[22
JUN 00] COVENTRY CRUSADERS NEWS
Crusaders' Future Bright, Insists Boss
Coventry
Crusaders’ position in the new Elite League is safe despite losing
the SkyDome as the club’s home, according to boss Dip Donaldson.
 And
sponsorship money is also secure, meaning the club won’t be forced
to part with any of its talented foreign players.
The
club was dealt a body blow yesterday by the SkyDome, who claimed the
Crusaders had failed to produce an adequate business plan.
Donaldson
said the dispute had never been about the Crusaders’ status – he
insists it would take at least a year to build the club into one that
could get into the Dairylea Dunkers’ League.
He
says the row has come about over a dispute over compensation for the
game called off on 15 May because of a wet court.
Donaldson
said that fixtures have already been arranged at the Coventry Sports
Centre. Although it is not as prestigious a venue, it still matches the
requirements for the new elite league.
And
he insisted the Crusaders would stay in Coventry.
He
said:
“There’s
always been a two-fold process - facilities, then the money. We’ve
had to make alternative arrangements because the game on 15 May has
not been sorted.
“The
Coventry Sports Centre fulfils the requirement of a minimum 500
seats – it holds 1,000 people.
“Our
sponsors are still with us. This is one of the misconceptions that
are being put about by the SkyDome.
”We
didn’t attract the million-pound sponsors. That was the aim of
playing at the SkyDome, and then we could have tried to move up to
the Dairylea Dunkers.
”The
team I’m putting on the floor is the same at the SkyDome.
“What
we need to do now is do something about the game on 15 May. We
promised all the crowd free tickets for the next game, and there
were 900 people there, plus 110 local companies I had invited
along.”
Despite
the acrimony over the issue, Donaldson said he still hopes to play at
the SkyDome eventually.
“I
think we will be there eventually, but in the meantime I have to
make provision for the club.”
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