Presumably by a Wakefield supporter!!!!!

There are many potential reasons for the gates up at the Galpharm. The stadium and bankrolling are but two. Certainly attracting new supporters / families etc is helped by having up to date faciities. There is little evidence that standing on decrepid terraces open to the elements and having pathetic toilet facilities etc are welcomed by wouldbe fans.

That said there is the fallacy that new stadium = bigger crowds. If entrance prices are hiked up / the stadium location is inconvenient / performance is poor etc a club will struggle for gates.

Also a new stadium does not guarentee improved finances. Often a club has operated rent free + paid minimal stadium running costs + taken 100% of hospitality spend intheir old place. At a new stadium they may experience a significant increase in costs when they have to do things like: pay economic rent for offices and matchday useage + stadium taking a share of hospitaity income.

So getting a new ground would see them go from "hopeless" to being "ok to stay in Super League"

So it's a stadium contest then ? I look forward to London Skolars getting a new ground and being ok to be in Super League. I bet Geoff Fletcher wishes he was still running Huyton, A new stadium and they would have been sorted.

Get your hands out from under the blankets.

more the fact the new ground

saints have a sugar daddy and have won everything in the game, and look how poor their crowds are

Hull FC and wigan both have much higher crowds, and less recent success.

reason = new ground

hey dont shoot the messenger ....

im giving you franchise predictions 2 years out.

barring divine intervention is clear how its going to go.

if i were you id be spending more time in a church

london skolars arent in the heartlands, and dont have the other things wakey have going for them

in the heartlands there is a competetion for spots so the RFL should pick the best

if its a choice between widnes and wakey now i pick widnes, mainly on the ground. their other benefits cancel each other out

new grounds are very important for the future of the game. clubs can progress in old grounds and indeed can decline like bradford have

improving spectator facilities is clearly important for a game which relies upon paying fans to survive

ive been to Knowsley Rd. for one of the best english clubs to play in that is a disgrace to them and the game

I don't think you can claim Huddersfield's recent increases in support to the stadium. They've been playing there for years. While I agree it seems that new stadia can boost attendance in the short term, I suspect mostly from people gawking at the building, there are clearly other factors equally as important as the stadium itself. And indeed, once the gawkers are in there needs to be something of (long term) interest,to encourage them to return.

Clubs are trying to get new grounds because they need to meet the 10 point criteria for the next round of franchises, which is why most of the new grounds are around 12,000 capacity or just over (that is one of the criteria)

To be fair to Dally, I think that the RFL will deny an established SL club a license. I believe they will need to show their teeth for the licensing system to have any credibility. This will also open up the way for any pet club to be included along with Widnes.

I think Salford, Wakey, and Cas are probably most at risk, unless there are significant strides forward regarding the grounds, although I wouldn't exclude Hull KR from the "at risk" list they are less likely to go at the moment, I think. Even Crusaders could be for the chop if the disasters keep on coming.

Make your mind up. Earlier in the thread you said Wakefield were "Hopeless".

Rather obssessed aren't you?

Oh dear.

I think the ground capacity is a bit of a red herring.

Just look at the record attendances of most clubs and when they were achieved.

Would love to see some of the capacities for the new stadia be fully filled but somehow this is all pie in the sky unless the promotion of the product is made to make it become a "must see live" experience.

Sadly the game does not have a clue how to do that!!