Whitehaven in financial trouble

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Unless you think you’ll sell it and make a profit. Whitehaven have plenty of fans, even though their gates are currently down. 

They've averaged around 900 in recent years, I think? Is that enough for a Championship side?

[JonM]

32 minutes ago, RSN said:

If they had purchased a team within their means they probably would be in a similar league position as Dewsbury. Dewsbury are pretty much guaranteed to go down but at least the people running their club haven't sacrificed the viability of the club to try stay in the championship.

And yet there was a thread on here complaining that Dewsbury have made no effort to be competitive because they were sticking to their budget.

In fairness, current CEO can't really be held to blame for things that were in place before he took over. And given the number of inexperienced loan players they've had to bring in in recent weeks, and the number of players staying away until they get their wages, it's not clear to me that Haven will get much from the remaining fixtures anyway. 

[JonM]

3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

They've averaged around 900 in recent years, I think? Is that enough for a Championship side?

974 last season. It's one of the lower averages, on a par with London Broncos. 2012 was the average crowd across the whole league last season.

[LeeF]

4 hours ago, JonM said:

And yet there was a thread on here complaining that Dewsbury have made no effort to be competitive because they were sticking to their budget.

In fairness, current CEO can't really be held to blame for things that were in place before he took over. And given the number of inexperienced loan players they've had to bring in in recent weeks, and the number of players staying away until they get their wages, it's not clear to me that Haven will get much from the remaining fixtures anyway. 

Most of the missing players are injured. The majority long term.

I think 2 or maybe 3 players are currently staying away but when they only started with 23 players at the beginning of the season that creates its own issues. 

I agree that it is well on nigh impossible for them to stay up

[LeeF]

4 hours ago, gingerjon said:

They've averaged around 900 in recent years, I think? Is that enough for a Championship side?

It’s unsustainable if you want to stay up in the Championship unless you’ve got some great other income streams 

[LeeF]

8 hours ago, JonM said:

My (possibly not entirely accurate) impression based on social media postings in recent years is that they have had a lot of infighting among the board in the near past and the current board and new CEO have inherited a bit of a mess. Also the directors are mostly ordinary fans who have stepped up to keep the club going, retired Sellafield engineers and such, not wealthy people and not people with necessarily much experience running any kind of business. The sums involved are tiny - they need £14K to cover the rest of the season I believe.

A fairly accurate impression except that they inherited a lot of a mess.
 

The recent board and those still there are genuine people but, as you say, without the correct experience or wealth 

[Roughyed Rats]

Interesting that phrases like ‘unsustainable’ are used when referencing the likes of Whitehaven with 900 crowds. However, that’s exactly what London will get next season but the comments will be along the lines of, ‘this just goes to show that they have to be in Super League’. 

[Click]

5 minutes ago, Roughyed Rats said:

Interesting that phrases like ‘unsustainable’ are used when referencing the likes of Whitehaven with 900 crowds. However, that’s exactly what London will get next season but the comments will be along the lines of, ‘this just goes to show that they have to be in Super League’. 

No one has ever called us sustainable. Not sure why you felt the need to have a shot at us. 

[Roughyed Rats]

4 minutes ago, Click said:

No one has ever called us sustainable. Not sure why you felt the need to have a shot at us. 

It’s not a ‘shot’ at anyone. It’s an observation. 

[Eddie]

16 hours ago, MattSantos said:

The general public who are being asked to contribute to a go-fund me page.

You’re not forced to contribute. 

[Click]

8 minutes ago, Roughyed Rats said:

It’s not a ‘shot’ at anyone. It’s an observation. 

In a thread that is about a club who may go bankrupt ... that has nothing to do with London you decided to have a shot at us. 

Glad we've moved on from the fans of other clubs faking sympathy for us.

[Roughyed Rats]

6 minutes ago, Click said:

In a thread that is about a club who may go bankrupt ... that has nothing to do with London you decided to have a shot at us. 

Glad we've moved on from the fans of other clubs faking sympathy for us.

I didn’t introduce London to the discussion. I merely made an observation after somebody else did. Apologies if that observation offended you in any way.

[Click]

1 minute ago, Roughyed Rats said:

I didn’t introduce London to the discussion. I merely made an observation after somebody else did. Apologies if that observation offended you in any way.

No, you didn't introduce us, just decided to have a pop at us instead.

Don't worry, I'm not offended. I've grown up in this sport having Northern fans make comments like yours.

[Griff]

5 minutes ago, Click said:

No, you didn't introduce us, just decided to have a pop at us instead.

Don't worry, I'm not offended. I've grown up in this sport having Northern fans make comments like yours.

Not grown up enough, apparently.

[Wakefield Ram]

44 minutes ago, Roughyed Rats said:

Interesting that phrases like ‘unsustainable’ are used when referencing the likes of Whitehaven with 900 crowds. However, that’s exactly what London will get next season but the comments will be along the lines of, ‘this just goes to show that they have to be in Super League’. 

I would say many clubs are unsustainable without wealthy benefactors. 

[Click]

Just now, Griff said:

Not grown up enough, apparently.

Thanks Griff, your input is always invaluable 

[Roughyed Rats]

Just now, Wakefield Ram said:

I would say many clubs are unsustainable without wealthy benefactors. 

Completely agree. Even the likes of Wigan and Saints post significant operational losses that are plugged by wealthy benefactors.

[Griff]

1 minute ago, Click said:

Thanks Griff, your input is always invaluable 

I know.

[dkw]

1 hour ago, Roughyed Rats said:

Interesting that phrases like ‘unsustainable’ are used when referencing the likes of Whitehaven with 900 crowds. However, that’s exactly what London will get next season but the comments will be along the lines of, ‘this just goes to show that they have to be in Super League’. 

Hows that tin foil hat fitting today?

[Hopping Mad]

On 15/08/2024 at 07:33, The Future is League said:

I think they have been on the edge for a while.

Since 1948? Always seems like a wing and a prayer operation, at the Recre.

Edited August 16 by Hopping Mad

[whatmichaelsays]

On 15/08/2024 at 05:20, Eddie said:

I just went on Haven’s website to see if I could buy a jersey to help out, rather than giving cash, and this is their club shop. https://www.whitehavenrlstore.co.uk

So basically nothing for sale other than season tickets, a generic rugby ball and tickets to a Halloween party. 

Yes, but what have IMG ever done for us? 

[Expatknight]

4 hours ago, Wakefield Ram said:

I would say many clubs are unsustainable without wealthy benefactors. 

Or a council willing to pump £100,000’s in ‘loans’ into them like Swinton have.

[sweaty craiq]

1 hour ago, Expatknight said:

Or a council willing to pump £100,000’s in ‘loans’ into them like Swinton have.

That’s to justify continually bailing Salford out

[Gooleboy]

7 hours ago, Wakefield Ram said:

I would say many clubs are unsustainable without wealthy benefactors. 

Nearly all of them I would hazard a guess.

[OriginalMrC]

21 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

Nearly all of them I would hazard a guess.

The answer is all of them. I guess the question should be changed to 'how many clubs could be sustainable without a wealthy benefactor'. Again the answer is all of them (providing they live within their means).