YOUNG TALENT

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	NEW VIDEO

ACADEMY TALENT
‘ROVERS ON A MISSION’	ROVERS IN THE COMMUNITY

NEW SIGNING NEW SIGNING

Rovers have agreed terms for next season with 20 year old back row forwardChris Rooney, elder brother of Academy captain Jamie. Chris has been playing with Sheffield Eagles but is now out of contract.

Chico Jackson played his last game for Rovers on Sunday v St Esteve. In his benefit season he has been taken on to the coaching staff at Hull Sharks.

He said that ' I have enjoyed my stay with the Rovers and that I will always have a place in my heart for the Rovers of Featherstone'.

Richard Evans said that he had done a fine job for Featherstone Rovers this season and wished him luck in his future attachment to Rugby League at Hull.

CHRIS SPURR Following an article in the programme at the Dewsbury game which fuelled a considerable amount of speculation about the signing of a junior player whose father played with Rovers, Rovers are pleased to announce the signing of Chris. Spurr.

Chris is of course the son of former Rovers hooker and Academy Coach Bob Spurr.

Chris who is 17 is 175 cms tall and weighs around 73 kilos. He has signed a two year contract until the end of Dec 1999.

He plays in the 2nd. row.

RICHARD NORTON A further signing into the Academy ranks comes with the acquisition of Richard Norton, a 16 year old loose forward.

He has signed for Rovers on amateur forms and will be available from May onwards after he has fulfilled his amateur committments with Castleford Panthers.

SUNDAY 5th. APRIL ROVERS ACADEMY v BRADFORD BULLS Rovers Academy kick off their season when they entertain Bradford Bulls at 1.30 pm. in a curtain raiser to Rovers first team game against Leigh Centurion.

The loan period for Chico Jackson will hopefully be extended for another month to 21St April after a successful trial period.

The chances of securing his services on a permanent basis appear to be slim as he is due to a testimonial at the Boulevard in recognition of ten years' service as a player. Obviously this would prove to be very lucrative to Chico and will prevent a permanent move at this stage

Terms for the extension of Chico's loan period are now taking place between Rovers coach, Steve Simms and Sharks' team boss, Peter Walsh.

The signing of impressive centre, Carl Hall, materialised earlier this week after a series of excellent trial matches with the first team.

The former Doncaster, Leeds and Bradford three-quarter signed a contract which will keep him at Post Office Road at least until the end of 1998.

Carl has immediately settled in at Post Office Road and sees a bright future for the club with the balance of experience and outstanding young players which now seems to be blending the team into a winning outfit.

He is in the process of moving his belongings from Moseley, where he had a brief spell playing Rugby Union, to the local area where he will share his semi-detached with team mate, Ty Fallins who is also moving into the locality from his present home in Bradford.

Young forward prospect, Andy Wray, has moved over to join former Rovers coach, Dave Ward, on a month's loan in order to gain some match practice.

The scrapping of the Alliance team has meant that several fringe players are training without being able to get a game.

Andy joins quite a substantial Rovers' contingent at Mount Pleasant in Deryck Fox, Roy Powell, Jon Morgan, Paul Gleadhill, Lee Bargate and of course Dave Ward.

TONY MILLER & JASON SIMMS

Tony and Jason have both joined Doncaster Dragons on permanent transfer deals. Rovers received a combined fee of Ł4000 for the pair.

SIXTIES REVIVAL

FEV'S FAR FLUNG FANS ASSOCIATION

This is an idea which is sure to appeal to Featherstone exiles all over the world who would dearly love to be kept in touch with what's going on at Post Office Road

Members of the association will receive an official club tie and a copy of every match day programme, containing news, views, star interviews and much more for an annual fee of just Ł60 which covers postage costs also.

Subscription by cheque please made payable to Featherstone Rovers Ltd.

Rovers are continuing their very healthy Youth policy, which has reaped dividends in the recent emergence of players of the calibre of Karl Pratt, Neil Lowe, Rob Padgett and Gavin Swinson, by signing two more up and coming youngsters in full back, Richard Thaler and centre, Matthew Turner.

Both youngsters are former Featherstone juniors players and have signed professional forms on their respective 17th birthdays. Fans can be assured that more signings of this kind will materialise in the very near future.

ROVERS AID TO CHARITY

The club is to open up its Post Office Road facilities to fund raising bodies who would like to utilise the clubhouse function rooms to raise revenue for worthy causes.

In an effort to become more pro-active on a wider scale within the community there will be no charge for the use of the Clubhouse or the staffing costs for organisations raising funds for good causes.

Saturday 21 St March sees the first of these events taking place when the Pontefract Hospital Special Care Baby Unit Stages a sell out function which will raise in excess of Ł1000 for the Unit.

Organiser, Dave Snowden, says 'I can't thank Featherstone Rovers enough for the tremendous help they have given to me in the staging of this event which sold out weeks ago. The clubhouse is by far the best venue in the area for such functions as ours and Rovers have bent over backwards to help us out. This function will be the first of hopefully many others.

Rovers Secretary, Terry Mullaney says 'We are only too pleased to have been able to help the Hospital in providing them with our premises. Featherstone Rovers is the focal point of the town and we want to provide people of the area with much more than just a professional rugby team.

These people mean a great deal to us and we want that sentiment to be mutual. It is also hoped that the Adult Education classes will resume in the Spring after a brief break for the winter months which will again help forge strong links between the club and the people of Featherstone and surrounding areas.'

ROVERS NEW VIDEO

'THE CLASSIC ROVERS COLLECTION - VOLUME TWO'

is now available from the Rovers Club Shop. This new video has been released following the great success of last year's original compilation of ten great Rovers games.

Featuring another fine selection of memorable matches, Volume Two will make the ideal Christmas present for all Rovers fans. The video is available at the same price as last year - Ł15.00.

On the football side, Featherstone Rovers is committed to the continuation of the long term development of youngsters, a policy which is already paying dividends with the tremendous progress made by teenagers Karl Pratt, Jamie Stokes and Neil Lowe.

These three all starred in the Rovers first team last season, with Jamie and Neil proudly representing Great Britain at Academy level.

It is also certain that other youngsters, such as Ben Smallman, Stuart Dickens, Gavin Swinson and Rob Padgett will emerge as potential first team players. This clearly emphasises the first class opportunities available to youngsters who chose to begin their Rugby League careers at Post Office Road.

The emergence of Featherstone Lions, together with their impressive facilities, also offers added opportunity to children and youth who wish to enjoy the sport of Rugby League.

The Rovers and the Lions are jointly providing training facilities for the town’s youth teams which, in the long run, will prove to be a mutually beneficial partnership with a production line of talent which will serve both well in the long term.

ROVERS IN THE COMMUNITY

The Club has opened its doors to the community with adult education classes every Thursday morning. The courses, which are run by Castleford Women’s Centre, are available to men and women of all ages, and are staged in the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the Clubhouse.

Courses run so far include Decoupage, Body Massage and Christmas Crafts, but the range will extend form January 1998.

A creche is in operation, enabling parents of young children to attend the classes. The aim is to provide local people with projects which will meet their needs, starting with leisure and social type courses which enable people to get to know each other.

These will lead on to skill based projects which people may not have been able to try before, such as computers, creative writing, languages, mechanics, developing business ideas into business plans. The list is endless!!

The Castleford Women’s Centre together with Featherstone Rovers is committed to providing local people with the opportunity to learn in a nice local environment.

Anyone needing further information regarding the courses should ring the Castleford Women’s Centre on 01977 511581.

‘ROVERS ON A MISSION’

The future of Featherstone Rovers is indeed bright, although there are those in high places who would not consider this famous club to fit in with the Super League scheme of things.

In the event of Rovers winning next season’s Division One title, anyone who may wish to deny the club its rightful place in the top flight will face an almighty battle.

The club remains undaunted in its absolute determination to return to Rugby League’s big time, but at the same time is resolved to attaining a similar profile in terms of its contribution to the well-being of the people living within its community.