Stan A. Einstein wrote:

lowandhard wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

countymadbel wrote:Why are we paying for the pitch in the first place. After all we are only the Tennant's.

Because contrary to what some believe, the WRU hold all the cards and they're juicing us.

I think you’re right that they as landlords and we as short lease holders , renders us in a relatively powerless position. We mustn’t forget that they just don’t need the grass pitch, we do : that they intend to relay it , is a positive as far as I’m concerned. Whether or not they are “ juicing “ us I suppose is a matter of opinion and would be up to the club to seek an alternative solution to our homelessness - the very symbol of our “ tent city “ eh?

I can't see it as a positive to be truthful Mike. Our license lasts for three years after this one. As will the newly laid pitch. A positive will be if the WRU announce plans for a new grass pitch in February 2023. But until then we are seemingly powerless.

I genuinely hope that the WRU extend the license. I genuinely hope that the board have a contingency plan in place if they don't. I don't know but past performance leaves me, at the very least, worried.

Fair enough, anybody with an insecure tenancy would be mad not to be at least concerned. I believe that various types of Desso are available, some like ours last 3-4 years, other more expensive types are alleged to last longer. If the decision to go for the latter indicates a good outcome for our lease negotiations, that’ll be fine as long as we realise that a decision to go for the former may indicate nothing more than a lack of ready money.

Edit: ...and yes of course the board should be planning for all possible outcomes.

It definitely wasn’t part of the old agreement
And I agree why are we paying for the pitch again
We already paid for it once and RP messed it up
So we shouldn’t be liable
Quite the opposite

Well according to the WRU and the current Board it was part of the old agreement but that Newport RFC never implemented the charges when they upgraded things.. the WRU have.

To be fair the hybrid pitch has been better for us than the old pitch so 250k over three years isn't that bad

Positive news to me. Unless I am missing something it sort of puts to bed the idea that the WRU were going to relocate the Dragons.

UPTHEPORT wrote:To be fair the hybrid pitch has been better for us than the old pitch so 250k over three years isn't that bad

£83,000 a year. Now I wonder how much of the wear and tear is down to the County and how much is down to the TWO rugby teams.

As I said, juiced.

pembsexile wrote:Positive news to me. Unless I am missing something it sort of puts to bed the idea that the WRU were going to relocate the Dragons.

Mike, we have a license at Rodney Parade until 2023 which prevents the stadium being used for anything but a rugby/soccer pitch.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:To be fair the hybrid pitch has been better for us than the old pitch so 250k over three years isn't that bad

£83,000 a year. Now I wonder how much of the wear and tear is down to the County and how much is down to the TWO rugby teams.

As I said, juiced.

Isn't the pitch around a million thought

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

pembsexile wrote:Positive news to me. Unless I am missing something it sort of puts to bed the idea that the WRU were going to relocate the Dragons.

Mike, we have a license at Rodney Parade until 2023 which prevents the stadium being used for anything but a rugby/soccer pitch.

I know that Brendan but people on here were saying that the WRU were looking to relocate the Dragons pretty soon.

As to whether the ‘price is right’, I have no idea what a marketable price is for the pitch though.

UPTHEPORT wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:To be fair the hybrid pitch has been better for us than the old pitch so 250k over three years isn't that bad

£83,000 a year. Now I wonder how much of the wear and tear is down to the County and how much is down to the TWO rugby teams.

As I said, juiced.

Isn't the pitch around a million thought

The pitch cost £750k didn’t it? Which is why we have to pay a third £250k

Exile 1976 wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:To be fair the hybrid pitch has been better for us than the old pitch so 250k over three years isn't that bad

£83,000 a year. Now I wonder how much of the wear and tear is down to the County and how much is down to the TWO rugby teams.

As I said, juiced.

Isn't the pitch around a million thought

The pitch cost £750k didn’t it? Which is why we have to pay a third £250k

I think that's fair enough otherwise we would be having games called off on regular basis as we did with the old pitch

UPTHEPORT wrote:

Exile 1976 wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:To be fair the hybrid pitch has been better for us than the old pitch so 250k over three years isn't that bad

£83,000 a year. Now I wonder how much of the wear and tear is down to the County and how much is down to the TWO rugby teams.

As I said, juiced.

Isn't the pitch around a million thought

The pitch cost £750k didn’t it? Which is why we have to pay a third £250k

I think that's fair enough otherwise we would be having games called off on regular basis as we did with the old pitch

It is not fair enough if we are still paying for the old pitch whilst having to also contribute to the new.

If we are only to share with the Dragons, and no one else, then laying a new pitch makes a degree of sense as the current one is frankly an increasing embarrassment.

How is the current pitch an embarrassment it has four teams playing on it find another pitch with the same use that is better in mid February I think you will struggle

UPTHEPORT wrote:How is the current pitch an embarrassment it has four teams playing on it find another pitch with the same use that is better in mid February I think you will struggle

Precisely and that is why it is in a very poor state and an embarrassment.

pembsexile wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

pembsexile wrote:Positive news to me. Unless I am missing something it sort of puts to bed the idea that the WRU were going to relocate the Dragons.

Mike, we have a license at Rodney Parade until 2023 which prevents the stadium being used for anything but a rugby/soccer pitch.

I know that Brendan but people on here were saying that the WRU were looking to relocate the Dragons pretty soon.

As to whether the ‘price is right’, I have no idea what a marketable price is for the pitch though.

My thoughts on it are that I wonder how you do cost what such matchday facilities should be. I’ve heard lots of figures bandied about eg £400k for a 4 year Desso , £750k for a 10 year Desso etc etc. The point is also who pays? Should all 3 parties contribute the same? Should it be per matchday? We have a lot of games we’d be f*cked on the latter scenario - and so would Newport RFC ! These are the sort of considerations that I should imagine may be addressed though I honestly have no inside knowledge. Then there’s stewarding and catering , maintenance etc etc
If you consider also the South Wales climate and the prohibitive cost of growing lamps ( which we don’t have I think ) and staffing costs that such overuse of the surface warrants then it begins to sound like an expensive item. Perhaps a realistic assessment of the cost would be to find a roughly equivalent arrangement elsewhere, how much does it cost to maintain such a stadium and staffing for a match day? How much do clubs who don’t own their own venues pay? That’s what needs defining. How much did Coventry pay ?