Your fans by the sound of it.

Comparing him to Goering, yet proclaiming he doesn't get to you is odd.

You're right mate.

Plus should I so called lover / expert of the game be so insulting? He's an idiot.

Why was the Willows a dump? OK, some of the facilities ie the changing rooms were old fashioned and cramped but the ground itself, stands and terracing etc weren't in a state of disrepair or crumbling. Just because the ground was surrounded by cobbled backstreet alleys and an odd turned over bin doesn't necessarily mean it's a dump. Totally agree about Wakefield and Bradford though as those are two grounds I have no wish to return to. I just don't understand why grounds with character, providing they have the necessary facilities, aren't deemed good enough for the top flight of RL. I suppose to some extent it depends on who you are! The trend these days to build new grounds out on a limb or an industrial estate seems to be the norm but not one I'm over keen on. Nethertheless, I look forward to my first game at the new stadium with a sense of keen anticipation and in the hope of a good start to the season.

Living in Belfast, and travelling across for a few weekends each summer to attend rugby league games, I found The Willows to have more character and more atmosphere (regardless of the opposition), than any other ground. It was always high on my list of grounds to visit, if I could fit it in. I'll try to get to the new stadium at some point this season, but I certainly don't expect to visit so regularly in future - not everyone is so bewitched by these new stadia as most people seem to be, and the words "conveniently located close to Junction ?? of the M?" chill me to the bone. If The Willows was a dump, at least it was a dump 2 minutes from a Metrolink station.

He was quite right and within his rights to say so. By the end of its life, the Willows was a dump, albeit a dump with history and quite a bit of charm.

Importantly, he didn't say that sort of thing while Salford were still playing there, then you would have something to moan about.

Absolutely spot on that. I always liked to visit the Willows - go in the club for a decent pint or even just warm up a bit and then able to walk round the ground and stand wherever you want.

Hope Barton feels like home soon, but there's a lot to be said for the freedom of the old grounds.

I'm not sure that this sentence

Is entirely compatible with this oneI just don't understand why grounds with character, providing they have the necessary facilities, aren't deemed good enough for the top flight of RL.'"

The problem is Stevo is the mouthpiece of a company that wants to sanitise the sport it covers, to Sky the Taylor report was a godsend it moved football away from its traditional fan base and making it appeal to a different class. They are now doing the same with RL by driving the franchise system and ensuring they get the grounds they want, so in a few years time we will have an american model of sport in this country, which will bring in even more money for sky, with little or no regard for the sport or its current fans. Just look at the talk on the other side of the pond, this weekend something is happening that lasts an hour but takes 4 to complete and all the talk is how much advertising revenue can be raised, tickets for the audience at $250 a pop so excluding most but the part of the event people and a half time with a full rock concert.
The sport thing is just incidental.

oh yes Stevo = thicko

He should no about dumps.he played most of his career on one,It was called Crown Flats.

and it wasn't even flat.

Willows is a dump, as is Wilderspool even though i love it to pieces, so what's wrong with saying it?

Well me for one has to say the Willows was a real Rugby ground which created a proper atmosphere, unlike the new stadiums we get now.
Not only that but as Swinton was the last team to win a trophy there it has special memories of course.

For what it's worth while the new ground is basic. It serves it's purpose very well.

View is excellent
Toilets plenty and clean
Food outlets plenty
Atmosphere was ok

What more do you want

a winning team