BB Breaking - Announcements

[NellyWellyWaspy]

One apparently positive thing I took out of this was that it appears a lot of the players want to do what they can for the rest of the season (work wherever, whenever), but want to be playing for Wasps next year, even if that is for a lot less money, and in the Championship.

All of the matchday gear was kept at Henley, so all the unpaid teams (like the juniors) could likely continue. If a benefactor can come in and provide funding, the club is only in administration. It has not ceased, it is merely paused. The future owners of the CBS Arena might even give us a deal to play there next year, as any plans they have will take quite some time through planning before the pitch might be lost.

A phoenix could indeed rise from the ashes, just long enough to set some roots. But, a smaller stadium will be needed, and, if you look around, there isn't anything suitable (I am ruling our Sixways for every reason imaginable, so don't go there). We will have to build our own, and for that to happen, a county council and local district council will have to be on side. And it must be nearer and easier to get to from the South East than the CBS Arena.

Logically, there is only one place it could go, which is somewhere in Warwickshire, south of the HS2 line, north of the M40 line. A good rail link to London/Birmingham with a decent station/platform would also be needed (a single train journey, no changes). HS2 has no stations nearby, so it must be the Chiltern Railways Warwick Parkway station. Which points to a location just West of Warwick, maybe in the land between the racecourse and the bypass. Henley is not viable as a Premiership club ground, as all transport links to there are awful. In theory, the ground could be built next to the A46 Warwick Bypass for access and parking.

[SilverShire]

NWW, I was thinking somewhere like Oxford could be a good location. Roughly 1 hour drive from Henley and Lemington Spa, 45 min train from Cov, 1 Hour trains from London, and ~1h30 drive from Surrey/Kent. Location ticks a lot of boxes.

[Neils]

You have to ask who in their right mind will offer Wasps a new home unless they can screw us into the ground financially  (like Wycombe W).

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

NWW, I was thinking somewhere like Oxford could be a good location. Roughly 1 hour drive from Henley and Lemington Spa, 45 min train from Cov, 1 Hour trains from London, and ~1h30 drive from Surrey/Kent. Location ticks a lot of boxes.

Not suggesting it's even a possibility, but the Kassam Stadium where Oxford United play holds 12,300. Which feels about right for a rugby team...

[NellyWellyWaspy]

NWW, I was thinking somewhere like Oxford could be a good location. Roughly 1 hour drive from Henley and Lemington Spa, 45 min train from Cov, 1 Hour trains from London, and ~1h30 drive from Surrey/Kent. Location ticks a lot of boxes.

It does, but you cannot get close to a mainline station for available land. Also, Oxford is not a rugby playing heartland, whereas South Warwickshire is a bread basket of rugby, loads of schools there play it, lots of local clubs, and a huge number of ex-players (potential ticket sales). Property prices are also an issue wherever you go. I did also ponder about using one of the HS2 construction sites, like the huge one next to the Welsh Road and Fosse Way near Southam, but road links are not so great (M40 J12 dumps you in Bishops Itchington or JLR Gaydon) and no rail link (despite it being next to HS2, the local rail line went with the Beeching axe). I think the next big one is near Kenilworth, somewhere near Warwick University, but road and rail links do not exist.

The problem is finding a railway station outside a town (i.e. has fields nearby), and there are precious few of those (the other locally is Stratford Parkway, which has the advantage of a almost totally underused massive car park, but no land for a stadium.

[InBetweenWasp]

NWW, I was thinking somewhere like Oxford could be a good location. Roughly 1 hour drive from Henley and Lemington Spa, 45 min train from Cov, 1 Hour trains from London, and ~1h30 drive from Surrey/Kent. Location ticks a lot of boxes.

Closer to Wycombe then Maidenhead could have been a shout, but much earlier in the redevelopment plans so too late now.  It's also too far from EPIC and where most players are currently based.

I think Oxford will struggle for land and they already have the Kassam, which could play at but as tenants only, could work as a temporary fix.  An area with lots of development and pretty good transport links for a potential new stadium closer to EPIC could be Bicester.  Further South, nearer a train station could be Thame - but there'd need to be much more infrastructure development and no idea on land close to Haddenham/Thame Parkway.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

NWW, I was thinking somewhere like Oxford could be a good location. Roughly 1 hour drive from Henley and Lemington Spa, 45 min train from Cov, 1 Hour trains from London, and ~1h30 drive from Surrey/Kent. Location ticks a lot of boxes.

Not suggesting it's even a possibility, but the Kassam Stadium where Oxford United play holds 12,300. Which feels about right for a rugby team...

I did look at that, but one end is totally open with cars parked almost right up to the goal posts, and the grass area is too short for a rugby pitch with in goal areas.

[DGP Wasp]

NWW, I was thinking somewhere like Oxford could be a good location. Roughly 1 hour drive from Henley and Lemington Spa, 45 min train from Cov, 1 Hour trains from London, and ~1h30 drive from Surrey/Kent. Location ticks a lot of boxes.

It does, but you cannot get close to a mainline station for available land. Also, Oxford is not a rugby playing heartland, whereas South Warwickshire is a bread basket of rugby, loads of schools there play it, lots of local clubs, and a huge number of ex-players (potential ticket sales). Property prices are also an issue wherever you go. I did also ponder about using one of the HS2 construction sites, like the huge one next to the Welsh Road and Fosse Way near Southam, but road links are not so great (M40 J12 dumps you in Bishops Itchington or JLR Gaydon) and no rail link (despite it being next to HS2, the local rail line went with the Beeching axe). I think the next big one is near Kenilworth, somewhere near Warwick University, but road and rail links do not exist.

The problem is finding a railway station outside a town (i.e. has fields nearby), and there are precious few of those (the other locally is Stratford Parkway, which has the advantage of a almost totally underused massive car park, but no land for a stadium.

All about as likely as a new stadium being built in Narnia!

[Shugs]

The obvious place is still the CBS. Obviously on a one stand basis.

[Rifleman Harris]

I know Sixways has been suggested as a no-no, but if both us and Wuss can cobble something together for next season, why not a groundshare?  It has happened relatively successfully in football for a medium term solution, why not here? As long as it was a partnership of equals. Academy areas are not likely to be an issue as I would imagine those areas will be carved up amongst the other PRL teams so there is not likely to be any poaching going on between the two clubs.  It wouldn't be perfect by any means, but could work until we both got ourselves back on our feet. 

I am not familiar with the geography of the area, so don't know whether it is possible from a practical point of view, and it wouldn't be morally right if only we came back.

[DGP Wasp]

The obvious place is still the CBS. Obviously on a one stand basis.

All depends who ends up owning it.  It's very unlikely now to end up in the hands of someone who feels any benevolence towards Wasps, so we'd be renting an entire 32K seat venue to use barely a quarter of it.  Ain't likely to be cheap!

[Neils]

 Thje one place that has never been touched by First Class Rugby is East Anglia which has a vast number of existing clubs and one or two larger stadia. However unless we get a very very rich backer it is all pie in the sky stuff. We are a toxic brand.

[bigad82]

Ground share with Racing club Warwick would be ideal.

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

Thje one place that has never been touched by First Class Rugby is East Anglia which has a vast number of existing clubs and one or two larger stadia. However unless we get a very very rich backer it is all pie in the sky stuff. We are a toxic brand.

Birmingham. Second biggest city in England, and no Prem rugby in easy reach.

I know, I know, it's not closer to Wasps heartland, but it's not far from Coventry, and potentially has a large market.

All pie in the sky, as you rightly say Neils!

[matelot22]

Thje one place that has never been touched by First Class Rugby is East Anglia which has a vast number of existing clubs and one or two larger stadia. However unless we get a very very rich backer it is all pie in the sky stuff. We are a toxic brand.

Birmingham. Second biggest city in England, and no Prem rugby in easy reach.

I know, I know, it's not closer to Wasps heartland, but it's not far from Coventry, and potentially has a large market.

All pie in the sky, as you rightly say Neils!

And has the rail links NWW mentioned, I assume HS2 will make it a very quick commute from the original Wasps heartland too........