By Roth Admin
August 20 2004

On Thursday evening Clifton Lane was once again full of expectant supporters. They all congregated eagerly, to hear what the Club had to say about the future of their club. There is still hope that Rotherham Titans can be saved from liquidation after it emerged that a consortium involving local businesses, Rotherham Council, non-playing staff and the supporters club were 'cautiously optimistic' that a rescue package could be put together.

Supporters attended a meeting at Clifton Lane this evening and were addressed by long serving volunteer Wilf Duke, senior club officer Jim Kilfoyle, ex-player and community officer Craig West and assistant coach Mike Schmid.

Away from the clubhouse, a business plan is being put together which will be presented to insolvency practitioners Jackson Jolliffe Cork of Wakefield at a meeting scheduled for 11am tomorrow.

'It's been a very long and hard week and it affects us all in different ways', said Jim Kilfoyle.

'We thought that the staff had been made redundant on Tuesday but they've carried on working and behind the scenes there are a lot of people doing everything that they can to save the club. We know we have to get a salvation package together and within 24 hours we could be nearly there. The community has rallied round tremendously.'

Despite this news, there are still a number of obstacles that must still be overcome and with time running out several factors must combine to make the acceptance of any proposal viable.

Players have responded encouragingly to the news that they will have to accept substantial pay cuts to allow the resources of any consortium to cover the outgoings involved in running Rotherham Rugby Club as a professional outfit with some squad members having already agreed in principle to lose 50% of their salaries:

'We have to take our players on with savagely reduced wages. At most clubs the players would walk but that hasn’t happened here and we’re on our way to getting a team out to face Bedford thanks to the magnitude of the character of the players', added Jim.

In addition to this, the business plan needs to be finalised, proposed and accepted and there remains the immediate possibility that the club could cease trading tommorrow.

The Insolvency Practitioners have called a press conference for 3pm.

Cash pledges are still desperately needed and can be made by emailing your name, address, phone number and the amount you wish to pledge to bchapple@rrufc.net .

Any parties interested in joining the rescue package as major sponsors are urged to contact Jim Kilfoyle.