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Title: Doncaster Lakers Subtitle: 1,500 Paying Supporters Needed Author: John Wright  ID & Publication: 20070511040 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Doncaster  Subject: Sport (Local)

Doncaster Lakers who moved into the new Keepmoat stadium at the beginning of the year on a 25 year deal need at least an average of 1,500 paying supporters for the last six games of the National League One season or else the future of the club will be in serious doubt. The Lakers who successfully manoeuvred a CVA to keep the club in existence are debt free and unencumbered by expensive player contracts but nevertheless the costs at the new stadium combined with the general overheads involved in merely running the operation are such that the withdrawal of financial support by long time Chairman, John Wright, leaves the club with a serious cash shortfall.

'The Business Plan forecast was for 1,500 paying supporters on top of season ticket sales and we have fallen sadly short of that figure. The last home game against Whitehaven saw 346 people pay producing a net income of £2,628 and a repeat of that level of support will be the end of rugby league in the town. I have tried to attract new Board Members to invest in the club, but they can see that without increased support they will be investing in a black-hole and so far no-one is prepared to become involved. It is a classic 'catch 22', the supporters want a new owner who will plough money in the way John Wright did and any potential investors want to see a considerable increase in support before they invest' said Chief Executive Tony Hannan.

Without support or new investment the Lakers remain in the ownership of John Wright who has made it clear his personal finances will not allow him to further invest in the club so it is clearly down to the people of Doncaster to show potential new investors that they will support the club. It is understood that John Wright, who wrote off in excess of £1m owed to him by the club as part of the CVA, is prepared to sell shares at par value of £1 to anyone interested in joining the Board and will buy a minimum 10,000 shares.

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