By Unofficial Coventry rugby
December 24 2009

Well, what can one say about 2008! For a start its never dull being a Coventry Rugby Fan. This year has certainly been a roller coaster ride. One minute we are in administration, the next we are reprieved and allowed to carry on, then along comes the likelihood of relegation, and finally salvation from the RFU. I’m sure our champion Gentleman John Wilkinson

could inspire us all with words of emotion, wisdom and elation if he was to scribe the events of the summer and early autumn.

Personally I will never forget the determination and comradeship of every Coventry supporter and the rugby fraternity.  Together they showed an undiluting desire to survive, a determination to forgo differences and unite under one Coventry banner in every effort to save our club.  It was during those dark hours when the grim reaper was almost smiling as he wielded his final blow that the true spirit of Coventry came alive again, thundering out of the ashes in its endeavour to achieve the unachievable. To all of you, I bow and thank you.

Unfortunately other clubs throughout the country are now experiencing the same financial difficulties that were bestowed on us.  To those clubs, players and supporters I wish you the very best in your crusade to overcome the hurdles that are in your way, remember, together you can overcome anything...

As I sit here writing my Christmas message I feel fortunate, fortunate that my club has survived this particular crisis, fortunate in the knowledge that I can go along to Butts Park Arena on Boxing Day and watch my team play Moseley in National Division One.To all rugby supporters and viewers of this site we would like to thank you for your ongoing support.  We wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a fabulous 2009.

Let me put you at ease, the dates above are not a mistake, the words above have been copied and pasted from last year’s Christmas message.   I find it daunting and upsetting that a year has passed and we find ourselves in the same predicament. 

As I sit here writing, I wander what the future will hold for our historical club, will we survive?  If so, in what guise?  Will a knight in shining white armour gallop majestically towards the Butts Park at the eleventh hour, laden with bags of gold?  Or will it be the fanatical supporters of Coventry rugby club digging even deeper into their threadbare pockets to find the necessary amount of money to become a key player of a members club?  Or, will it be something else, maybe the end? 

During the past weeks these and many other questions have been discussed and deliberated at length on this forum.  The answer at this present moment in time is that we do not know our destiny.  But one thing is certain, without the passion and commitment of the staff, coaches, players and you the Coventry supporter, our club would have ceased trading and joined the rugby scrap heap in the sky.

Once more the rugby fraternity have joined ranks to offer encouragement, support and financial assistance.  Premiership clubs (especially Worcester) have generously loaned us their valuable players so that we can fulfil our fixtures and still remain competitive.  Supporters are standing in the extreme cold shaking (quietly) buckets under the noses of hard pressed Coventry folk, rugby memorabilia is being collated in readiness for auctioning on eBay, many more mindboggling ideas are in the pipeline to raise much needed cash for our faithful staff and players.  I salute and thank everyone involved in saving our club.

I sincerely hope that I will be able to write a Christmas message this time next year.  Unfortunately, I do not possess the ability to see into the future, but I know the Coventry and rugby public will do their utmost to make my hope, my dreams come true.

Have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Dave Roach

Unofficial Coventry Rugby.

Merry Christmas

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 24/12/2009 09:30

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
24/12/2009 09:30

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:12:30:11:20:42 by Laugh Out Loud.

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