Last updated 12:04, Friday, 07 March 2008

EX-WORKINGTON Town director Wilf Harrison is threatening to take personal legal action against the Rugby Football League to recoup the £14,000 he says it cost to settle out of court with sacked former coach Ged Stokes.

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Stokes was axed in April last year after an alleged row with a visiting supporter during Town’s Northern Rail clash with Barrow two months earlier.

An RFL inquiry in to the incident had cleared the Kiwi of any wrong-doing.

But following a subsequent Town disciplinary hearing he was fired for gross misconduct. The club later upheld the decision following an appeal.

Harrison said: “I’m doing this due to the shambolic way the Rugby League damaged our case by saying Ged had no case to answer, without taking proper evidence.

“They seriously damaged our case and we had to pay him £14,000. I want to reclaim that 14 grand.”

Harrison stepped down from the Town board recently after a decade at Derwent Park.

Town have a surprise home game tomorrow after their Challenge Cup third round game with Wigan St Patrick’s was switched to Derwent Park (2.30pm ko).

St Pat’s own ground doesn’t meet the necessary requirements for a third round fixture and the side couldn’t find an alternative venue in Wigan.

Ticket prices for the game at Derwent Park have been slashed. Entry to all areas of will cost a tenner, down from £13 in the grandstand and £11 standing. Concessions fall from £7 to a fiver, and kids prices remain at £3.

Last weekend, injury hit Town were hammered 88-6 by NL1 outfit Halifax. Afterwards Town coach Dave Rotheram admitted that is was a “difficult afternoon.”

He said: “We’ve come here with a patched up team, when to compete with Halifax we probably need all our best players in the team playing at the top of their game.

“The result says it was a big mismatch, but all credit to Halifax. What a great side they are.

“The two Lunt boys [Shaun and Rob] were absolutely fantastic for us, they just never gave up. And Mark McCully, Iain Marsh, Franco Kmet didn't either.

“I had to get a lad - Andrew Todd - down from Scotland and sign him on trialist forms on Friday afternoon. That is what we are having to deal with.”

This week Rotheram beat the Challenge Cup deadline by just two hours to sign former Super League kid Jay Duffy.

Rotheram dragged the scrum-half, younger brother of ex-Haven ace John, off a school roof in Cheshire, where he was working, to sign for Town for the rest of the season.

And he is now available to face his former amateur club Wigan St Pat’s tomorrow.

Duffy, a roofer, had discussed a move to Cumbria with his big brother, who scored two tries for Widnes on his debut at the weekend, and ex-Batley team-mate Iain Marsh, now at Town, before putting pen to paper.

Rotheram said: “Jay’s an experienced player, even though he doesn’t turn 21 until next month.

“He played Super League with Leigh in 2005 at 18, and in 2006 was at Batley, who he guided to the play-offs.

“Everyone thought they would finish last that season, but he made a massive impact. Last year he lost his way a little and ended up on loan at Swinton, where he did a job at the back end of the season.

“He then dropped out of the game for a little while, but when this season started he realised he wanted to get back in to it.”

Town Flyer - Monday, Kerry Heskett, Workington, D7697; Tuesday, D Hodgson, Cockermouth, A2271; Wednesday, Evelyn Carr, Wigton, C2225; yesterday, Mark Watson, Stainburn, A0793; today, Dorothy Usher, Westfield, B5007.

February draw £200 travel voucher winner, Ted Hughes, High Harrington.