Ambitious Campbell looking to promote Rovers bid

One of the most evocative names in the sport’s long history, the West Yorkshire club have yet to feature in the elite competition since the advent of summer rugby.

Featherstone were relegated from the old Division One in 1995 and, for various reasons, have failed to advance since.

The introduction of the licence system has thwarted them in recent years, losing out to the ill-fated Crusaders in 2008 before Widnes Vikings won a spot in last March’s latest round, Rovers deciding then to not even apply.

While they have, of late, been the most consistently successful side on the pitch, finishing top of the Championship for the last two years and winning the Grand Final last season, their lack of development off it has hindered a pursuit of Super League status.

However, determined chairman Mark Campbell believes the boardroom additions which have been attracted – many elected by supporters at the club’s well-attended AGM on Monday – will augment Rovers’ bid to return to where they feel they belong when the next bid is made in 2014.

Castleford Tigers commercial manager Craig Poskitt – who has first-hand experience of what is involved in a successful licence bid – was last night confirmed as the club’s new chief executive, starting in his role next month, while local businessman Tony Lumb is a significant addition to their board.

John Readshaw (merchandising), Dave Downs (community) and Steve Godber (stadium), brother of famous playwright John, are the other fresh faces charged with the task.

Campbell sent an open letter to fans and shareholders last week entitled “Destination Super League – We’re In This Together” urging support for his vision.

“We’ve got to make our own momentum and get ourselves the kind of profile which, alongside everything else we do, will make us simply impossible to ignore,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“We’ve made progress in recent years but now is the time to really increase it; when I look at the other clubs in the Championship I know we’ve a fantastic opportunity to reach Super League. Daryl Powell and the side are doing a great job on the field but now we have to up our game as a business as well.”

The added drive and nous of those new directors should certainly help achieve targets of doubling turnover to £2m over the next 18 months and increasing Featherstone’s average crowd to more than 3,000.

Given the gritty town only has a population of a little over 15,000, it has often been thought there is simply not enough appetite to sustain a top-flight club while this year marks the 35th anniversary of their sole league title.

However, Featherstone’s rich history and tradition, plus the area’s hotbed of talent which has nurtured such greats as Don Fox, Jimmy Thompson and Paul Newlove, suggest otherwise.

“Zac Hardaker won a Championship Grand final with us and then 12 months later was doing the same with Leeds in Super League,” says Campbell.

“On Friday night, he helped them to a World Club Challenge. Those sorts of players are on our doorstep.

“If you’d have asked supporters a few years ago they’d have thought Super League was a pipedream but everyone now believes we can get there.”

Campbell says further investment from business partners will be announced in the coming weeks while, having secured two stands housing 1,300 fans each from Scarborough FC, Rovers hope to have raised their stadium capacity to 9,000 by next summer.

“The town is buzzing,” insists Campbell. “It’s good to see a club like Widnes get back in Super League; it shows it can be done.

“They went about it the right way and it obviously worked. Now we have to do the same.

“Our management team isn’t complete yet – we will strengthen further – but we do now have people on the board with the right skill sets and experience.”

Meanwhile, Hemel Stags are the second debutant club to be confirmed as part of a new-look Championship One in 2013.

The Hertfordshire outfit join Northampton in the division as the RFL continues its expansion plan.

Huddersfield Giants’ Tommy Lee is suspended for the next two matches after he submitted an early guilty plea to a high tackle on Lee Briers.

He, subsequently, did not need to attend last night’s RFL disciplinary hearing where Hull FC’s Sam Moa was given a one-match ban and misses Friday’s game at Salford.

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