Wakefield keep counsel over Castleford CEO's stadium opposition

[Badly Overdrawn Boy]

• Richard Wright contributed to legal case against new stadium

• Castleford CEO's letter reveals Wakefield rejection of groundshare

Wakefield Trinity are maintaining a diplomatic silence over the discovery that Richard Wright, the chief executive of their local rivals Castleford, has contributed to the case against their application for a new stadium.

The public inquiry into Wakefield's proposal, which involves retail and warehousing as well as a community stadium on the site of an old colliery next to the M62 motorway, began at the city's town hall on Monday.

Leeds city council, which is challenging the development because it involves greenbelt land, produced a batch of documents including a letter from Wright which confirmed that Wakefield have previously rejected the opportunity to share a stadium that Castleford hope to build a couple of junctions along the M62 – although their plans are dependent on planning permission being granted for a supermarket to be built on the site of their current home in the town at Wheldon Road.

Wright has yet to respond to the storm caused by his letter, although Castleford have promised a statement on Wednesday.

The two clubs, whose supporters united to reject a merger that was part of the original Super League plans in 1995-96, had been thought to be battling for a single place in the elite competition when the latest batch of three-year licences were awarded last summer. The shock withdrawal of the Crusaders allowed both to survive, but each have frequently stressed the importance of moving to a new stadium to their long-term future.

Sir Rodney Walker, the former chairman of both Trinity and the Rugby Football League who is now heading up the community trust that has been formed to oversee the development of the stadium, confirmed in his evidence to the inquiry that a funding package has been agreed for work to start early next year if planning permission is granted.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/dec...rd-stadium

[Badly Overdrawn Boy]

The first cuckoo of spring?

[Brynhild]

Nice knife to the kidneys there from Cas.

Maybe they are getting worried...

[Chris B]

I bet they are. It's just a scrap now between the two clubs. Remember the little dig that Glover made about Cas sharing Newmarket just after he had taken over.

In a way I actually want this planning thing to go wrong for them so that they do end up in the Championship serving the three years that they should have in 2009 when they included a completely flawed stadium plan as part of their application. A plan that went bump a very short while later. They typify a club doing the absolute minimum to get by.

[BEANO]

Castleford's own plans to re-locate to a new stadium is looking more and more dodgy.

The retail consortium financing the move have got serious doubts about the viability of such an investment in the current climate.

[reg warner]

"Castleford Tigers chief executive Richard Wright has issued a statement to give clarity to a letter that was read out at a planning inquiry into a mixed use development which includes a Stadium at Junction 30 of the M62 yesterday (Tuesday).

"There have been some misleading statements made in the past on our position regarding a shared stadium. I was asked to clarity our position with this regard. There is nothing new here; it is all a matter of public record," explained Wright.

"The letter confirmed that we remain open to the idea of sharing facilities and that we did agree to participate in a Council funded feasibility study in July 2010 to determine the best location for a new shared community Stadium in the Wakefield district.

"Since that time we have made significant progress at Junction 32 of the M62 (Glasshoughton) and have secured full planning consent for a community Stadium there.

"However, we remain open to the concept of a shared stadium as we have always believed that this would be the best solution for the district."

http://www.castigers.com/article.php?id=1931