I dont think its much to worry about at the moment, none of the 3 clubs have made any amazing progress towards the new stadia and I think the RFL are right to remind all that there is at least one club in the NL's that looks like competing for the spot with them.



In relation to Craven Park, I agree - I know BV is hardly a paradise but at least you get nice and close to the pitch and on a summers day it is glorious - no matter what time of year it is at KR, you are always miles from the playing area and got that damn wind to contend with - deffo the worst ground other than Celtics.

In my opinion I think it's unlikely. If the league is expanded then as Chissett says why would the Chairmen of the A & B licences take a cut in money to accommodate another 2 clubs unless SKY put more in which again is unlikely.



You are alot closer to information on the new stadium and I'll wait until we hear something tomorrow in the Express but I don't think we can underestimate the serious position we, Castleford and Salford are in.



The last round of franchises there was a view that Widnes and Toulouse would be in as well as Celtic and Salford at the expense of 2 existing clubs. Fortunately that was not the case but I fear it may well be next time.



Ourselves, Castleford and Salford all got in on the back of promises of new Stadiums. Salfords plans collapsed and they are now looking at a more modest plan but I don't know what stage they are at. Despite what some may say Castleford have not moved any closer and whilst like us the Council are putting land into a trust so that funds can be borrowed they still are a long way off securing all the funding to build a stadium.



Our original plan at Thornes collapsed and we now have Stanley. We have no planning permission yet, we have a community trust, a Developer and maybe the funding (some better connected than me will know) but it will be a tall order for work to have commenced to meet the 2011 application. There is no way any of us 3 will get a franchise for 2012 on the back of more promises.



I know I'm probably panicing but I really fear for us and Castleford and I can see one or both of us missing out. I really believe (unless someone in the know convinces me otherwise) that we need to seriously get our heads together with Castleford and the Council about jointly developing a Community Stadium that we can both have equal shares in. I cannot see us both securing funding for 2 stadiums only 2 junctions apart on the M62.



The problem would be where. I still believe that Stanley is a viable option for both Clubs as its equidistant from both Wakefield City Centre and Castleford Town Centre. I know Casleford fans will have difficulty with this and someone off their board will come on and say why not Glasshoughton as its in both "Wakey and Cas" but Stanley is in "Wakey". I wish someone would explain that to me - both Glasshoughton & Stanley are in Wakefield MDC but Glasshoughton is around 1m from Castleford and around 7m from Wakefield but Stanley is the same distance from Wakefield and Castleford.



I know this post will not be popular amongs many fans of both clubs but I genuinely believe to secure both our futures we both need to talk with the Council and come up with something that secures both our futures or one of us and possibly both of us may lose out to Widnes and Toulouse.

cant see the panic!

for what its worth i think both us and cas will be in next franchise picks along with an nrl1 club and a bigger comp



i also think we will have a shiny new ground, and for what its worth i think cas will too.



too many people have formally committed their support to us for it to fail now

ok fella, I was only pointing out to some other poster why Bradford were not in the letter and that's its not just some conspiracy, Im not holding Odsal up as a beacon of excellence 'cause it clearly is not.



Its just a shame for you that the RFL disagree with you and think there are 5 worse. And FWIW they have plenty of bars at Odsal, not none











Spot on, i predict current lot plus Toulose and Widnes, if someone does go it will be Salford and Fax or Leigh will take their spot. But its all guesswork unitll we know where the RFL move the goalposts to.

I have watched, and filmed, ants running around, seemingly, to us lesser mortals, spending too much energy getting their final result. They are building a home fit for a queen and her subjects.

However, at the hub of it all, the queen ant just sits there, letting all around her run around like headless chickens,( altho' she probs hasn't seen a chicken, let alone a chicken's head), feeding and, erm.... servicing her.

She has a plan, and no one ant will be allowed to hijack that plan.



We are the ants at the mo.



The RFL/Sky are the Grand Masters.

She knows that when the Empires are built, under her guidance, to the Grand Master's plans, her colony will survive.



We can panic all we want with regards this letter.

We don't know if the SL will be increased numbers-wise.

However, expansion to me means just that, EXPANSION. It does not have to mean replacement.

If we get the ground, and with what JK, et al, is building, we will be fine.



Calm down, and let's enjoy Sunday.





I am certainly with kyassor. My glass is half empty, but the bar is still open. Bliss.

A little update in the Express over the stadium, also an artists impression of what it may look like. Ted Richarnson says that the design will be based on the LSV and that members of the Community Trust will be visiting it in the near future.



The article also says that the designs are set to be finalised in the next few weeks and the Developer is hoping to submit plans this autumn.

Its good to see the article in the Express and that things are moving forward but what I would love to hear is that funding is in place so that when the plans are submitted and planning is approved work can commence pretty much straight away.



Planning in place, plans or even a nice DVD of the stadium are all well and good but it comes to nothing if you cannot come up with the money to pay for it.

We were taking the mick last night saying there hadn't been an artists impression yet in the wakey Express. Seen that many over the years that Wakey should look more like Hollywood if any of them had ever come to anything more than a nice drawing!

I have no idea where that came from. There was no pic supplied by the club in the original release, so it may be one that the WE have dug up for the job!

They should have plenty to choose from. I know people like to have an idea of what things are going to look like but in the case of the Express and artists impressions it's like the boy who cried wolf.

Is there a Web link to the story regarding stadium?



Went on WE website but cannot find it.