TOWN NAME INTERIM CHAIRMAN

Director Graeme Peers steps into the role!

Joint longest serving director Graeme Peers is named interim Workington Town Chairman.

Q&A with media manager Gary McKeating.(GMck)

GMck: Firstly congratulations on the new position. 

Can you please let the fans a bit about your background and how you ended up becoming part of the club and now into this position. 

Thanks Gary, yes I've been in and around sport as long as I can remember and started playing football and rugby at the age of 9 for Seaton teams, commenced cricket for Workington Cricket Club at 11, in RL I represented the county once at U16s trial game v Widnes and have played for Cumberland U21s at cricket, football wise, I've been part of and help run one of the most successful Sunday League sides ever produced in West Cumbria and played for numerous Saturday league teams too, Workington Reds reserves, Cockermouth, Harrington, Windacales, and latterly Whitehaven AFC.

Educationally I have a degree in Business and Leisure Management and worked in that industry for 7 years, 5 in delivery and participation roles and then 2 as a manager, following that I worked in a fast paced marketing and customer service  focused role at Enterprise Rentacar for 8 years with 6 in a business development / management position, overseeing a turnover of over £1.5m and recorded operating profit over 90% of that period. I then moved on to the Nuclear industry where I took a step back from management and a shift pattern materialised that enabled me to be free most Friday's and at that point previous board member and friend Barry White asked me to initially help with the club website, I did that and found my natural inclination to help and improve businesses alongside my passion for the club meant I started offering more and more of my time and eventually Les Smallwood, the chair at that time asked me to join the board and it's gone from there. I've always had an interest in the club and can recall earliest memories watching Dave Lowden and Colin Falcon and have watched regularly since those days, really enjoying the Peter Walsh era like we all did, and maybe one day we'll get back there. 

What role was mapped out by Les when you agreed to join the board?

Initially, with all the various contacts I had built up with local sports people he asked me to push the community side of the club and we have made some progress but it's not exactly how I see it being utilised to it's maximum potential, over the years the Community Trust has been dormant until around late 2021 when we managed to create a new board of Trustees and improved it's base governance, that saw us get Jamie Doran and Sean Sabutey out and into schools, receiving some private sector funding to achieve that, however we have literally just scratched the surface on what's achievable and we will be focusing heavily on that this next 3-5 months.

You also have had a big impact on the sponsorship and income side of the club?

Yes, again with my previous working experience it's important to remember that cash flow is crucial, so when Craig 'Butch' Barker stepped down from the Commercial manager/ director role I stepped into that to make sure the revenue continued and relationships stayed in tact and I found it quite a straightforward transition after working in marketing and customer service focused roles. I'm very passionate about seeing the club and area progress. I feel very strongly about our area having facilities and opportunities for all demographics to take part in sport and leisure. By fate or a bigger plan, I now find myself in a position to impact that even more and the platform of the club is a great one to ensure the here and now, and the future generations to come have sporting and leisure facilities that are fit for purpose, when we have that we can produce sporting professionals because of the pathways and systems, not in spite of them. 

To get the club to be in a position to thrive as these developments occur we need all members of the club, from the Chair, through the board, coaches, players and staff to commit to that vision, together, with patience we will all create a legacy to be proud of that respects the tradition and history of those who have gone before us at this great club. 

So how do you see that occurring, what steps have been taken to solidify the club in such a volatile business climate, and also within a period of change for the sport? 

From working within the sponsorship/commercial department I have been privvy to listening to and understanding what sponsors are looking for in terms of what they support and why. Being associated to supporting all demographics and especially accommodating the growth of female sport has been a crucial step to enable us to diversify and increase the volume of companies getting on board with us. That in turn has allowed us to strengthen the core business of what we are, which is a Rugby League club with many other exciting sporting and leisure arms branching off. We have an aim and a timescale we want to achieve that in, and the financial stability of the club is at it's most secure since I've been involved with a structure that supports steady growth, and ultimately that was the biggest learning from our ill fated Championship season, the club needed structure and it needed on the ground day to day management on and off the pitch. We have that now and the progress that has been made in many areas is strong and we continue to evolve and improve every day.

Today as we speak, we have

A General Manager 

Re-established a Director of Rugby position. 

Business Development Manager 

Office administration staff. 

To add to that, we should be in a position to employ a part time manager soon to push the Community Trust on even further. 

It is such an exciting time, and I feel privileged to be interim Chairman and have the support of the Board and shareholders. 

GMck: Good luck and UTT

Thank you Gary and I look forward to a really positive period for the club, I can guarantee to the supporters and partners that I'll work as hard as ever to achieve progress. 

We can achieve anything we want to and have a good time achieving it, starting on Sunday when Whitehaven come to Town, we have a full pre match experience to enjoy and music after so I encourage everyone to get down earlier to avoid the ques and stay down afterwards to enjoy the live music in the Fanzone! 

Early bird tickets: - https://www.townrlfc.com/