Widnes Vikings Director Expects Sustainable Future

Widnes Vikings director Matt Beech is expecting a sustainable future for the Cheshire club off the field.

Widnes, one of the game’s greats in the 80s, are a team on the up. Attendances have increased and there is a strong belief among fans they will secure a top-eight finish in 2014.

“I feel quite passionately that business, whether large or small, should invest and share success with the local community. I first spoke to the club about a hospitality box for my company to use to watch the games, those conversations quickly moved to discussions around sponsoring the club and helping to support its development,” he explained.

“We actually share a lot of common ground, common values about investing in youth, identifying and developing talent and working with sports in the community to tackle some of the issues that Halton suffers. As well as investing in the Vikings, Maltacourt also financially supports Runcorn Cricket Club, both are doing great work with the youth of both Runcorn and Widnes and that’s something that fits with the values of my business.

“I became an investor in the club personally as I can see that it delivers great value for the community, the club has a bright future and I believe that our development since making the leap into Super League demonstrates that.

At the moment there is a negativity surrounding the sustainability of teams in Rugby League. Wakefield are currently considering selling players to help service debts while Bradford have allayed fears regarding a winding-up order over an unpaid tax bill. Beech is happy with his business model.

“Ultimately, I’m a business person and it was important for me that I was investing in a business that would be sustainable and not reliant on the generosity of an owner, I think the Vikings are one of only a few clubs in the Super League that can achieve sustainability in their present form.”