Wakefield Trinity owner pens apology letter to fans after abandonment

Wakefield Trinity owner Matt Ellis has published an open letter to fans in which he apologises for the abandonment of Friday night’s game against Wigan Warriors.

The game was Wakefield’s last of the pre-season before they begin their 1895 Cup campaign next week and it was also a special occasion for one player.

The clash with Wigan served as stalwart Matty Ashurst’s testimonial match and a crowd of over 4,000 turned out to celebrate that.

What fans weren’t expecting was for the game to be called off just after half-time on account of a floodlight failure, particularly given the work that has gone into improving the stadium of late.

That happened when the home side were in the lead 22-12 with new signing Jermaine McGillvary having bagged a hattrick, Daryl Powell’s side playing some impressive rugby.

Issues with the floodlights cutting out had occurred throughout the first half and the half-time break, but with the issue continuing, there was sadly no choice but to abandon the game with 17 minutes still to play.

Whilst Wigan had named a squad containing eight teenagers it was still an impressive performance from Trinity and one that certainly confirms their status as favourites to win the Championship.

Owner issues apology to Wakefield Trinity fans

Late last night after the dust had settled Wakefield Trinity owner Matt Ellis released an open letter to fans in which he apologised for the abandonment.

So far during his ownership, Ellis has been nothing but transparent which has been a true breath of fresh air, and one that has made him incredibly popular with the Trinity fans.

That’s for good reason too with the local businessman having put his money where his mouth is to allow Daryl Powell to build a squad that you could argue is even stronger than in 2023, when they were still a Super League side.

As such it’s no surprise to see Ellis take accountability and offer his thoughts and apologies to fans, with the club owner publishing the statement on the club site.

He began: “Firstly, I would like to apologise to the supporters of both Wakefield and Wigan who attended on Friday night and to Matty Ashurst and family and friends for the floodlight failure at the abandonment of the game.

“I have spoken to Matty and whilst not ideal he still is overwhelmed with the unbelievable support last night and thoroughly enjoyed the night. We have also contacted Wigan with our apologies.”

He also referred to the brilliant support, something that has already been exemplified by the team’s incredible season ticket sales, before guaranteeing improvement in service at the stadium next time.

Ellis noted: “The support was unbelievable last night with over 4000 in attendance for a testimonial match. The atmosphere was amazing on the terraces and in the hospitality so I would like to thank everyone who contributed to that.”

“Obviously, the issue we had with the power affected our service of food and beverage within the stadium. I also think we fell short in certain areas with regards to the service levels around the stadium. I can assure everyone this will be resolved for the next home fixture.”

“The lads were fantastic” – Owner lauds praise on Powell and players

Ellis concluded his statement on a note of positivity, something reflective of his time in charge so far, as he expressed just how well the players performed.

Obviously, the match still had 17 minutes to go so they weren’t home and dry with the win but the performance still merited applause, particularly given how many new signings the club have made.

Seeing veteran winger Jermaine McGillvary bag a hat trick and knowing that their other starting winger has finished atop the Championship try-scoring charts the past two seasons will provide great excitement for Trinity fans.

It’s a sentiment that Ellis shares, finishing his statement by adding: “I thought the lads were fantastic last night and I feel Daryl and the backroom team have got the lads in fantastic shape physically and mentally and we are ready for the season ahead.”

The club’s first competitive fixture comes next weekend when they travel to face York Knights with Andrew Henderson’s side fresh off the back of the largest-ever 1895 Cup victory over Newcastle.

The Knights racked up 114 points in their demolition of Newcastle, however, it should be noted that just three months ago Newcastle might not have existed so simply fielding a team was a win for them.

Wakefield Trinity then begin their league campaign with a home tie against Bradford Bulls on Friday March 15th, meaning there’s six weeks for the club to ensure their floodlight issues are resolved.