What's happening at 'Haven?

[Tommygilf]

Dear fans,

 

We wanted to try put you in the picture of how the ‘off season’ has been going for us.

 

Ashley, charlo and Jonty have worked tirelessly pulling a team together on possibly the smallest budget in the league, to lose any of the team they have built was never our plan, but we have to do right by the player as-well as ourselves.

 

During the off season you will have seen 3 events organised- we organised these to help us generate much needed cash flow- for all three events we didn’t get in to double figure sales resulting in them all having to be cancelled. This isn’t us having a go at you fans this is us trying to explain.

 

Contracts run until October games end early September it’s obvious to all cash flow would be an issue. None of the other bills stop either ie Hmrc, PAYE, gas, electric we could go on.

 

As a board the clubs future is paramount and we will admit we came close to closing those gates for good with a big cut in RFL and debt from the 2020/2021 financial year, but with directors putting personal money in and new sponsors we’ve managed to get by. Unfortunately during this time payments to players where made late but all payments to current squad members have been made for this we will hold our hands up and say it’s wrong but in the grand scheme of everything else we kept our promise that the money would be paid.

 

We’re going in to a very very tough year you will have all seen what the other clubs are spending around us,

 

All we can ask is that you support us and try get this great club back to where it deserves to be.

 

I hope this covers everything for you and give you all a greater insight.

 

We promised at our last fans meeting we’d make the end of the season and we did that now let’s push forward! 

 

The three friendly games are huge for the club so please come take advantage of the double header tickets and enjoy a great day of rugby.

 

#WeareHaven

[Jughead]

Shame. Real good club who treated Saints well, I hope they get sorted but I think it’s the stark reality that’s going to face clubs moving forward, sadly. 

[Eddie]

Would be interesting to know what the three cancelled events were. 

[GUBRATS]

I recall being at the Rec for Havens match against CAS in 2005 , I'd gone as academy director for Leigh who had been the curtain raiser , and stayed on stood with Nigel Wood and Gary Hetherington watching the main event 

A big crowd for what was if I recall a top finish decider , Mick Nanyn was in his best career form and caused CAS loads of trouble , a great game , they fell away in the GF , this was the year after they'd come within a few minutes of beating Leigh in the 2004 final , it was Havens best period , but they just fell short 

Hope they can pull through 

[Colin James]

Sounds like they speculated with their spending thinking crowds would come to watch a winning team and it just hasn't happened for them. Great to see such an honest statement and it looks as though they're taking steps to stabilise before it becomes critical. Hopefully they are able to ride it out and attract new faces to the boardroom.

[Harry Stottle]

Not just 'Haven but is Pro RL in West Cumbria losing its appeal with the locals, Workington are not exactly blessed with good attendances are they, how long can the director's of 'Haven be expected to dig deep into their own pockets, my interpretation reading between the lines of the opening post is a plea to come and support us financially by attending games or we may not be around that long. I trust that they can sort it out.

Is worst still to come for the two lower divisions though depending on the value of the next TV deal moreso with a certain SL Chairman who along with some fans of SL club's have expressed that monies given to these two divisions in the form of 'funding' is money wasted knowing full well that to cut back any further on funding could mean that some clubs could be confined to history.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Harry Stottle

[sweaty craiq]

Sports clubs are for the fans, if the fans don’t want one anymore they simply don’t attend.

Its up to all fans to support THEIR club in whatever way they can  - use it or lose it

Edited December 27, 2022 by sweaty craiq

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Not just 'Haven but is Pro RL in West Cumbria losing its appeal with the locals, Workington are not exactly blessed with good attendances are they, how long can the director's of 'Haven be expected to dig deep into their own pockets, my interpretation reading between the lines of the opening post is a plea to come and support us financially by attending games or we may not be around that long. I trust that they can sort it out.

Is worst still to come for the two lower divisions though depending on the value of the next TV deal moreso with a certain SL Chairman who along with some fans of SL club's have expressed that monies given to these two divisions in the form of 'funding' is money wasted knowing full well that to cut back any further on funding could mean that some clubs could be confined to history.

If SL chairman think that a bit of money to Champ and League One is an issue, they need to look at their own operations first and what they can generate.

That attitude sums up a lot of RL.

[Number 16]

1 hour ago, sweaty craiq said:

Sports clubs are for the fans of the fans don’t want one anymore they simply don’t attend.

Its up to all fans to support THEIR club in whatever way they can  - use it or lose it

That's an over-simplification coming from someone who follows a club kept afloat only by a bloke with deep pockets.

[Number 16]

The RFL should hang it's head in shame at its lack of support for Cumberland/Cumbria over the past four decades. The sport is on its ar&e in the county. 

You can now find more Cumbrians at top level union and soccer than RL.

[sweaty craiq]

Haven and Town can’t raise a crowd between them, merge Ffs and relocate . Passion from the fans is the normal reason given against this but that passion isn’t seen via £20 notes in the safe on match days

[Adelaide Tiger]

14 hours ago, Number 16 said:

The RFL should hang it's head in shame at its lack of support for Cumberland/Cumbria over the past four decades. The sport is on its ar&e in the county. 

You can now find more Cumbrians at top level union and soccer than RL.

What could/should the RFL have done?

[Ragingbull]

The people of Whitehave have voted with their feet for years. They have shown they simpley dont care or want a rugby league team in thier town.  Similar to what goes on just up the road.  They should have merged with Workington  years ago.  

 

[Gomersall]

Is the big reduction in L1 funding now starting to bite? ‘Haven could be the thin end of a very long wedge.

[Blind side johnny]

4 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

Is the big reduction in L1 funding now starting to bite? ‘Haven could be the thin end of a very long wedge.

Owning your own ground and having massive energy bills hanging around your neck is a major consideration for many "lesser" clubs now. They don't just spend money on players' wages, despite what some on here might imagine.

[dkw]

10 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Owning your own ground and having massive energy bills hanging around your neck is a major consideration for many "lesser" clubs now. They don't just spend money on players' wages, despite what some on here might imagine.

The costs to even start a season for clubs are high, 10s of thousands spent on decaying old grounds just to get a safety/fire certificate so they can play there. Then thers upkeep of the pitch, energy costs, insurances etc. All this before a single wage is paid out. For a lot of clubs it probably takes up a large percentage of central funding, now its been cut it will take up more than that funding in some cases.

[Gomersall]

28 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Owning your own ground and having massive energy bills hanging around your neck is a major consideration for many "lesser" clubs now. They don't just spend money on players' wages, despite what some on here might imagine.

 

15 minutes ago, dkw said:

The costs to even start a season for clubs are high, 10s of thousands spent on decaying old grounds just to get a safety/fire certificate so they can play there. Then thers upkeep of the pitch, energy costs, insurances etc. All this before a single wage is paid out. For a lot of clubs it probably takes up a large percentage of central funding, now its been cut it will take up more than that funding in some cases.

Yet for some clubs owning your own ground is the be all and end all. It’s a double edged sword at best IMO.

[Guest]

I'm sure Barrow were probably in the same boat not long ago. So it's not all doom and gloom if the right steps are taken. Maybe they need to enhance the game day and forget about our of season events. 

[sweaty craiq]

Secondary or other income streams are crucial for owning a ground these days.

opening the gates 15 times a year doesn’t cut it.

City clubs should have the best chances, especially if local to Universities

I would love us to get a deal to buy  at LSV due to the amount of non match day activity, plus Utd Ladies and reserves playing there

[Davo5]

On 23/12/2022 at 22:03, GUBRATS said:

I recall being at the Rec for Havens match against CAS in 2005 , I'd gone as academy director for Leigh who had been the curtain raiser , and stayed on stood with Nigel Wood and Gary Hetherington watching the main event 

A big crowd for what was if I recall a top finish decider , Mick Nanyn was in his best career form and caused CAS loads of trouble , a great game , they fell away in the GF , this was the year after they'd come within a few minutes of beating Leigh in the 2004 final , it was Havens best period , but they just fell short 

Hope they can pull through 

Just fell short of a Cas team that cheated the salary cap but were let off with a STERN talking to from the RFL,that Leigh final was some game mind.

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

Just fell short of a Cas team that cheated the salary cap but were let off with a STERN talking to from the RFL,that Leigh final was some game mind.

Yes , they did well to run a full time team on £ 250 K ?  

As did Celtic Crusaders shortly after doing it on £ 150 K in NL 2 for 2 years 

[moorside roughyed]

Life's going to be tough for all clubs at the lower end. It'd be a great shame if we lost any clubs. Me and my son came to the rec in February 2020 to watch Oldham play Haven(friendly I think) . I've never felt cold like I felt that evening and windy as hell. That said,cracking atmosphere, a great game, forgot who won but wasn't bothered. Chatted to some of the Haven fans who were great and then drove home. I do fear for the game at this level and have done for some time, especially recently with the reduction in central funding. 

[yanto]

21 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Haven and Town can’t raise a crowd between them, merge Ffs and relocate . Passion from the fans is the normal reason given against this but that passion isn’t seen via £20 notes in the safe on match days

Yet 18 months ago nearly 3000 turned up at Derwent Park to watch Town in a league ONE play off final.. 

Guess you dont know much about West Cumbria !!!

Yes times are struggling but dont knock what you dont know eh !

I have played at Central Park with under 2000 in attendance ...did you shout for Wigan to then merge with Leigh who where top dogs at the time. 

More areas than West Cumbria are at this moment in a bad situation and I reckon Town or Haven wont be the first ..sorry second after WWR... to go under.

[Mr Frisky]

14 hours ago, Ragingbull said:

The people of Whitehave have voted with their feet for years. They have shown they simpley dont care or want a rugby league team in thier town.  Similar to what goes on just up the road.  They should have merged with Workington  years ago.  

 

You really don't know anything about RL in West Cumbria. 

[sweaty craiq]

9 hours ago, yanto said:

Yet 18 months ago nearly 3000 turned up at Derwent Park to watch Town in a league ONE play off final.. 

Guess you dont know much about West Cumbria !!!

Yes times are struggling but dont knock what you dont know eh !

I have played at Central Park with under 2000 in attendance ...did you shout for Wigan to then merge with Leigh who where top dogs at the time. 

More areas than West Cumbria are at this moment in a bad situation and I reckon Town or Haven wont be the first ..sorry second after WWR... to go under.

Read the post, if Fans want a club then they must take ownership through the till.

If those 3000 wanted a club then they would be getting 1500 or so every week, and be far healthier for it.

Haven drew 800 for a home play off semi recently, then 3000 turned up at Barrow for the final.