4:34pm Thursday 12th August 2010
ALEX Bonney stepped down as chief executive of Widnes Vikings this week confident that the club is positioned well for its return to Super League.
His departure from the post, and the arrival of Julie Gaskell at the helm, comes in a week that sixth-placed Vikings could seal their place in the Championship play-offs.
Bonney has steered Vikings to the brink of their second Super League franchise application and meeting the standards in place, following the disappointment of narrowly missing out to Celtic Crusaders and Salford City Reds in 2008.
“What we’ve done over the last two years has been putting right what we were told was wrong last time round,” said Bonney, who will be assisting Gaskell in the transitional period.
“We’ve had an emphasis on youth development and the results of our under 16s and under 18s has been incredible when you consider that we’re doing it without any funding - against opposition that is healthily funded.
“As far as the five minimum criteria go, we’ve been working towards achieving that throughout the last 12 months. I believe we have ticked those boxes now, although that still has to be verified externally.”
Gaskell joins Vikings from a commercial background and has held a number of senior management positions, including with Vikings chairman Steve O’Connor’s Stobart Group, although more recently has run her own consultancy business.
Among the priorities, she will set out to attract new partnerships for the club and look into increasing the number of season ticket holders.
“I see my role as continuing the club’s progress, ensuring a successful Super League application and making sure that we are in the best possible shape to fulfil our ambitious long-term targets,” she said.
“I’m excited with the challenge and got a lot to learn but luckily I have a good team behind me at Widnes Vikings.
“I’ll be looking at the commercial aspects of the club going forward and attracting sustainable partnerships.
“Also keeping the people of Widnes alongside us over the next few years is really important.”
Gaskell has significant professional experience in the management of large scale sponsorship programmes, including Manchester’s Commonwealth Games, the World Firefighter Games and Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture Year in 2008.
O’Connor is pleased to have her on board.
“Alex has done a tremendous job for the Vikings in the last three years and he has been an integral part of what we have achieved in that time,” he said.
“Julie has an excellent commercial background in this region and I am confident that she will build on the strong foundations that we have laid since 2007.”
Thanks to victory against Toulouse in France on Saturday, a win over fifth-placed Sheffield at the Stobart Stadium, Halton, tomorrow, Thursday, kick off 7.30pm, would cement a Championship play-offs spot if Batley and Toulouse are defeated at top-six rivals Halifax and Leigh Centurions respectively over the weekend.
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