Quote wildshot="wildshot"To add some balance to the negative response by many on here to JD's interview. I am a fan of 26 years, love the club to death, have shares in the club - not as an investment but as a way to help the club.
I am also wary of the current economic climate, the change in recent politics which has led to many cut backs on a national scale. I am also able to remember many years of knock backs on stadia, who remembers the Pugneys venture with Yorkshire CC?
If a ground share is what is required then I have no problem with that since I see it as a long term benefit for the club. Okay, so people out of their sentiment will not go. Of those that don't go I think a number will come round to the idea over time. We will not lose all the fans who threaten to leave. Further, a more appealing venue for facilities and comfort will bring in new support and more travelling fans = more revenue for the club = increased chance of developing a more successful team = more fans and so on.
Our current stadia is dated and poor.
I agree that sometimes the RL in my view are misguided in the way they want to develop the game. Grassroots are the heart and soul of the game and should not be lost. How the RL can justify Salford, Quins or Crusaders greater franchise worthiness with such low crowds and uncompetitive performance is beyond me. Further Quins and Crusaders have less heritage in player development.
I've been to Australia many times and when you look at the teams who play such as at the Olympic stadium (Bulldogs, Rabbitohs), St George-Illawara etc you see that many dedicated fans are prepared to travel a not too far a distance to see their team. I for one travelled over 50 miles yesterday (one way) to get to Cas (since I live in East Yorkshire). I am prepared to travel where ever I can manage to see my team. I support Wakefield Trinity where ever and when ever.
I support JD's comments. In the current climate it is the most viable and practical option. The RL have set some tough criteria, which although I disagree with, meeting the criteria will (in my view) help the club grow.'"
I appreciate a lot of what you say there but for me it's about having a home you can identify with and feel at home.
I personally would never, ever get that feeling following Wakefield at Glasshoughton. Also going there would end any possibility of ever building our own stadium in Wakefield I would imagine.
I don't think I would have a problem following at Barnsley if I knew that while I was following there our own stadium was being built in Wakefield.
I've followed Wakey for over 20 years, maybe not as much as I would have liked home and away in recent years due to other commitments, but I did the hard times going to the likes of Whitehaven, Carlisle, Workington etc... and hardly missed a game for years and years, seeing plenty of bad times along the way. I always thoroughly enjoyed it though even if we did have some truly awful times. My hunger and passion was always there for my home town club though and that's the important bit....'home town club'
I now live out of Wakefield in Dewsbury but have no trouble at all travelling to 'home' games. Take that away from Wakefield permanently though and I'm sorry but that would be me done. I would probably walk the ten minutes up the road from home and watch Dewsbury.
I find it disrespectful of Jason to question fans love of the game for not wanting to travel out of Wakefield to watch [u
OUR[/u 'home' team.
I know plenty of people who have followed Wakefield for as long and longer than me and with more passion who feel the same way. You only have to look at the poll I started on Glasshoughton and take notice of some of the posters who have voted 'no' to realise the strength of opposition to something that our club captain questions the fans over...