103 replies to this topic

[GLENNGARY]

Yes Keith I agree we should have our own ground in m27,but this needs financing to a considerable amount of money and if this money isn't forthcoming this leaves us with only two options either groundshare which allows us to have a future or shut up shop and live on past memories. I'm certainly no Salford lover and hate to beclassed in the same breath as a Salfordian but I won't be watching Salford but i'll still be able to watch my beloved LIONS and not just remember them if the club was to fold due to a lack of a ground. I sincerly hope that Agecroft is going ahead as planned but if not i am not going to walk away from a club i love just because one of the alternatives to Swintons survival also happens to have Salford playing there

[duffymoon]

Well I for one hope this information which remains rumour at this point is true. A move to the Willows will be okay I think. And as for it affecting crowds,well they cant get worse because theres only the diehards who go whatever left.

Okay but its only short term! what happens when The Willows is demollished for key sector housing???? Its Agecroft or bust for Swinton Lions in my opinion.

[mark richardson]

Yeah I agree Duffy but as has been said maybe the key worker housing wont go ahead given the fact the tories are stopping EVERYTHING.

[GLENNGARY]

Yeah I agree Duffy but as has been said maybe the key worker housing wont go ahead given the fact the tories are stopping EVERYTHING.

[GLENNGARY]

I was,nt referring to the Willows Duffymoon,I was referring to the possible permanent move to Barton if all else fasiled. Barton was part of the borough of Eccles which was shafted by Salford council just like Swinton and Pendlebury so I don't look on it as Salford just as I don't look on Swinton as part of Salford. The ground would be approx. 4 miles from the Swinton town centre, would be brand new and have all the first class facilities that a new ground would give you.IF we can't get Agecroft then I think it,s the best allternative we have got

[duffymoon]

I was,nt referring to the Willows Duffymoon,I was referring to the possible permanent move to Barton if all else fasiled. Barton was part of the borough of Eccles which was shafted by Salford council just like Swinton and Pendlebury so I don't look on it as Salford just as I don't look on Swinton as part of Salford. The ground would be approx. 4 miles from the Swinton town centre, would be brand new and have all the first class facilities that a new ground would give you.IF we can't get Agecroft then I think it,s the best allternative we have got

lots of interesting opinion on our alleged move to the Willows on the Salford fans forum on www.rlfans,com once again we are the butt of numerous sniping.

Edited by duffymoon, 15 August 2010 - 10:31 PM.

[PhillH]

Given the lack of any tangible evidence of any meaningful progress at Agecroft (despite sporadic unsubstantiated rumours to the contrary), the worry has to be that the club is heading towards a situation where the council will essentially say its Barton or nowt (i.e. any alternative continued existance would need to be outside the boundaries of the unitary authority).

In my opinion Barton is not only an unviable and unsatisfactory solution for the Lions, but not best use of council tax payers money. The site was originally chosen due to the scope for cross-subsidising development alongside the stadium, thereby underpinning an essentially private ownership model (notwithstanding part contributions from grants).

Provided a private ownership model is used, these things are a matter of commercial and strategic choice for whichever private entity wishes to pursue the project. And the formal line at the moment is that the monies from the council are being launched into as a loan. But, once the funding model is changed to be reliant on the tax payer, the entire basis of the project strategy ought to have been thoroughly challenged and reviewed. For instance, Barton is not a location that is easily accessible for those residents of the City that ought to be targetted for greater involvement in physical activity and education. And rightfully part of the agenda ought to be finding the Lions a viable new home in such a location as to enable fringe benefits to be brought to the M27 area and future genereations of residents therein.

Sadly, neither the governors of Swinton Lions nor the Labour briefed Councillors for Swinton and Pendlebury seem capable of exerting any positive influence on these matters, for a variety of reasons ranging from self-interest to incompetence.

[mark richardson]

Phil ive read paragraph 3 several times and have no idea what it means.

[PhillH]

Phil ive read paragraph 3 several times and have no idea what it means.

Scenario A: Stadium to be built with private money

Key Objectives
- A ground for Salford City Reds that meets stated Super League criteria
- A ground of a scale and location that allows Salford City Reds to become a regional brand, a goal stated by David Tarry
- Needs a site big enough to host stadium + other development to help raise the capital cost of the ground and contribute towards £1.8m per year salary cap.
- Project risk taken by Red City Developments.

Answer:
Build the stadium and supporting cross subsidising development at Barton. If it doesn't work, Red City Developments and Salford City Reds have backed a wrong 'un - on their heads be it.

Scenario B: Stadium to be built with public monies

Key Objectives
- Delivery on the stated agenda of the Council and relevant grant awarding bodies.

Answer:
Build the stadium with appropriate facilities and in a location where it can

- Get more people into sport, with good access to the majority of council tax payers, particularly the underpriviledged areas of the City that feature chronically bad health statistics
- Get stronger links between education providers and professional sport, this should again be focussed on the areas of greatest need.
- If two seperate grounds are not viable, provide a fitting home not only for Salford City Reds, but also Swinton Lions.

i.e. For a private model, Barton is fine - Red City Development's call - Red City Development's risk. That was the original scheme. Now that Red City Developments has gone, the entire basis of the project ought to have been looked at again, against totally different criteria. Unfortunately this has not happened and Council Tax payers face a £20m+ bill to put a smile on the face of Mssrs Wilkinson and Merry but without getting much else back in return. Good money after bad.

I can't spell it out any more than that for you Mark.

Edited by PhillH, 16 August 2010 - 07:13 PM.

[mark richardson]

Thanks Phil I do now understand what you mean. The chances of it happening being zero.

[steve wild]

To put all this into a nutshell, I think what we're saying is that it's Agecroft or bust.

If that means a temporary move to the Weeping Willows then fine with me. At least that puts us back within the jurisdiction of Salford City Council, and if nothing else gives them a headache when the Willows is pulled down. I doubt if even this Council will want to be seen as putting us out of business. (At least I hope so!)

If we continue with a nomadic existence the whole thing will be taken out of our hands anyway, regardless of how loyal the ever-decreasing band of fans are. The club will simply cease to be viable, and I think our "Board" would agree with that.

I get the feeling that a lot of hard work has been going on behind the scenes. We simply have to play in this area soon. Let's hope it comes off.

[parky]

I agree with all your comments Steve. I personally would not rule out Wardley.

[marshy1]

I agree with all your comments Steve. I personally would not rule out Wardley.

I have heard a whisper from a Folly player that the council want Folly to move to Wardley as they require the land on Pendlebury Rd.

[Shizonamy]

The perfect solution would be Folly and Swinton as ground sharers, and they could constitutes the youths.

What does KingSpeedbump think?

[Blue Monkey]

I have heard a whisper from a Folly player that the council want Folly to move to Wardley as they require the land on Pendlebury Rd.

I can't see us being allowed to ground share with Folly at a Wardley site even if they do go there from the Blue Ribbon field. After all, Folly will only be playing on a pitch similar to their existing home ground and not any sort of fenced off, enclosed stadium type facility which would be the case should the Lions be involved.

[duffymoon]

I can't see us being allowed to ground share with Folly at a Wardley site even if they do go there from the Blue Ribbon field. After all, Folly will only be playing on a pitch similar to their existing home ground and not any sort of fenced off, enclosed stadium type facility which would be the case should the Lions be involved.

I think too much work has gone into Agecroft although the Wardley site is a much better location.Lets hope we hear something positive very soon.

[juliancaine]

I can't see us being allowed to ground share with Folly at a Wardley site even if they do go there from the Blue Ribbon field. After all, Folly will only be playing on a pitch similar to their existing home ground and not any sort of fenced off, enclosed stadium type facility which would be the case should the Lions be involved.

i personally think wardley would be a better bet than agecroft, yes i know its green belt land but it has had school buildings on the site and its in a far better location than agecroft, i know folly only play on a field but having a local amature team in a partnership with the lions would open up other funding streams to us, i know folly only reqire a field to play on but surely if the lions owners are serious about us getting our own ground in m27 they should at least look at the wardley school site again as an option, to rule out looking at any option would be a FOLLY as far as i am concerned.

[waynerutene1981]

i dont understand why people seem to think wardley is a better option.its got a housing estate next door,no danger that the locals would be against it.agecoft is a prime position.apart from a couple of houses next door no mither from the locals as there are none in the immediate vicinity.were all singing from the same hymn sheet here brothers,its criminal that this old great club has been out of its boundarys for 17yrs CRIMINAL! one way or another this club HAS to return to its roots and those roots are back in m27,BRING EM HOME !!!

[Minesabitter]

Put your house on Swinton playing as Salford next year. It's a banker

[mark richardson]

I hope you mean AT Salford?