Aaaaaahhhhhhh.... the timing now makes sense.

Hetherington at his best.

Now just received an email saying that the 2012 season tickets are on sale. So basically, they had no choice but to mention the South Stand (lack of) otherwise people would've had to ask what was happening when purchasing tickets.

Which makes you wonder how long they've known it wasn't happening?!

Edit - It also means that the "South Stand not Happening" story was the top story on the website for all of about 10 minutes. Call my cynical if you want.

I am assuming that this has been dealt with already. I really do suspect that they have also been told by LCC's structural engineers that they can't keep putting this off and that they might have to do some remedial work as part of the bid to keep it open into 2012, but either way I can't see them taking the risk of granting it a safety cert for 2013 season!



No, building a Tesco on the current site and moving to a new ground somewhere else, possibly alongside some other enabling development.

The 'real' locals will be delighted with a new Tesco I am sure!

They only had the meeting with LCC last night I understand, but the overall funding issue has been known for sometime - That is why Rhinos' 4 Life was re-launched!!!

It seems to me that Gary and Paul don't want to put the club into debt or at least pay commercial rates to lend the money, now that the Leeds Met Carnegie Gravy train has dried-up. He did say that the plan was to 'borrow' the money and put the club into a structured debt situation, so I am not sure what has changed!

That actually posses a question about Saints deal with Tesco and the housing developer for KR. Is their deal structured to pay off their £8m debt and enter the new stadium debt free? Genuine question?

Yes I fully appreciate that thanks.

You'd think that perhaps, you'd need to give people even more of an intensive to spend their hard earned cash though wouldn't you. By, perhaps giving them something good to watch and not have them feel like they're wasting their money.

Just have a look at what's happened to Warrington's average attendance over the same period. Go on. I dare you. Or is Warrington more financially stable than the rest of the country?

Careful, Warrington always had the potential to grow their crowds and the new ground did most of the that, the success that has followed has kept the figure consistent during the recession.

Also, they have a sugar daddy who is happy to throw his fortune at the club to cover the annual loss they would otherwise show in their accounts!!!

Plus, Tesco and the council helped them build a new ground too!

The last bit is very intriguing...I read it as we've decided we'd like the council to pay/subsidise the stand

I think this line in Hetherington's statement is key...

"the cost of borrowing and repaying the debt and the risk to the club involved"

...the cost of borrowing has remained very high since the 2008 banking crisis and is something that's taking longer to stabilise than experts seemed to predict it would. Maybe the club having previously delayed action on the stand thought credit would be more readily available on attractive terms by now but it simply not...so hence the need to go to the council?

I think this is probably spot on!

TBF I should probably have included a

I'm sure everyone is very aware - it just surprised me how directly the change in attendances coincides with the post-financial-crash reality hitting consumers pockets (I hadn't realised that we had such a big drop in one season).

Why thank you

I'd also add that it's probably exactly the type of decision that Caddick should be use to taking in his day job and, therefore, we should probably be grateful that the club is in his hands.