By Martin Morgan

Last updated 16:15, Wednesday, 03 December 2008

CHAIRMAN Gordon Grace yesterday pledged not to walk away from Whitehaven until a new board was in place.

Vow: Chairman Gordon Grace will stay at Haven until a new board is in place

Haven officials met members of the former board on Monday night to discuss a potential takeover.

And Grace, who indicated when he took charge in February, that he planned to stay on for 12 months, stressed that he would not leave the club in the lurch.

“I’m not that sort of guy,” he said. “I’ll stick with it until we get a succession. I’m still quite upbeat, but we need fresh impetus to lift the club.”

Former board members, including ex-chairman Des Byrne, received details of the club’s current financial situation this week.

No deal has been struck as yet, and Grace and his board are also willing to listen to any other party who wishes to get involved.

“Anyone interested can drop us a note at the club and we will sit down,” he continued. “We are quite prepared to open it up to a wider audience.”

Swift action was needed to address the club’s financial plight when the new board took over the club early this year.

Grace believes the situation best suited a small board. But he indicated that he would like to see a wider range of skills on a larger board when fresh directors eventually take over.

Operating losses over two years of almost £220,000 – £86,055 in 2006 and £132,374 for last year – took the club to the brink of administration early this year, though Grace confirmed that the situation has eased.

“It’s going to take a few years to recover, but we are recovering slowly,” he said.

Grace and directors Mike Graham and Phil Clarkin are understood to be ready to move aside whenever a suitable party steps forward.

Meanwhile, the squad continues to make progress on the training field, just over three weeks ahead of their opening pre-season game against Workington Town at the Recreation Ground.

Squad numbers have been allocated for the new season. Clubs are allowed to name up to 30 players, but coach Ged Stokes has left five places open on his squad list, giving preference with lower shirt numbers to players who featured last season.

Craig Benson, expected to be given a chance at full-back after long-time custodian Gary Broadbent left the club, has been handed the No 1 jersey.

Skipper Leroy Joe will take the scrum-half’s No 7 top, though he was more often seen at loose-forward last term and is again more likely to fill the traditional No 13 role.

Young reserves Danny Barker and Marc Shackley, who broke through in to the first-team last term, take the 14 and 23 jerseys respectively. Former Wigan ace Johnny Walker is the only new recruit to take one of the leading tops, at 17.

But in the surest sign that squad numbers mean little to Stokes at this stage, Dan Russell, who looks likely to enjoy a key playmaker role next year, takes the No 25 shirt.

Fans can meet the club’s new Aussie signing when he joins a star-studded line-up at W.H.Smith on Saturday.

He will team up with Super League-bound starlet Gregg McNally and Haven’s record try-scorer David Seeds at the King Street store for a signing session of the new Rugby League Journal Annual. All are welcome from noon to 1pm, when the trio will autograph copies of the new Annual, produced in West Cumbria.

Haven are offering 10 sets of family tickets, for two adults and two children, for the February 1 visit of mighty Bradford Bulls.

To be in with a chance of winning a ticket, answer the following question and send the it to the club on a postcard before January 22: Who will be Haven skipper next season?

Haven squad numbers: 1 Craig Benson, 2 Craig Calvert, 3 Rob Jackson, 4 Derry Eilbeck, 5 Ade Adebisi, 6 Carl Rudd, 7 Leroy Joe, 8 Marc Jackson, 9 Graeme Mattinson, 10 Karl Edmondson, 11 Howard Hill, 12 Spencer Miller, 13 Scott McAvoy, 14 Danny Barker, 15, Ryan McDonald, 16, Andy Gorski, 17 John Walker, 18 John Patrick, 19 Kyle Amor, 20 Marc Bainbridge, 21 Taani Lavulavu, 22 Matt Tunstall, 23 Marc Shackley, 24 Gregg McNally, 25 Dan Russell.

200 Club winners: £500 - D Glover; £100 - M Rothery; £50 each - A Boadle, D Wilson, D Mossop, T Roberts, C Walls, P Barwise, A Graham, RB Wilson.Second Edition: £500 - J Ross; £100 - H Haywood; £50 each - HD Cooper, T Kelly, Robson/Litt, D Graham, D King, A Madine, W Curwen, J Swailes.Last week’s Pride of Five £100 winners were: James McGuire, The Larches, Egremont, with ticket number 877; Mr & Mrs Cherry, Penrith, 766; Anne Frears, Sandringham Avenue, Whitehaven, 2,636; Tom Berwick, Cumberland Road, Hensingham, 175; Jackie Hutchinson, Lakeland Avenue, Whitehaven, 828.