News incoming?

[RogerE]

I had a look at the proposal for Solihull and it's part of the last stage 2025-30 and states it needs current occupiers to be moved elsewhere. Nothing is happening there any time soon.

That'll be at the end of the period Wasps will be required to stay in the vicinity of Coventry!

[NellyWellyWaspy]

That was my point. IF these rumours are true, Wasps must have a medium term solution already well in to planning, that is unlikely to be at Damson Park.

I do not think they will move south to London, much as many fans would like, it will be too expensive.

Whilst Coventry has some rugby heritage, it is mainly soccer based. South West Birmingham (Solihull and Moseley) out towards Warwick/Leamington/Stratford is a very strong rugby area.

[RogerE]

They could also move slightly south down the M40 corridor towards Bambury/Bicester.

Still within half an hours drive of the training centre.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

They could also move slightly south down the M40 corridor towards Banbury/Bicester.

Still within half an hours drive of the training centre.

Indeed. Wouldn't it be a good use of resources to reuse a ruined piece of land such as that used as construction sites for HS2? There is one (used by Balfour Beatty) just outside of Ufton that would be good. The land has been totally ruined by the site, but it isn't close enough to anywhere to be useful as even an industrial estate. It is about 600m x 400m in size, next to the Grand Union canal and Welsh Road. It's purpose was to process the spoilage from the HS2 tunnel at Hunningham Woods. There two other such sites nearby, like the one on the A425 outside Southam, and the one on the Fosse Way outside Offchurch.

Trouble is, all these potential sites would take a decade to develop, and there is not the time. Wasps need to jump in on a project that is pretty much going ahead, like the one in Warwick. All the other sites I have heard of are aspirations.

[Neils]

Newest rugby stadium in the UK is the Dam Health. Built as 7.5k but extendable and cost £25m. That included all the excavation and drainage to an area prone to flooding.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Newest rugby stadium in the UK is the Dam Health. Built as 7.5k but extendable and cost £25m. That included all the excavation and drainage to an area prone to flooding.

Yes, and so how can any club ever afford to build a new rugby stadium? The Legends presumably could not afford the £16m Ashley paid (reportedly, I think) to buy the CBS.

I wonder how many of the Premiership and Championship clubs own their own stadium (as opposed to renting it, or it being owned by a connected party, as ACL owned the arena)?

Indeed, I wonder how many top flight soccer clubs own their own grounds?

The Brentford Stadium cost £70m. By comparison, the Edinburgh stadium is a modern garden shed. Where on earth do these clubs get that sort of money?

And why was the CBS Arena sold for so little?

These, and many more, questions will be answered next week. Same bat channel, same bat time ...

[W2APS]

Newest rugby stadium in the UK is the Dam Health. Built as 7.5k but extendable and cost £25m. That included all the excavation and drainage to an area prone to flooding.

I did some digging into this as it sounded crazy expensive for 4 temporary stands, albeit on foundations good for much bigger permanent stands.
And it was a good job I did. 🤣
The new Edinburgh Rugby stadium actually cost £5.7 million to build. It was physically done within a year. Looks like planning was another year or so on that, started sometime in 2018.

Capacity is currently just under 7,800 and they're already looking at permanent stands and filling in corners to hit 10k.

[jamestaylor002]

I think as long as we are looking at possible longer term solutions already, we should be OK.

I need to learn to trust our new owners/board and that no news is OK and good work will be being done behind closed doors.

I think staying in the West Midlands might be a good thing, selfishly, as the area isn't so well served by top flight rugby (especially if Wasps do return to the Premiership) and people may be inclined to come watch us instead. Example - my dad is thinking of a season ticket with his mate on the basis they have moved locally.

[Neils]

Newest rugby stadium in the UK is the Dam Health. Built as 7.5k but extendable and cost £25m. That included all the excavation and drainage to an area prone to flooding.

I did some digging into this as it sounded crazy expensive for 4 temporary stands, albeit on foundations good for much bigger permanent stands.
And it was a good job I did. 🤣
The new Edinburgh Rugby stadium actually cost £5.7 million to build. It was physically done within a year. Looks like planning was another year or so on that, started sometime in 2018.

Capacity is currently just under 7,800 and they're already looking at permanent stands and filling in corners to hit 10k.

Apologies you are correct on cost. I couldn't remember so took the figure on Wikipedia. AND I am a STH there so no excuses.

[W2APS]

No worries. Makes it more positive for us that something can be achieved! 😁

[andermt]

They could also move slightly south down the M40 corridor towards Banbury/Bicester.

Still within half an hours drive of the training centre.

Indeed. Wouldn't it be a good use of resources to reuse a ruined piece of land such as that used as construction sites for HS2? There is one (used by Balfour Beatty) just outside of Ufton that would be good. The land has been totally ruined by the site, but it isn't close enough to anywhere to be useful as even an industrial estate. It is about 600m x 400m in size, next to the Grand Union canal and Welsh Road. It's purpose was to process the spoilage from the HS2 tunnel at Hunningham Woods. There two other such sites nearby, like the one on the A425 outside Southam, and the one on the Fosse Way outside Offchurch.

Trouble is, all these potential sites would take a decade to develop, and there is not the time. Wasps need to jump in on a project that is pretty much going ahead, like the one in Warwick. All the other sites I have heard of are aspirations.

All of those sites you mention are a nightmare to get too for upto 10,000 people which would have to be the target.
Taking Ufton, that is effectively on the route to Gaydon, and anyone who travelled to Gaydon for JLR will know how chaotic it was for 4000 people, and all didn't need to use the Fosse.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

That cost sounds a lot more like I was expecting. Of course, you will not get the views that structural concrete/steel cantilever roofs and upper tier stands would give you, but you also avoid the maintenance nightmare that these designs often are. The gain is a much cozier atmosphere, as long as they do not compromise on the seats. It never ceases to amaze me how dumb architects can be to specify the 'standard' too narrow soccer stadium sized seats, when it will be big burly ex rugby players squeezing in to them.

Oh, another reason, really daft I know, to do a joint stadium with Leamington Brakes. Their team colours are black and gold, inherited from those days long ago when they were the works team for AP Lockheed, whose packaging and logo were black and gold (I was a manager at that factory before I moved jobs to JLR). We could have black and gold seats!!

[NellyWellyWaspy]

They could also move slightly south down the M40 corridor towards Banbury/Bicester.

Still within half an hours drive of the training centre.

Indeed. Wouldn't it be a good use of resources to reuse a ruined piece of land such as that used as construction sites for HS2? There is one (used by Balfour Beatty) just outside of Ufton that would be good. The land has been totally ruined by the site, but it isn't close enough to anywhere to be useful as even an industrial estate. It is about 600m x 400m in size, next to the Grand Union canal and Welsh Road. It's purpose was to process the spoilage from the HS2 tunnel at Hunningham Woods. There two other such sites nearby, like the one on the A425 outside Southam, and the one on the Fosse Way outside Offchurch.

Trouble is, all these potential sites would take a decade to develop, and there is not the time. Wasps need to jump in on a project that is pretty much going ahead, like the one in Warwick. All the other sites I have heard of are aspirations.

All of those sites you mention are a nightmare to get too for upto 10,000 people which would have to be the target.
Taking Ufton, that is effectively on the route to Gaydon, and anyone who travelled to Gaydon for JLR will know how chaotic it was for 4000 people, and all didn't need to use the Fosse.

True, there isn't the road infrastructure, and the nearest railway station was closed by Beeching. You could go by narrowboat? hehe.

[Neils]

That cost sounds a lot more like I was expecting. Of course, you will not get the views that structural concrete/steel cantilever roofs and upper tier stands would give you, but you also avoid the maintenance nightmare that these designs often are. The gain is a much cozier atmosphere, as long as they do not compromise on the seats. It never ceases to amaze me how dumb architects can be to specify the 'standard' too narrow soccer stadium sized seats, when it will be big burly ex rugby players squeezing in to them.

Oh, another reason, really daft I know, to do a joint stadium with Leamington Brakes. Their team colours are black and gold, inherited from those days long ago when they were the works team for AP Lockheed, whose packaging and logo were black and gold (I was a manager at that factory before I moved jobs to JLR). We could have black and gold seats!!

Surprisingly I thought that before my first visit but the uprights are so slender you slowly don't notice them - certainly less blockage than many I have been to.

[RogerE]

With regard to temorary stands an easy, and cheaper solution would be a tensile steel/fabric structure as used by Newcastle Falcons. These require minimal foundations, and take only days to erect.

In my previous post I mentioned Banbury/Bicester primarily because they are still both in "our" area, and are easily reached by both London/High Wycombe and midlands-based fans using the M40 and Chiltern Railways.

Banbury United stadium is immediately outside Banbury station and has a capacity of 6500, but is situated in the middle of an industrial estate (sounds familiar) with no parking, but the station has a largish car park that is relativelempty at weekends.

Bicester is more interesting because the shopping village purchased the towns only real existing green playing area a few years ago, and evicted all the teams, but has just locked it up and is facing a real backlash from the residents. There is a call for more sports-based development (a lot of space along the A41 in both directions). A joint venture could be a solution there.