Fan forum

[Transpennine Ram]

I am sure there will be plenty of chat but will anybody be able to put a fairly thorough synopsis on the forum?  I've been waiting on United Utilities to sort an overflowing sewer all day and if I have to wait in until my wife gets back from work I will never make it to the club in time.

There is probably a metaphor in here somewhere.

[Thornhill ram]

Am attending tonight. Think we need some straight answers to key questions. Some thoughts below...

Who has the freehold of entire site ( kirkless own the land)

What has happened to Rams stadium assets? Ie ground & stand .Remember Rams built the stadium!

What is contract relationship between giants and Rams clubs?

Ie. Who decides what days each team plays? Ie. Don't want Rams playing only on Friday nights or worse Saturday afternoons.

Who keeps game receipts?

Who funds day to day operations?

Who gets other non playing receipts? 

 

 

[coolie]

3 hours ago, Thornhill ram said:

Am attending tonight. Think we need some straight answers to key questions. Some thoughts below...

Who has the freehold of entire site ( kirkless own the land)

What has happened to Rams stadium assets? Ie ground & stand .Remember Rams built the stadium!

What is contract relationship between giants and Rams clubs?

Ie. Who decides what days each team plays? Ie. Don't want Rams playing only on Friday nights or worse Saturday afternoons.

Who keeps game receipts?

Who funds day to day operations?

Who gets other non playing receipts? 

 

 

After listening to the deal

 

 

Think we've done an amazing job of securing the deal we have  

[Mirfield Ram Fan]

Just back from the meeting If I ever want someone to to act for me in arranging a mortgage or business deal in the future I hope MS is available. The deal he has done with with Ken Davy in my opinion is fantastic for the club.

[Thornhill ram]

I attended forum tonight. MS has kept the club alive for decades, but the increasing stadium repair costs are crippling the club.

To just to replace rhe 25 yr old floodlights is £300k...and there's a long list of outstanding maintence = circa further £0.5m.

However the Davy family now own the entire ground and stadium.

MS & directors have sold freehold to them. there is no buy back clause.

IF Giants ever do go back to a new hudds stadium, then our future is totally unclear. The Davy family forever will be landlords....or sell site onto someone else...

The current arrangement will be sub lease tenants, rent free for 50 years & retain indefinite leave to remain of the stadium only.

Owners can build other sport facilities on the land & keep 4g pitch revenue. 

We retain game day profits including bar,car boot receipts,and half a dozen royal suite events.

However, it will be Giants stadium,decorated in their colours so WE LOSE OUR IDENTITY & probably corporate sponsors. ( naming rights are gone). Major sponsor there tonight.... did not look happy.

There were no answers about the Rams murals / display cabinets etc.....

Re players, I can only see us as at best being a feeder club, at worst we just slowly disappear...into kirklees Giants

This is not a ground share but an outright takeover.

Giants have only 3,000 seated fans, our stand holds 1200, thus a problem until they re-build/ convert south stand & Beaumont terrace.

Main stand Refurb works start now& new building starts March 2027.

New 8,000 giants stadium ready by spring 2028.

 

[NickD]

Takes a lot of stick form some Dewsbury fans but MS deserves a lot of credit for pulling this deal off and securing a future should anything happen to him. 
Can’t think of a single negative tonight.  

[NickD]

2 minutes ago, Thornhill ram said:

I attended forum tonight. MS has kept the club alive for decades, but the increasing stadium repair costs are crippling the club.

To just to replace rhe 25 yr old floodlights is £300k...and there's a long list of outstanding maintence = circa further £0.5m.

However the Davy family now own the entire ground and stadium.

MS & directors have sold freehold to them. there is no buy back clause.

IF Giants ever do go back to a new hudds stadium, then our future is totally unclear. The Davy family forever will be landlords....or sell site onto someone else...

The current arrangement will be sub lease tenants, rent free for 50 years & retain indefinite leave to remain of the stadium only.

Owners can build other sport facilities on the land & keep 4g pitch revenue. 

We retain game day profits including bar,car boot receipts,and half a dozen royal suite events.

However, it will be Giants stadium,decorated in their colours so WE LOSE OUR IDENTITY & probably corporate sponsors. ( naming rights are gone). Major sponsor there tonight.... did not look happy.

There were no answers about the Rams murals / display cabinets etc.....

Re players, I can only see us as at best being a feeder club, at worst we just slowly disappear...into kirklees Giants

This is not a ground share but an outright takeover.

Giants have only 3,000 seated fans, our stand holds 1200, thus a problem until they re-build/ convert south stand & Beaumont terrace.

Main stand Refurb works start now& new building starts March 2027.

New 8,000 giants stadium ready by spring 2028.

 

You must have been at a different forum to me.  For a start we were told categorically that we would continue to have a heritage / mural section.

We are not losing any income from the car boot / other commercial activities and will not have to pay the stadium costs. That’s gotta be a win?

For me however the main point is that 
whatever happens in the future we will have the ability to play rugby at the ground for at Ieast 50 years and let’s face it, without this deal, we wouldn’t even be around in ten years. 
Hard to know if we will become a feeder club but I remain optimistic that this won’t be the case for a few years at least 

And, alongside all this we will have a far better stadium with the associated faculties and game day experience.

 

[Thornhill ram]

Whilst we will hopefully be still playing at "our" stadium, it will be GIANTS NAME LOGO & COLOURS& SPONSOR.

we will use the improved facilities, but will only be tenants & no club house.

So how do we exist as a club????

[KC Ram]

Agreed Nick.

Corporate sponsors will get their name/logo on the new LED advertising boards round the pitch.

Both clubs were adamant that we are not a feeder club or giants reserves. We will have our own squad suplemented by season long loans from the giants.

[coolie]

1 hour ago, Mirfield Ram Fan said:

 If I ever want someone to to act for me in arranging a mortgage. 

That's my line ya bu.gg.er

 

[coolie]

Well I have to say as meetings go that was pretty spectacular. 

A load learned about the fantastic deal we have got. 

If you came out of that forum filled with negativity, doom & gloom, and fearing for our future. 

You really need to change your outlook on life or see a doctor. 

Mark Sawyer delivered a lot of detail & Richard Thewlis came across very well, Richard has come to our matches regularly over the last few seasons, if he wasn't interested in what's best for Dewsbury why would he come, for a fact we will have a better team next season that's nailed on, embrace that, don't think I've ever visited a more positive fans forum than we've had tonight, future looks good. 

Already looking forward to next season now to wash away the memories of what we've endured this disastrous season  

[Thornhill ram]

1 hour ago, NickD said:

Takes a lot of stick form some Dewsbury fans but MS deserves a lot of credit for pulling this deal off and securing a future should anything happen to him. 
Can’t think of a single negative tonight.  

I applaud MS for 25 years...but finances dictate everything....but am sad our identity will be lost..with no club house....

[KC Ram]

What do you mean - no club house.

we will still have use of all facilities which will have dual branding.

[Ramification]

I was watching Town tonight so didnt make it, but based on the comments here and on FB I must admit I'm none the wiser whether this is a good or bad thing. 

[Thornhill ram]

1 hour ago, NickD said:

Takes a lot of stick form some Dewsbury fans but MS deserves a lot of credit for pulling this deal off and securing a future should anything happen to him. 
Can’t think of a single negative tonight.  

MS has been fantastic, but we are now merely  tenants in someone else's ground, however you try & dress it up...

 

[Thornhill ram]

20 minutes ago, KC Ram said:

What do you mean - no club house.

we will still have use of all facilities which will have dual branding.

Ultimately we are mere tenants of GIANTS STADIUM...however you dress it up. Their colours & logo will be everywhere 

[Thornhill ram]

1 hour ago, KC Ram said:

Agreed Nick.

Corporate sponsors will get their name/logo on the new LED advertising boards round the pitch.

Both clubs were adamant that we are not a feeder club or giants reserves. We will have our own squad suplemented by season long loans from the giants.

And those Rams squad players who are dropped for SL fringe players will get disillusioned....

[Wakefield Ram]

7 hours ago, KC Ram said:

Agreed Nick.

Corporate sponsors will get their name/logo on the new LED advertising boards round the pitch.

Both clubs were adamant that we are not a feeder club or giants reserves. We will have our own squad suplemented by season long loans from the giants.

"Season long loans" until they are needed back like Jamie Gill. Lets hope PM has learnt at least that...... 

We might have a better set of players next season, but we will have the same coach.

[Therein73]

Really looking forward to 2027 now .... After learning the pitch will be "bigger and wider" and PM's assurances that "we like to play expansive rugby" and "we don't have a problem scoring tries" then what's not to be excited about

[KC Ram]

Thornhill Ram

What do you mean - no club house.

we will still have use of all facilities which will have dual branding.

If you are so upset with this make MS a better offer.

[NickD]

10 hours ago, coolie said:

Well I have to say as meetings go that was pretty spectacular. 

A load learned about the fantastic deal we have got. 

If you came out of that forum filled with negativity, doom & gloom, and fearing for our future. 

You really need to change your outlook on life or see a doctor.

Well said Coolie

[NickD]

9 hours ago, Thornhill ram said:

MS has been fantastic, but we are now merely  tenants in someone else's ground, however you try & dress it up...

 

Absolutely. And that’s why it’s such a good deal.  Having our own ground was crippling us financially. Did you not hear that bit?   From now on we still get money coming in (guaranteed from Huddersfield) and have offloaded a massive amount of expense.  Maybe it wont all be there to be spent on players but we will be “alive”

Win win win.  

[NickD]

1 hour ago, Therein73 said:

Really looking forward to 2027 now .... After learning the pitch will be "bigger and wider" and PM's assurances that "we like to play expansive rugby" and "we don't have a problem scoring tries" then what's not to be excited about

Our tackling ?  

[Mirfield Ram Fan]

1 hour ago, NickD said:

Our tackling ?  

We need at least 3 big ball playing forwards  expansive running rugby is all very well but without a big robust pack will keep on getting rolled over in the later stages of the games as the players tire.

We also need 2 decent halfbacks the ones we have at present are not good enough in my opinion.

[NickD]

18 minutes ago, Mirfield Ram Fan said:

We need at least 3 big ball playing forwards  expansive running rugby is all very well but without a big robust pack will keep on getting rolled over in the later stages of the games as the players tire.

We also need 2 decent halfbacks the ones we have at present are not good enough in my opinion.

Agree and it was slightly worrying to hear PM talk about needing ONE half back .   That said, they are like gold dust of course.   As someone said last night though half backs need a strong pack so your first point about 3 big lads is probably even more important.