Exactly, for WAKEFIELD not BOTH TEAMS in the district, so no groundshare, still.

So how do you interpret this bit then?

....an understanding was reached recognising that the Wildcats would concentrate their support for Newmarket and that a move to Glasshoughton was NOT an option.
“The meeting with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council agreed that ALL parties would work to that end.”

Yes that's correct. Based on information I have received this morn.
The WMDC will back both applications, just not financially.

The top and bottom of this issue is finance.

The WMDC only ever proposed a feasibility study, this would have been time consuming and costly and would have only ever have taken place if both clubs agreed that a shared deal was the way forward. As this never came to be no study was conducted.

Therefore the only way the council can go is moral support with no financial involvement in either scheme. For now.

The meeting last Weds, which was attended by WTW + The community trust, CT, WMDC, Waystones & Yorkcourt came out with 2 definitive factors:
1. A groundshare at GH was a non-starter. WT and the community trust acknowledged they would never consider such a move- based on the geographical location and proximity and travel time to the citizens they represent- This was 1 of the 2 main points preposed for the feasability study- the other being funding- couldn't see GH winning on either front tbh.
2. As no groundshare could be agreed any funding from WMDC will officially be withdrawn in Sept. WMDC will support both projects but fund none.


Thing is the withdrawal of financial support J32 is facing a very hard uphill battle.
I have no doubt RW will issue a statement in the next 24 hours saying they also "have the full backing of WMDC".
IMO it seems CT have tried to keep this in house- until any problems can be resolved (if that can be done).

I just hope they get the same honesty as we have been given.

As pretty empty (when it comes to the council, anyway). What exactly are WMDC required to do to work to that end, beyond consider, and consult on, the outline planning permission when it's submitted in September?

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you to continue with Newmarket which has full backing of all parties, including WMDC" which some have been taking it to mean.

This is the only thing that keeps me optimistic.

I keep asking myself why would Rodders be anywhere near it if it wasn't going to work? My knowledge is basically what I gleen from here and in the press, I dont really understand it all if I am being perfectly honest - but the thing I keep coming back to in my mind is that Sir Rodney has nothing to prove and no need at all to tarnish his reputation by being invovled with a damp squib thats never going to happen. Its not as if he is struggling for publicity and wants to attatch his name to anything just to keep him in the public eye.....

Having spoken with Ted & Eric prior to yesterday’s game, listening to the announcement and reading the statement on the club’s web site I thought I had an understanding of the situation.

I understand that meetings took place last Thursday evening involving Wakefield MDC, Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers, the Community Trust, and the developers of both Newmarket and Glasshoughton. The outcome of which was that Wakefield MDC decided that as they had stated over a week ago that they would only support the development of one Community Stadium that both clubs would share and that support would go to Newmarket and not Glasshoughton.

That seemed pretty clear to me – The Council are supporting Newmarket as the Wakefield and District Community Stadium and both Wakefield and Castleford are more than happy to play there as equals. I did not interpret the statements that both Wakefield and Castleford have decided to go it alone and the Council have yet to decide which one (if any) it would support.

Having read 12 pages on here I’m now confused. Have I misunderstood or misinterpreted the statement or is it that some posters on here are not prepared to accept the decision of the Council.

I thought Castleford had funding in place (without the need to share or Council support) such that they could develop Glasshoughton as a Private Stadium that they would own themselves albeit in a phased manner. Wakefield’s agreement to groundshare would only speed up the full development and result in us paying rent to Castleford as landlords. If this is the case then I’m sure that Castleford will be able to proceed with Glasshoughton and achieve their own stadium whilst we (hopefully) will be tenants in a Community Stadium at Newmarket. 2 new stadium’s in the Wakefield District, one Private, one Public, surely a win-win.

I guess we will have to wait and see if Official Statements are issued by the Council and Castleford Tigers which hopefully will make the position clear and clear up my confusion.

For what its worth, i read this as us telling the council we would like to go it alone without the land promised in return for help with speeding up the planning process. I have it on good authority that we can have the stadium built in 46 weeks which if we could have everything sorted sooner rather than later would leave us enough time to build and be in for 2012.

As for Cas, if we can do this and get the stadium without the land loans and they need it, then so be it. If the council can still afford and want to give it away, give them it. Lets have 2 teams playing out of brand new stadiums and just maybe it would stop the "you bought your ground back for a pound/have been bailed out by the council" comments we have heard for the last 20 years!!

Could someone help me with one aspect I am not clear about in relation to Newmarket.

If I understand the situation correctly, as the two clubs do not propose to ground share, the council will not provide any funding for either. I understand also that the Newmarket project has its own funding. Does the council not providing any funding leave any funding gap, or was the funding issue primarily intended to benefit Glasshoughton?

Potentially, each club is in a strong position now. Newmarket needs the nod, not the funding, and so if all parties are working towards the nod, it's starting to look brighter. And as Richard Wright has been glowing about the new Cas stadium for such a long time, then I presume it is full steam ahead with the plans he has always had.

I agree. Sir Rod does not back losers.

I have read the statement a few times now and although it doesn't say "full backing" it does say "all parties" and this includes WMDC.By my understanding, this surely means that WMDC and CT have agreed that NM is the way forward,and now everybody including wakey fans are just waiting for RW to find the courage to come out and say so,when this is done the situation will be alot clearer and everybody knows where they stand.