THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

CLUB IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO MEET GROUND GRADING REQUIREMENTS DESPITE BOASTING A HEALTHY BUDGET FOR PLAYING RESOURCES. A FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN HAS APPARENTLY BEEN LAUNCHED WITHIN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND BEYOND IN ORDER TO FINANCE THE GROUND IMPROVEMENTS NECESSARY. THIS WILL BE NO EASY TASK NOT LEAST AS THE DEADLINE FOR THE COMPLETION OF WORKS IS MARCH 31ST OF THIS YEAR. THANKFULLY WE AT OSSETT UNITED HAVE NO SUCH WORRIES ON THIS FRONT AS WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN AWARDED A C GRADE WHICH IS ADEQUATE FOR COMPETITION AT OUR LEVEL AND THE LEVEL ABOVE. DESPITE THAT WE WILL NOT BE RESTING ON OUR LAURELS AND SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR FACILITIES ARE IN THE PIPELINE AND DUE TO BE STARTED AS SOON AS THE CURRENT SEASON CLOSES. WE WILL SHORTLY BE DRAWING UP A LIST OF PROJECTS (SOME LARGE AND SOME RELATIVELY SMALL)

THAT WE INTEND TO TACKLE AND ANYONE WHO WISHES TO BECOME INVOLVED WILL BE MOST WELCOME. NO PARTICULAR SKILLS ARE REQUIRED OF VOLUNTEERS JUST A WILLINGNESS TO GET INVOLVED AND TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY. FURTHER DETAILS IN DUE COURSE.

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ABOVE I RECENTLY READ AN INTERESTING ARTICLE BY KRIS RADLINSKI WHO, SINCE QUITTING RUGBY LEAGUE AS A PLAYER, IS NOW THE CEO OF THE WIGAN WARRIORS CLUB. HE IS OF THE OPINION THAT INCREASING THE SALARIES OF PLAYERS IS NO ANSWER TO THE SPORT’S CURRENT PROBLEMS.

IN FACT THAT ROUTE, HE SAYS, WILL FURTHER EXACERBATE THE DEBT SITUATION AT CLUBS AND THERE SHOULD BE NO APPETITE FOR THAT. HIS VIEW IS THAT CLUBS SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME AND MONEY IN IMPROVING THEIR FACILITIES AND WHAT HE CALLS ‘THE WHOLE PACKAGE’ .

HOPEFULLY THAT KIND OF THINKING, WHICH SEEMS TO ME TO MAKE TOTAL SENSE, WILL BE TAKEN ON BOARD HERE AT OSSETT UNITED AS WE STRIVE FOR PROGRESSION ON ALL FRONTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CLUB.