Birmingham & Solihull RFC given a month by RFU to save future
Oct 29 2009 By Andy Walker
The new consortium behind Birmingham & Solihull Bees has been given a month to prove that it can secure a sustainable future for the club.
The RFU Management Committee spent almost four hours running the rule over a rescue plan yesterday morning before granting the Bees a continuation licence to play on until November 30 – at the same time as docking the club 15 points.
By that point, the cash-strapped Championship club’s new-found backers, who are not yet known, need to have provided the sport’s governing body with assurances of being able to fulfil fixtures until the end of the season.
The announcement means that Saturday’s derby match against Moseley can now go ahead at Sharmans Cross Road (2pm kick-off).
While it is nowhere near the end of their long-running battle to stay alive, it is a step in the right direction for the Solihull outfit.
Members put the club into voluntary liquidation on Tuesday which resulted in several members of staff being made unemployed and the closure of the Bumble Bees Nursery, a steady source of income, at their Sharmans Cross home.
However the fact that the RFU hasn’t rejected the new consortium’s initial proposals suggests that the bright light of optimism may begin to break up the black clouds that have hung over the club all season.
Bees’ player/head coach Russell Earnshaw, one of those who have worked tirelessly to keep the club alive, has explained how things stand at the moment.
“The RFU liked the proposals we put in front of them and have given us three weeks to put our plans into action,” said Earnshaw. “They now want to work with us to put Bees on a stable and sustainable footing.
“A big thank you also goes out from me to all those involved in getting us this far – our fans, sponsors and those who have endured the sad events of recent weeks alongside us.
“Particular thanks must go to the players and the staff of the club who’ve continued to work tirelessly without being paid and with such an uncertain future, but now the hard work really begins.
“We have three weeks to work alongside the RFU and to put our new plans into action so that the club is on more stable foundations. We hope to begin with a meeting of club supporters sometime next week so that we communicate the current status and describe our plans for the future.”
In a statement, the RFU said: “To preserve the integrity of the Championship, and the other clubs playing in it, the management board has agreed to grant a temporary licence to the new company to compete in the Championship until the end of November, and to enable them to put into effect their restructure and complete the fixtures through to that date.
“However, in recognition of the fact that the original club went into liquidation, the management board has applied a penalty of 15 points to the team which is effective immediately.”
