I wouldn't be so sure. Let us assume that apart from the stadium issue, we both tick more or less the same amount of boxes. If we then look at the stadium issue as what goes on top of that, which will the RFL prefer:
1. A Super League quality stadium, as part of the Plan B that the RFL wanted last time, in a county with no current Super League presence, with a fully-funded Newmarket development still a likely outcome; or,
2. Castleford in exactly the same place as they were, with fines for crowd trouble and homophobia.

I would put our bid above a Cas bid. We have to remember that the RFL look at all of this in very different terms to fans, and they might just see a glossy stadium for Wakey, even if it is sharing with a football club. On paper, with a move to the Plan B, I think our application is better. Why is a Wakey application, based on a Super League quality stadium, worse than Cas's bid, as things stand at the moment?

If Cas get the funding and start building, I would have to concede defeat, but I wouldn't get too cocky just yet if I was a Cas fan, and I wouldn't get too pessimistic if I was a Wakey fan (although the mood of the day is gloomy).

Yes, but you would have to prove that you can deliver the stadium you have planning permission for? Cas know they need full planning permission before they can realistically include it in an application, but won't they have to prove that they can deliver it, as the planning permission could be seen as just a smokescreen to hopefully buy you another three years in which to build it. Whereas Wakey's application would be based, I assume, on a tenancy agreement to play at a stadium that is already built and would fulfil the quality criteria.

I'm not saying that things look great, but it is too tempting to think that all is doomed on the Wakey front, and all is rosy on the Cas side. On paper, the Wakey application would be better, as it would be based on a stadium that is already built, and we all know how the RFL like things to look good on paper, rather than reality.

There's a lot of water to travel under both bridges yet, and I wouldn't write Wakey off, and I wouldn't be buying in the champagne just yet. We were both warned that we had to be in Super League quality stadia by 2012. We will be. You probably won't be.

So its ok for leeds to build on a stand to block locals out on a estate but we cant build on a hole old pit site ! JOKE !

great post.

I'll take your word for it but £11.5m seems light even in these competitive times. Newmarket was mentioned at £20m - high in my opinion - but there looked more in the Stadium at Glasshoughton so I'm surprised at £11.5m but we live and learn.

All the £11.5m (Fully's price) is in place to build the Stadium. Thats great news for you but just out of curiousity where is the £11.5m coming from ? I'm aware that the Council has put up land to allow a loan facility of £2m. Ben Bailey have an option on Wheldon Road but that will only be bought once Outline consent has been obtained and at today's market value which is well down on the peak values of 3/4 years ago when they took out the option.

Not my business but just curious.

Gloat all you like - I still say the final statement in that press release will not happen.


Or at least announce another deadline that they will probably fail to meet.

I hope that the appeal is successful and you get your stadium.

Here is my suggestion how it could work.

Plans for Newmarket re submitted for a much smaller and modest scheme of purely the industrial units and nothing more. These are all on the old pit site which would be much less contraversial. The much smaller planning gain from this would be given to glasshoughton.

Add to that the other £2M that should have gone to us and then you may just about there.

Infacts its back to where we were about 8 months ago

According to Fully the cost of your stadium is £11.5million pound, you say the project is ready to go that means that your club must have already sold WR and got the rest of the financial package sorted for you, and you have been sitting on £9.5million pounds until now, and that the £2million Wakey council has released to you will ensure your total funding according to that, thats good news for you, but don't you think that you would be better off on your own board trying to convince your own sceptics instead of trying to convince people on here who quite frankly atm could not care less hth.

If you read the post, you will see that I said that if Cas start building and have the funds to complete, then the Cas application is stronger, undoubtedly. I just have a suspicion, however, that planning permission is being obtained to demonstrate an intention, not an ability. If you have just planning permission, then I am not sure the RFL will buy it. And before you say it, I do think that you would spend money on getting planning permission even if you can't build, because without it your franchising application is dead in the water.

If you don't demonstrate an ability to complete, then on paper our application will be stronger, as we will be in a Super League quality stadium, and you won't.

I'm not being rose-tinted. Today, would rather be in Cas's shoes than ours, but that doesn't mean we are finished, and it doesn't mean that you are home and dry.

I'm just enjoying life in general at the moment and getting into the Christmas mood. Its been a good couple of days so far for me. I almost believe in Santa again.

Belle Vue has been sold and half the money received and spent. We are homeless at the end of the season as Cala homes will be wanting their land.

Demotion to the championship will leave a funding gap for Newmarket as the councils £2million land loan is based on us being in superleague and its requirement to upgrade stadia. It is highley likely to be withdrawn in July 2011should we miss the franchise. The same goes for Cas. So I would guess theres a chance that for whoever gets the chop their stadium may never happen, condeming them to a life in the lower leagues for many years, should they survive.