Workington Reds plans up in the air
Updated: Dec 30, 2020
The perplexing decision means that the ambitious new West Cumbria stadium project, a proposed 2021 Rugby League World Cup venue, could be totally scuppered if a further vote on giving up Borough Park as Workington Reds’ home is lost.
Disappointingly, my plans to make a much-anticipated return visit to Workington on 22 April to witness the last-ever league match at Borough Park have had to be abandoned. At an EGM of Workington AFC shareholders last night, a motion to allow the club’s board of directors to arrange for the club to leave Borough Park and move next season to the adjacent Derwent Park, home of the town’s Rugby League club, was defeated by a group of shareholders. This means that, initially at least, Workington Reds will start next season at Borough Park and they might not move to Derwent Park at all. It seems there is a faction of shareholders who oppose the current board and the plan to leave Borough Park. The group of “no” shareholders have no alternative proposal to the new shared stadium proposal and thus their reasoning is unfathomable. The Reds have about five years left on the lease of Borough Park and they need to find over £200,000 to fund essential works on the ground if they plan to stay until the end of the lease, or they won’t be issued with a safety certificate. Needless to say, they don’t have that kind of money.
The perplexing decision means that the ambitious new West Cumbria stadium project, a proposed 2021 Rugby League World Cup venue, could be totally scuppered if a further vote on giving up Borough Park as Workington Reds’ home is lost.
As the match on 22 April is no longer the ground’s last match my Easter Monday arrangements are also sunk – as I certainly won’t get the OK from the in-house travel convenor to make the Workington journey more than once. I now await the new final home match date – if I live long enough!