Following Bradford having to face a winding up order by HMRC last month. Featherstone who are apparently suffering severe cash flow problems are due to face similar on 14th December. A cause for concern for all RL fans.
Despite what certain persons on this forum think of David Hughes, all the time he remains committed to the club we should be spared this sort of anguish.
Post David Hughes though, who knows?

It's something that conveniently gets forgotten, the club has zero debts! Agreed very few assets but I would suggest that that not a lot of clubs can genuinely be seen as debt free.
Not being an apologist merely stating a fact

Boom and Bust is back. When will Leigh join the list!!

That's the problem ain't it, with the signings they have made and the salary cap thing hope the owner has deep pockets

I would never describe Featherstone Rovers as an extravagant club. In fact from the outside they look like a solid well run club, but sometimes these things can creep up on you.
HMRC will only be so patient. What the Winding up Order does is bring things to a head and hopefully they can find a solution.

Fev did seem pretty settled they have just opened a new stand crowds although not massive were steady, the single price sit or stand where you want suited most folk I think.
Well established club as well

Apart from Leeds/St Helens and possibly a couple of others RL is as bankrupt and dependent as rich owners as it was prior to Super League. If Sky pulled the plug, then the finances of the game would be truly laughable

Aren't Fev suffering from a rich owner walking away (booted out) about a year ago. Hence many players leaving in the last few months as they try to reset the books.

Think it's true for a lot of sports

The club is £16m in debt

To its owner.

Tend to agree with bronc, but if Melf has other information then would be interested to know to who. As I say information that I have is "the club" has no debt, as for Mr hughes I don't know is it viewed as one and the same? I suppose it depends if any new owners would have to take on that figure.

I would say Leeds are the only club with a completely clear financial status, St Helens break even, but their chairman has not pumped anything like David Hughes has financially to the game, most of their investment came from a Hong Kong businessman on interest loan and may still be being paid back on the books. It is just we have no real assets, that was the big mistake after Fulham, we with the RFL should have bought land.

Buying land back then would have been a sensible thing to do, even when David Hughes took over they should have considered it. But then that is all water under the bridge.
Interestingly Bradford have agreed to buy the freehold on Odsal. Now I know that it is a dump, but it will be their own dump, perhaps facilities may improve.
Anyhow they must have sorted out their Winding up Order.

How have they managed this, and what was the price? the RL owned the freehold didnt they?

No, the freehold of Odsal is owned by the local council, the RFL bought the lease and sub-let to the Bulls. As far as us buying land, back in the eighties freehold land for development in West London was over £1million per acre - not very feasible!

They say the is the council who are driving the deal to sell the freehold, to release cash, deal should be done later this year.
As for buying in he Eighties, West London was not the only option, there were cheaper areas.

Quote ="mickyb1234"Tend to agree with bronc, but if Melf has other information then would be interested to know to who. As I say information that I have is "the club" has no debt, as for Mr hughes I don't know is it viewed as one and the same? I suppose it depends if any new owners would have to take on that figure.'" https://companycheck.co.uk/company/0532 ... l-accounts

Quote ="mickyb1234"Tend to agree with bronc, but if Melf has other information then would be interested to know to who. As I say information that I have is "the club" has no debt, as for Mr hughes I don't know is it viewed as one and the same? I suppose it depends if any new owners would have to take on that figure.'" https://companycheck.co.uk/company/0532 ... l-accounts

Very illuminating. Thanks for that. Comment is superfluous.

is this a case of wishful thinking or sour grapes or a bit of both?..........

Not wishful thinking at all, or sour grapes just a realistic view of the amount of money being spent on signings and wondering if it can be sustained.

Quote ="mickyb1234"Not wishful thinking at all, or sour grapes just a realistic view of the amount of money being spent on signings and wondering if it can be sustained.'" Take a look at Leigh's crowds and compare to ours www.leighcenturions.com/team/fixtures

Quote ="mickyb1234"Not wishful thinking at all, or sour grapes just a realistic view of the amount of money being spent on signings and wondering if it can be sustained.'" Take a look at Leigh's crowds and compare to ours www.leighcenturions.com/team/fixtures

Nobody could deny that our crowds were poor last season.

Quote ="jbuzza"Take a look at Leigh's crowds and compare to ours www.leighcenturions.com/team/fixtures'" What has attendances got to do with it? should Huddersfield not be allowed to spend because they only get 5,000 attendances? Leigh have mow signed a player from Catalan, they must be up to their newly negotiated higher cap, funny one month ago we were refused extra cap for accommodation cost differences? in London and North.

Quote ="jbuzza"Take a look at Leigh's crowds and compare to ours www.leighcenturions.com/team/fixtures'" What has attendances got to do with it? should Huddersfield not be allowed to spend because they only get 5,000 attendances? Leigh have mow signed a player from Catalan, they must be up to their newly negotiated higher cap, funny one month ago we were refused extra cap for accommodation cost differences? in London and North.

Jaybs was not me that brought up Leigh I was just commenting on someone else's post and suggestion that it was sour grapes on our part far from it. In reality comparing our crowd numbers the last couple of years actually has no meaning as we didn't get the gate receipts from Barnet. I suppose that means we were not liable for any tax on the gate receipts so should not fall foul there.
The alarm bells do ring a little bit when you see the signings that Leigh have made and the salary cap increase, personally I hope they are stable, I don't want to see any club in difficulties