‘Essential part of the community’: Administration-hit Featherstone Rovers given new licence after plea from fans and mayor

More than 50 fans of the club, including the Mayor of Wakefield, urged Wakefield Council to issue a new permit for the Millennium Stadium, on Post Office Road.

The club went into administration in December last year and will not compete in the second-tier Championship in 2026 after the Rugby Football League denied them membership due to its financial troubles.

A council committee agreed to grant the new licence after hearing reassurances from the premises’ new operators and Maureen Tennant-King, the district’s current mayor.

Rovers 2026 Ltd was given permission to stage live music, indoors and outdoors, from noon to 11pm daily and to serve alcohol from 10am to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 11pm on Sundays.

The hearing took place after the council received one objection from a resident who raised noise concerns over live music being played on match days.

Coun Tennant-King, who represents Featherstone ward, told the meeting: “I live three streets away from the stadium and on most days when there has been music I can’t hear it.

“It just depends which way the wind is blowing as to whether you can hear it.

“We have had live music and it is part of the match day experience.

“It’s a chance for families to come together with friends and have a good time.”

Coun Tennant-King described the club as an “essential part of the community.”

She added: “Loads and loads of people use it. It’s for weddings, Christenings and funeral wakes.

“Lots of businesses use it for their training.

“That revenue helps keep the place ticking over.

“That’s what we have got to do in these times of uncertainty because we don’t know if we are going to be back for 2027.

“Hopefully, fingers crossed, we will.

“In the meantime we have got to keep some money coming through the door and for the staff to be able to get paid for the work they do.”

Applicant David Farrar, who attended the hearing with club supporters, told councillors that a new licence would prevent the club from “going to rack and ruin.”

Mr Farrar said the application had been made due a “breakdown in communications” after the club went into administration three months ago.

He explained: “The administrator had 28 days to transfer ownership of the premises licence over to another company which didn’t happen.

“So we have applied for a premises licence which more or less mirrors the previous licence that was in place.”

Mr Farrar said seven functions had been held at the club since the start of the year under temporary event notices agreed with West Yorkshire Police so wedding bookings “could be honoured.”

He said: “The main aim of Rovers 2026 is to keep the stadium open so it doesn’t fall to rack and ruin, and it doesn’t suffer criminal damage like it has been doing.

“We have had people breaking into the stadium and causing criminal damage, which we don’t want.

“It’s a community venue. A lot of local people do come and have their weddings and functions at the premises.”

Mr Farrar said he had been a designated premises supervisor at the club for 13 years and there had been “no previous issues whatsoever.”

He added: “We have absolutely no plans to have outdoor music at this time.

“There has been no live outdoor music since 2012.”

The licensing sub-committee said it was “fully satisfied” that it was appropriate to grant the licence.