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Delay of tribunal so timely for Panthers
THE decision to postpone Blackpool Panthers RL's tribunal hearing into alleged breach of the salary cap until next week has been warmly welcomed by coach Martin Crompton, writes ANDY MOORE.
The Rugby Football League hearing in Leeds into "contractual irregularities" at the Fylde-based club was scheduled for last night but has been rearranged for 4pm a week tomorrow, allowing the Co-operative Championship One club more time to prepare their case.
It also means that the tribunal, which could result in a points deduction for the promotion-chasing Panthers, will not be held until after Sunday's top-of-the table home game with Oldham Roughyeds.
The Panthers are billing the match as their biggest of the season – victory could pull them level with second-placed Oldham and both clubs still have a game in hand on leaders Hunslet.
Crompton said: "The postponement of the hearing is great news but we will still have to face the music eventually. The delay does not make the problem go away.
"But as a matter of timing, it obviously helps us to give the Oldham game our full focus."
Although the Panthers' defence of their Northern Rail 9s title at Fylde on Saturday was hardly a success – they lost all three pool games – coach Martin Crompton was delighted to have come through the event without injuries.
The RFL was pleased with the revamped competition – held over two days last year but condensed into a single day second time round and won by Halifax.
While precise information of attendance figures will be difficult to verify, as people came and went in the course of the day, the RFL are satisfield that more spectators attended than in 2009, when only 700 of the 3,000 tickets were sold.
An RFL spokesman told The Gazette: "We are pleased with the way the day panned out and the feedback so far has been positive.
"A lot more people paid on the day than last year and we will consider repeating it again in 2011."
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Weather for Blackpool
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy sleet
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: West
