Unfortunately there really aren't any winners in this situation, and the piling on is nonsensical.

There's no question Wakefield have been strung along, particuarly when it comes to the YorCourt / NEWCOLD situation. That really needed an enquiry into why that Section 106 was not properly enforced.

Castleford's situation is equally frustrating, but betting the farm on retail developments was always going to come with inherent risk when you look at how retail has changed since the recession. Warrington and St Helens were fortunate that their developments went through before Tesco reviewed its policy on "hypermarket" style developments.

Nobody wants to see the game still being played in venues that aren't suitable for 21st century professional sport, but the gloating and finger pointing isn't helpful. Yes, there are valid points to make about how the clubs have gone about their respective stadium projects, but they're not entirely to blame.

You obviously missed the bit about us making NO MATCH DAY REVENUE (except ticket sales) and having lost income from the likes of the Variety Centre and Vault Bar, which were an integral income stream at The Willows. You also missed the part about alienating fans by moving out of the heart of the city. Apart from Saints (who have a successful team and a lot larger fan base) I can't think of any other SL club whose ground is in a more fan-unfriendly spot. I forgot to mention the continual excuses from away fans saying they can't get to the AJ Bell as it's situated somewhere just outside the Arctic Circle (and subsequent further loss in income)



Cas & Wakey may still be in dilapidated grounds but at least they're taking in a decent amount of revenue and actually own their grounds. We were bullied into moving with threats of expulsion yet 8 years after we played our final game at The Willows Cas & Wakey are still part of the SL set-up.

Don't get me wrong, considering they're from the "dark side"

I actually have a lot of time for both clubs, there just appears to be a set of double standards in relation to how the whole stadium shenanigans have been handled.

Carlsberg don't admit they are wrong, but if they did

Cant argue with any of that and to say that things should have been done differently / better is an understatement.

The Willows wouldn't have taken too much to upgrade and you could have then retained the matchday income, which may have been possible had Koucash come into the club before the AJ Bell was decided ?

The new place is in a nicer part of town though

Talking of no match day revenue, what about those young scallys what used to charge you 50p for looking after your car when you parked near the chinese chippy on match days

One of my favourite jokes of all time

"iwent to Anfield the other day to watch a match. A scouse lad said, 'Can I mind your car for you mister?' I said, 'No! And for your information, there's a Rottweiler in the back.' The lad said: 'Put out fires, can he?"

That's £5.50 cheaper than they charge at the ground these days so what you complaining about you tight bar steward?

Salford weren’t bullied into selling their stadium to pay off debts. That’s entirely on them and no-one else.
I have sympathy with the current owners predicament as with Wakefield and Cas. But Salford lost the right to choose their own destiny when they decided to distort the league and consistently spend more money than they brought in. Well they bet that right anyway, and it didn’t pay off.
The same is true with Cas and Wakefield who have both spent miniscule amounts of money on their stadiums over the last 60+ years and again distorted the league by spending more on players than they could actually afford.

They are not the only clubs of course, plenty of clubs did and Cas, Wakefield and Salford have perhaps been amongst the “unlucky” ones. But it was still within their power to maintain their stadiums and they didn’t.

That is not the fault of the current owners and so the sport should do what it can to help get better, sustainable, profitable facilities for the clubs but let’s not forget why the clubs are in this position in the first place, and it’s got sod all to do with the RFL or a local council or anyone else.

As a Salford fan I'm just gutted cas Nd wakey got to keep their grounds and we had to move. No feelings of malice just disappointment on my behalf that we got shafted

We didn't get shafted mate, Him seems to be in the know.andnut was all about our financial mismanagement. Only ourselves to blame apparently.

Mate, I don't remember them being made to move, all I remember is Salford thinking a new ground could raise the crowds like the grounds at Hull and Warrington did?? Only this was a new ground well away and out of town and Salford weren't a winning side like Hull and Wire?