The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Lions will roar again
Rugby Union - Borough snap a four-game losing streak
Peterborough Lions chairman Andy Moore insists his beloved club will emerge stronger from their current nightmare of a 75th anniversary season.
Lions were crushed 98-7 in their latest Midlands Premier Division game at Paviors on Saturday to make it six defeats in a row following their relegation from the National League last season.
They conceded their other scheduled fixture at Newport after failing to raise a side to suffer a five-point deduction and slump to the bottom of the table, behind the equally troubled South Leicester side who lost by a barely believable 2400 at leaders Bromsgrove last weekend.
Lions travel to Leicester this Saturday in what is likely to be a battle to avoid a wooden spoon.
But Moore was defiant when speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph this week.
“This is the Lions 75th anniversary and we intend to be around for the next 75 years,” Moore stated.
“We are still the premier club in the area and our current experiences are guaranteed to make us stronger and enable us to cope with the future problems that all grassroots clubs are currently facing.
“Our club is suffering from a major shortage of players. Last year playing in National Division Two, it became apparent nearly all of the clubs we were playing relied on a handful of Premiership Academy players.
“If these players were not available to any club on a Saturday, that club lost.
“TheChampionshipteams, to be able to compete, have all extended their squads, taking players from the top two National divisions.
“All these things have a knock-on effect and the three Midland teams that were relegated from National 2 last year, including us, lost all of their players back to the National Leagues.
“One club has had to drop out the leagues altogether and the other is stuck with us at the bottom of the league and last week lost 240-0.
“As a National League side last season we had to be PAYE registered and provide a pension scheme!
“To add to this all the clubs in the surrounding lower leagues, with the exception of Oundle, are also suffering through a lack of players.
“Due to the current state of rugby generally there aren’t any players, that are not already with us, capable of playing at our standard.
“The Midland Premier Division is still the highest standard available to local clubs.
“And the Lions have a thriving mini and junior section from under fives to under 16s.
“We also have a large membership and are currently improving the ground by building a 400-seater covered stand which also includes seven executive boxes for sponsors and for corporate entertainment.”
Lions battled to the end at Nottingham-based Paviors, but all they had to show for it at the final whistle was a Roy Lolesio try which was converted by Oakley Mellish.
Lions have now shipped 339 points in six matches and have replied with just 52 points for a negative points difference of 287 points.