Certainly am!

All contributions welcome!

Didn't stop us did it?

My only concern for you guys moving to NM would be attendances. Are you convinced that you will still get the same/bigger attendances as you are now?
I'm not, it will take a huge amount of work from the club, and no small effort from the supporters.
NM DOES NOT guarantee us larger crowds, continuing to move in the right direction on and off the field (which we are currently, hence the recent improvements) is the only thing than have any "guaranteed" impact on crowds.

And this is what has been niggleing at the back of my mind Tigerade, Attendances. Initially we will get the inquisitve attendance, people want to see what its like, but in the long run i worry about the supporters who travel from the south east of wakey like Barnsley and what with the economy getting worse not better as admitted at the conservative conference yesterday there are to be more budget cuts from Wakefield council which will enevertively mean more job losses meaning more people having less money to spend so existing supporters cought up in this will have to have priorities their budgets. I,m not a pesimist or an optimist, i like to think i,m a realist and Trinity through and through but i do honestly think that there will still be some problems in the future which we will have to face head on.

What may offset the hassle for those at the south of the city will be the easier traffic links. I suppose the question is how much walk-up support we get, those that don't use a car for matches and won't want to.

Salford is perhaps a bad example to quote, because their access options seem much poorer, and they started with poor crowds anyway. I don't think it will quite do a Warrington, as their new ground is even better for the town centre than the old one. It's up to those who run the club to make it attractive for supporters. Provided people can get off and on the car parks easily, or manage to find their own space somewhere and then walk in, it shouldn't be too bad. What would put people off is the thought of being stuck on a car park for an hour after the game, and eventually that would eat away at the casual support. It was bad at Leigh, but of course their way out is through a long succession of lights along a single carriageway, whereas Newmarket would be straight onto a motorway.

What we don't know is how many people are put off by Belle Vue. I've never been keen on bringing my kids to Belle Vue, because (selfishly) I had to stand next to them and prop them on a wall, which was never comfortable. Taking them to all-seater games, however, has always been much better. You might lose some by the move, but the potential to grab a lot more, especially families, is much higher.

Whoops! I must remember that even when you post an innocent comment or question on this forum on the 'stadium' topic then you have to be very careful or some might look for a cryptic meaning!!!!





Ok, so I have been slightly guilty of this in the past so maybe that is not too much of leap!

However, I only ask because, as I am sure you will all be delighted to know, I am flying to Lanzarote next Thursday myself for a cheeky week away with Mrs IA and IA Junior!




Equally... I might be keeping a close eye on my e-mails because we heard a rumour that things might be close to being sorted and therefore news may be imminent!

That's the big thing because Belle Vue has been putting people off especially families coming for years. Those who are not hardcore fans will just not tolerate poor stadia, not when there's so many other leisure activities that families can spend their coin on.

As for putting people off, I'm not sure it will, the access to the motorway links will be excellent, so people coming from the other side of Wakefield can jump on the motorway and come a junction or so up, same goes for away fans, far far easier to get to and away from. As long as we have good bus links, adequate parking and the club sell it the right way to those that want it on their door step, I personally think we should be far better at NM.

On the issue of crowds and Newmarket, then I think for those not ultra familiar with location should take a look on Google maps. I think quite a few people believe the site is totally isolated because that is the picture objectors tried to paint in people's minds. It is on the edge of Stanley, right next to Moorhouse Council Estate and J30 of the M62 and is only 15/20 mins walk from the centre of Stanley. The primary school kids who live down Bottomboat and Moorhouse (mostly) walk to & from St Peters school, so walking from Stanley, Lee Moor and parts of Outwood in not that long a walk.... more so if you break it up with a couple of pints on the way!

The current Belle Vue location does not produce many walk-ups any more from the local area and I think Newmarket will produce many more, not less. That is of course because the area around Belle Vue now has become a predominately Asian and ethnic minority area of the City and it is a shame that the clubs has struggled to get them interested, but equally, that is the reality.

Unless you are close to a bus route that passes close by, most people who do 'walk' to Belle Vue only do so from the City centre having got there most probably via bus or train from Westgate, or from Kirkgate Railway station. Now, you can't walk from the City Centre to Newmarket as easily and quickly as you can to Belle Vue, but the plan is to put on special match day buses (operated by Arriva) for a standard fare. These would probably start at the bus station, so very easy access from Westgate as well, and then head down through the Springs, and therefore passed Kirkgate station, picking up on the way, up Stanley Street (so right past Eastmoor) and straight up Aberford Road, taking 10 to 15 mins. They might even run one up Leeds Road and through Newton Hill & Outwood and then cut through Stanley to the ground. I think access will be easier for most, not worse.

Of course it will be a dream for away fans in cars and coaches as it is right next to J30 and also it will be good for away match coach travel, as you can drive to Newmarket, leave your car in the new massive car park for free and catch the coach to away games.

Finally, the travel plan also states that they would like to run special buses direct to Newmarket from Castleford and Leeds Centres when they play Wakey, and if that is advertised well then it is only 15/20 mins travel from both!

Finally, finally, Belle Vue still puts people off coming I reckon, so that is another win for Newmarket!

Yep this.

Talking of busing people to the match I remember, in the fifties and sixties certainly, a long row of buses outside Belle Vue after the match, ready to take people to town.
Anyone any idea when this ended and did they go further than town?
I always wanted to catch one, but dad made me walk as we lived near Kirkgate station.