Bush wrote:I just can’t help to think there’s no way the rugby would allow our CEO to explain the situation to their fans which is way I don’t believe the rugby CEO should be explaining to ours.

I just don’t get that attitude, I’ve learned much in my lifetime often from unusual sources. Are you saying our fans are too stupid to assess that which is said, in other words that they have to be protected from someone’s opinions and points of view? I happen to have a better opinion of our fans than that.
Anyway, the offer was made, I’m not interested in promoting the idea further. Perhaps we’re all best left in the dark until the powers that be decide to turn the light on , I had a better opinion of the value of fan participation than that.
I have nothing more to say about this, I happen to think that it’s an opportunity missed but that of course is only my opinion. I’m not going to post any further on the matter but it seems to me that the same attitude was adopted by the priesthood in the Middle Ages when they wanted to keep the Bible in Latin so that the peasants couldn’t read it themselves.
“ light and shadow are opposite sides of the same coin. We can illuminate our paths or darken our way. It’s a matter of choice “ Maya Angelou.
I’d prefer the sunny side of the street.

jollysuperstar wrote:

George Street-Bridge wrote:I can see why the club would be wary of letting supporters into confidences about ground intentions before any changes are done and dusted after they were (predictably) gobbed off here the last time they did it.

But good on the Dragons guy if he'd like to share his take on things with the Argus rather than direct.with our supporters.

Who "gobbed off" Rob/ Ryan/ Charlie etc on here.
Answer nobody.
Stop the stirring.
Just stay on your cloud and enjoy life!
"Predictably" what's that all about?

That's not the confidence I was talking about. You have probably signed up more recently.

lliswerryboy wrote:I was at the ground on Thursday the pitch looks great

How did you get in ????

Aren't we meant to be installing an "all singing , all dancing" ticketing system with some of the FA Cup money ??

Perhaps this is causing the problems with the new shop relocation ?
Just a thought (not a rumour of a mate in the pub !)

Willthiswork wrote:

OLDCROMWELLIAN wrote:

Percy plunkett wrote:If they want us to stay at RP,the rent will always rise and we have no control on how much.The pitch,even Desso,takes a hammering with two rugby teams scrummaging on it.As much as Spytty had faults,it may be still our best long term answer.

Without wishing not to be unduly pessimistic about the desso pitch taking too much of a hammering, I note the dragons will be running a under 23 development team as well this coming season. Also the Dragons ladies team ? Whilst it is likely these games will not be staged at RP we cannot be certain. Given pre-season games being called off elsewhere due to the recent rarely experienced weather. I hope the pitch has been well revamped and watered?

I would think that the U23s and the ladies would be based in Ystrad with 'on-the-road' games a rare occurrence.

I think you are probably right.Their is a promise to hold at least one dragons game 'on the road' and the under the 23 games are only scheduled for September/ October at the moment with possibly more in april and the womens games up until December, therefore not traditionally the worst time of the year for unplayable pitches. My understanding is Newport Rugby club will have 15 home league games at RP next season plus cup games and a possible play off game at the end of the season. The following season (if still relevent to us) there will be 4 less league games for Newport due to the reduction of the premiership/championship leagues.
The point i'm making is no matter how good and maintained the pitch is there are limits to how often it is played on before becoming a problem, espacially for soccer matches.

It would be good as soon as possible for the club to let us know what's going on.

Loyalfoot wrote:It would be good as soon as possible for the club to let us know what's going on.

I'm sure we can all agree with that, no matter how bad the news. I can't think of any reason why the club would deliberately delay any announcements? Or am i missing something?

I for one appreciate what 'low and hard is trying to do' . I would just remind him that a few dissenting voices don't represent the majority of posters, and certainly not the majority of supporters.

For the record I am yet to receive an email

It really does appear to be somthing that is major. Silence is not great for us all. Silence does not help resolution of a problem.

OLDCROMWELLIAN wrote:I for one appreciate what 'low and hard is trying to do' . I would just remind him that a few dissenting voices don't represent the majority of posters, and certainly not the majority of supporters.

I agree, it is a great gesture but I personally believe it is futile as I very much doubt he will be able to provide the supporters with the answers they crave. The positive is that it is clear that the dragons see the bigger picture and want to work with us for the mutual benefit of the City. Let us just hope their owners share the same view.

Taffweigan wrote:For the record I am yet to receive an email

Surely Taff with the kind offer from Mr Buttress on the table, the initiative to make contact should come from us.
Although listening to your broadcast last night, I was left with the distinct impression that you already have a fair idea as to what is going on behind the scenes with the WRU.

Taffweigan wrote:For the record I am yet to receive an email

who you expecting to receive an email from chris?

Was suggested I look to host such an event and I posted my email address for Mr Buttress to get in contact if he is serious about this. Check page 1

Hello everyone

I have read this board for a while, especially interested in the postings regarding the WRU and The Dragons. Some of the posters on this board are mistaken in their knowledge of the ownership structures, and indeed how we got to this stage.

Firstly setting aside the absolute disgusting stitch up where Newport Rugby lost one of the richest history’s in the history of the sport, by having to have the professional entity playing out of RP replaced by the plastic ‘Dragons’, the current situation has arisen as follows:

1 - the members of Newport Athletic Club and Rodney Parade Ltd owned the ground. Newport RFC’s former benefactor Tony Brown, effectively owned the ground by virtue of the money he put in and then latterly effectively gifted the ground to the supporters by putting in a one member one vote covenant into any future sale of the ground.

2 - during the Dragons debacle since 2003, the rugby has lost significant money which was made up by loans from Tony Brown and Martin Hazell. Tony Brown wrote off most of these loans.

3 - even though the Dragons project was a failure, replacing a successful and well supported brand with a plastic model that nobody got on board with, for some inexplicable reason they decided to build the Bisley stand.

4 - this was funded by a bank loan, £2.5m from Tony Brown and £1.25m from Martin Hazel. At this point Brown has probably put in over £10m into Newport/Dragons rugby.

5 - bear in mind that the original Newport RFC who owned RP didn’t need or want the new Bisley facility, yet the Dragons directors borrowed money on Newport’s asset to build something Newport didn’t want or need.

6 - years later the shower of shite project finally failed, Tony Brown got ill and Martin Hazell decided he wanted his money back.

7 - the only serious buyer was the WRU. As part of the deal, all the debt in the stadium would be cleared (meaning Hazell and Brown and the bank repaid) and at the end of it Newport Rugby would get a paltry £600k for the ground they used to own!!!

8 - for some inexplicable reason the members (no doubt blinded by the scaremongering about their club dying) agreed to the sale and sold Newport Rugby out forever.

9 - the whole deal is a clear land grab where the WRU have bought an asset for 50% if it’s value and will no doubt sell the ground as soon as it can.

David Butress and the WRU are hated by Newport RFC supporters - they have tore up the history of Newport (even putting all the historic memoriballia into a cupboard) and pander to the odd supporter in the valleys at the expense of the much larger hardcore traditional support.

Buttress is rumoured to have invested £100k in a culmalative preference share to ensure his role as Chairman of the Dragons and it’s rumoured that this special class of share would mean he would be repaid if the ground is sold.

He has been asked by fans on Twitter if he would profit on a sale of the ground but has not answered as far as I know. Who knows what is true but what is absolutely true in my mind is that the WRU are a hard nosed organisation that has shit on Newport RFC and will gladly shit on Newport County.

The Dragons are a shambles, lowest crowds of any Welsh region, losing money year by year (plugged by the WRU which is unfair on the other sides), embarrassing marketing, the worst coach in the history of professional rugby in Bernard Jackman and a Chairman who just comes out with management speak guff on a regular basis.

My guess is that Buttress’ offer to meet the Newport County supporters is to paint himself as a good guy who has no control of what the WRU do, so won’t be to blame when the WRU eventually kick Newport County out of RP. I wouldn’t trust him or the WRU as far as you could throw them.

The WRU alongside notable others have killed what was once the most famous rugby club in the world. Don’t let them kill your club too.