this season and S.L pull up the drawbridge. With no promotion what would be the incentive for good players to stay.Unless like the Amatuers they loved playing for nowt even paid out of their own pocket to support the club.Any player who is in the game purely for money will eventually get found out.Although i stress i don't think we have any in our club.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Not sure what happens next season has to do with admission prices?

[sentoffagain2]

24 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Not sure what happens next season has to do with admission prices?

 Because i am talking about Championship match prices.If we do get promoted to S.L. of course a new price structure would be put in.I think some Championship clubs are employing too many full time players on good contract money just to chase the Holy Grail that is S.L.Iwould expect that without promotion and nowt to play for our crowds would drop to the 1200/1300 mark if we are lucky.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

Iwould expect that without promotion and nowt to play for our crowds would drop to the 1200/1300 mark if we are lucky.

That might be true, but it depends on how vibrant a competition the Championship is. We were pushing 3,000 at times during the Powell era when there was no promotion/relegation. And we were crowned champions in 1977 on average gates of 2,700!

I think we're always likely to rely on other income streams rather than attendances, but we seem to be moving in the right direction to use the resources which stem from owning our own ground.

I agree though that what comes beyond the next TV deal is a major concern for Championship/League 1 rugby, to be sure.

[jamescolin]

As I have said many times before, use all the assets to generate income apart from gate money. It is a matter of looking at those assets and using them properly without waste or reduction in our holdings. Renting, leasing, providing attractions for children to visit, proper investments and manging the outgoings. We must look at the overall position in a business way of thinking. Properly run additional income would overcome the thoughts on is our attendances enough for a SL place.

[coolie]

Any news on where Davide is going?? Into football seems to be the word on the street, thought super league would have been his next destination before football. 

[Chris Taylor]

26 minutes ago, coolie said:

Any news on where Davide is going?? Into football seems to be the word on the street, thought super league would have been his next destination before football. 

Bradford City, along with the clubs Finance manager.

[The Phantom Horseman]

17 minutes ago, Chris Taylor said:

Bradford City, along with the clubs Finance manager.

Finance manager? I know Ryan Sparks is their CEO and Joe Crabtree does their media.

[jamescolin]

1 hour ago, Chris Taylor said:

Bradford City, along with the clubs Finance manager.

Chris do you mean OUR Finance manager or am I reading it wrong? Kind Regards Colin

[jamescolin]

On 20/02/2021 at 20:20, jamescolin said:

If I can give any help please let me know. I will assist the new CEO in any way he or she needs assistance. At my age it would be part time, unpaid, of course but just to remind the powers that be:  Over 35 years commercial experience, two degrees, retired with 32 staff. Have helped out at schools and won awards for the pupils at Pontefract Festival in recent years. Advised customers on wills, investments, estates, loans, overdrafts. Organised events and have been treasurer and chairman at quite a few organisations. This is just an offer I am not pushing for any position. My hours would have to be flexible and mainly during daylight time. Please don't take this the wrong way anyone. I have been a supporter since 1938. I am nearly 87 but in spite of that I will help if I can. Cheers.

Just an addition. I have also done over 30 years on stage both participating and helping with schools direction drama application. Here to help with children in that area if needed. 

[Chris Taylor]

23 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Finance manager? I know Ryan Sparks is their CEO and Joe Crabtree does their media.

Just what I was told that Robin was also leaving the club to go to Bradford. Not see anything official from the club, but I'm not sure you would to be honest. 

[Steve Slater]

On 25/02/2021 at 17:27, Chris Taylor said:

Just what I was told that Robin was also leaving the club to go to Bradford. Not see anything official from the club, but I'm not sure you would to be honest. 

Joe will still be sporting his Fev number plate in the car park at Velley Parade, and will more than likely be wearing his 2021 centenary edition butchers apron shirt under his work clothes. Now that he has left Salford it is hoped we will see him at more Rovers' games.