Holmes: No place like home
Castleford Tigers #11 Oliver Holmes is looking forward to repaying fans’ loyalty after the club became one of those able to open for crowds of up to 1,000 later this month.
This article was written by Dave Craven for The Yorkshire Post on Friday, 18th September 2020.
The Government has granted permission for four Betfred Super League fixtures on Wednesday September 30 to be staged as pilot events as supporters return to grounds for the first time since March.
Castleford host Hull FC (7pm), Huddersfield Giants entertain Hull KR, Leeds Rhinos take on Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors welcome St Helens to the DW Stadium for their first derby meeting of the season, a game that will also be broadcast live by Sky Sports.
Tigers have not played at Wheldon Road since beating St Helens on March 15, all their games since Super League resumed last month after lockdown taken place at other bio-secure venues.
Second-row Holmes admitted: “We’re happy just to get a game at home as we’ve been having to travel left, right and centre over to Lancashire for matches.
“It’ll be great to get on home soil and just get back to some sort of normality.
“But also, mainly it’ll be good to repay the fans as it was something like 89 per cent of them who didn’t ask for their season ticket money back when the season got reduced as it did.
“Hopefully, the pilot scheme is a success and we can get more fans in later but, for now, this alone is a real positive.
“It’s been a while since we’ve run out at Wheldon Road and it’ll be nice to get back on that turf even if there were no fans there.
“But to have 1,000 there will be great - and better to listening to the commentators in the stand!”
The club is holding a ballot for Season Ticket holders to select who will be permitted entry to the ground for the match against Hull FC which closes on Sunday, 20th September at midnight. Applications for the Season Ticket holder only ballot can be made by visiting: castlefordtigers.com/ballot