Cheshire Jets For Sale: What Next?
A week ago, Pete Hawkins put Cheshire Jets up for sale, and now with only five weeks to go until the start of the BBL season, the hunt is still on to find someone to step into the breach, a local newspaper campaign has started up and an emergency meeting of fans, and any potential sponsors or owners that want to attend, has been called.
The fear is that a team may not take to the court at all, but speaking exclusively to Alec Doyle of the Chester Chronicle, Hawkins knows it is a possibility, but just that: “The prospect of not having a team next year has to be considered at this point. I’d like to think that it’s less likely but it is a prospect yes.”
Discussions were ongoing with a potential buyer, but after those talks broke down and with the impending season almost upon us, Hawkins made it public that the Jets were in need of being saved.
Although Hawkins knows it is very late in the day for somebody to step in, he has confidence that Cheshire Jets can still make it on court for the start of the season.
“There’s a number of time-critical considerations for us, not least of which is signing players, commitments to the BBL and a number of other things but for the right person with the right motivation I’m still confident it’s doable.
“The only priority is that the club survives and succeeds so I’m totally open-minded as to what that is and I have to have confidence that there are people out there that have the will and the ability to make it happen,” Hawkins went on to say.
If one major sponsor was to come up with the right sum needed to get guys out on court, then so be it, but Hawkins knows his efforts to run the club will still be off the pace given his work commitments outside of the Cheshire Jets. Knowing that, for him it is vital the right person comes in to give it their all, something he has been looking to do since making the decision earlier this year.
“It’s the preferred option but if someone came forward who wanted to consider solely a sponsorship proposal then given that we’re six weeks out from the start of the season then, along with the team that run the Jets we’d consider it. The only priority is the survival and success of the club.”
What is coming out of this is that someone is very much needed to steer the ship in Chester according to Hawkins: “Any organisation, irrespective of the support, needs a person to be the figurehead and leadership of it. Without that you can have the best team of supporters and volunteers that you want – and I think we’ve got that, I’d like to stress that – but you have to have someone who is able to be the figurehead of the organisation and I guess that’s what we’re looking for in this instance.”
So with that said – the Chester Chronicle are now running their “Save The Jets” campaign. We, at UK American Sports Fans are wholly in support of it, and urge everyone to get on Twitter with the hashtag #SaveTheJets – retweet it, pop it on your Facebook status, go mental with it – why not write it on your boss’ head in work somehow, video him and then upload it to YouTube so the world can see!
After the meeting, and whatever comes of it, we here at UK American Sports Fans will be launching our own campaign. Not sure what yet, there’s a big board meeting thing we will have, and make big decisions to change the world with…maybe not that big but to help both the Cheshire Jets and beyond hopefully with how people can get committed to basketball in this country.
The meeting itself will be at The Old Custom House Inn, Watergate Street, Chester, on Monday 20th August at 6:30pm (meeting to start AT 7). Any fans or potential backers are welcome. Good ale – so get a drink in before it all starts properly.
If you’re unsure where it is…
Plus – if you are reading this, want to buy the club or sponsor then you need to stop looking at this screen and get a move on! We want our basketball fix so hurry hurry hurry!
