Archive for bridgendravens.myfreeforum.org Welcome to the Bridgend Ravens Web Forum. Please feel free to chat about anything that takes your fancy... but remember, keep it clean. This forum is moderated on a daily basis and IPs are tracked (so look out!!!!)
|
leenat
|
Stadium - AGAIN | Quote: | Rugby academy back on agenda
Apr 24 2008 by Andrew Harrison, Glamorgan Gazette
A RUGBY centre of excellence is back on the agenda for Bridgend – three years after plans to develop Island Farm were kicked into touch.
Agents for the WRU have approached the borough council’s economic development unit for help in finding a suitable site.
The request coincides with a bid by the council to help the Celtic Crusaders rugby league club find a new home.
The club has held talks with the council about leaving the Brewery Field for a proposed 10,000-seater multi-sport community stadium as part of their bid to be awarded a Super League franchise for 2009, as revealed by the Gazette in February.
A report was due to be presented to cabinet members earlier this week but the meeting was shelved because of the impending elections. The report names Bridgend Ravens Rugby Club, Bridgend Town Football Club and the WRU as possible partners in the community stadium scheme.
The council’s head of transportation has already looked at 11 potential sites for the stadium on behalf of the Crusaders.
Two favourites have emerged – a piece of land at Sarn services and another adjacent to the Bridgend Northern Distributor Road near Brackla.
The council is supportive of the Crusaders’ Super League bid as long as the Ravens’ future is not compromised.
Crusaders chief executive David Thompson said: “It’s not a case of the council building a stadium that doesn’t include things we want, or the Crusaders building a stadium that isn’t acceptable to the Ravens. We want a partnership with everyone working together.”
The council report says facilities could include a main stadium for the Crusaders, meeting Super League specifications, with a smaller 1,500-seater ground next door for the Ravens and Bridgend Town, plus training pitches and health and fitness facilities for the community.
It implies that all parties could work together to build the proposed stadium – but the Ravens are reluctant to work with Leighton Samuel’s Crusaders and WRU chief executive Roger Lewis is lukewarm about the council’s involvement after his run-in with officers over the demise of the Ogmore Centre Trust, a charity he chairs.
Ravens director Dai Rees said his club wants to remain at the Brewery Field and take over the lease, which Mr Samuel transferred into the name of his company Decor Frame (now Dekor) a few years ago.
He also criticised the report for not taking into account the WRU’s Welsh Premiership ground requirements.
“We don’t want a 1,500-seater stadium, as the WRU demands seats for 1,000 people and a covered area for 2,500,” said Mr Rees. “We’re not in support of sharing a ground with rugby league but we would like a feasibility study of an independent ground where we could earn money or share it with the soccer club.
“We’re not after the Brewery Field for financial gain. We want the ground back for the people of Bridgend. What if Dekor was wound up? The Brewery Field could end up in the hands of the receivers.”
While the Ravens used to be rent-free tenants, they now pay rent to Mr Samuel’s company, which eats into their resources.
Continued on Page 2
From Page 1
The Gazette understands agents for the WRU approached BCBC’s economic development unit at the beginning of March looking for a site for a centre of excellence with easy access to the M4.
The centre would be less than 15 acres and include pitches, two of them floodlit, plus accommodation and a training barn, plus office space.
But WRU chief executive Roger Lewis, who is also chair of the Ogmore Centre trustees, expressed caution.
“I am aware a stadium was on the minutes for a council meeting,” he told the Gazette.
“But based on my experience over the Ogmore Centre Trust I would be very wary of doing business with BCBC.”
Meanwhile BCBC is holding £2m from Asda on behalf of the football club, which had to leave its Coychurch Road ground to make way for the supermarket giant.
The council has agreed to release £150,000 to improve facilities at Lock’s Lane in Porthcawl, where Bridgend play while they search for a new permanent home.
The latest site to be earmarked by the club is the Bryncethin Claypits, which is also of interest to the Bridgend Festivals Committee as a showground.
The council report says Bridgend Town have requested they be supported in continuing their independent investigation in parallel with the new stadium plans.
Bridgend Town chairman Hopkin Joseph said: “We have been aware of the community stadium provisions for some time, not least because we’ve read about it in the Gazette.
“It’s only this week that we’ve been e-mailed with in formation by the council about the details of what’s being suggested, some of which we think has much merit.”
In the report, BCBC resources chief Gareth Moss says: “It may not be possible or even desirable to accommodate all these potential users on one site.
“But there is clear synergy between some of the proposals and an opportunity therefore to explore whether one joint development would meet both the various clubs, and the council’s strategic ambitions.
“This would present an opportunity for the council to be pro-active and show strategic leadership rather than respond on an ad hoc basis to proposed developments by the clubs.” |
www.icnetwork.co.uk
The council is a disgrace!!!!! Give us 1-500 seater stadium which dose'nt meet WRU critrea, tells you where their priority really is. I am extremely wary of this council and I bet Dai Rees is too. I've said it before, I am against any move away from the Brewery Field unless we go it alone, without outside interferences.
I await with interest to see how this council was able to sell off this lease.
|
Aleeed#
|
|
gareth10
|
i think this is a good thing people seem to be taking care of us and sticking up for us.
all we got to do is agree the correct terms ie the ground is ours with our own club house and it is up to the standard of the premeirship requirements, dont get down lads lets build on this this is a good thing me thinks...!!!!
|
leenat
|
If the Crusaders or no other organisations were not involved in our side of it then it would be a good idea gareth10, however, i'm not convinced it will ever go ahead and ever if it does, I can't see us being involved with this new venture.
Dai Rees has stood his ground and looks set to fight for the Brewery Field. The council can't build on it or any companies, it's designated for sports-only for the next few decades. What they going to do with the place, can't build on it, can't just leave it there?
On that basis, the Brewery Field could 1 day be back in our hands where they belong.
We have to wait and see.
|
gareth10
|
before u have a go yes i do know about the history of the club and the brewery field and i have been a loyal supporter for 21 years and havent missed a game unless im playing myself....
but... has the brewery field out grown us.?
is it feasible to stay at a 12k stadium when we only pull in 3k at very tops.?
and it must be expensive to run such big ground.
therefore....wouldnt it be better to have a brand new compact stadium with training facilities bars and new function room. i think this will attract both players and fans...
lets hope for a new home on our terms and at least partly or shared(with footy) ownership...!!!
|
Aleeed#
|
| gareth10 wrote: |
lets hope for a new home on our terms and at least partly or shared(with footy) ownership...!!! |
|
leenat
|
Yes we need a place on our own terms, however, the only things we have heard from the club with regards to this new facility are all negative. Dai Rees is not keen on it and he won't change his view on that. I think he believes we would be under obligation to Leighton as it is in theory his project with the council. If that's the case, then this is a no-go.
Is it fesible to run the Brewery Field, that's for the club to answer. it's not the biggest ground in the stadium, crowds are generally low across the board with decent stadia like ours. If you remove the hospitiality boxes, imagine the place then. The capacity I believe is actually 7000 at the moment, 1100 seater grandstand and enough standing area for just under 6000.
I would like to see the club release a press release on the subject. What is going on?
|
didgi
|
Dont worry Dai Rees' if a certain person gave us the brewery field back we will get our crowds back,,,,talking to people in the valleys and locally..they are waiting patiently for the day to arrive lets hope it,s soon   cmon the bridge
|
|
|
|