Lots of people have had a say about the lack of plan B (including me). How about a few suggestions of what we think it should be.... here's mine.

1. Buy back the Willows from the housing firm who now own it (don't know if this is possible).
2. Re-develop the Willows 1 stand at a time over the next 3-5 years hence keeping the RFL sweet and keeping our franchise; starting with the North stand (Widnes have successfully done this and since our crowds are as low as they are it wouldn't be an issue from a space point of view).

We could still use the iconic design by turning it round so that the ground swept round from the highest point ie. North stand down both sides integrating all the stands into one?!?

3. Since one major reason for the move to Barton is the lack of parking around the Willows, Tarmac the Barton site to provide match day car paking and perhaps tap into parking for the Trafford centre at other times of the year. (remembering they are our major sponsors we could tap them up for a contribution for the cost of this).

4. Get a transport company to provide sponsorship for one of the stands and as part of the deal they get a long term contract to provide a park and ride from Barton to the Willows. A charge of say £4 would provide good value for parking your car and give the bus firm with good income.

(Alternative to the parking option is that the Barton site could go to the housing firm that now own the Willows?????)

Please feel free to pull this plan to shreads, or add to it depending on your outlook!!! trying desperately to be positive here

SO IS THAT IT THEN

THE NEW STADIUM OVER AT BARTON IS A NON STARTER

Who knows? Nobody is telling us but they have said there's no plan B.... hence the reason for this line of thought.

I have been told that the Willows can not be updated... Why ?
New floodlights,Sort the toilets out, make better access(safer) from the shed,improve or rebuild the changing rooms.
This would be a fraction of the cost of the new build at Barton.
And as stated carry out work on the stands each year
What exactly did the Willows fail on when the ground assesment was made ?

Lets face realities here Barton will not happen.
There is no funding and Peel will not pay the full cost.

Selling the ground when there was no Plan for funding shortfalls was a bad bit of business but it has been done.
Seeing as the purchaser is a fellow director means surely some compromise can be met.
This money can then be put into paying for some of the improvements.

I would love a new shiny new stadium but I would like us to keep our SL franchise.If that means improving the Willows to a standard which satisfies the criteria then why dont we get on with doing it.

People keep stating on here that we've sold the Willows to some one.

Can anyone show me any proof of this because I'd not heard about it started getting mentioned.

Granted I expected it to happen once the move to Barton happened but not until then.

Cheers.

So you are all going to chip in to buy back the stadium are you?

It is easy to spend someone else's money but I can't believe people on here. Do any of you ahve any idea how much the directors have "lent" the club, written off monies owed, sponsorship etc.

It was a suggestion as a plan B and an invitation for ideas. As the club doesn't have one I think it is a fair discussion. Do you have one or are you happy to see the club die because without a plan B eventually it will. I don't think asking for suggestions and putting one forward is a bad idea.

How do we know the club doesn't have a Plan B, its unlikely to divulge this information whilst it trying to convince everyone that a new ground is the best option.

Even if they have one I still feel they're unlikely to tell us.

the willows is owned by a company, a company that iain watson owns, as iain watson is a board member i feel that the club do still own the willows...


as for changing the stadium, you wouldnt really be able to alter the stands at the willows, the only exception being the north stand as there is open space behind that.

if you were to build a ne stand where the shed now lies, also the club house end you cannot as re building a stand would mean them using space up that is behind them

as there are houses and a road behind both of these stands you will not be able to do much with them, the same goes for the austin trummans stand

also i dont think the club have got the money to improve the stadium, the funding from the new build is/was coming from peel holdings/the college

i dont think any one of these organisations will put money into refurbing the willows

i dont think there would be anything in it for peel refurbing the willows out of their 'catchment area'
they would make an awful lot of money having the new build on the barton site around port salford, the trafford centre and other various complexes in which they own

The Willows—stadium and Variety Centre—was sold last year to Godliman-Watson Homes Ltd for £2.35m. It was published in March this year on rlCrain’srl and rlSalford Starrl.

I agree we need a plan B but it needs to be realistic. Just saying buy back The Willows isn't so easy.

I am sorry we allowed the new stadium project to go to Peel but realistically our directors don't have the financial clout. We need Whittaker on the board and accountable, otherwise it will drift.

For me the only viable Plan B is a community stadium at Agecroft, bigger than Swinton want but not on the scale of Barton.

Development of the current site to a standard fit for the future of SL isn't going to happen. Lets face it the club can't even ensure the areas around the club, i.e by the Con Club is free of Dog mess, I hate the impression The Willows gives to visitors.

i agree

I hear what your saying Holty but Widnes' ground is in a very residential area and they have managed. The shed could easily be re-modelled along similar lines but just looking a bit more shiney and new.

The Austin trueman stand could be brought forward towards the pitch getting rid of the track area and thus allowing for the stand to be built back up to the same height as the directors stand is now all the way down the length of the pitch. This would ensure residents couldn't complain about it be too high.

If we joined the shed and the Austin Trueman to the North stand we would have one end completely enclosed eventually.

Have to admit I'm not sure what could be done with the club end. Maybe extend it down towards the pitch as hospitality areas for sponsors?????

Red Willow: I didn't say it would be easy to just buy back the Willows and I admit I don't have all the answers but it would seem we as fans have more ideas than the board at present. Until they actually TELL US otherwise that is.

I agree that the surrounding area is not the greatest but perhaps with regeneration of the ground it will improve?!? Maybe we could even have a task force organised by the Forever Reds to help maintain the area surrounding the ground?

It wouldn't be the first time the fans have mucked in to help sort the ground out. I remember loads of us going down to help get sheets off the ground when it was frosty for a big game against Leeds about 20 years ago. People say they want a community club- start with a Community!!!!

AT LONG LAST SOME GOOD NEWS..... reds.originalreddevils.com/2009/ ... omment-874

AT LONG LAST SOME GOOD NEWS..... reds.originalreddevils.com/2009/ ... omment-874