London Skolars set up JustGiving page, needing £10k to save club following withdrawal from League 1
London Skolars in action against Doncaster in 2019 - Alamy
London Skolars founder Ian ‘Hector’ McNeil has set up a JustGiving page following their withdrawal from League 1, with the club needing £10,000 to stay in business.
McNeil – who started the capital outfit in 1995 – stepped away in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic having spent numerous years as their CEO.
Skip forward three years, and the Skolars lost every one of their 18 games in League 1 this term, announcing that they would not be taking part in the third tier come 2024 back in September with financial issues arising. The extent of those financial woes is now plain for all to see with the launch of the fundraising page earlier this week.
Giving a detailed history of the club and the problems being faced currently, McNeil ended his plea for donations on the page with: “Please remember your fond memories of the Skolars, how it impacted you, and in some cases helped you in your lives and careers.
“Whatever you can spare, no matter of the amount, will help the next generation benefit, and help the club survive and prosper.
“Myself and two others will manage the money raised and work with the club to make sure it’s well used. We will report back on how it is at a later date. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.”
London Skolars need £10k to save club, JustGiving page set up
The Skolars were closely followed by newly-relegated Newcastle Thunder in withdrawing from League 1, though the North East outfit have announced their intentions to play on now following a positive grading from IMG.
Having announced their withdrawal long ago, the Skolars weren’t awarded any grading, but given their now-Super League neighbours London Broncos weren’t given a high ranking whatsoever, it’s fair to assume they won’t have been either.
At the time of writing, just over 48 hours from the JustGiving page’s launch, around £1800 has been raised with 44 different people giving their cash to support the cause.
If you wish to donate, you can do so HERE.