Manchester Knights rose from the ashes of Tameside Borough who folded in 1997 after 15 years in the Pennine League.

The switch to the new Summer Conference was seen as the chance to save the game in East Manchester and it is a case of so far so good - with a couple of blips along the way.

First, while it is testimony to the people who have worked so hard on the transition that the Knights are in the new National League Three after a successful run in the Conference there is still much work to do to secure the future of the club, and therefore the game, in the area.

Priority is a ground we can call home - not necessarily our own (that's far too ambitious at the moment) - one that is enclosed enabling us to take gates at home matches and is a good site for further development.

Presently matches are played at the home of Dukinfield Rugby Union Club and they are more than helpful. But if we are to progress that has to be a short-term arrangement just as our seasons at Aldwinians and Oldham RU were in the past. Ideally, we would like to link up with a leading amateur or lower-grade semi-professional soccer club in the area for a ground share that would benefit both clubs on tight budgets.

To achieve that we have to take something to the negotiating table - and that usually means cash.

our various match day sponsors have been stalwarts but we need to do more to help ourselves. Our marketing lady Sharon Howson, Terry and Noreen Pennington and the Howson family can only do so much to keep the club ticking over.

With this in mind we are planning major fund-raisers over the next 12 months so keep an eye out for details if you play golf, like sportsman's dinners or enjoy a night at the races.

Running a club for just 14 or 16 weeks a year is an impossible task and not a very bright idea to start with. At the Knights we are planning for the long-term which includes taking sports into the schools and areas where it is, at best, only curiosity value at the moment. (We have done it before).

If it has to be done in Tameside rather than East Manchester then so be it - Manchester United play in Trafford and seem to manage quite well outside the city.

One of the country's leading cities should and will have its name in main stream rugby league so watch this space for more gossip on what's happening at the Knights and how you can help.

PETER WILSON