County-at-the-races wrote:What sort of magical grass are they going to be sowing if they think the surface can recover in 7 days before it gets the next hammering?.

There are plenty of Newport boys who could help with that, using their special ‘heat lamps’ and wire up the electric to the floodlights, instal a ‘caretaker’ to oversee the crop. County would certainly be ‘riding high’ in the league as a result.

I guess that the EFL not turning down the proposal is a positive response. This short term move is a small step, if only for the wellbeing of our players who must absolutely hate their current workplace.

mad norm wrote:Goals galore as our one touch, silky passing skills see us rekindle our interest in the playoffs

I’m looking forward to it. No excuses for not playing well and rediscovering our early season form. Maybe if we find Keifer Moore lurking in the changing room we can stick Ellison’s shirt on him, shave his head, add a Welsh accent and tell him to stick the ball in the onion bag.

DeePeeNCAFC wrote:

County-at-the-races wrote:What sort of magical grass are they going to be sowing if they think the surface can recover in 7 days before it gets the next hammering?.

There are plenty of Newport boys who could help with that, using their special ‘heat lamps’ and wire up the electric to the floodlights, instal a ‘caretaker’ to oversee the crop. County would certainly be ‘riding high’ in the league as a result.

Sorry I see little point in this temporary move. If it meant that we and the Dragons were out of the stadium by the end of the month so that work could start on the pitch then I could see the reason for it.
As it is, it just means that we pay for two games at Cardiff when effectively it looks like our promotion tilt is more or less over anyway. After all, on a decent pitch at Tranmere we hardly set the world alight, did we? Much ado about nothing imho but at least we won’t be able to blame the pitch.

lowandhard wrote:Sorry I see little point in this temporary move. If it meant that we and the Dragons were out of the stadium by the end of the month so that work could start on the pitch then I could see the reason for it.
As it is, it just means that we pay for two games at Cardiff when effectively it looks like our promotion tilt is more or less over anyway. After all, on a decent pitch at Tranmere we hardly set the world alight, did we? Much ado about nothing imho but at least we won’t be able to blame the pitch.

I get your point and the (temporary) move is about a month late, but it shows the board are backing the squad and MF with what is a distant but still possible push for promotion.

No doubt we’re paying City something, probably 50% of the wages for the groundsmen, stadium announcer, security, cleaners etc but few other costs involved without fans and catering.

I personally think other League 2 clubs will ‘raise their game’ playing at a bigger and better stadium and it could backfire but full marks to the club for trying.

Would the WRU sell RP to NCAFC at a reasonable price ?
Would WRU want to recoup say a one off £7 to £10 million on sale of the ground and then save £5 million per year ongoing on the Dragons ? ( think this is what the give the regions each year ).
The time may not be far away whereby the WRU are going to put RP up for sale ——should we not get in there first and at least start a dialogue with a view to purchase , before someone else does.
Cannot see a better time than now to see if the WRU take the bait . They need and want cash .
How do we fund a purchase ? Not sure —-but let’s see at least if the WRU are interested .
We will NEVER afford a brand new stadium but somehow we may be able to get a loan / mortgage to fund RP. .?????
Maybe the the WRU would give us a mortgage at a reasonable %. ?
They must see the Dragons as an enormous worsening business liability and we need to be careful they do not sell RP from right under our noses.

And in addition to the above —are we sure the WRU are preparing to rip up the turf and spend £1million on relaying it ? .
Are contracts placed already and deposits paid ??
Because throwing a few handfuls of grass seed on it in late spring and giving it a little water will definitely be ok for rugby next September. ——at a cost of a few thousand £.

Davis Buttress :
“We know we’ve got to make a better long term solution and relay the surface .”
When ?
Who pays ?
Contracts placed ?
How many teams will play on it ?
Is there a common set of rules for postponement of games due to a waterlogged pitch ?
Can the fixtures of 2 rugby teams and NCAFC be arranged so there is never 2 ( or 3 ) games on a single weekend
And more
Can it ever work ——-not unless we own it and dictate everything which happens at the stadium.

Pirates wrote:Davis Buttress :
“We know we’ve got to make a better long term solution and relay the surface .”
Can the fixtures of 2 rugby teams and NCAFC be arranged so there is never 2 ( or 3 ) games on a single weekend

EFL rules no longer permit clubs sharing with more than one rugby team, so that in itself presents an immediate problem. Also Mr Buttress has demonstrated that for a few extra quid he will readily rent the pitch to anyone who fancies a spot of mud wrestling.

With the Dragons set to hammer the pitch further over the next few weeks, I can’t really see the benefit, only extra costs, in moving just two games to Cardiff.

And finally, with the Dragons a busted flush, the WRU strapped for cash, are these the reasons why Flynn was so evasive when questioned about the laying of a new Desso pitch?

I'm hoping the two-game arrangement turns out to be a taster for a longer stint until the end of the season. It's all well and good Mr Buttress wringing his hands about needing to re-lay the pitch, the issue is re-laying and then protecting it.

I was thinking the feasibility of a competition across all four "home nations" and South Africa from April to June must have dived off a cliff since it was announced, but the latest idea seems to be basing the SA sides in Dublin or London.

It comes across to me as some sort of superb collaboration between the County and the Dragons in an effort to protect the pitch. It is a short term issue and will not help the pitch in the long term. We should I suppose be grateful for small mercies though. However, we are told that whilst we are in Cardiff the Dragons will be playing three times on it. Some will say, so what, they have every right to, it is their pitch. Therein lies the problem.

I’m glad we are at RP. It is the right place. Even if a sugar daddy came along I would still think we should try and stay there. It is how we deal with stadium ownership and that bog of a pitch in the long term that is the real issue. Three teams are too many.

I just wish that authorities would not try and put a bloody spin on it and say that it is in everybody’s interest. It is not. I fear that the efl may force the issue. They are probably under pressure from other clubs. I just hope it is not part of a long term exit strategy. There is much more going on behind the scenes here involving the County, the efl, and the WRU. Hope they get it sorted. Unfortunately, we have the weakest negotiating position.

Pembs - strictly as a temporary move, whose interests is it not in?

pembsexile wrote:It comes across to me as some sort of superb collaboration between the County and the Dragons in an effort to protect the pitch. It is a short term issue and will not help the pitch in the long term. We should I suppose be grateful for small mercies though. However, we are told that whilst we are in Cardiff the Dragons will be playing three times on it. Some will say, so what, they have every right to, it is their pitch. Therein lies the problem.

I’m glad we are at RP. It is the right place. Even if a sugar daddy came along I would still think we should try and stay there. It is how we deal with stadium ownership and that bog of a pitch in the long term that is the real issue. Three teams are too many.

I just wish that authorities would not try and put a bloody spin on it and say that it is in everybody’s interest. It is not. I fear that the efl may force the issue. They are probably under pressure from other clubs. I just hope it is not part of a long term exit strategy. There is much more going on behind the scenes here involving the County, the efl, and the WRU. Hope they get it sorted. Unfortunately, we have the weakest negotiating position.

It seems clear that no hybrid pitch has yet been invented which will permit 1 football team, 2 rugby teams plus others to play on it and be of an acceptable standard for the duration of a season. Therefore for me the only solution is to reduce the number of teams playing at RP and that currently means Newport RFC finding a new home. The only way that will happen is for the Dragons to do what the Blues have done this past week and that's change the franchise name to Newport Rugby and play in black and amber. Only then will the Newport RFC support entertain the semi-pro team moving away from RP. Frustratingly the ball is not in our court and I am unsure how the WRU will receive this proposal. In the current climate however I doubt that the WRU will ever be potentially more supportive of the idea. It's also the only way Buttress will ever attract any investment into his white elephant. Until all of the above happens we all just limp along season to season.