George Street-Bridge wrote:

That rule of thumb thing about costing new grounds at 1m pounds per 1,000 seats has been cited for a very long time, surely it's out of date by now?[/quote]

It’s at least double. Cornwall’s new stadium proposal is £14m for a 6000 seater

George Street-Bridge wrote:Just a touch remiss of Stan not to point out that early last year he posted:

"Would that be the real world where, Wigan, Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Walsall, Telford, Kidderminster, Chester, Swansea, Yeovil, Huddersfield, Brighton, Reading, Rotherham, Colchester, Shrewsbury, Hull, et al all somehow managed to build new stadia?"

Exactly. Kidderminster have improved their stadium over the last 132 years. The very poorly researched point made by Alan was that Kidderminster were somewhat disadvantaged by developing and improving their stadium.

Just out of interest, you keep mentioning £1000 per seat to develop a stadium. I don't suppose you could cite your evidence could you?Does this include cost of buying the land? Does it take into account the costs that can be recovered from grants? Does it take into account the difference in land prices and wages between say London and south Wales?

Are you struggling again?

Not only do I not "keep mentioning £1,000 a seat to develop a stadium", on this very page I query whether the old rule of thumb can still be valid.

On Kidderminster, your claim was they had built a new stadium, then 15 months later you are sneering at someone else for saying they have. As for improvements, I wouldn't mind betting every ground on the planet has been improved since the 1860s as Kidderminster's has.

Edit to add: When we discussed this as recently as this January, I looked up the Madejski which is coming up for 20 years old. The project seems to have cost roughly £2k per seat but I don't know if that includes land reclamation which would have been extensive as it's on a compacted tip.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

George Street-Bridge wrote:Just a touch remiss of Stan not to point out that early last year he posted:

"Would that be the real world where, Wigan, Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Walsall, Telford, Kidderminster, Chester, Swansea, Yeovil, Huddersfield, Brighton, Reading, Rotherham, Colchester, Shrewsbury, Hull, et al all somehow managed to build new stadia?"

Exactly. Kidderminster have improved their stadium over the last 132 years. The very poorly researched point made by Alan was that Kidderminster were somewhat disadvantaged by developing and improving their stadium.

Just out of interest, you keep mentioning £1000 per seat to develop a stadium. I don't suppose you could cite your evidence could you?Does this include cost of buying the land? Does it take into account the costs that can be recovered from grants? Does it take into account the difference in land prices and wages between say London and south Wales?

The cost of constructing the proposed 6,000 seater Stadium for Cornwall amounts to £14 million.

The plan is for the Cornish Pirates and Truro City to contribute £4 million each.

Cornwall Council have agreed to chip in with £3 million provided the Government honour David Cameron's pre- election promise to fund the shortfall (£3 million).

All six Cornish Tory M.P,s seem to think it will happen.

I wonder!!

Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

Alan G Bryant wrote:Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

We did for a short time, then sold when debts got too much

ComeOnCounty wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

We did for a short time, then sold when debts got too much

To the council !

It is quite interesting reading the history, the original chairman tried to sell if for housing back in 1919, (shrewd), a group from lysaghts intervened to stop this happening before it was sold to Cardiff arms park in the early 1930s who then constructed a stadium fit for greyhound racing. I cannot see a point in history where we bought it or had gifted back from the Cardiff arms company though?

ComeOnCounty wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

We did for a short time, then sold when debts got too much

That cannot be correct, that would mean that we would have owned our own stadium (which I presume would also have had revenue from speedway) and still f**ked up. I thought that if we owned our own stadium, it solves everything?

Alan G Bryant wrote:

ComeOnCounty wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

We did for a short time, then sold when debts got too much

That cannot be correct, that would mean that we would have owned our own stadium (which I presume would also have had revenue from speedway) and still f**ked up. I thought that if we owned our own stadium, it solves everything?

Owned our own stadium and run by successful local business men.

Whatever went wrong?

Alan G Bryant wrote:

ComeOnCounty wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

We did for a short time, then sold when debts got too much

That cannot be correct, that would mean that we would have owned our own stadium (which I presume would also have had revenue from speedway) and still f**ked up. I thought that if we owned our own stadium, it solves everything?

No. In the 1930's we sold it to a local bookie. He doubled his money overnight selling it on as a dog track.

George Street-Bridge wrote:Are you struggling again?

Not only do I not "keep mentioning £1,000 a seat to develop a stadium", on this very page I query whether the old rule of thumb can still be valid.

On Kidderminster, your claim was they had built a new stadium, then 15 months later you are sneering at someone else for saying they have. As for improvements, I wouldn't mind betting every ground on the planet has been improved since the 1860s as Kidderminster's has.

Edit to add: When we discussed this as recently as this January, I looked up the Madejski which is coming up for 20 years old. The project seems to have cost roughly £2k per seat but I don't know if that includes land reclamation which would have been extensive as it's on a compacted tip.

The Madejski contains a conference centre, hotel et al. Obviously what you can spend and what you have to spend are two different things.

Now George I would love to have a reasonable debate with you. Any chance you might stop being unpleasant and try for a change to answer questions?

Alan G Bryant wrote:

ComeOnCounty wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:Does anyone know if Newport County ever owned Somerton Park?

We did for a short time, then sold when debts got too much

That cannot be correct, that would mean that we would have owned our own stadium (which I presume would also have had revenue from speedway) and still f**ked up. I thought that if we owned our own stadium, it solves everything?

It's not the OWNING the stadium that's the issue: a number of clubs have rented their grounds quite happily for decades. They haven't rented them from the governing body of a different sport, with different priorities & agendas, who essentially see them as a non-profit making nuisance. Even going back a few yrs, Rodney Parade were quite open about the fact that "it costs us more to put a game on than we're getting in rent"...... I reckon unless they're prepared to see us as stakeholders and an interested party, sadly we're out on our ears sooner or later, probably sooner if the rugby have their way.
And I ask again: HAS ANYONE ACTUALLY ASKED WHETHER WE CAN RETURN TO SPYTTY TO PLAY IF NEEDS BE?

If not, for whatever reason, then we need to rule it out as an option and not run down a blind alleyway.

Stan, I am not disputing it was sold to a local bookie. It seems plausible with the introduction of greyhound racing but who was the local bookie? And when was Somerton park back in the hands of Newport County?

This is taken from a google search.

Bought in 1912 by the chairman of Newport County, Bert Moss, as their home ground to herald their entry into the Southern League, Somerton Park was, for almost eighty years, one of the principal sporting venues in the city and hosted speedway and greyhound racing in addition to football. The ground was almost sold for housing in 1919 but rescued by a group of employees from Lysaght’s Steel Works. After Newport failed to be elected to the Football League for the 1931 – 32 season, the ground was bought by the Cardiff Arms Park Company who had just sold the Arms Park to the Welsh Rugby Union having bought it themselves from the Marquis of Bute in 1922. They constructed the stadium capable of hosting greyhound racing and football in 1932. The first match was on 27 August 1932 and greyhounds first raced on 17 November 1932.

We will probably struggle to stay at Rodney because we will always be tenants and have no real foothold in decisions.Do they really want a football team messing their pitch.The only real alternative is to develop Spytty,it has drawbacks,but it may be the only choice in a few years time.Unless a fan wins the Euro and gifts £20m to build our own ground which may be a long wait.