In Saturday’s Betfred Championship game at the Ortus Rec the most revealing stat wasn’t Whitehaven 24, Toulouse Olympique 34.
It was in the attendance of 331 – surely the lowest in Whitehaven’s competitive history.
What made it unusual, as well as depressing, was that Whitehaven – in company with several clubs, including neighbours Workington Town – don’t issue crowd figures anymore.
Was it released as a message to the club’s fan base – look we can’t go on with figures like these?
Two years ago, then director of rugby Gary Charlton issued a heartfelt plea to supporters that the club needed 1,200 for home games to survive at Championship level.
That attendance will hardly have, if ever, been met since then despite the team reaching the Championship play offs against the odds, before last season’s battle to survive the drop.
Off the field Whitehaven seem to have staggered from one crisis to another, and there’s nothing that disappoints the fans more than hearing the players haven’t been paid.
Barry Morgan joined the board and was appointed chief executive and to his great credit the pressing financial issues were addressed.
But gradually the board of directors melted away, for various reasons, until only two remain with Barry Morgan now departed to look after his health issues.
Clearly things can’t continue as they are with two directors and gates less than local National Conference crowds.
There have been rumours of local businessmen looking to get involved. Well if that’s the case they need to act quickly before the club stumbles into oblivion.
