Panthers Go into administration - statement from the club


The directors of Blackpool panthers as of Tuesday the 5th October 11.00am has put the club into administration and has informed the Rugby football League, followering a meeting last night ( Monday 4th October) with Martin Crompton and his coaching staff and players who were told that the club has taken the decision because of its all round financial decision that they would have to go into administration.


Last night meeting was fronted by present chairman John Chadwick and Southport business man and current club sponsor Andy Carney, along with Bill Quinn a Manchester business man, and they informed the playing staff that they were aiming to form a new company. If this proposal is accepted by Rugby football league the afore mention would hope to form a new board of directors which will then endeavour to form a permanent relationship and ground share with Fylde rugby union club, the rugby football league has been extremely impressed within the last 12 months with the facilities at offer at Fylde, which has seen not only 18 profession side take part in the North Rail 9’s competition, but also the national school finals held over 2 days and the national Barla finals also held over 2 days, and the facilities especially on the hospitality side along with the superb playing area make sense for both clubs to from a marriage.


It is possible that under a newly formed company that the Fylde rugby union club may have a member on the proposed panthers board.


Should all this come to fruition the club could be renamed Blackpool and Fylde Panthers. The club would also like it to be known that former major share holder Bobby Hope has returned all of his share holdings back to the club, which allows the Blackpool panthers to move forward and hopefully create the new company as mentioned.


Work has continued throughout the Blackpool area and will continue to do so with Thomas Brindle community rugby league coach working throughout Blackpool schools and generally coaching and promoting rugby League, Thomas brindle has also been helping support local amateurs side Blackpool Scorpions and Blackpool Stanley with good work from both clubs throughout the summer have seen the junior set ups make strong step in the right direction in securing the future of rugby league in Blackpool.


The club today has given interview on local radio station and spoken to the gazette along with the bank the club accountants and we the panthers hope that the rugby league followers on the Fylde coast will all be aware within the next 24 hours of the clubs potion.

You have my sympathy, another bad news day in CC1.
I hope things work out for you all.
Come on you Dons.

Panthers are my second club, its a shame this has happened ,but hopefully you can now go forward ,without Bob Hope.

where is the RFL when clubs like you need the help and backing, stinks to high heaven quins, wales clubs and catalan have had the support why not you

I can only wish you good luck for the future

I am reliably informed the RFL have been brilliant and very helpfull over the past few months with the club and are currently working with the club in this tough time. So many thanks to the RFL. We arent the first and wont be the last but hopefully lessons will be learnt and lets hope we come back bigger, better and with a long term strategy to have a rugby league club in blackpool for years to come. Stability and operating within our means are essential !!! Up the panthers

I think the last two sentences say it all.