Willthiswork wrote:

rncfc wrote:Unless, of course, when the dragons go pop the ground is sold to us/Newport rfc/the council for continued sporting use, as are the terms of the land I believe.

Those 'terms' were from Lord Tredegar, I doubt they would hold up these days if someone had a good legal advisor?

Unfortunately it falls under the rule against perpetuity. Whatever Lord Tredegar may of wished he is dead. And the purpose of the rule is that the dead should not control the living.

I watched the game last night. Awful crowd or rather attendance you would be pushed to call it a crowd. Regional rugby doesn't work in Wales.

Our best hope is Newport City Council taking possession of Rodney Parade and developing it as a fit for purpose stadium for our city.

I’d like to think that we’re getting to the point where we’re generating enough income to the local economy that the council need us to stick around, and so it’s worth their while to prop up the upkeep of Rodney Parade should the Dragons collapse (which could happen sooner rather than later)

halfmoon wrote:I’d like to think that we’re getting to the point where we’re generating enough income to the local economy that the council need us to stick around, and so it’s worth their while to prop up the upkeep of Rodney Parade should the Dragons collapse (which could happen sooner rather than later)

I would like to think so also, but it seems to me that as the owners of RP the WRU hold all the aces. I believe that their overriding priority, above everything else is the success of the national team, and despite the many critics of regional rugby it is to be noted that since the introduction of 4 regional teams, Wales has won more grand slams than any other country in the 6 nations competition.
Is this a vindication of that policy and the reason to continue with it in it's current form?
Do they need the money received from NCAFC enough to want to continue with the arrangement after 2023?

Either way, I do not think our interests will be served by Wales winning the World Cup in Japan. The commercial opportunities that would give the WRU would mean they could do what they like.

Barnabas wrote:Either way, I do not think our interests will be served by Wales winning the World Cup in Japan. The commercial opportunities that would give the WRU would mean they could do what they like.

Good point. The County's rent would be insignificant.

What would be considered their most attractive, domestic, LEAGUE game at home, and have they played it yet, and if so, what was the attendance?
If they have not yet played it, what might the anticipated attendance be for such a fixture?

newgroundrodney wrote:What would be considered their most attractive, domestic, LEAGUE game at home, and have they played it yet, and if so, what was the attendance?
If they have not yet played it, what might the anticipated attendance be for such a fixture?

Cardiff Blues and not playing them at home until next May
This has been a boxing day fixture in the past and sold out with people locked outside
Playing boxing day in Cardiff this year I think
Doubt it'll sell out in May if nowt on the game 5 or 6 thousand would be my guess

worksop amber wrote:

newgroundrodney wrote:What would be considered their most attractive, domestic, LEAGUE game at home, and have they played it yet, and if so, what was the attendance?
If they have not yet played it, what might the anticipated attendance be for such a fixture?

Cardiff Blues and not playing them at home until next May
This has been a boxing day fixture in the past and sold out with people locked outside
Playing boxing day in Cardiff this year I think
Doubt it'll sell out in May if nowt on the game 5 or 6 thousand would be my guess

Hi Rob, that's quite a lot more than a run of the mill game by the sounds of it.... I wonder what they'd have to do, to get their gates up to an average that's twice as high as County, so 7,000?

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.

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!

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!

A very good question about whether Newport is now a football, or rugby city. One which I would have scoffed at not so long ago. The Dragons stated average league attendances for last year was still in excess of 4000. Well down from the 7000/8000 they were getting when enjoying a modicum of success. Usually full/almost full houses for Welsh derbies, which could include more away than home supporters as there are no % restrictions as far as I'm aware.
However the gap is definitely closing, and not beyond the realms of possibility, I believe, if the football's success on the pitch continues, and the rugby success does not improve that football could actually overtake rugby. Given that football has over twice as many league games as the Dragons, obviously aggregate attendances for a season is far higher for football.

As for your other dream scenario's about Cardiff and County attracting more than rugby for a European fixture, I would point out that towards the end of the season all 4 Welsh regions play 2 matches at the Millennium stadium it attracts almost a full house there. 60,000+. Admittedly with supporters from all 4 regions in attendance, so therefore not a like for like comparison.

I’ve been to several of the Derby Days at the Millennium and never has the attendance come close to a full house ?

Justanordinaryfan wrote:I’ve been to several of the Derby Days at the Millennium and never has the attendance come close to a full house ?

Plus .... and I’m not being sarcastic when I ask - I genuinely don’t know the answer - does attendances alone dictate whether a town/city is a football/rugby city ..... I think of myself as a football fan but if the County product over RP was so poor (Doubt it as I’ve followed the County since mid 70s and it couldn’t have got much worse) I may choose not to go watch .... but I’d still be a football fan ?

Justanordinaryfan wrote:I’ve been to several of the Derby Days at the Millennium and never has the attendance come close to a full house ?

Well rightly or wrongly I was describing the 60,000 + attendances from 2016 to 2018 as nearly full. Obviously others would not.

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