I ATTENDED another RFL meeting last week and the two key things on the agenda were the distribution of the £16m granted as loan to the league from the Government and the prospect of returning to play.

For the loan it was made abundantly clear that our sport was very privileged and it was testimony to all the great community work that clubs do that the loan was awarded.

When you consider that there are many charities under the same sort of pressures, it says something for the work clubs do, that we received the help.

It was also made clear that there would no further advance.

So we needed to be very careful and not wasteful.

There would be monies available for clubs that were under severe short-term cash-flow pressure.

But there may be reserves kept for those clubs who may encounter problems further down the line.

We were asked to make a submission to the RFL based on some negative assumptions that our business would face cash shortfalls in all areas of our club.

We worked on the fact that our income projections would be 30 per cent short even with the season re-starting.

Thankfully we weren’t able to make a case for requiring a loan at this stage.

On the prospect of returning to play, two working parties are being put together.

One is looking at the costs and logistics of playing behind closed doors.

The other is looking at opportunities to create income from this.

I have volunteered myself for both working parties so our views will be represented.

Barrow Raiders are desperately keen to restart the season.

I have said before that we all feel we have the squad for promotion.

But we also want to repay the public that have so strongly supported us whilst we have been unable to play.

Last week we managed to start the deliveries of our key worker training tops.

I have to give special thanks to Jack Fawcett for leading and delivering this project.

The tops have proven so popular that we were inundated with messages off the people of Barrow wanting us to order a second batch.

So I am pleased to say we have obliged and they are currently available at www.barrowrlfc.com

With the lockdown restrictions being slightly eased, we sent a working party to the Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium last week as we now feel it is the perfect opportunity to make some improvements to the facilities.

We are very conscious that when we return there will be a focus on cleanliness and we have put an action plan together to make sure we have no problems.

We also received a risk assessment from the RFL that, when endorsed, may allow the return of the players to firstly train together and then play.

We need to appoint a COVID officer who will be responsible for reducing the risks.

Obviously the risk will never be zero.

But for fit young men below 40 the risk to life is miniscule.

The main aim for the protocols will be to ensure that they don't take an infection home to anyone who is vulnerable.