Stan - I know literally scores of people who speak English as a second, third or even fourth language who know that "Nobody has ever argued..." is not the same as calling someone a nobody.

No-one has ever argued that County are essential for the WRU's survival, it's the sort of straw man that would be seen through in a fifth-form debate. We are, however, essential for Rodney Parade's future as a stadium and the best evidence for that is the fact we got our foot in the door in the first place. Since which, of course, rugby has continued to decline as a spectator sport.

UPTHEPORT wrote: April 20th, 2022, 1:45 pm

CathedralCounty wrote: April 20th, 2022, 1:41 pm

UPTHEPORT wrote: April 20th, 2022, 12:08 pm

CathedralCounty wrote: April 20th, 2022, 9:17 am

pembsexile wrote: April 20th, 2022, 8:38 am

Exile 1976 wrote: April 20th, 2022, 7:36 am Agreement is signed. Will be announced before new season starts.

Got to push you on this one mate. Your sources are normally very good and this is brilliant to hear. Why is it I wonder why they don’t get the good news out there straight away. Any ideas? There will be lots of us who will be chomping at the bit for good news here. There is no long term future for the club if we don’t have a place to play. That could and will be our best signing pre season. Timing is crap but, hey ho.

WRU/Dragons NEED us as tenants - there is a bit of posturing and back and forth but we have the whip hand - we have 2 stadiums in the Newport/Greater Newport area nearby which could with a few tweaks be made to league 2 standard so we have some leverage and a back up (if Sutton can do it we can) of course we all want to stay at RP and work with it owners to improve it (cover the north bank?), etc but no real danger of us being kicked out

SP what's the other ground

Cwmbran Stadium could be brought up to league standard fairly easily I'd imagine (few temp stands, etc) walking distance of station, good transport links, etc - NOT a serious or recommended option but an option nonetheless - Newport stadium would be the obvious and easiest choice but of course RP is our home ground now and no issues on lease so its all moot

Cwmbran the stand is condemned and the pitch is plastic so that's out

Moot anyway as we will be playing ta RP for the foreseeable future - but in answer toy you point put grass down and revamp the stand...I use Sutton as the example as they play in an open almost an athletics like stadium and they gradually upgraded I/we don't want to move out of RP but there are options if we do

CathedralCounty wrote: April 21st, 2022, 8:38 am

Moot anyway as we will be playing ta RP for the foreseeable future - but in answer toy you point put grass down and revamp the stand...I use Sutton as the example as they play in an open almost an athletics like stadium and they gradually upgraded I/we don't want to move out of RP but there are options if we do

What do you think those options are?

For me Spytty not only has an athletics track, and an area for field sports, it also has an athletics club with seventy odd years of license to remain. Add to that a condemned terrace, an open end, a terraced end so far away from the pitch you can't see the game, a grandstand not only set back from the playing area but only running two thirds of the length of the pitch.

Cwmbran? Same problems but a stadium 40 years older. And not in Newport.

Cardiff City?

Where else?

George Street-Bridge wrote: April 21st, 2022, 7:40 am Stan - I know literally scores of people who speak English as a second, third or even fourth language who know that "Nobody has ever argued..." is not the same as calling someone a nobody.

No-one has ever argued that County are essential for the WRU's survival, it's the sort of straw man that would be seen through in a fifth-form debate. We are, however, essential for Rodney Parade's future as a stadium and the best evidence for that is the fact we got our foot in the door in the first place. Since which, of course, rugby has continued to decline as a spectator sport.

George,

No matter how you try to dress it up, anyone in business can tell you that in any negotiation, there is only two things that matter. If you don't get what you want you are in a position to walk away. And if you don't get what you want that you will walk away.

Newport County are not in a position to walk away.

As for your argument that rugby has a continued decline as a spectator sport. Newport Dragons maybe. You base that on estimating the crowds you see on the televised games. Do you not think the fact that crowds are reduced because given a choice of paying £20 on a wet February evening to watch Newport get beaten in a delapidated stadium, or watching the game for free, in their own homes, a fair few might choose the latter? By the way, the WRU/Dragons pick up a tidy sum from the broadcasters. And advertisers on the stadium hordings get a much bigger bang for their buck with 80 minutes on the BBC or SC4 than they do with two minutes on Guest or Channel 5.

Still I accept that you weren't being rude by calling Cathedral County a nobody. You were not being rude by not reading that which Cathedral County had written. You were being rude to all of us in stating that nobody had said something, when clearly someone had. Not only rude but rather silly.

And to be clear. I think Cathedral County is wrong. But I believe his or her opinion is as valid as mine. When I disagree with someone I show them respect by setting out why I disagree with them. You might try it sometime.

Stan A. Einstein wrote: April 21st, 2022, 9:45 am

CathedralCounty wrote: April 21st, 2022, 8:38 am

Moot anyway as we will be playing ta RP for the foreseeable future - but in answer toy you point put grass down and revamp the stand...I use Sutton as the example as they play in an open almost an athletics like stadium and they gradually upgraded I/we don't want to move out of RP but there are options if we do

What do you think those options are?

For me Spytty not only has an athletics track, and an area for field sports, it also has an athletics club with seventy odd years of license to remain. Add to that a condemned terrace, an open end, a terraced end so far away from the pitch you can't see the game, a grandstand not only set back from the playing area but only running two thirds of the length of the pitch.

Cwmbran? Same problems but a stadium 40 years older. And not in Newport.

Cardiff City?

Where else?

Its all moot we play at Rodney Parade and will do so well into the future, hypotheticals - most of which were put forward by me I admit, are irrelevant

For the sake of argument say that I am wrong. Which would not be for the first time. And let us say that George is right. There is a first time for everything. And let us put their argument at it's highest. If we do that, then my concern should at least be clear.

The rugby are in decline. Without the rent received from Newport County the Dragons will fall into a downward spiral. As a consequence Newport County are able to secure a very reasonable rent for the hire of Rodney Parade.

Can someone please explain to me, what are we going to do if ever the Dragons no longer need or want us at Rodney Parade?

Imagine if you will but one of any number of possible scenarios.

Newport is an expanding town. The site at Rodney Parade would be perfect to build a complex of an hotel, a huge leisure centre, cinemas and cafes, student accomodation for the university the other side of the river. A consortium offers £40,000,000 for the site. More than enough for the WRU to develop Pontypool Park into a world class centre for the regional Gwent Dragons. And the construction and running of such complex will bring thousands of jobs, so Newport City council won't prevent it.

Unlikely but far from impossible. And certainly a bloody sight more likely than Newport County will continue to have the 'whip hand' over the rugby until the sun becomes a super nova.

And for me that's the point. Without a proprietary interest in our home our future is in the hands of others. And ultimately those hands will not want us.

Fair point on The Dragons getting decent money from the S4C TV coverage.
However if you look at The Dragons fixture list, they will have played only 11 home games by time the rugby season finishes towards the end of May.
Newport RFC played one home game at RP v Cardiff.
Meanwhile The County had 23 home league fixtures, 2 Papa Johns Trophy and this year 1 League Cup at home. So we are having the lions share of the use of the pitch.
County's attendance is far better than that of The Dragons (regardless of the gate fixtures the Dragons state (look at the rugby crowd compared the football Crowd)).
I am not sure how all this equates into how beneficial it is for the owners of RP.
Also I don't know the viewing figures for rugby on S4C. But it makes me wonder if the advertisers for the rugby games are getting value for their money.
I suppose if the Dragons is live game on TV then there is a potential largeish audience in South Wales. Whereas if County were live like the Port Vale game what is the TV audience for that game? Is anyone outside PV or Newport interested?
I suppose it is all down to WRU on how they intend to use The Dragons or RP as assets, if they think that the Dragons are not all that viable then they could dissolve the lot and sell of the ground. Which would leave us high and dry.

faerun exile wrote: April 20th, 2022, 6:32 pm Not sure of the numbers £££ involved but would think that WRU would recoup the loss of rent from us by hiring out RP should the pitch be plastic, much like Cardiff Arms Park. Less groundsmen required etc etc. Newport RFC return from Spytty etc etc.

Have you seen the crowds Newport RFC get?
Roughly 100 to 200 Dragons about a thousand more

Fu Ming wrote: April 21st, 2022, 12:26 pm Fair point on The Dragons getting decent money from the S4C TV coverage.
However if you look at The Dragons fixture list, they will have played only 11 home games by time the rugby season finishes towards the end of May.
Newport RFC played one home game at RP v Cardiff.
Meanwhile The County had 23 home league fixtures, 2 Papa Johns Trophy and this year 1 League Cup at home. So we are having the lions share of the use of the pitch.
County's attendance is far better than that of The Dragons (regardless of the gate fixtures the Dragons state (look at the rugby crowd compared the football Crowd)).
I am not sure how all this equates into how beneficial it is for the owners of RP.
Also I don't know the viewing figures for rugby on S4C. But it makes me wonder if the advertisers for the rugby games are getting value for their money.
I suppose if the Dragons is live game on TV then there is a potential largeish audience in South Wales. Whereas if County were live like the Port Vale game what is the TV audience for that game? Is anyone outside PV or Newport interested?
I suppose it is all down to WRU on how they intend to use The Dragons or RP as assets, if they think that the Dragons are not all that viable then they could dissolve the lot and sell of the ground. Which would leave us high and dry.

I'll start by being a pedant and say I believe it'll be 12 Dragons games(friendly vScarlets) and 2 Newport v Cardiff. But obviously there will be approx. twice as many County games than rugby per season.
What's not been mentioned under this topic has been the desired wish of the Dragons, if I remember correctly, of purchasing or acquiring a long term lease on the playing surface, stands and changing rooms whilst the remaining land will be for the WRU to develop. A proposition that the WRU said they would in principle be agreeable to.

Fu Ming gets the point. Newport County are f@cked if for any reason the WRU decide they don't want us at Rodney Parade.
You can talk all you like about how many people attend Dragons games, that relationships between County and Dragons are good or the price of a cup of tea on the north terrace. The cold hard reality is that our future depends on the WRU.
No criticsm of the WRU, if it is their interest or perceived interest to cut us loose they will.

Stan A. Einstein wrote: April 21st, 2022, 3:40 pm Fu Ming gets the point. Newport County are f@cked if for any reason the WRU decide they don't want us at Rodney Parade.
You can talk all you like about how many people attend Dragons games, that relationships between County and Dragons are good or the price of a cup of tea on the north terrace. The cold hard reality is that our future depends on the WRU.
No criticsm of the WRU, if it is their interest or perceived interest to cut us loose they will.

But the WRU simply won't do that! it’d be Commercial and PR madness and IF they did we’d have some notice and options such as Newport stadium or a temporary stadium (a la Barnet) on a site with a big enough footprint ([say] the Glebelands) or absolute worse case a season or 2 in exile ground sharing with ANother club – it would not be ideal but it would not be oblivion and in the meantime we may well be offered a deal to buy the stadium

Exile 1976 wrote: April 20th, 2022, 7:36 am Agreement is signed. Will be announced before new season starts.

Do you know if the agreement is between County and The WRU or The Dragons?

CathedralCounty wrote: April 21st, 2022, 3:59 pm

Stan A. Einstein wrote: April 21st, 2022, 3:40 pm Fu Ming gets the point. Newport County are f@cked if for any reason the WRU decide they don't want us at Rodney Parade.
You can talk all you like about how many people attend Dragons games, that relationships between County and Dragons are good or the price of a cup of tea on the north terrace. The cold hard reality is that our future depends on the WRU.
No criticsm of the WRU, if it is their interest or perceived interest to cut us loose they will.

But the WRU simply won't do that! it’d be Commercial and PR madness........

Go to the anything else section of this site.

There you will find some idiot called Stan A. Einstein was just just as categoric when he stated with absolute certainty that Putin would not invade Ukraine.

I will just say this, I doubt we would have achieved our ambition of regaining our league status without the move to RP. Subsequently our relationship with our landlords has apparently become mutually advantageous and the relationship is good. Given that building a stadium is currently beyond our means and I’m informed that to service and maintain a stadium of our standard involves crippling costs, so what next? Now of course a pitch on the Glebelands is admittedly a possible home but from where the development money comes I know not and neither do I know whether that’s what most of us would want anyway. It’s why I do the lottery with Jim in the unlikely possibility that one day that we can give RP an offer attractive enough to at least obtain a shared ownership of what has now become our home. In the meantime the pitch and stadium has improved markedly since we arrived and I know it’s not «  ours « but neither was Somerton Park in the end sadly. Unless a minor miracle happens or Elon Musk gets an affinity for black and amber I can’t see the football club or its supporters affording a new home in the foreseeable future. Given the continued presence of the athletics track at Spytty for at least the next 70 years, I think we can rule that possibility out as well, don’t you?

Stan - you are making stuff up again. Nobody here has ever called anyone a nobody,

Is Rodney Parade really attractive as a development site for anything but a bigger stadium? Access would be appalling, short of buying up a swathe of houses along Corporation, Grafton and Beresford Roads.