Whitehaven aren’t just playing their first home game of the season on Sunday against London Broncos.
In this their 75th year as a professional Rugby League club it will be Haven’s 2,500th competitive game, a rather special milestone.
But against this celebratory occasion is a stark warning that unless the fans back the club this season Haven’s very existence could be in doubt.
Once again the club has issued an appeal to supporters to back the team in the Betfred Championship over a crucial campaign before radical plans for the game are unveiled by RFL partners IMG.
Director of rugby Gary Charlton has been vocal on the requirements at the LEL Arena, which is essentially 1,200-plus for each of the home games.
“I was really disappointed that less than 1,000 attended the pre-season game against a strong Super League side in Castleford. That should send alarm bells ringing with the fans because that game should have attracted 2,000 at least.
“It is up to the people of the town and local area to back the team or they could lose it,” he said.
The club’s official social media platform added: “This game could have a huge bearing on our season even with it being so early in the Championship campaign. The club would love to be pushing over the 1,200 plus barrier and are calling on the Chocolate, Blue and Gold army to take us to victory.”
Unlike other clubs in the Championship, London won’t have a significant following of fans so the onus will be on locals to get over the magic 1,200 crowd figure.
