excessbee wrote:

NearlyDead wrote:

Ideas? Well, multi-occupancy is a must. Speedway anyone? Rugby League? Union? Cricket (perhaps not, as ground likely too small, but could be investigated)?

A modular, removable pitch would be the ideal: you only pay for worn parts of the pitch, and you can remove parts to accommodate other events or team sports (speedway track, cricket/rugby team's own pitches?). Removable terracing around the outside to accommodate/cover that speedway track but bring the crowd to pitch side for football, ...

The description you paint is definitely not that of a Football League ground. Removable terracing reminds me of Chelmsford City. Isn't the idea to get away from the current issues of multi-occupancy with rugby teams. Plus, at present, I don't believe there is any speedway team in Newport, so it's not likely that one will miraculously appear to share facilities.

It's not any football league ground you know, for sure. But why should that matter? You need to build a business case for a Newport stadium.

Removable doesn't have to be Chelmsford, but something like the London Stadium once had (but better and actually workable). It's a design issue. Just got to get it right. Retractable might have been a better term.

Newport doesn't have a speedway team for two reasons: no suitable stadium and dwindling support because the last side weren't exactly premier quality. It's an avenue to explore, to resurrect maybe, as part of getting a business plan together. You need multi-users in a stadium to make the finances work, for all sports. You need a summer user, hence RL suggestion, and hence need for modular pitch so stadium isn't out of use for 6-8 weeks a year.

All this talk of a multi-purpose stadium. We're already in prime position for a multi-use stadium situation.

I still maintain that, when the Dragons become independent of the WRU (which is the ambition), there will come a point where they need other parties to share a stake in the stadium, because it's highly doubtful that they'd be able to do it on their own and stay financially solvent. We need to make sure we're front of the queue to take joint equal ownership of Rodney Parade when that time comes. That's far more realistic a prospect than building our own stadium, either on our own or alongside another sporting outfit that doesn't actually exist.

halfmoon wrote:All this talk of a multi-purpose stadium. We're already in prime position for a multi-use stadium situation.

I still maintain that, when the Dragons become independent of the WRU (which is the ambition), there will come a point where they need other parties to share a stake in the stadium, because it's highly doubtful that they'd be able to do it on their own and stay financially solvent. We need to make sure we're front of the queue to take joint equal ownership of Rodney Parade when that time comes. That's far more realistic a prospect than building our own stadium, either on our own or alongside another sporting outfit that doesn't actually exist.

Problem is, until COVID struck, the WRU had plenty of cash. It weakens our negotiating position with them because now they are seeking a £20 million loan to see them through the pandemic.

neilcork68 wrote:Update on RP

The Welsh government have announced that they hope to sign the deal to keep the Dragons Heart Hospital as a standby for the rest of 2020 and maybe as long as February 2021.
If Cardiff Blues do continue to play at RP then our already 'buggered pitch' will be worse than its ever been.
I can see the FA stepping in with sanctions for the club playing on a pitch not fit for purpose before we reach the start of 2021 at this rate.
They weren't happy about the pitch at RP with three sides playing on it , now we could have 5 ( Us , Newport RFC , Dragons , Cardiff Blues and the Welsh Ladies team )as the WRU will lend it out to anyone with a quid in their pockets irrelevant of the damage it does to the pitch

‘Buggered pitch’? Richard Holland boss man of the Blues is delighted to be playing their last game at RP. According to him RP has a ‘fantastic playing surface’. I’m sure these people make up quotes as they go along to suit the audience. Where has that man been looking?

pembsexile wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Update on RP

The Welsh government have announced that they hope to sign the deal to keep the Dragons Heart Hospital as a standby for the rest of 2020 and maybe as long as February 2021.
If Cardiff Blues do continue to play at RP then our already 'buggered pitch' will be worse than its ever been.
I can see the FA stepping in with sanctions for the club playing on a pitch not fit for purpose before we reach the start of 2021 at this rate.
They weren't happy about the pitch at RP with three sides playing on it , now we could have 5 ( Us , Newport RFC , Dragons , Cardiff Blues and the Welsh Ladies team )as the WRU will lend it out to anyone with a quid in their pockets irrelevant of the damage it does to the pitch

‘Buggered pitch’? Richard Holland boss man of the Blues is delighted to be playing their last game at RP. According to him RP has a ‘fantastic playing surface’. I’m sure these people make up quotes as they go along to suit the audience. Where has that man been looking?

After about 6 months of not being used it will be in good nick, at least for a couple of weeks. Perhaps it's just his way of saying I can't stand our 3G pitch and I'd rather play on patchy grass any time.

pembsexile wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Update on RP

The Welsh government have announced that they hope to sign the deal to keep the Dragons Heart Hospital as a standby for the rest of 2020 and maybe as long as February 2021.
If Cardiff Blues do continue to play at RP then our already 'buggered pitch' will be worse than its ever been.
I can see the FA stepping in with sanctions for the club playing on a pitch not fit for purpose before we reach the start of 2021 at this rate.
They weren't happy about the pitch at RP with three sides playing on it , now we could have 5 ( Us , Newport RFC , Dragons , Cardiff Blues and the Welsh Ladies team )as the WRU will lend it out to anyone with a quid in their pockets irrelevant of the damage it does to the pitch

‘Buggered pitch’? Richard Holland boss man of the Blues is delighted to be playing their last game at RP. According to him RP has a ‘fantastic playing surface’. I’m sure these people make up quotes as they go along to suit the audience. Where has that man been looking?

In recent photos, the pitch at RP does look to be in excellent condition so it should great be for two rugby matches to be played on it during August. The issue is what those and potentially more matches do to the surface by the time Cardiff are done with using it an we have to finish a football season on it.

Amberexile wrote:

pembsexile wrote:

neilcork68 wrote:Update on RP

The Welsh government have announced that they hope to sign the deal to keep the Dragons Heart Hospital as a standby for the rest of 2020 and maybe as long as February 2021.
If Cardiff Blues do continue to play at RP then our already 'buggered pitch' will be worse than its ever been.
I can see the FA stepping in with sanctions for the club playing on a pitch not fit for purpose before we reach the start of 2021 at this rate.
They weren't happy about the pitch at RP with three sides playing on it , now we could have 5 ( Us , Newport RFC , Dragons , Cardiff Blues and the Welsh Ladies team )as the WRU will lend it out to anyone with a quid in their pockets irrelevant of the damage it does to the pitch

‘Buggered pitch’? Richard Holland boss man of the Blues is delighted to be playing their last game at RP. According to him RP has a ‘fantastic playing surface’. I’m sure these people make up quotes as they go along to suit the audience. Where has that man been looking?

In recent photos, the pitch at RP does look to be in excellent condition so it should great be for two rugby matches to be played on it during August. The issue is what those and potentially more matches do to the surface by the time Cardiff are done with using it an we have to finish a football season on it.

Yes, it normally looks good this time of year. We certainly won’t have to worry about finishing this football season on it though. Finishing the whole of next season is another matter.

Is the ground still being used as a testing centre. Not that it affects the pitch of course.

The reality is, it's not expected to last much beyond January even w/o Cardiff playing on it (and they may need it until Feb).

As far as I can see, the only way to extend the pitch life beyond that is to ensure that at kick-off times only the minimum amount of water has got on it consistent with good pitch maintenance practice. For that it needs some sort of tent/covering outside match usage.

Another potentially huge issue will be us potentially having to play a condensed season, with us playing a game every couple of days to try and fit a whole season in a much shorter period of time. There'll be very little opportunity for the pitch to recover between games.

Not so many seasons ago Cardiff Rugby played at Cardiff City's stadium.
Their fans hated it, so much so, that the rugby went back to Cardiff Arms Park.
They missed being in the city centre, pubs etc near to their ground where they have always gone before and after matches. (Missed the atmosphere of their own ground).
I can't see too many of them loving the journey to their arch rivals ground for "home matches".

Also the RP pitch should be in pretty good condition now at this time of the year, especially as no sport has been played on there since March. (Not sure if what/ if any maintenance has been done to the pitch since the CoVid lock down).

Last year saw the pitch survive pretty well for the first part of the season largely because little rugby being played due to the rugby world cup.

Speedway in the UK is sadly on its arse. I don't know if it even had a TV contract for this season, but typical attendances in recent years have looked like a few hundred. Why on earth would we want to (pun intended) go down that track?

Grounds I can think of that still have speedway tracks are Workington rugby league and Berwick Rangers, and Cowdenbeath hosts stock-car racing.

George Street-Bridge wrote:Speedway in the UK is sadly on its arse. I don't know if it even had a TV contract for this season, but typical attendances in recent years have looked like a few hundred. Why on earth would we want to (pun intended) go down that track?

Grounds I can think of that still have speedway tracks are Workington rugby league and Berwick Rangers, and Cowdenbeath hosts stock-car racing.

As long as it doesn’t end up like Ballymena in NI: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-44907764

I just hope that the wru intend on asking any other sporting franchises using RP to pay some off the costs for the new surface rather than fleecing us for more

phil crump wrote:I just hope that the wru intend on asking any other sporting franchises using RP to pay some off the costs for the new surface rather than fleecing us for more

Phil,

I don't disagree with your sentiment. But there is nothing we can do about it. The rugby have County over a barrel. And yes I do hold the board of directors in part responsible. Only in part, every board for 30 years has failed to prioritize developing a stadium.

Hoping the rugby won't fleece us? Rather like a cow which no longer gives milk hoping the farmer won't sell her off to the knackers yard, tough tittie Buttercup.

Lot's of people concerned - then let's try and do something about it. 8pm on Monday - send me a PM and I'll add you to the WhatsApp group which will have details for the next Zoom meeting.