PLYMOUTH ALBION RFC face survival challenges
- Details
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 January 2015 22:09
- Published on Wednesday, 07 January 2015 17:05
Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club Limited today announced on and off the pitch measures being taken to attempt to secure the survival of the club, which is suffering serious financial challenges coupled with threat of relegation from the Championship.
Albion spent much of 2014 in talks with various parties to refinance the club but unfortunately, to date, none of these discussions have come to fruition and the club’s board of directors is addressing a worsening financial picture.
As a result the club is announcing “that it has issued a Notice of Intention to appoint an Administrator.”
The club called on supporters to pack Brickfields for Albion's next two home Championship matches, against Moseley on Saturday and Rotherham on January 31.
Club chairman Dr Graham Stirling said: "Issuing a Notice of Intention to appoint and administrator has been a difficult but necessary decision and is a reflection of the seriousness and imminent nature of the financial challenges which the club now faces. We continue to extensively explore all options but clearly time is not on our side.
"We must finalise a position over the next few days.
"There is still time for any other interested parties to come forward and talk to our advisors."
The Albion board will meet with PARFC shareholders and personal guarantors tonight to explore all options.
In the meantime Cornwall head coach and former Albion player-coach Graham Dawe has returned to the club on a voluntary basis to advise and support the coaching team in their hour of need.
Basement club Albion have yet to win a league match after 10 rounds. Moseley are 10th in the 12 team table.
If anyone has the experience and guile to turn Albion's on-field fortunes around it's 55-year-old former England, Bath, Sale, Plymouth and Launceston hooker Dawe, who still conducts regular coaching clinics for clubs in the region... and beyond.
Dawe was present at Brickfields to see Albion lose their last home league game, 27-19 to Cornish Pirates, and also at Bristol for New Year's Day 55-18 defeat.
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