Saints will have a lot of council money like we did to build the DW. Ifg they would have know what we would have been treated like they wouldnt have got planning or funding.

You dont, whelan does.

Its obviously in your interest to promote games (eg, The Big One 2) because presumably 100% of the gate receipts are yours, but the sale of refreshments will go to the the stadium co. not Wigan RL, as will the renting out of function rooms for weddings, conferences etc

But we have no overheads apart from the rent of the ground which is very, very good value so the extra 10k_ fans admission is sitting nicely.

Clearly that is the case (weddings etc). But we have a product to sell, and that is rugby league. We can use all those facilities during games like the one and Friday and make a lot of money in the process.

Although we would like those facilities the compromise that's met is on the rent. Your situation is unique in this day of age. That's what worries me. Although its enviable to have that potential to make money, it looks like you'll have to make sure you do to make it viable.

Good for cash flow, but leaves you asset poor, with a balance sheet that looks a bit thin.

That goes without saying and is the same for any business, sporting or not. In fact its the same for you, only more so, you need the bums on seats and sale of club merchandise as its your only source of income, where as Saints will have gate receipts, merchandise, AND the income that the stadium itself can generate such as already mentioned function rooms & bars, plus semi finals, international matches, and the biggy the naming rights to the stadium.

The money for the stadium is there already, from the sale of KR, the Council and grants from the NWDA, (money from the Council and the NWDA is NOT a loan but grants, this does not have to be paid back and does not give either body any ownership or rights to the stadium)

From were i live the Widnes ground is only about a 50 minute walk and less than a 10 minute drive,though Saints could have handled this better and should put free transport on.

Saints have said they will do, alongside offers on season tickets that are tied to the season at Widnes and subsequent years too.

I for one am ecstatic at this news. Best news for many a year at Saints.

It makes sense that Saints are recruiting heavily for next season, they need to be successful to ensure the fans travel to Widnes.

KR is a disgrace & I really hope the new stadium is finally on the way.

Personally im very pleased saints are moving to a modern staduim. If Salford get their finger out, all Lancs clubs will have good staduims, its just yorkshire thats letting RL down

Solution
Bradford - Sell odsal and buy into Valley Parade
Leeds - Build a roof over the away end!
Hull FC - No probs there
HKR - build an away end!
Cas - Merge with wakey
Wakefield - Same as above

See easy!

No, Saints have no council money to fund the building of the stadium. The Council ultimately will be putting £6 million into the project, the NWDA £4 million, but that is for remediation works, such as cleansing the site (it was a chemical/glass works) and setting up things like the roundabout to the ground (which is now almost complete) and the footbridge, along with upgrading parking facilities in the nearby multistoreys for match days. Saints are financing the building of the Saints stadium through the sale of Knowsley Road and the investment of the directors. The stadium will be ours to use and abuse as we wish. Tesco is funding its own build and their money has absolutely nothing to do with us.

The stadium will be a financial killer for the directors for years to come. They will no doubt have loans to pay on the financing. But at least their money will be going into something that will, over time, be a money raiser and not a money drainer, as is the case with Knowsley Road.

I sense alot of Jealous Wigan fans reading this

A brand new stadium 100% owned by the club is credit to St Helens

If Dave Wheelan wants his pitch again there might be 3 clubs playing at Widnes next year