Wharfedale Sport
Otley turn to Lawrence as interim leader
9:19am Thursday 16th February 2012
Long-serving Marc Lawrence is the man Otley Rugby Club have asked to lead them forward.
The management committee has announced that the experienced official will “guide them in the interim period” following the recent resignations of two top officials.
Chairman Paul Carter announced that he was standing down at the end of last month and rugby chairman Gary Walker followed suit.
Their departures left the the Cross Green outfit with a big void in their management team at a time when the club is struggling both on and off the field.
In turning to Lawrence they have chosen a man who has considerable management experience having first joined the committee 24 years ago.
In recent seasons he has combined the roles of secretary and team manager.
Now he has assumed the additional role of chairman and is fully aware of the challenges facing both him and the club.
Otley are currently third from bottom in National League Two North – a division from which three teams will be relegated at the end of the season.
Lawrence said: “There is no doubt that the top priority is ensure that the team stays in National League Two North.
“We must concentrate our efforts on avoiding relegation. The end of the season is fast approaching, but our destiny does lie in our own hands as we have home games to come against fellow strugglers Harrogate and Nuneaton.”
Otley have also re-arranged their game at second-bottom Bromsgrove – postponed last Saturday – for next Saturday, February 25. That will be another crucial encounter for player-coach Tom Rock and his squad who are at home to Westoe on Saturday.
Lawrence has also highlighted the importance of the club’s links with the Leeds Carnegie Academy.
He added: “That relationship is, without a doubt, invaluable to us and the players they loan to us will play a big part in our battle to stay up.”
Otley’s disappointing results have meant they haven’t been able to attract the sort of attendances they would like for their home games.
Lawrence said: “The competition for the leisure pound from the casual spectator is fierce.
“There’s professional and non-league football plus rugby league to contend with not only for spectators, but for sponsors too. It is a particularly tough market place for clubs like ours “In these difficulteconomic times it isn’t easy to draw in spectators or sponsors, yet both are vital to the financial well-being of the club.”