Well hopefully we get a clear understanding tomorrow regarding the board and our plan moving forward. We can all agree the current board have got us through a difficult period and steadied the ship. Personally I would like to see a more optimistic approach towards our target of promotion back up to super league as I feel the gap is widening between champ and super league. I feel our current board don’t have the financial resources to do that and so if investors want to buy them out and have a solid business plan why stand in the way. With the news of the council getting the stadium accessed is it possible they could sell the stadium as a package deal
I think the update from last night was basically were a million miles from super league with the current board and set up, doesn’t sound like there’s much of a plan to move forward they seem too happy to just be treading water and surviving not willing to put extra money in but happy to just be sat there not improving things and then when someone with abit of vision and money steps up they don’t wanna know and buy him out! Makes absolutely no sense I think it’s definitely time for the old boys to step aside and let someone else try and drive the club forward. The one good thing they got right in the last 9 years was Tim Holmes and they’re just happy letting him walk after promising him the world and failing to deliver yet again.
We’re so mediocre it’s painful
To play devils advocate a bit, no amount of investment will change the RFL's stance on the Salary Cap next season, we'll be spending the maximum allowed (£500k), it'll be up to those investors to accept that and see if they are willing to spend their money elsewhere in the club - would investing the academy/player pathways help us long term for instance?
Think you are right there - if we can spend money on the academy which will not be part of the salary cap, that’s the way to go
get sponsors in for that and produce talent like we used to
no need to borrow other clubs players that need a runout to get them fit and then they bugger off
To play devils advocate a bit, no amount of investment will change the RFL's stance on the Salary Cap next season, we'll be spending the maximum allowed (£500k), it'll be up to those investors to accept that and see if they are willing to spend their money elsewhere in the club - would investing the academy/player pathways help us long term for instance?
To be fair, isn't that already happening with the Future Vikings programme?
There is the challenge of finding who is going to fill the shoes of Owens, Gilmore, Lawton etc in five years.
We have probably 10 'homegrown' players in the squad now (either Widnes lads or came through academy), which must surely stand up against any other team.
And we've seen first hand how difficult it has been to recruit players from 'outside' and get them to perform and stay. We've had flops (like Amor), we've had good ones who then go to SL quickly (like Cross, Dupree) and the Yorkshire ones who are fickle and susceptible to taking an easier option closer to home.
Whereas the 10 above rarely, if ever, let you down.
To play devils advocate a bit, no amount of investment will change the RFL's stance on the Salary Cap next season, we'll be spending the maximum allowed (£500k), it'll be up to those investors to accept that and see if they are willing to spend their money elsewhere in the club - would investing the academy/player pathways help us long term for instance?
To be fair, isn't that already happening with the Future Vikings programme?
There is the challenge of finding who is going to fill the shoes of Owens, Gilmore, Lawton etc in five years.
We have probably 10 'homegrown' players in the squad now (either Widnes lads or came through academy), which must surely stand up against any other team.
And we've seen first hand how difficult it has been to recruit players from 'outside' and get them to perform and stay. We've had flops (like Amor), we've had good ones who then go to SL quickly (like Cross, Dupree) and the Yorkshire ones who are fickle and susceptible to taking an easier option closer to home.
Whereas the 10 above rarely, if ever, let you down.
The future Vikings programme is a start, but how much does a full academy cost? That's what I meant by investing into it, its all the stuff around the first team which will make us a SL club, academy, media team, etc AH focus seemed to be just paying for better players, but with a cap limit, and us spending to that cap, the money could/should be spent elsewhere
https://twitter.com/pikey_kev/status/2064379342117843089?s=46&t=UBRCmXpPd_OXVMCzBoVv0w
The club really needs to sort its self out because if true this is very poor and unacceptable from members on the board. They can’t just keep the club shackled up we need to move forward now not sit still.
https://twitter.com/pikey_kev/status/2064379342117843089?s=46&t=UBRCmXpPd_OXVMCzBoVv0w
The club really needs to sort its self out because if true this is very poor and unacceptable from members on the board. They can’t just keep the club shackled up we need to move forward now not sit still.
Thread X this will see how much Andy Horabin loves Widnes and I know he used to be a keen fan and one thing I would not do is put money into Salford because being a Widnes fan I can not stand them. I rather keep the money and make money with it until an opportunity occurs to be on the board. I have to admit some on the board do seem to like the accolade being sat on it like Matt Taylor 😂😂 If I saw Matty I love to chat to him what is really happening because all these rumors are no good. The crap Rugby League journalist love crap unreliable gossip from Twitter and this forum.
Still don’t understand why he’s saying he’ll put 50k in a year now but couldn’t do that when already part of the board?
it’s not about wanting to put money in it’s wanting full control, big difference. I’m sure kev is a great fan ambassador but he’s also AH’s mate so his bias is slight skewed…
@scouseviking55 I went to the fans forum, he did offer to put 50k in while on the board and asked others to match him. I think only 1 or 2 said they would. Appreciate not everyone is in a position to do that. So he offered to buy them out and said he had other investors ready to join him. The current board said they wanted to stay on and the new investors could put money in and join. So Andy ended up resigning. He offered in the meeting to come back and put £50k in but not heard anything since.
Well hopefully the board find that magic money tree they must be wishing for soon or do what sounds right and take AH up on his offer if he is a fan then the club will be no1 thing to him instead of the likes of Rule and O’Connor.
Doesn't look good for the club actively turning down investments but refusing to invest them self.