Taken from the website:


STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Chairman, Michael Carter, has this morning released the following statement to the clubs supporters:


Chairman Michael Carter has released a statement asking for the support of fans and local businesses.

Following the announcement of my position as Chairman of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, I would firstly like to thank all those fans that have wished me well in the role.

Having conducted a review of the whole business and in particular the finances of the club, it has become obviously apparent that the club is completely under capitalised at this time to the tune of somewhere in the region of £400,000. It’s no secret that the vast majority of Super League clubs all need significant investment and this is usually financed by wealthy owners.

This has led to a restructure in the top management at the club and ultimately it is now myself and another director, Chris Brereton, who are managing the club on a day-to-day basis. We are two fans who have stepped forward to try and pull this club through what is a very difficult situation and we would appreciate your full support in these testing times.

Therefore, ultimately it was my decision to sell Tim Smith to Salford with immediate effect for a substantial fee. I would also say that on the same day I turned down an offer of a substantial six-figure sum for our captain Danny Kirmond. Having spoken to Danny during the week and explaining that I want to try and build a team around him, he told me he was perfectly happy at Wakefield and is happy to lead from the front. As has already been announced, Danny has signed a new deal and my ultimate aim is to see him leading us out at Newmarket as a Super League club.

For that to happen, we need all the fans of the club and local businesses to really step forward and show how much it means. We are confident that we have a business plan in place that can see us as a competitive team in Super League 2014. However, we cannot do it without immediate cash inflows including, but not exclusively, 2014 Memberships. We feel they still represent excellent value.

We have budgeted for 4,000 sales. If we sell more than this, I guarantee that these funds will be ploughed back into the team for next season. However, without any sugar daddy waiting in the wings, I have to run this club as a business. Expenditure must equal income. If there are people out there willing to invest in this great club then they must come forward now.

On the positive side, we have managed to extend the contracts of some of our key players. I have already mentioned Danny, but also Dean Collis and most recently Lee Smith and Ali Lauitiiti have all signed up for next season.

We are also soon to launch our Sport & Education Academy. We want to make this college the best around in terms of providing further and higher education to young people looking to get a sporting qualification. It will also generate funds that again will be ploughed back into the running of the club.

It also means that our under 19′s Academy side will become full-time next season for the first time in the clubs history which is quite an achievement. We would love to have a team of homegrown players playing in front of Wakefield fans. This college also strengthens our position in the local community, something that our community team have quite rightly been praised for by many people and organisations – local people supporting local people.

I know that you as fans will have many more questions. I am arranging to meet with the Supporters Trust this week to try and explain the actions we are taking. I have always been an open and honest person, and where possible, I will aim to answer all questions if I possibly can.

I know with a lot of hard work and a little luck, we can get this club to Newmarket as a Super League club. It is more important then ever that you stick with me and my small team to manage this business properly. Should there be anything of great magnitude I will endeavour to tell you all as soon as I possibly can.

The question remains, does this great city of Wakefield want a full-time professional Super League club, or not? If the answer is yes, then I need your support more then ever before.

This is Wakefield. Together We Are Stronger.

Well done DaddyCool I already have a season ticket for next season and will buy the new shirt as I usually do when its out.

Can't argue with that logic!

What's happened to JE then?

That's a good statement from your Club. Hopefully a lot of the knee-jerk reactions I've read on here will have cooled down. Get behind your Club when it needs it.

Good luck.

'him and his small team'

I wonder if Jimmy has gone, if so that will have saved them about £80k and by doing that it would help player retention.

There you go - an open, honest statement.

Lets all get behind the new chairman and the club !!

Running the club as a business can only be a positive thing. No point spending what we haven't got.

Get ready Butcher - it won't take long before you find out what WTW fans think of Salford now you have seized their prized asset as well. Questions you were answering to the Cas fans recently will have to be answered all over again.

I have heard first hand of potential investors being handed to JE on a plate and he did nothing. please that person, go to this guy coz he seems to mean business

Just a small point Danny kirmond is staying great news, but what about Kyle amor?

Very honest and open,hopefully we can all settle down and help our great club move foward now!
I'm confident we have the right man in charge in Carter so lets all back him,I did the other day by renewing my season ticket hope all the others do so, by refusing to buy season tickets your only hurting the club!.

Danny Kirmonds our prized asset

Thanks Michael . So fans once again time to get behind the club and be positive. great news re Danny too

Well, they probably won’t receive the same vitriol that a certain poster has been touting ever since Chase was rumoured to be off to Salford.

Good luck to ‘em I say, they were looking down the barrel very recently & now the future looks much brighter.

They must be nearing their overseas quota limit by now though?

Can't fault that statement. Lets back him. Ultimately its OUR team.

Best crowds for years and we still end up in a mess. Hopefully the new chairman can sort us out.

Sounds like Elston has been asked to move on?

Move down I think.

Elston if gave a job at the club should be in the beer bars because hes useless!!

The statement seems to answer most questions and if Elston is still in a job (shame on him for not having the dignity to fall on his sword) I hope he is at a level his skill deserve and is watched closely by those above him.
The chairman has said he has turned down a six figure offer for DK, but for this to be good long term we have to back the club.
Buy your STs buy your shirts, otherwise the next offer for our captain may not be able to be rebuked!!
Back your club!!

Got my ticket and I live in France.
Come on everyone else.

Can only agree with the majority....it's a sickener to lose your better players, but if it has to be done it has to be done......Smith was fantastic last year and has been a bit in and out this year......would have preferred him to stay, but you cannot turn down good money if we need the money like we do......

Us as fans HAVE to back the club in times like this.....the new Chairman certainly wouldn't have made a decision like this lightly.....he's every much a fan as much as the rest of us and knowing his sporting background, know for sure having to lose one of your better players would hurtand not what he would have wanted......he's put and lost his own money and time into trying to sort us out.....there is no financial gain to be made from this, just a sensible business decision......

The honesty in that statement shows us how desperate it's got, so we all need to back the club to the hilt in this crucial time.....

Fair play to Salford too.....you cannot knock them.....every club like us and them would love a rich backer to come in and go around signing other teams top players......wish them well......

The statement shows just how badly this club has been run and those in charge should be ashamed. Elston should be gone, end of. But fair play to the new guys honesty.

What that statement didn't say is how many memberships we have sold. We shifted 4500 last year and this years budget is 500 less. But only 1100 had renewed by the early bird deadline and the spread payment option take up didn't start quickly and ends today. Not sure a stuffing on tv against hudds and a defeat at home against cas is going to help that. And with Smith gone thats all i can see happening. Why could he not stay til the end of the season? Its not as if he can play for salford til next year. I hope it was significantly worth it but it won't cover the 400k shortfall. They'll be other departures i fear.

My season ticket is bought as i imagine are many of the posters on here. Its the floating fan that has jumped on the back of cheap tickets that won't like this and walk. And if they do we are gone. There's only so mich the same fans can do, we need new investors or we probably won't see next season.

Tim Smith sold with immediate effect....I assume that means he wont play against Huddersfield and Cas?

An open and honest statement from your Chairman.The WTW fans need to show their support for their club more than ever now and get behind the new Boss although to be fair the Wakey fans have always done that anyway so i wouldnt expect anything else.I only wish my club Salford had been so Open and Honest when we were going through the same thing and losing all our better players to keep us afloat.We were literally hours from going out of business when the Doc stepped in and i genuinely hope that the same sort of investor will come your way.Regardless of what anyone says SL need a strong WTW in the competition and i wish you nothing but good fortune.