At the planning meeting the legal representative kept saying he was representing Newmarket Lane, eventually he had to say it was Yorkcourt.

https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... -1-9619382 We should put in an objection to this as well, plans for another art gallery

https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... -1-9619382 We should put in an objection to this as well, plans for another art gallery

Are Wakefield Council trying to "Art Gallery" us all to death by saturating the district with arts centres? Aren't the Hepworth Gallery, The YSP at Bretton and that place on Drury Lane enough? Jewels in the crown they may all be, but there is an old saying: "You can't polish a turd". We are a northern working class city and should be proud of this fact and professional Rugby League has been associated with this city for nearly 115 years, yet it seems that a sport that has been the trademark for Wakefield for all this time can go by the by in order to try and make the place a northern Bloomsbury.
I thought the idea was to draw people into the city centre at night. I somehow don't think an arts centre is going to do this ,and the old market should be a bowling alley to replace that at Belle Vue'

It seems that money can be made available for anything "artistic" , but sport in Wakefield is a no no.

I wouldn't even call the market old

Old in the sense that it's not a market anymore, snowie. One would question whether it ever was a market as such.

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Maybe if we proposed a stadium with an integrated art gallery?

Maybe if we weren't in hock to a shonky developer, and our favourite son wasn't working against us, we'd actually get somewhere?

I'm a bit in despair - the vote to deny permission was probably grandstanding and will be overturned on appeal - and whilst it's nice to bloody their noses, I'm not sure it advances our cause much; meanwhile, we're inching closer towards a loan to buy back BV, which means we'll end up with a few cosmetic improvements, but nothing of substance, and certainly not a modern facility that helps us capitalise on an improved on-field situation.

Yes we will be back in time to exactly where we were about 15 years ago. We own the stadium but have a debt on it. Only thing that's changed is Ted as gone and MC has taken over and the stadium is even more unfit for purpose in these modern times.

I'm not so sure on that - Box like all petty dictators eventually runs out of rope and their demise often comes from an unexpected source. Its very often a long running issue where fairness has not been shown and a detrmined group of people refuse to back down. Eventually others spot their chance because people like Box make enemies and jump on board. Sure their motives are dubious but that doesn't matter because once these sort of people smell blood they are in for the kill and that is the end of that.

Perhaps and I'm only speculating, Box turn has come and this side issue that has been dooging him for years will finally get up and bite him. Now I'm being optimistic I know but I do feel a groundswell of support, certainly against Box if not the Stadium specifically. If this can become an issue his enemies can unite around then we might just have him.

Of course there is still the chance that we'd get side swiped by the new people but generally new poilticians tend not to bite the hand that just fed them.

Who knows but I'm cautiously more optimistic than I was 12 month ago. What we might end up with though I don't have a clue.

Sorry PB but I think MC and the Trust are a little bit more savvy than to accept just that don't you?

Of course they are, no doubt about it. However you can be the most Savvy person in the world but remember who they are dealing with.


Yorkcourt own very little if any land at Newmarket, its either mortgaged, sold or it wasn't theirs, they only had options. Building a stadium was never in their true business plan. I would imagine they have made a fair bit of money already. If they don't get anything else built. They will take their profit and walk. So I am certain you can count them out as a financial source for funds. Forget the council also, even if Box had a change of heart the cost would be too much for them. We had all this nudge nudge, wink wink crap quite a while ago now and still nothing !!! Like you say MC and JM are no mugs and the longer that we hear nothing tells me there is no deal to be had.


I would love to be wrong about all this but time and experience of this mess has left me very sceptical

Now that I get, who knows as you say its a complete mess.

I admire your optimism but I suspect you underestimate the power of patronage that Box wields to remain in his position. If I remember correctly, he has now been leader for 21 years!
He rules by carefully controlling his Labour Group of councillors. Yes, no doubt there are a few that likely despise the very ground he walks on but they exist in their positions of power in this small pond by his will and "gifts" of influence. I'd love nothing more than to see the back of him and a new leadership and phillosopy around Wakefield Local Government and its support of professional and local sports clubs and please, please please, don't let it be any of his current lieutenants, especially the one who has ruined Wakefield City Centre. I really believe you need to look anywhere but towards Peter Box for any progress for Wakefield Trinity!

No I don't under estimate him and I did state it was a hugely optimistic scenatio. However tyrants fall, nobody expected Thatcher (who wasn't a tyrant in the truest sense but appeared to rule with a rod of iron) to be diposed but she was and it happened quickly - happens all the time throughout history, they nearly all slip up in the end, Julius Caeser the most famous one I suppose.

Nor do I think the loss of Box will by itself change the world which again I think I said there was a risk as to who takes over.

Wouldn't Box just love to be in the same company as the two I've just mentioned