Which stadium would you prefer?

[Oliver Clothesoff 2,805]

14 minutes ago, aj1908 said:

Why it looks a fantastic ground 

Been to kr.

My main gripe is probably the councourses. They’re just cold and grey cinder blocked nothingness, really. It’s just minor details but I’d like to have it with the history of the club on the walls and for it to be a bit more welcoming. 

[Just Browny 6,878]

It's a real boring answer, but you have to take each case on its merits. 

Warrington almost moved to Burtonwood at the turn of the century: that would have been a disaster. In the end they built a new ground in the town centre: perfect.

[Lowdesert 2,588]

2 hours ago, aj1908 said:

Rebuilding is too expensive.

Leeds could've built a far better ground for much less if they sold headingly for example 

They could've even bought elland rd for 8 million pounds but because it's in South Leeds that's a no no 

Not always.  Refurbishment can be a lot more expensive.  Especially with foundations and M&E.

[Lowdesert 2,588]

1 hour ago, scotchy1 said:

Elland road might have been cheap to buy at that point but the old girl is coming up to the end of her life span. There will need to be a pretty much complete rebuild of her in the next decade or so.

That creates a real risk that LUFC would not bother paying rent and simply build a new, bigger stadium elsewhere in the city  and the rhinos are left with an aging stadium too big for their needs and too expensive to maintain on their own. 

I've said before though, when LUFC look to either build a new stadium or rebuild elland road then the game should definitely look to be part owners and create use it as a national rugby league stadium 

It’s getting rundown that’s for sure.   

[RL does what Sky says 1,365]

My gripe with any new stadium that is built is that it looks just like any other .... no character to it or anything that you can easily identify it by, especially if watching on tv.

A prime example - Wembley.

Before it changed you used to be able to switch on the tv halfway through a game and immediately know it was Wembley. Now it could be anywhere until it shows a wide-angle shot of the ground.

That's why people liked their old grounds (ie Watersheddings for example). These days - like Rugby League itself - grounds have lost character and individualism, to be replaced by corporate and profit-making concerns and irrespective of what the fan on the terraces want (or wanted when terraces existed !)

Edited January 6 by RL does what Sky says

[aj1908 953]

30 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

It’s getting rundown that’s for sure.   

They'll have to do something when they are in premier league lol

[Hopping Mad 863]

Isn't there a fourth way?

For example, Halifax - who sold Thrum Hall before embarking on a groundshare with the town's football club at an only partially redeveloped traditional stadium.

Or even a fifth way?

Sell your ground without fixing up a permanent alternative venue. For example, Oldham.

For me, the loss of most of rugby league's historical grounds has robbed the sport of much of its character.

 

Edited January 6 by Hopping Mad

[Oliver Clothesoff 2,805]

7 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

Isn't there a fourth way?

For example, Halifax - who sold Thrum Hall before embarking on a groundshare with the town's football club at an only partially redeveloped traditional stadium.

Or even a fifth way?

Sell your ground without fixing up a permanent alternative venue. For example, Oldham.

For me, the loss of most of rugby league's historical grounds has robbed the sport of much of its character.

 

We still have grounds with character, however some people want them (Cas and Wakefield) to be thrown out of Super League. 

[M j M 3,383]

3 hours ago, whatmichaelsays said:

Headingley hasn't cost the Rhinos £50m.

The East Stand was, IIRC correctly, primarily funded by Leeds Met/Carnegie University.

This is a bit of an urban myth, Leeds had cash in the bank following the sale of the cricket ground and spent a chunk on the new stand. The university leasing part as classrooms was cream on the top.

The idea meanwhile that Leeds should buy a 40,000 capacity football stadium in Holbeck is ridiculous. Totally unsuitable for what Leeds need, it would generate less money and less profit for it'd club. And I for one wouldn't buy a season ticket if the club was based there.

[Saint Toppy 1,424]

3 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I’d have never left Knowsley Road purely for what it stands for and the history and nostalgia around the old place. However, we couldn’t continue there in its guise. Times move on and we had to move. Langtree Park is alright, it’s situated in a better place than Knowsley Road, it’s bigger and the non-matchday income it can generate is important to the club. While it’s not perfect and there’s things I’d have liked to have incorporated into the stadium when it was built, it’s a major asset. 

 

While I was at first sad to leave KR, lets face it, it was a dump !!!

I don't miss the toilets being nothing more than a wall to pi$$ up, the leaking roof, the terraces literally crumbling under your feet, the exit from the stadium at the Eddintgton end being nothing more than a dark, dank footpath full of dog sh$$.

While the new stadium may not quite have the atmosphere of KR its a million times better.

[RugbyLeagueGeek 568]

1 minute ago, Saint Toppy said:

While I was at first sad to leave KR, lets face it, it was a dump !!!

I don't miss the toilets being nothing more than a wall to pi$$ up, the leaking roof, the terraces literally crumbling under your feet, the exit from the stadium at the Eddintgton end being nothing more than a dark, dank footpath full of dog sh$$.

While the new stadium may not quite have the atmosphere of KR its a million times better.

As someone who unfortunately hasn't been to either, would the atmosphere at the new ground be markedly better if they had standing down one side like Warrington do?

[HKR AWAY DAYS 205]

Location is probably a major issue in situations like this. 

[whatmichaelsays 697]

20 minutes ago, M j M said:

This is a bit of an urban myth, Leeds had cash in the bank following the sale of the cricket ground and spent a chunk on the new stand. The university leasing part as classrooms was cream on the top.

The idea meanwhile that Leeds should buy a 40,000 capacity football stadium in Holbeck is ridiculous. Totally unsuitable for what Leeds need, it would generate less money and less profit for it'd club. And I for one wouldn't buy a season ticket if the club was based there.

Ah, that actually rings a bell. I imagined that Leeds Met had more involvement than they might have done, but definitely remember the sale of the cricket ground leading to the new East Stand. 

[Oliver Clothesoff 2,805]

19 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

As someone who unfortunately hasn't been to either, would the atmosphere at the new ground be markedly better if they had standing down one side like Warrington do?

No. There’s standing behind the sticks and the atmosphere there for big games is good. 

[fieldofclothofgold 456]

Hey why is it that a thread comes up about new stadia it always comes back predominantly on Leeds and Headingley and E R ? Any way Cas and Wakey are getting a nes rival for artist impressions of nes Satadiums Leeds united are releasing new illustrations of their new 51000 redeveloped Elland Road 

[Bedfordshire Bronco 1,176]

4 hours ago, HarrogateKnights said:

Yeah there is huge potential and only professional Rugby league club in North Yorkshire (part-time players still) so a huge area to tap into and work still to be done we are developing at a sustainable pace and Jon Flatman (Chairman) and James Ford (Full time) are switched on 

They get so many visitors to the city too. Lots of potential to get visitors watching TGG

Like in Bath - plenty of tourists go down the Rec to watch union when they visit

[Bedfordshire Bronco 1,176]

Don't forget

All old stadiums were once 'new' themselves 

In 80 years York fans may well be up in arms about a proposal to move their much loved old Huntington stadium. All the history it has over the last 80 years and so on.... 

Times change and new stadiums are better fact

[Sports Prophet 985]

As a Cronulla fan, this is a contemporary  topic. Our stadium is unique in that it is wholly owned by the club.

Being in the peninsula entirely bordered by St G/Illawarra Dragons territory, playing outside Sutherland means playing in someone else’s turf, the nearest of which being our arch rivals (like we will be for the next two years while facilities are developed).

The closest to an agreement I would come would be a purpose built groundshare, slightly across our border with the Dragons that is not in Kogarah.

The RL/Sharks fan in me considers playing outside our district near on unacceptable. Our current facilities are an ageing dinosaur and I’m sad to say that the next two years of refurb is producing very little change to the spectator experience at game time. Fans in 2022 can still expect the same poor seating arrangement that is terribly exposed to winter elements with massive queues for drinks. I would take all of that over playing home games at Allianz or ANZ, despite those facilities stalling the clubs growth.

In saying all that, Souths have grown to secure the largest number of memberships of any Sydney RL club since moving to Homebush (approx 3 light years from traditional Redfern), broadening their membership to an almost 50:50 of traditional South Sydney locals to those that are not.

There was a vague chance recently of a brand new 30k stadium on the south western outskirts of Sutherland when a Chinese backed consortium were bidding for a third Sydney A-League (soccer) franchise, which was subsequently and politically outbid.

With the difficulty of both private and public transport around Sydney, I implore that the club never leave Sutherland. I liken the club’s situation to that of Geelong in the AFL. A club based about 45 minutes from the centre of the state capital, with a very large population owning its very own culture. A club that has redeveloped their own facilities to accomodate their supporters in their own backyard.

The Sharks are blessed in ways many clubs are not in that their “zone” is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and one other club and has an opportunity to represent a region and a stereotype. Unfortunately, that has gone awry on a couple of occasions recently , but nonetheless, if truly relevant (https://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/347952-how-is-your-club-relevant/) and playing in an ACCESSIBLE and ACCEPTABLE facility, would have no issue bringing in 20k per match.

I am very interested to see the result of our refurb...

 

[Mr Plow 826]

1 hour ago, HKR AWAY DAYS said:

Location is probably a major issue in situations like this. 

Yes. Warrington has worked well as they’re in the town centre and the layout of the new stadium has been well thought out imo.

Leeds are surrounded by pubs and bars and good connections to the city centre

Cas are a short walk from the town and train station

Going back to Warrington, I don’t think they could have got it much better with their new ground. It comes under the umbrella of flat pack stadiums but the layout of having terrace along one side and end and seating on the other side and end works pretty well

[The 4 of Us 1,011]

A renovated Central Park would win hands down. A reminder of the route to the DW. 
 

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-wigan-exiled-by-pounds-12m-central-park-sale-1271381.html

[Lowdesert 2,588]

3 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

Isn't there a fourth way?

For example, Halifax - who sold Thrum Hall before embarking on a groundshare with the town's football club at an only partially redeveloped traditional stadium.

Or even a fifth way?

Sell your ground without fixing up a permanent alternative venue. For example, Oldham.

For me, the loss of most of rugby league's historical grounds has robbed the sport of much of its character.

 

Agree with the last para.  Good memories but nice to see a plaque or two fixed as a reminder.

The issues are twofold in that new stadia has to confirm to the green guide and a build that tries to mirror the features of the old (with modern methods) being costly. A smaller ground with the latter will still have a high cost per sqm.

[fieldofclothofgold 456]

6 minutes ago, The 4 of Us said:

A renovated Central Park would win hands down. A reminder of the route to the DW. 
 

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-wigan-exiled-by-pounds-12m-central-park-sale-1271381.html

My favorite ground was always CP the place oozed history.  I used to get goosebumps when I walked in 

[RL does what Sky says 1,365]

3 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

Or even a fifth way?

Sell your ground without fixing up a permanent alternative venue. For example, Oldham.

For me, the loss of most of rugby league's historical grounds has robbed the sport of much of its character.

 

At the time Watersheddings was sold to the council it was on the understanding that an agreement had been made between the Council leader John Battye and the Oldham RL Chairman Jim Quinn that a new ground (for both Oldham RL and Oldham Athletic FC) would be provided. The council then renaged on that deal thus leaving Oldham RL homeless ... and which eventually saw the original club fold.

It's somewhat ironic that the original agreement was made by Battye and Quinn and that one of the areas considered for a new ground is now occupied by B&Q.

[M j M 3,383]

1 hour ago, Saint Toppy said:

While I was at first sad to leave KR, lets face it, it was a dump !!!

I don't miss the toilets being nothing more than a wall to pi$$ up, the leaking roof, the terraces literally crumbling under your feet, the exit from the stadium at the Eddintgton end being nothing more than a dark, dank footpath full of dog sh$$.

While the new stadium may not quite have the atmosphere of KR its a million times better.

Yes but the question isn't is a new stadium better it's whether redeveloping the existing stadium would be preferable to leaving it. So redeveloped Knowsley Road wouldn't involve ####### on the wall (unless that was specified in the plans).

[LeeF 1,526]

6 hours ago, aj1908 said:

Cost is cost.  Loans have to be repaid.  And now the club doesn't even own all the ground.

Just my opinion I think it's a poor outcome.  

And you should.be pushed for a two tiered south stand.

Held the council to ransom and said if we don't get that we don't want to do the north stand ie bye bye cricket.

It was largely.done to benefit cricket 

And the Rhinos needed a new North Stand so were, quite correctly,  required to work with the council