I don't doubt that there are a 101 questions that we'd all like to ask at this point in time, and I don't doubt that many of these questions we'll never know the real answer to. However, here is your chance:-


CTSC 'Meet the Directors Night'

Wednesday 11th July, 7-45pm, at the Wish Communications suite at the Cas ground.


[urlhttp://www.ctsc.org.uk/web/meet-the-directors-july-2012[/url

The answers have been leaked
1. The sale of Wheldon road is very close with a major food retailer just about to sign
2. We have full faith in RW he has never led us up a garden path
3. This year is a gap year ( as were the last 11) its a big gap
4. The fans are our top priority we just lost your email addresses
5. We will be spending the full cap next year ( only ours is a dust cap, the rest have Big Flat caps )
6. We have the best youth policy in Super League ( Hull and Hudds thank us greatly for this )

same old lies im afraid peeps

Any significance in R Wright stepping down today with this meeting imminent ?

Should be lively now and worth a visit.

Tomorrows event will now see Andy Reed, Brian Ashworth, new CEO Steve Ferres and Associate Directors Ian Garforth and Ben Parker.

The event is open to members only, however membership is available on the night.

It is expected that there will be a large attendance, so arriving early may be a good idea

Suspect there will be a few questions about Bradford situation now.

One thing which I noted from tonight's meeting was that the board didn't seem to realize how low the moral of the fans has been in recent weeks.

Think they did but what can they say?

They're fans as much as us and share the same passion. They want us to be successful - heck it would make their jobs easier.

I just think that they need to have a real time status check (perhaps an online survey etc) of where the club support is now, before deciding how far forward they want to take it. All else being equal I wouldn't be surprised if season tickets sales and attendances will be 5 or 10% down in 2013 compared to 2012. That is a tough starting block when trying to take the club forwards.

Any updates on what was discussed?

The Rangi situation is now a closed discussion, and he will be resuming training etc.

Some new sponsors in place for next year.

A proposal of putting the traditional 'Castleford' symbol on the shirts as well as the Tiger.

A considered thought from SF that SL may become a 12 team league.

All the Directors were there other than RW.

Lots of talk about Bradford, but as SF kept clarifying ...what ever will be...will be, and we should focus on the factors that are within our control.

Build a brick money, remains safe.

SF will be injecting new ideas, new ways and a new plan into the club very soon.

Minimal comments about the stadium, SF wants to get himself up to speed before saying anything about it.

Sounds like a step backwards for me and I cannot see anything to gain from this whatsoever. The Tigers emblem is the only symbol we need on the shirt IMO.

Why is that a step backwards?

I just think the whole coat-of-arms thing is old fashioned. To younger supporters (thats not me by the way) the Castleford coat-of-arms means nothing. We need to attract the younger generation to the game.

Wakey did something like this this season incorporation the Fleur-de-ley with the new Wildcat emblem -I liked the Wildcat emblem on its own.

We have a new CEO, and a new team for next year with new ideas hopefully. With this in mind I would have a new badge but keep to the Tigers-head design.

But what if the coat of arms is not part of the main badge and is just on a different part of the shirt?

Don't you think that the younger generation should have pride in the towns coat of arms rather than a picture of a tiger Ade?

Examples are:- t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 4WoVkheTHj t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... ZFe5Uc_7fz t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... gCE9iww5iO t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 39ltux3EOA

Examples are:- t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 4WoVkheTHj t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... ZFe5Uc_7fz t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... gCE9iww5iO t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 39ltux3EOA

That would be fair enough.

Agreed - they should but they don't. I bet most of the youth in Castleford wouldn't even know what the coat-of-arms looked like.

A lot comes down to how the revival of the 'coat of arms' is managed and marketed by the club and the ambassadors of the club within our community. If it is done right the pride in carrying the coat of arms can be restored, but it will take time and commitment from all involved.

Didn't the mainly white shirt a few years back - the one with ST holders' names on, also have the town crest on the back (albeit faint)?

Was in a shield where the numbers went IIRC!

That was a cracking shirt.

This coat of arms idea was put forward by an older chap. But I think it resonates with the older generation, who are generally more archaic (my grandad got offended when I said this last night).

I think the point that was being put forward in so many words was: how can a player, say from Australia, come across and represent a Tiger? I believe it succeeded a point made by Ferres that he wanted a side out on the paddock from Castleford.

The idea was that the coat of arms was not just symbolic of the club but also the town, its people and the community. How would a local player - and potentially an overseas player - feel about going into battle representing the town? It was about driving pride and players having pride in the club.

I get the point you make - and this was touched on last night. The Tigers brand is just that and for the younger generation and kids, it's more important. They identify more with a Tiger than they do the coat of arms. And when you say Tigers around Cas you know it's rugby. Just like 'The Rhinos'.

Going back to what was said at the "Meet the Directors" evening this point (above) concerns me. We really do need to get our crowds up to the 9,000 mark ASAP. If the SL went down to 12 teams in say 2015 - which 2 clubs would be ousted ?

"We're gonna lose the best part of a generation if we don't get our act together on the field soon"

Nail-Hit-Head.