Can people please read this post before commenting on number 7? An absolutely ludicrous idea.

It's got the same legs that Douglas Bader had.

New River Stadium has a 1,000 seater stand and terracing on 2 of the other sides...as well as an 8 lane running track all the way around the pitch. Conservative estimates are 1 million pounds per 1,000 seats for building stands, with additional costs involved for offices and other facilities. Let's say a conservative 20 million shall we?

Planning consent for development of "non-housing" developments in London boroughs have been known to take years, especially, given that an area of land surrounding the proposed new stadium would take away other sports pitches from the community (see pic below). Licences are up for renewal in 2 years time.....

We have moved in 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2006.......none of these moves resulted in increased attendances....Skolars get about 500 at games.....has someone worked out that tottenham residents will flock to watch top flight RL?

in addition.....would the council really be prepared to just hand over the land? Does the RFL need a 10k/15k seater stadium in London? Has the club got the 5+ years minimum it would take to make this a reality? Would it be called the David Hughes Memorial Stadium?

Some of us already knew that Sargi had turned down a longer deal and it wouldn't surprise many of us if he left at the end of this season.

Re Dorn, I can well believe that he has had a falling out with Powell as unlike a lot of you on here, I can't understand why he's not getting in the team. If he goes, thats fine if we can replace him with a better player...that's a big if in our circumstances, imo (we won't have Robbo either).

As for the New River...forget it, it won't happen.

Thanks for all that.

It's often the case with player movements that rumours have subbstance in that agents or clubs converse with each other quite often. The signing is the thing that takes the longest and a club may have made an enquiry about a player and it gets out.

Hello all,

I think the New River Stadium concept has a lot of mileage.

I'm told that the council owns the huge amount of land shown on the diagram and that there are teams leasing various space including Tottenham Hotspur and a range of Union and amateur clubs.

The council will be happy to turn over this land to be run by private enterprise. I daresay there may be a lot of reason to keep the council involved as I'd assume it is not profit making at present and bear all the costs.

London Skolars, the RFL and the other land renters are happy to move on whilst the Athletics guys seldom use the running track so that could go.

I think you could develop a Grand Stand opposite the current stand to hold several thousand more and maybe some terraces to join the two.

Whilst it might not meet the RFL criteria it wouldn't matter because we won't be removed from SL.

For me the dream combination would be a willing council with a patch of land in London plus a variety of contributors.

I don't see how any other option would get council support or the land and after squatting for decades this sounds good to me.

I know some people like the Stoop and the Bar but at £3.95 a pint I am not sure that it represents good value to the beer hungry visitors and I think these kind of price hikes in a recession can be traced to the RU club wanting more cash across the Board to sustain higher expectation.

Cheers
Rammo

Interesting stuff.

Do many clubs back home own their own grounds? I have no idea. I am aware that over here, not many do, if any, at all. Manly for example pay Manly Warringah Council hundreds of thousands in rent a year to play there. The council also allow other events there, from Local Rugby League grand finals to public events like an agricultural show, but not in the regular NRL season.

It makes sense here that teams play away from their home stomping grounds, as stadia offer clubs good deals to play at their purpose made venues, like the Olympic Stadium or the Footy Stadium (both with their various sponsored name changes).

As we no longer have a spiritual home in Craven Cottage as such, is it such a hardship to move? Again.

The Caro to St Helens one comes from a rumour up there that they want to sign a threequarter but the threequarter is yet to agree a deal because he's not sure whether he wants to leave the area he's in now. So suggestions arose that it was a London player obviously and Sarginson, Caro and even Clubb have been suggested.

The David Hughes Memorial Stadium?

You sick (unt

Thanks for that, I can well believe the Dorn and Sargy rumours. If I was Sargy I would not sign a deal with the current set-up! The New River thing is interesting, the Council want to get shot of it (true), the RFL would love a base in London (true), the Broncos are looking to move (true). It would take an awful lot of cash and work to make the stadium SL standard, but let us say Spurs wanted it for their reserve games, it may just all add up. There are some on here who just don't like north London...........................

Developing the New River would cost millions and I would say that in this economic climate, it is highly unlikely that they could raise enough money.

I put my hand up and say I don't like North London (not the part where the New River is) it's a horrid dump imo, but that wouldn't stop me going there to support my team (it would stop some of our regulars attending...but any move anywhere will reduce support initially).

There are four stands from the Olympic Hockey Stadium which have yet to find a post-games home. Stick them on top of the athletics track and you get a brand new stadium for next to nothing.

The problem as I see it, from a development point of view, lies in having the Broncos and Skolars in the same location.

I was going to suggest that you can get temporary stands such as we had in the South Stand previously pending a new stand being built. These would have to be rented and not bought or built so removing the need for spending millions. As we are a RL club and not a Premiership soccer team we are allowed to have terracing by the RFL anyway although im not sure about the local councils view.

If its true these stands at the Olympic Hockey Stadium are freely available still then that is even better.

I also think the club know things we don't when considering this. Maybe they know we can play with a 5,000 capacity initially come the franchise situation. Im more concerned about DH's ability to finance us when he retires than these other issues as im sure there is a way round them or we would not be leaving the Stoop.(allegedly)