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Negotiations behind the scenes ongoing in attempt to save Jersey Reds

There is still hope for the Jersey Reds, ITV News understands, with sources confirming that work is ongoing behind the scenes to potentially save the club. 

Players and staff are also due to receive wages for September, after a sponsor stepped in. 

Hawk Group contributed the six figure payment, with the funds going directly to the nearly 70 members of staff employed by the club. 

Hawk Group Chariman, Robert Morton, told ITV News "We saw the news about the collapse of the club, the fact that the players are putting everything they have up for sale and actually the news story brought my dad to tears".

"We had a chat about it and thought that the least we could was step in and pay everybody's salaries for the month, for the work they actually did".

It comes as a dispute continues between the club and the government, with the sports minister denying they pulled out of a funding deal. 

The government contributed £575,000 between 2019 and 2022. And then also gave a total of £370,000 in the last three months. 

At a meeting of the Council of Ministers on the 19th September, the government decided that it would not give more funding to the club. 

That decision was only communicated to the club 8 days later, on Wednesday 27th September. That was the day the club went bust.

Defending the timescale today to ITV News, Deputy Lucy Stephenson said: "I think the writing was on the wall for many many months that actually this government was not going to support hundreds of thousands of pounds being put into Jersey reds on a long term basis.”

To try and enable the club's survival, Deputy Lyndon Farnham has lodged a proposition for Jersey's States to provide funding for the Reds.

Deputy Farnham said: "I understand from Jersey Reds and the RFU that, if a sustainable funding solution can be put in place by the end of this week, the position can be salvaged, Jersey Reds can be saved and will be able to participate in the forthcoming 2023/2024 season."

"To that end, I will be seeking the leave of the Assembly to reduce the lodging period to enable the Proposition to be debated at this week's sitting." he added.

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