Halifax RLFC have announced that the club will not be running a reserve team next season. After all the noise over being part of the new reserve league this is highly disappointing. The reasons given are understandable but the real villains here are the rulers of the game. RL as we've all known it is gone and the elite have a lot to answer for. The reserve fiasco, dual registration, foreign teams playing in the English league, Aussies playing for England, the list goes on. You can't really blame the Fax board for their decision but I await the next announcement with trepidation.

Other teams apart from us and Newcastle are getting funding, reputed to be £100K, to fund their Reserves. We are all disappointed but can appreciate the BOD 's decision reading their statement.

It stinks, it really does! I feel not only for the players but also the people who have volunteered their time and money supporting the reserves over the last few seasons while SL clubs didn't want to know. Well done to all of you and let's hope you find a way to keep your support going.

Not what we really want but a sensible pragmatic decision by the BOD I am sure our volunteer fundraisers will rally round and continue to support the club.

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This one will not, haveing put upwards of nearly £400. a year for the last 4-5 and more. I think I have done my share towards fund raiseing. I thought helping young players get a foot on the pro. ladder be it our or another club was the best way to go. As for the club surely it is their responsibilty to budget for the season, the fund raiseing for the junior squad was a bonus as I see it?

Well put, we wanted a BoD who acted responsibly and they are doing as much as a disappointment this is for everyone involved with the club.

Clubs with Category 1 Academies get matched funding up to a maximum of £100k. That's been the case for quite a while and no secret.

I'm not suggesting it is a secret just not a totally level playing field.

I'm not bothered about a level playing field, the club knew this when they asked us to back them in their application, and then threw us a curve ball .Who found out (and when) that their carefully worked out application was found not to be feasable?

Exactly. The RFL found the application to be feasible so who is mugging who off?

With no way to develop young Calderdale players there is now a disconnect with the youth of the area - they have nothing to aim for with regards to Halifax RLFC - and our crowd gets ever older in its average age and the first team fills up with journeymen with little connection to the club.

Besides, every sporting club should have development programmes in place.

The money should have been ring fenced. A real slap in the face for the trust this. Strap yourselves in folks, it’s gonna be even more of a hell of a ride!

I can understand the reasons in theory but didn't most of the money the trust raised go towards the reserves? It was easy for them to raise money as people had an idea where the money was going so if you wanted to help the reserves the trust would be where you put your money. Now they are left as just another supporters group and despite all their hard work they may now stuggle to raise as much money as they have done now competing against Fax1 so if the BOD have budgeted to use the amounts riased over the past few years they could easily get a shock.

I'm with you. I completely understand why the board have made the decision, but why not say this earlier rather than get a team in the comp and then fold it. I've put a lot in over the years on the belief that I was bringing young players into the game and into the team. I was told that the funding for the reserves was being kept separate from the first team. Feel let down and won't be putting any more into the club.

Completely agree with all the postings after reading the Boards Statement a reality check on the mess the Game is in.
The Priority is the safeguard of the Club otherwise we could end up in the same financial
Morass that our near neighbours are

Best reserve products, Rawsthorne and Butler, gone.
Woodburn-Hall will be gone once his studies are over.
The Welsh lads won't set the world on fire and improve the first team IMO.

Follow Fevs lead and take advantage of DR as I'm sick of watching bang average RL without value for money

I get what you are saying but we would not have signed Braber, Morris, Moore, Rawsthorne, or Butler if we did not have a reserves team not to mention the fringe first team players who have just signed new contracts.