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The Chair Maker
9th October 2007, 16:14
Sad day for RL.

This is why we need franchising, and promo and relegation needs scrapping. We cant have clubs blowing it all on a one season gamble.


WIDNES VIKINGS RLFC
The following statement has been issued from the Club.

Following Sunday’s disappointing defeat in the National League 1 Grand Final the Board met at length on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the current financial position of the Club.

After these meetings the decision was regrettably taken to put Widnes Rugby League Football Club Ltd into administration with effect from today, Tuesday 9th October, 2007.

The Board took this decision following independent advice received from Jonathan Avery-Gee, Senior Partner of Kay Johnson Gee, Chartered Accountants, who was appointed as the Administrator.

This decision will hopefully allow the Administrator the opportunity to achieve a sale of the Club and with it the potential to keep professional rugby league alive in the Borough where it has been an integral part of many people’s lives for five generations and given great enjoyment.

It is a very sad time for all concerned within the Club and the Board would like to thank everybody who has contributed to its success over the years at whatever level.

The Administrator is now responsible for all matters concerning the Club. He will be seeking offers for the Club and already members of the Board have confirmed their intention to put together a package to take the Club forward into 2008 and beyond.


Pete Barrow
Chief Executive

Saint Bert
9th October 2007, 16:18
Worst kept secret of the summer that failure to win promotion would see them go under.

Most people will never know how close we were to the same scenario if it hadn't been for a certain ginger haired United fan. Not me before anyone says anything ;-)

Trev The Bear
9th October 2007, 16:20
Gordon strachen?

Saints-Crusaders
9th October 2007, 16:22
Worst kept secret of the summer that failure to win promotion would see them go under.

Most people will never know how close we were to the same scenario if it hadn't been for a certain ginger haired United fan. Not me before anyone says anything ;-)


Have you got hair :???: lol ;)

saint-hamlett
9th October 2007, 16:29
Its very sad.... your right.... whats their chances?

Sadfish
9th October 2007, 16:34
Their ex-chairman was on the radio last year slating everyone but himself for the financial situation, well you know i'm glad they never came up into SL now, this might look like a bad day but I think in the future is should strip out folks who obviously cant run a club and bring in people who may well be able to.

ChemicalBrother
9th October 2007, 16:50
Very sad day. Shafted by the RFL IMO! - For those who argue about expanding this great game of our...then take note! Much rather be palying the Chemics than in France / London or Wales. For those old enough to remember...they were a great team / produced some great players and won the sliver stuff that goes with it!

Kal-El
9th October 2007, 16:58
Very sad day. Shafted by the RFL IMO! - For those who argue about expanding this great game of our...then take note! Much rather be palying the Chemics than in France / London or Wales. For those old enough to remember...they were a great team / produced some great players and won the sliver stuff that goes with it!


Seconded.

I remember queing up to get in at Naughton Park and many a time we used to get jumped either buy their fans jumping down on us over the wall, or them lobbing stuff down on us as we stood in line.

They'll be missed in NL1 (as they where in SL), but I don't think it's the end of them yet (McDermott & O'Connor will probably stump up their retirement funds to help out).

Saint Bert
9th October 2007, 17:26
Very sad day. Shafted by the RFL IMO! - For those who argue about expanding this great game of our...then take note! Much rather be palying the Chemics than in France / London or Wales.

Balls to that.

Smelly hole 10 minutes away, sh1t beer, sh1t weather, sh1t ground.

Widnes = one of the worst aways of the season.

Wouldn't be bothered if we never played them again!

saint-hamlett
9th October 2007, 17:29
easier get t th'alton than france!!!!

pricey73
9th October 2007, 17:43
used to love watching saints play widnes in the 90's remember davies being sent off going down that tunnell to the changing rooms with a gob on

saint-hamlett
9th October 2007, 17:44
i like goin to widnes..... mainly cos am there for the ruggers! not really that arsed at the beer, just glad to watch rugby stood up!

The Chair Maker
9th October 2007, 17:47
Very sad day. Shafted by the RFL IMO! - For those who argue about expanding this great game of our...then take note! Much rather be palying the Chemics than in France / London or Wales. For those old enough to remember...they were a great team / produced some great players and won the sliver stuff that goes with it!
Widnes shafted themselves through years of financial mismanagement.

Remember this is the club forced to sell Offiah for £400k, along with Lydon Gregory and Davies in order to stay afloat. That was nothing to do with the RFL, or franchising, but it had everything to do with a club run by numpties who put short term glory ahead of long term stability.

That is the route cause of Widnes's problems. The club was a terminal case even before the inception of SL. Since then the club has continued to be mismanaged, forcing the club a few years ago to sell the ground to Widnes council.

Now we find out a new set of management has blown it all on the poisoned chalice of promotion.

****************

On a separate note I have many fond memories of Widnes's glory days.
They were a great side who played wonderful rugby and i'm sad to see whats happened to them. I would like nothing better than to see them rise again from the ashes. I miss the away days at the Halton stadium/Naughton park.

Div
9th October 2007, 17:53
Sad its a proper rugby town. I used to visit Naughton Park quite a bit as a neutral when we were not playing.

pricey73
9th October 2007, 17:55
used to love going past as a kid proper rugby town very sad

Buddy
9th October 2007, 18:10
Very sad. No rugby league fan wants to see a local rival in this situation(unless you count the ones who suffer from an extreme case of opening gob before mouth engaged disease or Alex Murphy syndrome as its known).

But they cannot blame the RFL, the RFL didn't risk everything they have. But the Widnes directors did

Darryl Powell in disguise
9th October 2007, 18:15
Widnes shafted themselves through years of financial mismanagement.

Remember this is the club forced to sell Offiah for £400k, along with Lydon Gregory and Davies in order to stay afloat. That was nothing to do with the RFL, or franchising, but it had everything to do with a club run by numpties who put short term glory ahead of long term stability.

I miss the away days at the Halton stadium/Naughton park.

But if they'd just sold Naughton Park to Tesco, Imagine where they'd be now.....

Dux
9th October 2007, 18:16
It is very sad news indeed, but I'm amazed that the club have allowed this to happen. Surely they would have had a strong case for a franchise, given their facilities and the good supply of young talent in the area, without breaking the bank in an all out 1-2 season gamble. It's especially amazing when you think that, as Chairmaker and others indicate, they've done exactly the same thing before.

Hopefully the Widnes name still carries enough clout to attract a wealthy benefactor who can get them running properly.

Dux
9th October 2007, 18:17
But if they'd just sold Naughton Park to Tesco, Imagine where they'd be now.....

Crying in their beer because James Roby won MOS?

Haydock Saint
9th October 2007, 18:27
I feel sorry for Widnes in a way because they are a great club that is backed with plenty of history- who can forget Wembley 1930?

But obviously for the past 20 years or so the club has been badly managed. You could see on Sunday night that they had invested in too many old timers on the pitch, against a Castleford side brimming with exciting youth.

Clubs at all levels, and Saints have certainly learnt this, need to focus the core of their squad on home grown talent rather than having a load of has beens. I think you do need a couple of experienced players don't get me wrong, but to have so many as Widnes did plus they would be on a decent dollar is a route to failure.

With the game in general though, and in light of Widnes demise though the game should take stock. We have the argument each year about promotion and relegation. I know the system is not the best for business planning, but it does make the competion exciting. I am still undecided on the issue. What I think RL should be doing and with the clubs, it to look how that can make the lower leagues more financially viable. The National League has some big clubs, with tradition and history- Widnes, Salford, Halifax, Featherstone and Leigh to name a few. We need to look at how to get the best from them so they fiancially viable whichever division they play. Ultimately this though will be up supporters of those clubs to get behind their teams through thick and thin.

I hope all those Chemic Supporters who went to Sunday's final get behind there team every week next season.

ploughman
9th October 2007, 18:46
regardless of crap ale,the ground(which i think is good)or any other silly reason ridicule widnes,this is sad news indeed.
a rugby league town,nothing else to compete with,ie football, union,and a history not many clubs can match.
i know history has no future,but widnes as a club well run had potential to do well.ready established junior and amature teams and a supporter base of at least 5000 with potential for more to watch super league.i remember our crowds being good against them when they were in super league.they brought more suppoerters than london or catalan.

Barbarian
9th October 2007, 18:55
Iwho can forget Wembley 1930?


I hope all those Chemic Supporters who went to Sunday's final get behind there team every week next season.

Remember it like it was yesterday!


If there is a next season. lmao. What happens if nobody puts in a bid? Will they just cease to exist?

DD
9th October 2007, 19:23
Very sad day. Shafted by the RFL IMO! - For those who argue about expanding this great game of our...then take note! Much rather be palying the Chemics than in France / London or Wales. For those old enough to remember...they were a great team / produced some great players and won the sliver stuff that goes with it!

How have they been shafted by the RFL?

Widnes spent beyond their means for donkeys years and it eventually came back to haunt them.

In 1995 when the cut off was made, Widnes finished 14th. They were already on the slippery slope to oblivion.

Granted, they only finished next to bottom in 2005 and were relegated but they knew at the start of the season that all they had to do was finish in the top ten out of twelve. They could not manage it.

Now they have gone into administration. How can the RFL be blamed for that? Did they manage Widnes' finances badly?

At the end of the day people are getting carried away. Widnes have gone into administration. Such occurances are ten a penny in sport these days. They have not folded and they will undoubtedly be in the NL1 next season.

As there is unlikely to be a promotion and relegation next season, it makes no odds if they take a step back before re-emerging as a force.

If Super League expands to fourteen clubs, one of those franchises will be the Celtic Crusaders or Toulouse. The other would be between Salford and Widnes. As Salford will be the stronger team and should have a 20,000 stadium to move into, they were always favourites anyway.

warringtonsaint
9th October 2007, 19:33
Very sad day. Shafted by the RFL IMO! - For those who argue about expanding this great game of our...then take note! Much rather be palying the Chemics than in France / London or Wales. For those old enough to remember...they were a great team / produced some great players and won the sliver stuff that goes with it!

Whilst it is very sad indeed to see this happen, I personally would much rather have an away fixture in Wales or Perpignan.

Some great memories of games at Widnes over the years though.

Wigan - there but for the grace of Tesco's go you...........

Doc Green
9th October 2007, 20:22
How have they been shafted by the RFL?

Widnes spent beyond their means for donkeys years and it eventually came back to haunt them.

In 1995 when the cut off was made, Widnes finished 14th. They were already on the slippery slope to oblivion.

Granted, they only finished next to bottom in 2005 and were relegated but they knew at the start of the season that all they had to do was finish in the top ten out of twelve. They could not manage it.

Now they have gone into administration. How can the RFL be blamed for that? Did they manage Widnes' finances badly?

At the end of the day people are getting carried away. Widnes have gone into administration. Such occurances are ten a penny in sport these days. They have not folded and they will undoubtedly be in the NL1 next season.

As there is unlikely to be a promotion and relegation next season, it makes no odds if they take a step back before re-emerging as a force.

If Super League expands to fourteen clubs, one of those franchises will be the Celtic Crusaders or Toulouse. The other would be between Salford and Widnes. As Salford will be the stronger team and should have a 20,000 stadium to move into, they were always favourites anyway.Wise words there and quite correct.
Just because they have gone into administration doesn't mean they are finished as a club.

roby lights up my senses
9th October 2007, 20:33
it is sad , just looking back to how they used to be. used to go the stadium for my i.t lessons when i was in school and they have loads of pictures and memrobilia (sp?) up on the walls and in glass cabinets. never would of thought they would go bust :confused:

mister chuffy
9th October 2007, 20:48
Has Devereux been rooting again?

ChippingSodburySaint
9th October 2007, 20:50
Very sad news.

Widnes is a town very much assoiated with Rugby League in the same way as our own team is. If someone who doesn't know that much about Rugby League was asked to name 3 clubs I bet Widnes would be one of them.

Can't remember why they didn't get into Super League on it's inception but they never really recovered from that did they? Too many years in the lower division before they finally made it up and they couldn't stabalise in the higher grade.

RedVee Admin
9th October 2007, 23:19
i like goin to widnes..... mainly cos am there for the ruggers! not really that arsed at the beer, just glad to watch rugby stood up!
What the f...

Ruggers??? WHAT???

Stood up? In an all seater? Yes it's possible but they throw a right paddy when we do, sending the police in with video cameras.

Unless you're confusing Widnes RLFC with Widnes RUFC??? Especially with the use of the word RUGGERS. Jeez my skin is crawling just typing it.

Knight Shadow
10th October 2007, 06:59
sad to see a hart lands club go, makes the game seam so what more fragile but if you dont watch the pennies the pounds made a run for it and do that to a club.i hope thay can pull it back together as i would love to see a wire widness game agen!

Wizards Sleeve
10th October 2007, 09:53
Sad its a proper rugby town. I used to visit Naughton Park quite a bit as a neutral when we were not playing.

Me too. My old man is from Widnes so I watched them as a child for many years. He used to take me to Saints or Widnes whoever was at home until I was old enough to go to Saints on my own.

A lot of the problems go back to the early eighties when they brought in every international RU player they could afford. This was a major factor in their ultimate downfall, but a large chunk of responsibility lies at the feet of Maurice Lindsay. He relegated them in '95 to allow Paris and London in. Widnes didn't finish bottom and they've never really recovered from that. Up and down between the two divisions ever since.

alf wayliner
10th October 2007, 10:43
A lot of the problems go back to the early eighties when they brought in every international RU player they could afford. This was a major factor in their ultimate downfall, but a large chunk of responsibility lies at the feet of Maurice Lindsay. He relegated them in '95 to allow Paris and London in. Widnes didn't finish bottom and they've never really recovered from that. Up and down between the two divisions ever since.
In 94/95 they finished 14th, given that there were only 12 teams to be in SL and that move was agreed by vote of all the clubs at the start of that season, they were aware of what was needed to qualify for SL but they didn't. Featherstone and Salford finished higher but they haven't gone into administration, subsequently Wakefield, who finished a point and a place higher in 95 but didn't qualify, have managed to become established as a superleague club despite having a p!ss poor ground and fanbase and extreme financial difficulties. So in effect it was Fev and Salford who were "pushed aside" for expansion clubs and not Widnes, who just weren't good enough, or maurice's own personal decision to keep the stinkies out. Much as we like to villify the man he isn't guilty of everything we can think of.

gazwxm
10th October 2007, 17:33
This is terrible - but it doesn't mean the end for Widnes Vikings RL club necessarily.
As a Wrexham FC fan, I know how it feels when your team is put into admin. It's awful and to some extent you don't care what the results on the pitch are aslong as you have a team to support next season. We were docked 10 points and inevitabley relegated into League 2, but we've pulled ourselves out of that situation over a year ago. We're a healthy club again now in terms of finances.

I wasn't too surprised when I head the news though, I think the chairman saw this coming and ducked out when he needed to - players like Denis Moran will be on big sums of money for a national league club.

Nevertheless, Widnes are a big club in RL and I'm confdent they can turn this around - I'll help to back them as I'm sure many others will. But it may be several years before they find their feet in Rugby league again.