Featherstone fans raise cash to help revive club

Featherstone Rovers supporters have fundraised £20,000 in just six weeks as part of their efforts to help resurrect the crisis-hit rugby league club.

Rovers were barred from competing in the Championship this season after entering administration in December.

But fans, spearheaded by the True Blue Revival Group, have pulled together to raise cash which they have said will be used to support prospective new owners, if and when the club is sold and able to play again.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds' West Yorkshire Sport Daily, group members Gareth Dyas and Jock Higgins described the club as a "way of life" for fans.

Higgins has supported Rovers since 1983, when he moved to Pontefract from Scotland the weekend Featherstone won the Challenge Cup.

He said: "The negativity around the town and surrounding neighbourhoods [because of the absence of Featherstone games] - for some people it's their whole life.

"They look forward to the weekend, getting out of the house and having a beer and having a chat.

"To have that suddenly whipped away is quite devastating."

Parties interested in buying Featherstone have until September to put a bid together, to ensure the club can compete next season.

The True Blue Revival Group, which was set up in January, will hold a further fundraising event at the clubhouse at Featherstone's Millennium Stadium at 13:00 GMT on Sunday.

Dyas, who has been attending Rovers games since he was a toddler, said fundraising efforts had been about "generating positivity" and bringing fans together as much as the money itself.

He added: "We're just hoping to raise as much money as we can and help whoever takes over next season, whether it be for signing players or maintenance of the ground - whatever we can help with.

"We've got a lot of passionate fans behind us and it's gone very well."

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