'Gate absolutely vital': Halifax Panthers supremo Lee Kenny outlines financial situation ahead of Bradford Bulls clash

Halifax Panthers have not quite been hit by Mike Tyson but they are reeling from a series of unexpected blows that left them on the brink of a winding-up petition from the HMRC.

Interim chairman Lee Kenny has helped to keep the wolves from the door amid a "perfect storm".

"Commercial revenue didn't come in as planned, we've had lower gates and had to move a game to Wakefield because of the pitch – it was a whole combo of things," said Kenny, who oversaw the rebrand in 2020 before rejoining the club this year.

"I liken it to when a teenager first leaves home and they've got their budget lines and know exactly how much everything is going to cost and how much is coming in. Everything is fine for a while and then suddenly they get two flat tyres and a broken boiler and they're in an emergency.

"The club, unfortunately, in these tight times just didn't have a contingency to cope with that. It's that melting pot of things coming together."

The Fax fans did their bit to settle the tax bill in a show of community spirit and are being asked to turn out in force for Sunday's final home game of the year against local rivals Bradford Bulls, a club that went to the brink themselves.

In a statement released earlier this month, the Panthers estimated that between £120,000 and £150,000 would be required between now and the end of 2024.

After paying overdue wages to players and staff last week, Halifax have turned their attention to ensuring there is no repeat next month.

"I don't foresee a problem but it'll be very tight," said Kenny. "We're planning as usual for the first of the month.

"It's our intention to steady the ship but it's a very tough time. The club faces a deficit for the rest of the year of £30,000 some months and others are £50,000 short of the projections.

"We only really have three sources of revenue: sponsorship, ticket sales and merchandise. The gate is absolutely vital so we're praying for a nice sunny day that gets thousands of people popping across from Odsal, as well as our own fans.

"Every single person through that gate is positively contributing to the sustainability and survivability of the club going forward.

"I'm not surprised that the fans have rallied around. The Halifax fans are incredible. We don't take it for granted."

Halifax are not alone in their financial struggles at a worrying time for rugby league.

Fellow Championship club Whitehaven have warned they are in danger of folding, while even 10-time Super League champions St Helens are reeling from losses in excess of £1.3million amid ever-dwindling central distributions.

Asked whether the Rugby Football League were doing enough to support clubs, Kenny said: "Emotional and access but there's obviously a limited amount they can do financially.

"So whilst there's definitely a lot of goodwill and spirit there, they can't and probably shouldn't be expected to be a banker.

"There are Super League clubs losing a million, a million and a half a year and it seems to be trickling down through the game.

"It's very transparent and you know what you're going to get at the start of the year. This year, we've not performed as well so our distribution will be worse next year.

"We've got to make sure we budget accordingly."

Halifax are naturally open to investment but the process of slashing the playing budget has already begun.

As part of the long-term stability plans, the Panthers will develop partnerships with local businesses, grow their supporter base and create new revenue streams through enhanced sponsorship opportunities and fan engagement.

Fax are braced for a harsh winter but clubs such as this weekend's visitors Bradford offer hope for the future.

"We've got to take tougher decisions and be less optimistic in projections and more pessimistic in terms of costs over the next year to hopefully get back on track," added Kenny.

"There is a plan but this has been built up over 10-20 years. It's changing a mindset and that will not be changed within a month. It's going to probably take three, four, five months to get stable.

"It's going to be an incredibly tough end to this year. It won't be easy but I am confident we'll get there.

"A lot of clubs have been in exactly the same position or worse than us and thankfully they're still here. Nobody wants anybody to fail and everyone is rooting for each other because we want a strong game and community."