I wanted to take this opportunity to address supporters as we look forward to a exciting 2025 season getting underway with players returning for pre-season training in the coming weeks.
I’d firstly like to start by thanking everyone; players, staff, supporters and commercial partners for your fantastic support and warm welcome since my arrival at the club in June, we embarked on a learning curve, and have taken the last few weeks to conduct an assessment of all areas of the club in order to pinpoint our plan for moving forward, and the areas where we can improve both on and off the field.
2024
Whilst we realise that falling short of the play-off places was a disappointment for everyone involved, the bigger picture when I arrived at the club was to stabilise and get us to the end of the season – something which we succeeded in doing.
It was never going to be easy coming into the organisation mid-way through a season, but what it has done is allow us to identify challenges faced and the key areas which we need to improve on to take into 2025.
2025
Our planning for the 2025 season began back in July, and working alongside both the coaching and off-field staff, we have recruited a strong squad of which more details shall be revealed over the coming weeks.
Many of you shall have seen the recent IMG grading rankings, and whilst I have my own opinions with regards to some of the criteria, what it does do is provide us with a platform to focus on areas which we can improve.
As a club, we need to be working towards our long-term goal of sustainability, and for that to happen we need as many people through the gates and engaging with the club as possible for the 2025 season.
Whether that be through a season ticket purchase, encouraging a friend to come and watch a game, or simply sharing our social media content and being an ambassador for the club, we can all play a huge part in taking Crusaders back to a sustainable and successful organisation which we are all proud to be a part of.
A big focus in 2025 shall also be on areas in which can can generate revenue alongside game days, and that shall come in the form of events which we’ll be encouraging both fans and people who haven’t engaged with the club before to support.
Again, your support in sharing and attending these shall play a vital part in moving us a step closer to that sustainable goal and long-term success.
Developments
As mentioned above, a key focus of the last two weeks has been a full review of the club.
From this we have identified several deliverable areas for improvement in addition to a focus on our future marketing campaigns and communication.
As our planning for 2025 continues, several exciting avenues which shall help the club progress are now being finalised with news of these to be revealed in the coming days and weeks.
We are committed to delivering a strong and competitive Crusaders both on and off the field, and we look forward to taking you on this exciting journey with us.
Regards,
Jamie Elkaleh,
Chairman,
North Wales Crusaders Rugby League Club
