Featherstone - trouble at mill?

[RBKnight]

9 hours ago, David Shepherd said:

Companies House documents would suggest we've already borrowed money against the land in question. No idea how much or on what terms. 

So if it's mortgaged up, then a sale wouldn't actually generate any windfall 

[Rooney's Ears]

Featherstone Rovers facing wage crisis as players set to go unpaid

 

Championship club Featherstone Rovers are facing a fresh crisis – after their players were told they may not be paid their salaries for this month and potentially beyond.

 

Can Fev get some sort of RFL help like the Bulls got help?

[Agbrigg]

1 hour ago, gazza77 said:

An aspiration for SL is not unreasonable for Fev, however as Wakey, Leigh and others have found over recent seasons, it requires someone with very deep pockets and a mindset to invest in the whole club, not just on the pitch. Whilst Fev have had benefactors over recent years they've not had sufficient funds to compete at the top table, and that is where I'd suggest many supporters would need to be realistic with what has been the club's place in the pecking order over recent years.

As for the current situation, I have no inside knowledge. I do know however that clubs see a drop off in cashflow over the October to December period, which is why clubs have a push on season tickets to keep cash flowing into the club. Whilst most competitor teams are busy advertising for 2026, Fev haven't got season tickets on sale and that tells a story to me.

As for the future, I'm not going to suggest the club will cease to exist, however I think that expectations will have to fall considerably further. For all the things that haven't been done well, the club between 2007 and around 2020 did see some steady if inconsistent growth, the development of the facilities and a generally good standard of team on the pitch. Sadly since then, it appears that an increasing level of impatience to reach SL has led to stretching a step too far, with the natural financial consequences following.

The trouble with Fev is that they are a victim of Geography a little village in the wrong place , their growth potential is limited and any benefactor would see that ,unless he is a diehard Fev fan who is prepared to pump millions in without return. Lets be realistic, if Fev did not exist and some one with billions looked at the UK, or even West Yorks to start up a club. Featherstone would be the last location to pick.

[Bull Mania]

Hope Fev pull through. Paddy looked like the owner the club had been crying out for for a long time.

 

[gazza77]

23 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

The trouble with Fev is that they are a victim of Geography a little village in the wrong place , their growth potential is limited and any benefactor would see that ,unless he is a diehard Fev fan who is prepared to pump millions in without return. Lets be realistic, if Fev did not exist and some one with billions looked at the UK, or even West Yorks to start up a club. Featherstone would be the last location to pick.

Nobody with half a brain cell would pump millions into any RL club unless a diehard fan imo. They're all just a black hole in terms of finances. 

[Max_Power]

33 minutes ago, Bull Mania said:

Hope Fev pull through. Paddy looked like the owner the club had been crying out for for a long time.

 

He was, and I'm sure it's clear as muck to see why he walked away. 

[Rover96]

2 hours ago, Rooney's Ears said:

Featherstone Rovers facing wage crisis as players set to go unpaid

 

Championship club Featherstone Rovers are facing a fresh crisis – after their players were told they may not be paid their salaries for this month and potentially beyond.

 

Can Fev get some sort of RFL help like the Bulls got help?

hopefully we do good luck on Sunday all best in super league too

[Trojan]

55 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

The trouble with Fev is that they are a victim of Geography a little village in the wrong place , their growth potential is limited and any benefactor would see that ,unless he is a diehard Fev fan who is prepared to pump millions in without return. Lets be realistic, if Fev did not exist and some one with billions looked at the UK, or even West Yorks to start up a club. Featherstone would be the last location to pick.

This is true as far as it goes.  But way back when SL was formed and Fev and Wakey were excluded, Fev were the better supported team.  In 1998 when Wakey got into SL (controversially in many ways) Wakey began to pick up support and Fev lose support, basically it's been downhill ever since.  Personally (and i've supported them for 45 years) i see no future for Fev.   The fates seem to have conspired against them and even when promotion looked on the cards they fell at the last hurdle.  I find attendance at games difficult now (i live 75 miles away and i'm 78) but i'll always give them my verbal support.  For me Feathestone Rovers epitomise the spirit of RL.  The establishment said you can't do that but they kept right on doing it and upset more than a few ..   Featherstone Rovers 3 times RLCC winners, twice runners up, and 1978 RL Champions.  Not bad for a little village.

[Rooney's Ears]

1 minute ago, Rover96 said:

hopefully we do good luck on Sunday all best in super league too

Hope Fev pull things round and knock all this on the head and can move on for next season.

[Rover96]

4 minutes ago, Rooney's Ears said:

Hope Fev pull things round and knock all this on the head and can move on for next season.

yeah hopefully Mark uses his contact within world of rugby league to help him like he helped Jon Flatman out when you was in crisis 

[Fevrover]

52 minutes ago, Trojan said:

This is true as far as it goes.  But way back when SL was formed and Fev and Wakey were excluded, Fev were the better supported team.  In 1998 when Wakey got into SL (controversially in many ways) Wakey began to pick up support and Fev lose support, basically it's been downhill ever since.  Personally (and i've supported them for 45 years) i see no future for Fev.   The fates seem to have conspired against them and even when promotion looked on the cards they fell at the last hurdle.  I find attendance at games difficult now (i live 75 miles away and i'm 78) but i'll always give them my verbal support.  For me Feathestone Rovers epitomise the spirit of RL.  The establishment said you can't do that but they kept right on doing it and upset more than a few ..   Featherstone Rovers 3 times RLCC winners, twice runners up, and 1978 RL Champions.  Not bad for a little village.

76/77 champions and should have  been in 75/76 but through it away.

[Max_Power]

52 minutes ago, Trojan said:

 Personally (and i've supported them for 45 years) i see no future for Fev. 

I think that is one of the main reasons as to why a lot of teams struggle below Super League.

[The Phantom Horseman]

3 hours ago, Agbrigg said:

As a Wakey fan I quite often have a dig at Fev, but deep down I have a soft spot for the club. I hope they sort this out, but I really think they need a total reset in their outlook. I know many of their supporters will disagree with this, but striving to get back in SL is not achievable for them, the game has changed since the days they won stuff 50 yrs ago, those days will never return. 

To be fair you could have said the same about Wakefield less than 10 years ago when they were regularly using Fev's training facilities and were in talks to ground share at Post Office Road, and that was when Wakefield were getting the thick end of £2m in broadcast money every year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/39258431

[Spidey]

2 hours ago, Bull Mania said:

Hope Fev pull through. Paddy looked like the owner the club had been crying out for for a long time.

 

Maybe the other owner brough his hammer to work?

[Fevrover]

15 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

To be fair you could have said the same about Wakefield less than 10 years ago when they were regularly using Fev's training facilities and were in talks to ground share at Post Office Road, and that was when Wakefield were getting the thick end of £2m in broadcast money every year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/39258431

How lucky was that getting a rich owner in,and he's put HIS money where is mouth is. Shame we couldn't get a GENUINE bloke in ( no slur on Paddy).

[Bulls2487]

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/featherstone-rovers-fail-to-pay-players-and-staff-as-administration-fears-grow-5339795

[tuutaisrambo]

It is understood that all players and staff will become free agents if, as expected, those salaries are not paid by 5pm. 

The development in the latest crisis to engulf Featherstone comes just days after board member Mark Campbell set up two new companies, Rovers Events Ltd and Rovers Retail Ltd, of which he is the sole director. 

What's MC up to?

[Griff]

1 hour ago, tuutaisrambo said:

What's MC up to?

Raising customers' suspicions?

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, tuutaisrambo said:

It is understood that all players and staff will become free agents if, as expected, those salaries are not paid by 5pm. 

The development in the latest crisis to engulf Featherstone comes just days after board member Mark Campbell set up two new companies, Rovers Events Ltd and Rovers Retail Ltd, of which he is the sole director. 

What's MC up to?

Spinning off assets into new companies in case the main one goes belly up?

[Tommygilf]

7 hours ago, Agbrigg said:

The trouble with Fev is that they are a victim of Geography a little village in the wrong place , their growth potential is limited and any benefactor would see that ,unless he is a diehard Fev fan who is prepared to pump millions in without return. Lets be realistic, if Fev did not exist and some one with billions looked at the UK, or even West Yorks to start up a club. Featherstone would be the last location to pick.

Fev being as strong as they are/have been, despite all the reasons you state, is indicative of the broader strength of the game in the area. Its good for RL to have these clubs as, if managed right, they can reinforce the game and strengthen its position.

Fev's problem is not necessarily that they are what you described, but that they are the extreme end of the RL perception problem. RL struggles to bring in large sums of money and interest because it is often perceived as small, Northern and already impoverished. 

A "village" team like Fev could be fine, if likely not successful, in a major league with city based clubs with over 15k average supporters (like Bournemouth in the Premier League or the likes of Harrogate further down). But when a lot of the rest of the top league looks like marginally better versions of Fev, then adding Fev becomes a more difficult option in terms of that overall product perception.

[Fevrover]

2 hours ago, tuutaisrambo said:

It is understood that all players and staff will become free agents if, as expected, those salaries are not paid by 5pm. 

The development in the latest crisis to engulf Featherstone comes just days after board member Mark Campbell set up two new companies, Rovers Events Ltd and Rovers Retail Ltd, of which he is the sole director. 

What's MC up to?

We should soon find out.

[Griff]

14 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Spinning off assets into new companies in case the main one goes belly up?

Far more likely is an intention to hive off income from Events and Retail in a bid to protect it from creditors.

[Gooleboy]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Fev being as strong as they are/have been, despite all the reasons you state, is indicative of the broader strength of the game in the area. Its good for RL to have these clubs as, if managed right, they can reinforce the game and strengthen its position.

Fev's problem is not necessarily that they are what you described, but that they are the extreme end of the RL perception problem. RL struggles to bring in large sums of money and interest because it is often perceived as small, Northern and already impoverished. 

A "village" team like Fev could be fine, if likely not successful, in a major league with city based clubs with over 15k average supporters (like Bournemouth in the Premier League or the likes of Harrogate further down). But when a lot of the rest of the top league looks like marginally better versions of Fev, then adding Fev becomes a more difficult option in terms of that overall product perception.

You make some fair points.

[Agbrigg]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Fev being as strong as they are/have been, despite all the reasons you state, is indicative of the broader strength of the game in the area. Its good for RL to have these clubs as, if managed right, they can reinforce the game and strengthen its position.

 

Fev like every club in the game has something to offer, no argument there. However they are now in a serious financial mess it seems and obviously caused by spending money they dont have to chase the dream. Ever since the start of SL not a season has gone by without Fev trying to get into the top flight and after numerous chances to do so, they have always failed. However they have continued to spend thinking they could be a SL club. Many of their supporters still think the club has for more potential than it actually has and its about time they grasped reality and accepted the actual limitations. They have a place in the game as a decent Championship club and need to recognise that is their future . A good future at that, if they live within their means and stop throwing money away on low grade full time players in order to get into SL.

[Fevrover]

1 minute ago, Agbrigg said:

Fev like every club in the game has something to offer, no argument there. However they are now in a serious financial mess it seems and obviously caused by spending money they dont have to chase the dream. Ever since the start of SL not a season has gone by without Fev trying to get into the top flight and after numerous chances to do so, they have always failed. However they have continued to spend thinking they could be a SL club. Many of their supporters still think the club has for more potential than it actually has and its about time they grasped reality and accepted the actual limitations. They have a place in the game as a decent Championship club and need to recognise that is their future . A good future at that, if they live within their means and stop throwing money away on low grade full time players in order to get into SL.

If we hadn't chased the dream of getting into SL what would have been the point of watching them? We tried and failed but we had to try. A lot of fans have stopped coming because they think what's the point with no chance of promotion,anyway hopefully it will get sorted and us die hards will have a team to support.