Championship club fails to get IMG score after missing deadline for data submission

Whitehaven have revealed that they will be shown as ‘Grading Incomplete’ on Wednesday’s IMG gradings reveal: after missing the data submission deadline for the process.

The Cumbrian club have endured a torrid 2024 on and off the field. On it, they were relegated back to League 1 after finishing 13th in the Championship.

But off it, they faced a threat to their very existence after a well-documented financial crisis that led to clubs around the game rallying together and showing their support for Haven.

The gradings, in effect, matter little to the club at this time – as they will be able to secure a return to the Championship in 2025 through on-field matters alone, given how conventional promotion and relegation remains between the second and third tiers.

But they will be shown as having no gradings score on Wednesday when IMG and RL Commercial publish the full list of rankings for all 35 professional clubs.

That is due to the fact that the club missed the initial deadline for submitting data – however, they will be given a revised, later score in the weeks ahead.

But on Wednesday, Haven will not have a score.

They said in a statement: “Ahead of tomorrow’s IMG grading announcement the club can announce that our grading will come back as ‘Grading Incomplete.’ This has come on the back of information from the club being submitted a couple of days later than the initial deadline.

“The club however would like to thank the RFL for their work alongside us in this matter and confirm we will be granted a score in the coming weeks which will go alongside the other scores throughout the game.

“Once the club have been made aware of the score we will update all with an interest at the club at the earliest opportunity.”

Haven are in the process of rebuilding for 2025 in League 1, and recently confirmed former North Wales coach Anthony Murray would take charge of the squad for next year.

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