Quote Fully="Fully"That seems a low figure, but I guess that's down to location and size again?'"
The deal was for a total figure of around £3.5m with various payments made at certain key stages (i.e. obtaining planning permission). Some of the money will have gone to repay the bank so that the legal charge they held could be released - just like it would if you sold your house for more than your mortgage was for. The bulk of the remainder is being used as the club's contribution to the community trust that is building the stadium.
We all know that WR is a bigger site than Belle Vue, so will obviously have the potential to give Cas greater funds, however, the real value cannot be realised until the blast zone from the Hicksons site no longer exists so that a residential development can be built & the last I heard was that the various plans for that site had been withdrawn.
Even when that hurdle has been cleared, there's no guarantee that any house builder will want to buy more land for a few years yet. An agreement in principle may exist, but in reality it's a meaningless term and is something that either side could easily get out of if they wanted.
For the good of the future of both clubs - and therefore local RL - I want to see both sides get the new stadia they deserve. It doesn't really matter who gets their's built first or whose is considered to be the better stadium. What matters is that both clubs have progressed far enough with their individual plans that it isn't an issue when it comes to the next franchise decision.
Equally, if both clubs make the playoffs for the next couple of years (and ideally don't fall at the first hurdle) it will be extremely difficult for the RFL not to give both clubs a franchise regardless of the progress for new stadia.