I'm not knocking the man for his achievements with the local youths,well done to him, but taking things in that concept, **** taylor deserves a medal for getting literally hundreds of kids off the streets and into sport
The people who were first filmed on a Calendar documentary do deserve respect for starting Featherstone Lions. I could be wrong but I think **** was in Spain at the time for various reasons.
The “Lions” are a true asset to Featherstone with huge numbers of great kids turned over each year into better individuals with team spirit.
You may be surprised that I comment the Lions are such a fantastic venture. You should make time when a game is on in the bitter cold just to see the spirit and determination shown. Not slaging off Featherstone Rovers but the younger age group has a passion that draws on you with the entertaining games.
This spirit and passion reflects on the coaches and training staff. When a rugby team is hot the coaches are smug complete with grins, great. When the referee is from Cassssssssss and the punches and high tackles are missed the team leaders provide the calm in between the funny cursing rants.
I mention all this on behalf of the many volunteers within Featherstone Lions who are the ones responsible for keeping this good ship a float such as the majority of the committee, the coaches, the coach assistants, the grounds men, the bar staff, the kitchen staff and the cleaners. Without them there would be no Lions.
There had to be a butt! I can only state what is factual. It is unfortunate that the Lions are now discussed under a political heading. So many times I have considered putting a topic on this site giving the dates and scores of games and the best action you are missing. With respect to the youth my input is noted as being desired like a hole in the head by a minority of adults.
It would appear it is time to bring certain things to light that people were not aware of. The situations at the Lions may hope fully be helped with the incoming verbal I expect from this ironic topic. Many people at the lions who wish to improve are scared to do so.
My own experience is;
1. How do you loose the accounts twice?
2. At the side of the Lions is a piece of land that can be developed for sports. I created a plan in 2004 for this land and tried to talk to the Lions. The junior committee was more than happy to meet and talk for mutual benefit. I didn’t get to the senior committee as the date I was given was not the date the meeting was held. Not in any way all the senior committees fault.
3. Before a second meeting could be arranged **** took it upon himself to blockade the land under his own ruling and with out committee approval. This resulted in a very serious letter being sent to **** c/o Featherstone Lions from WMDC that demanded that he put right the industrial fly tipping amongst other issues that would be at the cost of the Lions. All I saw was more sport for Featherstone and more income for the Lions.
4. At the beginning of 2008 meetings were held by a new group invented by WMDC sports and recreation department called the Featherstone Sports Consortium. I found this strange from the start as I was all ready a member of a group called exactly the same formed in 2006 who had been working with WMDC to achieve the same goal. The meetings consisted of representatives from all the sports groups in ward 6 Featherstone. The first meeting was ok with a goal being given of “work together”! The second meeting got spicy. At the time I was working on a project in Ackton with the developers of the new industrial estate. They had 1000s of tones of high grade top soil to remove and offered it to me to advertise to the community for free. As I had seen the lions home pitch flooded so often and the volume of work carried out to cure the problem of a rugby pitch built on a pond site I offered to Clive and **** a suggestion of them raising the ground and installing drainage to produce a non flooding pitch. My offer was genuine and would not have involved me other than giving the pair a phone number. It never got that far. Cllr Clive Tennant deputy portfolio holder at WMDC for sport instantly replied that the grounds men at the Lions do a great job and that I am insulting them to suggest they are not doing a good job. Clive then stated that Featherstone Lions refuse to work with and talk to me. I replied that I had only offered a suggestion to try and help and take acceptation to his comments without consulting the senior committee for the good of his club.
5. Like every club the Lions struggle for money and kits on a good day. I was recently asked if I knew of funds for one of the age groups kit. I all ready knew of an organization that not only would provide the team kit I asked for but the entire clubs. That easy. There is an issue I am not prepared to bring the Lions down about. What I will say is sort it out for the sake of the kids please.
This is also true of the other sports groups such as Featherstone Collier’s football teams. Unfortunately in Featherstone if its not rugby its second best in grants and help offered.