BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Exclusive: Featherstone Rovers could be headed into administration with the Championship club believed to be in debt of at least £1 million.
Featherstone were thrown into crisis last month when the club was hit with a winding up petition over money owed to HMRC, understood to be around £120,000.
On September 23, chairman Paddy Handley then stood down, citing “varying agendas in control” that he said “made it impossible for me to deliver my plans”. A day later, former owner Mark Campbell announced his return, and three days after that, it was announced that CEO Martin Vickers had resigned.
Earlier this week Rovers failed to pay their players and staff on time for the month of September, and doubt remains if they will be paid at all for the rest of the year. rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads understands Featherstone’s financial issues are extensive and include money allegedly owed to current players and staff, as well as ex-players and staff, agents and other creditors.
One agent is believed to be owed around £20,000, while players’ pensions have also not been paid in recent seasons.
Bailiffs have been seen at the Millennium Stadium this week and the club’s website https://featherstonerovers.co.uk/ has been down for some time, though its social media accounts are still in operation.
It has been rumoured that head coach Paul Cooke and assistant coach Ged Corcoran will depart the struggling club, with assistant Ian Hardman likely to take over.
Sources have told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads that Vickers resigned by text message last week and Featherstone spent around $1.2 million on players’ salaries in 2025.
Rovers finished sixth on the ladder this year and were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by Bradford.
Featherstone also faced financial issues last year, including several county court judgments and debts to players, agents and staff, as revealed by The i-Paper.
But it is understood this situation is much worse and Campbell has returned to try and save Rovers, however, the club may now be forced into administration or liquidation.
rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads spoke to several Featherstone players this week who say they have been left in the dark about their futures.
Players from previous seasons, including Elijiah Taylor, Greg Eden and Samy Kibula, are still allegedly owed money by Featherstone.
Several days ago Daniel Bedford, the club’s head of strength & conditioning, posted on social media that he was looking for a new work opportunity. “My current club has recently been hit by some severe financial difficulty leading to a high level of uncertainty going into the next season meaning all staff and players currently aren’t being paid”.
Campbell has been approached for comment and Cooke declined to comment when contacted by rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
The RFL have not responded to repeated requests for comment.