You are correct Fordy. The land is owned by Yorkcourt - but it will be placed in the 'Special Purpose Vehicle' (I think that's the correct term) along with all the other assets / value required to fund the stadium and sports facilities.

Otherwise it's not too far wrong at all!

I sense some real momentum to this, and I just hope it isn't derailed by some bureaucrat somewhere inflicting a delay.

Next year becomes crucially important on the pitch. Posts on the Salford site suggest that 60 weeks is a timescale for building a stadium. If we accept that as being somewhere accurate, if we get in the play-offs in 2010 and have something that resembles the skeleton of a stadium by mid-2011, when the franchise applications are considered, with no apparent delays foreseeble (I'm thinking of the time that it took Halifax to complete things), I can't see that we don't tick most of the boxes.

Also, if we go for the 15,000 capacity option, with the corners filled in, 2010 might be a good year to do all the creative entertainment and ticketing options, as if we can show that we have an average of over 7,000, that is another box ticked. The potential average-basher of the home game against Catalan could be lifted by Danyl Johnson and it being the first game.

I think i can say with some degree of certainty that the management of the community trust have been very mindful of the problems that have gone on at the LSV.
Other than in essence owning the land it's built on WMDC wouldn't play any role in the management and administration of the stadium.

Would you not have preffered it to be in wakefield itself?

not sure whats happened to wakey since i moved away, but when i lived there i'm sure Stanley and Newmarket were in Wakefield

Personally, I thought the best location for the ground was the one that collapsed last year. As it is there is no other alternative, and this is the next best thing. 4m from the city centre hardly miles away and the road network surrounding it means it’s far more likely to get planning permission granted then the congested road network closer to Wakefield.

I wasnt trying to be negative, the rest of the plans looks great, i'm just concerned about putting a stadium away from its fans, the only other one i can think of is the swinton stadium and its had a negative impact on attendances.

I suspect the fans that live in Stanley, Outwood, Wrenthrope, Newton Hill and Lofthouse would disagree about it being away from the fans, far closer and easier for them to get to now rather than having to bus into town or drive over Wakefield's bottle-neck chantry bridge. There are plenty of Rhino's in Rothwell and Woodlesford (and players) who are far closer to the ground than most traditional Cas supporting areas too!

To be honest I'm not that sure many of Wakefield fans derive from the Agrbigg/Belle Vue area and in all honesty a large proportion may actually come from north Wakefield or Ossett/Horbury (who, in motorway time, will be able to get there a hell of a lot quicker). Plus there is always the chance to entice new support from the Methley and Rothwell areas!

Make no mistake a city centre ground would’ve been ideal but that wasn’t to be. The pro's of an improved match day experience at a new stadium will far outweigh the negatives of moving a little further out of town.

I realise that, whenever a ground is moved its nearer for some and further for others but the majority of fans will come from the city itself, rather than outlying towns and villages, these fans who could have walked the distance before may be several miles away now.

I'm not sure what leeds and cas fans have to do with it either?

There is a risk, I suppose, as there may be plenty of people who can get to Belle Vue easily and less so to Newmarket. On the other hand, how many people are put off from going because of Belle Vue? It is not a pretty place to spend the afternoon, whereas something shiny and new and comfortable might attract a lot more people than would be put off by the location. City centres have all the shops you tend to find in out of town developments, but people are still happy to pile into their cars.

There is also the impact of more away fans. A lot of people will be interested in seeing the new ground, and so you there will be more fans because of that.

So if you take the Wakey hardcore as 5,000 (going from Catalan and Quins attendances), even if you lose 1,000, you should make those up easily by people who are newly-attracted to the new stadium, as well as the increased away attendances, as a lot of the Wakey occasional fans may well fancy it more often.

There is also the "mate at work" factor that a new stadium brings, as people will be interested in going and maybe just need someone who they know to prompt them.

To the rest of the city, we have looked like a fading glory for many years, playing in a part of the city people don't want to visit. Now, we might look like a team on the up that the city can be proud of.

If you build it, they will come.

How come?

Thanks for the great posts. The first was a great read, you obviously know your stuff. If you could clarify why it would be harder for the local residents to object if Yorkcourt owned the land that would be ace.
Like many, this sort of thing isn't the game I'm in, while I do take a keen interest I'm unaware of the finer detail, although posts like you have made have really cleared the picture up.

I think a lot of people parked up in the city centre and walked to BV. The P&R scheme will see to it that the stadium will be well serviced for those who wish to ditched the car.