Bowden: Give us time and we’ll turn this club around
Last updated 12:23, Friday, 25 July 2008
Dave Bowden is promising radical improvements at Workington Town over the coming seasons – on and off the field.
The Town chairman declared that the club’s board shared the fans’ anguish at the team’s NL2 mid-table showing this season.
But he is looking to brighter times ahead, based around new stadium facilities, a strategy based on developing local rugby talent and a beefed up commercial effort.
“Our drive over the next year is to ensure we secure first-class facilities and entertainment,” he said.
“As chairman I feel the fans’ frustration. The board feel it every day of every week. I have to keep re-iterating that we’re all fans ourselves, unfortunately unlike some of the leading clubs we only have limited personal funding to buy us out of any problems or to fast-track team development.
“Nevertheless fans should know over recent years significant sums have been invested by club personnel to endeavour to keep us moving. But the message is to keep going. If we keep working, we can make real progress”
Town are hoping for positive news within weeks over the long-awaited super stadium development.
And Bowden revealed that the current stadium is proving an increasing drain on club funds, problems arising this year with electrics and supports for the Popular Side. And a recent fire at the ground did not help.
“The ongoing maintenance is an absolute millstone,” he added. “Maintaining a 50-years-old stadium has become a real issue over the last 12 months.
“If we added up the value of improvements to ensure we stay within health and safety guidelines, it would be about 50k.
“We have no options either morally or legally to ensure this work is completed. Thankfully some of this at least has been supported with help from Keith Denham and speedway.
“But without it there is no doubt we’d be in a much stronger position to support player development.
“The big issue now is sitting down with the council to get the stadium situation resolved, so we know where we are heading.
“We have complied with all the information requested to try to move it forward. And we hope to have a very meaningful meeting with consultants working on the council’s behalf, over the next few weeks. Hopefully we can get some direction and start moving ahead.”
Dave Rotheram’s side lie eighth in League Two and Bowden readily acknowledges that the club had hoped for better.
He said: “Everyone is disappointed, from players to coaches, backroom staff, right through to fans. With the squad we had at the start of the season, we were capable of finishing in the top four or five.
“We were looking for a home draw in the play-offs. We can’t use injuries entirely as an excuse because every National League club has an injury situation. But we have suffered more than most.
“We started pretty poorly, losing Liam Campbell for another season, and it took a while for Ryan Campbell to get back after serious injury. Losing players like Neil Frazer, Rob Lunt and Darren King depleted the squad.
“I feel for Dave because he hasn’t had the squad to work with. Certain weeks, some of the 17 we’ve put on the pitch have been playing with knocks.
“I look forward to the day that Dave has a fully fit squad to provide him with more selection problems.”
Town have this month signed two local youngsters, Hensingham’s Jamie Sharp and Robert Scott of Salterbeck Storm.
Both had shown great potential in Town’s reserve-grade, and Bowden revealed that the club would step up its effort to recruit Cumbrian kids.
“We are committed to moving forward and developing local talent,” the chairman continued. “It will be a big driver for us next year. The injury situation and availability of players due to tours has stalled the early development of our reserve squad a bit this year.
“But we are determined to ensure we commence next year in a strong position. Investment will go in to ensure the player pathways are much more robust.
“Our financial figures for 2007, which will come out at the AGM, are satisfactory. But that’s a distant memory now. This year, money is tight
“But I don’t think we are any different to other clubs in that respect. Of my five years at the club, this has been the most difficult financially.
“Though it’s worth remembering that at the start of the season we brought in three NL1 players, Mark McCully, Iain Marsh and Ryan Benjafield, and Chris Young and Bryce Poisel came later from Australia.”
Town will be eligible for an additional £50,000 from the RFL next season, subject to conditions, and the club will invest the cash in attracting new business to Derwent Park.
“We all know we have to be more geared up to be a modern commercial organisation. Personally, I can’t tell you how difficult it is not being able to drive some key issues. We know we can do so much better in all areas with the full complement of staff required to move this forward. And we will.”
