Gateshead given new lease of life
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Your support makes all the difference.Gateshead were welcomed back into professional rugby league yesterday - nine months after their Super League club decamped to Hull - but thefuture of Dewsbury remainsuncertain.
Gateshead were welcomed back into professional rugby league yesterday - nine months after their Super League club decamped to Hull - but thefuture of Dewsbury remainsuncertain.
The Rugby League Council meeting at Salford made two decisions, but deferred another. "It was a unanimous decision to warmly and enthusiastically welcome Gateshead into the Northern Ford Premiership from next season," said the chairman of the Rugby League, Sir Rodney Walker.
Their acceptance is a triumph for the Gateshead fans who refused to give up hope when the Thunder merged with Hull and moved to Humberside after just one season in the north-east.
"It's about putting right the wrongs that were done last November," said the club's chairman, Steve Worsnop. "We have the administration and corporate structure in place. We now have 17 weeks to put together a team that will be competitive and that work starts now."
There was no such sense of anticipation for Bramley, the long established Leeds-based club which gave up its membership of the Rugby League but now, under the guidance of a group of enthusiasts, wants to return. They are being informed by letter today that the Independent Franchise Panel which accepted Gateshead has rejected their plan to play at Farsley Celtic football ground next season. "The shareholders trying to revive the club said that they were "devastated" but vowed to continue their fight.
Dewsbury, the winners of this year's NFP, also face a struggle to win promotion to Super League after the Council ratified an early decision not to allow the club to play temporarily at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.
They must now put together an alternative proposal based on their own Ram stadium being brought up to the 10,000 minimum capacity for Super League by 31 March next year.
Their chairman, Bob McDermott, said that he remained confident of gaining admission. "We have investors ready to come forward and another Super League club has approached us about playing on their ground until our own is ready," he said.
Dewsbury's proposals must go to the IFP by 31 August for a final decision, expected to be binding on the Council during September.
The League is to invest $15,000 (£10,000) in a 15 per cent equity in the United States Rugby League Inc. Part of the deal will see a number of Super League clubs use the USRL's base in Jacksonville, Florida, for pre-season training and apromotional tournament.
The Hull and former Gateshead chief executive, Shane Richardson, has said suggestions that he is to pull out of the club are "total rubbish".
Salford are interested in Michael Hancock, Brisbane's veteran former Test winger.
Wakefield Trinity have suspended severance talks with their sacked chief executive, John Pearman, because of the death of his brother.
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