Former Featherstone Rovers Chairman, Mark Campbell, has officially ruled himself out of being involved in any future takeover or consortium, should the club find new investors.
Releasing a lengthy statement earlier today [Friday], Campbell opted to tell his side of the story, after not previously doing so – a decision he took as to ensure the club’s overarching situation didn’t become about him.
Featherstone are currently not in the English league structure, after being rejected by the RFL following their administration period which started in December.
However, the financial troubles of the club go back way further than that, with Campbell revealing that in June 2024, the club’s debt stood at approximately £1.1 million.
At that point, Chairman Paddy Handley came into the role to replace Campbell, and when Handley asked for advice, he said that the squad spending should be kept to around £300,000-£350,000 – something that Campbell also reiterated to the board prior to his departure.
The Rovers ignored his advice, and the former Chair, in his statement, has singled out former CEO Martin Vickers and Terry Mullaney, for not stepping in when the club were spending well above their means, particularly on lucrative player contracts.
He labels the club’s expenditure in 2025 as “reckless”, and that neither Handley or Mullaney had any real idea as to how much the club were spending each month, and they let it get out of hand.
Campbell says that: “At no point has the CEO [Vickers] accepted any responsibility for his role in the club’s decline or the financial position it found itself in, up until the point when both the CEO and Chairman [Handley] resigned in September 2025.”
His final part of the statement reads: “To be absolutely clear, I have no desire to be involved again. I have enjoyed my time away from the sport, and after winning numerous cups and league championships, reaching over 12 cup finals, and achieving a win ratio as Chairman that will take some beating, I believe I have done a decent job.”
“This statement is made purely to set the record straight for the supporters of Featherstone Rovers.”
There is still no update regarding the future of the Rovers, and whether they will be involved in the Championship competition in 2027.
Campbell’s full statement can be read here.
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