Bramley at a crossroads
Seven years after helping to revive the famous Bramley name club chair Martyn Cheney admits the West Leeds side are at a crossroads.
Following Bramley’s win over Huddersfield Underbank Rangers in the RLCN Grand Final at Warrington on Sunday, Cheney is eager to find a focus for the future.
Cheney commented: “There’s no doubt we’ve proved ourselves at the fourth tier of the game and our objective is, and always will be, to re-establish Bramley within the professional game in which we spent over 100 years until 1999.
“How we do that is still very much open to speculation but we have to have something to aspire to. There’s a feeling around that we’ve been drifting but that’s through no fault of our own. Within any sport there has to be an incentive to improve and move up through the levels and that has been sadly missing in this great game.
“We’ve seen new clubs enter the top three tiers of the game but none of them have come up through the ranks. Perhaps the Buffaloes are the best placed club to make this shift?
“There’s no doubt we have the history, excellent recent success and an army of volunteers and fans who have all bought into our supporter-owned ethos but there are many more obstacles in our way.
Rumours of the community owned Bramley Buffaloes entering Championship 1 are just that according to Cheney.
“We have noted with interest and no little surprise the rumours of our possible entry into Championship one but they are nothing more than here say. We have heard nothing other than what has appeared in the media and on the message boards.
“When the former Bramley club went out of existence the supporters got together and worked tirelessly for four years to rebuild the Bramley name before we entered National League three in 2003. This followed two failed bids to re-enter what was then the Northern Ford Premiership.
“Our initial bid involved a ground share with Farsley Celtic but this was knocked back due to the facilities. In the intervening years facilities at Throstle Nest have improved due to their own progress up the football pyramid and we have followed their recent fortunes and troubles closely however I can confirm that no discussions are taking place with the Conference North club at this stage and we will continue to play our home games at the excellently appointed Arthur Miller Stadium, home of Stanningley.
“All of the committee, players and supporters of Bramley Buffaloes together with sponsors such as PPD and the Co-operative have been magnificent over the past few years and without their backing we would not be in this position. We’ve built a unique club here created on the foundations of those people that matter most in the game…the supporters and long may that continue.
“Should anything change in the foreseeable future with regard to the RFL’s plans then we will have to respond accordingly.”