Jon Trickett has secured a ministerial commitment to pursue discussions about support for Featherstone Rovers after the rugby league club entered administration.
The Normanton and Hemsworth MP used a Westminster Hall debate to argue that clubs such as Featherstone are community institutions whose value extends beyond match days.
Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock told MPs that Wakefield Council had proposed £500,000 of emergency support, to be matched by the Rugby Football League's resilience fund.
She said the governing body was expected to have control of the ground or a long lease from its owner as part of the proposed arrangement. The precise rescue structure therefore remains under negotiation.
Peacock agreed to raise with housing ministers whether local Pride in Place funding could support institutions of this kind and to discuss any further bid from the Rugby Football League.
The debate did not itself release new central-government money or remove the club from administration. It established ministerial backing for active council and governing-body talks around a potential matched package.
