16/06/2003
Routledge: "Coaching decision still to be made"

Riders Chairman Kevin Routledge has revealed that talks with out-of-contract Head Coach Billy Mims are still on going.

Routledge said the initial talks with Mims, whose three-year contract with the club expired at the end of last month, had gone well, but reiterated his determination that the club would learn from the mistakes of last season.

"I met with Billy recently and we discussed what we believed the future should be for the club," said Routledge, who last week became a grandfather. "At the end of the meeting I gave him some things to go away and have a think about and he gave me a couple of things to consider.

"We should meet up again next week and hopefully things will progress from there. The most important thing to me, though, is that we do not repeat the mistakes we made last season.

"The results on the court were unacceptable but I think we also made mistakes off the court which could well have been a contributory factor. The position of coach is such a vital one that we must make sure we get it right. I realise the fans don't like the uncertainty and I want things to be in place as soon as possible too, but we must get this decision right so if it takes a bit longer, then it takes a bit longer."