Widnes may be ousted by Crusaders’ licence bid

Jul 22 2008 by Ian Laybourn, Liverpool Daily Post

CELTIC CRUSADERS believe they are ready to take the step up into Super League – at the possible expense of Widnes Vikings.

The Bridgend club, who are in their third season in the National League, are one of 19 applicants for the 14 licences which will be announced by the Rugby Football League this morning.

If the RFL’s five-man board of directors take the expansionist route, then the Crusaders can look forward to meeting the likes of St Helens, Wigan and Leeds on a regular basis over the next three years.

If, however, the League decide on a process of consolidation in the game’s heartland, then Widnes and Salford will be favourites to reclaim the Super League status they relinquished over the last three years.

It would be a surprise if any of the current 12 Super League clubs lose their top-flight status while Leigh, Featherstone, Halifax and French outfit Toulouse are seen as outsiders to land a three-year licence.

Celtic Crusaders chief executive David Thompson said: "We’re extremely confident with what we’ve achieved and with what we’ve put together for our application.

"If we didn’t think we were ready for Super League, we wouldn’t have made the application.

"People talk about our crowds but they keep moving the goalposts. The crowds in our first year were around 600, in the second year they grew to 1,300 and this year they are around 2,500.

"They are increasing by 100% a year and we are still new. Some of the applicants have had a shot of playing at the highest level in the past and had a chance to build their fanbase but we’re already competing against those guys."

Widnes, who made way for the introduction of Catalans Dragons into Super League in 2006, went into administration last September but were hauled back from the brink in the winter by local businessman Steve O’Connor. He insists the club are now on a firm financial footing and have the facilities to match most of the current Super League clubs.

"Since I took charge of Widnes Vikings in November, my management team has worked incredibly hard to transform the club into an organisation we feel would be an asset to Super League," he said.

"I believe we have put together an irresistible licence application to the RFL which clearly demonstrates Widnes Vikings is a club built on a very sound financial base with experienced people in charge.

"I’m confident we have done everything we possibly could to show that Vikings merit a place in Super League."

Salford, who were the last club to be relegated from Super League last September, have retained a full-time squad under Shaun McRae and currently lead the National League.

Their hopes of a licence are underpinned by a proposed move to a £35million state-of-the-art stadium next to the M60 which they claim will make them potentially the wealthiest club in Super League.

John Wilkinson, who has spent the last 26 years as Salford chairman, said: "I think we’ve done everything right at Salford. We’re a very good club.

"The club is very, very stable and there is a new stadium on the horizon, right next to the Manchester conurbation.

"We would be very disappointed if we didn’t get a licence but we’re very hopeful."

Of the current Super League clubs, Wakefield appear to be the one most at risk of losing their status but general manager Francis Stephenson believes the business plan of the Challenge Cup semi-finalists can more than match any of the potential newcomers.

"I’ve said all along, we’re satisfied that there are very few teams from outside the League who do the amount of work that we do and that puts us in great stead to get a licence," he said.