Wildcats coach backing Widnes’s credentials

Jul 2 2008 by Ian Cheveau, Liverpool Daily Post

WAKEFIELD Trinity Wildcats coach John Kear is the latest name to throw his weight behind the Vikings’ bid for Super League.

Kear has called for heartland clubs Salford and Widnes to be granted Super League licences in preference to Celtic Crusaders.

Kear, whose side contains 10 former National League players, including three former Widnes stars Damien Blanch, Scott Grix and Oliver Wilkes, believes Bridgend-based Celtic should be given more time to develop in the National League before being thrown into the deep end at Super League level.

Both the Vikings and City Reds have been in the top flight before being relegated to the National League.

The RFL will announce on July 22 which two of the seven applicants will join a Super League expanded to 14 clubs next season, with automatic promotion and relegation scrapped.

Salford, Widnes and Celtic, a club formed only three seasons ago, are favourites for the two vacancies, ahead of Leigh, Featherstone, Halifax and French club Toulouse.

Kear has publicly backed the Vikings and Salford.

He said: “Salford and Widnes will add much more to Super League than Celtic Crusaders.

“Celtic’s stadium is poor, and I do not believe they have either the junior infrastructure or the support base.”