Featherstone Rovers have admitted they are ’embarrassed’ that their IMG score has an asterisk attached to it – before warning there is a difficult winter ahead for the stricken club.
Love Rugby League revealed last month how the Championship side were unable to pay player salaries for the month of September, before insisting pay for the rest of the year was uncertain.
The departure of Paddy Handley appears to have plunged the club into a financial crisis at the worst possible time, with no income from match-days until February at least.
Featherstone’s IMG score also clearly had a note attached to it warning of further decreases should charges made against them by HMRC go any further. They were ranked 17th on Thursday when the gradings were released.
And in a statement issued to supporters, the club’s board of directors have issued a somewhat bleak warning about their financial future.
They said: “Almost overnight we have had to pick up and try and discover what was left at Post Office Road. This has been no easy task and it is one of the reasons we haven’t communicated as we were unsure with what we were dealing with. In lots of ways, we still don’t have a full view of the situation we face. Information is scarce and we there has been no management of accounts.
“The club faces a difficult and uncertain winter, this much is true. Tough decisions will need to be made, and we will need your support more than ever. Some choices may be taken out of our hands however, but we will update you on each step taken where we can.
“Numerous bills have not been paid and we are discovering contracts that don’t make commercial sense. Promises have been made that are impossible to fulfil. People, good people, have been lied to and we are trying our hardest to rectify this.
“We will endeavour to speak to every supplier and sponsor over the next few weeks to ensure that any current deals already in place can continue in the future.
“The good will of you as fans, players (past and present), employees, sponsors, suppliers and the rugby league community has been taken for granted and burned. This is not something the new board want to continue and we are focused on providing transparency when we are able to do so.”
Featherstone then insisted they were ‘fully focussed’ on bringing the HMRC matter to a conclusion so they could continue to operate as a club in 2026.
They said: “With recent IMG gradings released by the RFL we are embarrassed by having the asterix (sic) (*) next to our name on the table but we are fully focused on resolving this matter as soon as possible so that we can continue into next season.
“It is a huge job to rebuild and we are having to take some backwards steps to clear the decks first but we are committed to taking the club forward. We are committed to Featherstone Rovers and the future and success of this club.”
