Justanordinaryfan wrote:Whilst 60,000 tickets may have been sold, absolutely no way has that many been in attendance at once.

I'm sure you are right about that. To get back to NGR'S question though, about whether Newport can currently be regarded as a Football or Rugby City, I have no doubt it is still a Rugby City, but only just.

newgroundrodney wrote:

Willthiswork wrote:I think the Cardiff Blues game is (a sort of) tradition that many people attend for the event, rather than the rugby - if that makes sense? Bearing in mind that a lot of the supporters there are from Cardiff btw.

What I'm trying to gauge, is on an average Saturday afternoon, for a LEAGUE game of no significance, whether Newport is actually a football city, or a rugby city.
At the Cardiff City Stadium, I wonder what gate a Championship fixture between Cardiff City and Newport County would attract, with both teams at the same very senior level of football, but not the TOP flight as such?

I wonder what a EUROPEAN fixture between City and County would attract?....more than rugby I suspect!

Cardiff's average Championship attendances have fluctuated wildly between 16,255 and 23,193 - I'd suggest with the interest in local opponents for that match we'd be nearer the 20,000 mark than the 15,000 (seeing as the away end holds about 3000 max) - but Cardiff's league position is the main determinant. Though if it was a match over the Christmas or New Year breaks that would probably stick a couple of thousand on the gate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_City_Stadium

Maybe if the dragons do go up North are wonderful council might buy back Rodney parade and turn it into a multiple purpose stadium for all sports sides in Newport like Cardiff and Swansea council have done about time the council did something they should never allowed the wru to buy it in the first place

di12on35 wrote:Maybe if the dragons do go up North are wonderful council might buy back Rodney parade and turn it into a multiple purpose stadium for all sports sides in Newport like Cardiff and Swansea council have done about time the council did something they should never allowed the wru to buy it in the first place

That would be the best outcome for County. However it would kill rugby in a town which has defeated New Zealand.

I do though agree that the City Council should have bought Rodney Parade as a stadium for both codes in Newport. I have heard over and over that there are other priorities but actually for me a fit for purpose modern stadium in Newport should be a priority for my home town. Entertainment is a human need which is deserving of local authority help. Further a decent stadium actually could be a revenue raiser rather than a financial drain.

Maybe going off at a slight tangent here, but of course the Dragons future is undoubtedly linked with the County's for the time being. I was a little surprised to be hearing only a few days ago that there is no more money in the pot for further signings, yet today it was announced that 6 of the Dragons young players have been offered contract extensions beyond the end of next season; which on the face of it doesn't suggest that their demise is imminent. Although could such contracts mean the players are committed to the Dragons wherever they may be playing?