News from down the M40

[Snake]

Q. “Is there a limit to the number of 'match days'? For example, in the (extremely unlikely) event that we were to get to the final of every cup competition, being drawn at home in every round, would we have to pay more rent than if we were knocked out in the first round of all of them? Or could we organise ten pre-season friendlies at home without paying any more rent?

[slappy]

wasps update
former owner Chris Wright :
“There was also a perception — I believe — that I was happy to stay at Adams Park and wasn’t looking at other options. In fact, I’d spent two or three years dealing with Wycombe Council and together with Barry Hearn, who owns Leyton Orient, we spoke to the Olympic Stadium [company] about the possibility of playing there. We even looked at The Oval.

“Steve was committed to having Wasps and Wycombe together and had this idea of using the aerodrome to build a new stadium. I thought it was a non-runner and that it would never get off the ground. I believed we had to do something else and going to Oxford was the obvious answer because of the 12,500 capacity it would give us. However, that did not suit Steve’s agenda.&quot

[slappy]

Rugby Union news...
London Welsh, though, are confident of their top-flight entry should they topple the Pirates, with the Exiles thought to be considering a ground-share at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium next season.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... z1uqBxXGGx

[Mooro]

Haven't got a link to hand, but the latest from Wasps' new owners is that they are going to stay at Why-come for the next two years while they look for somewhere else longer term, though this becomes less relevent if slappy's post above comes to fruition I guess....(Except it'll mean two more local M40 derbies - if you like that sort of thing)

[slappy]

It seems every rugby journalist going just looks up 12K capacity all seater football grounds outside of the Premier League, within an hour of London, and then 'links' them with Wasps/London Welsh etc. I see Quins have denied any contact regarding the Stoop and London Welsh. I'm not really up to date on the Primacy of Tenure rules in rugby, but as Wasps/Wycombe both seem to coexist they can't be that tough to get around.

It seems that the original rugby Premier teams are allowed to ground share after an OFT ruling, but that teams getting promoted have to either have first dibs on a ground, or have an alternative they can use. Teams like Cornish Pirates / London Welsh call it pulling up the drawbridge. Along with parachute payments for relegated teams, very much a closed shop.

[OUFC_Gav]

Interesting that Football League regulations require:
13.5.1 the playing of any of the Club's first team matches will always take precedence over the activities of the other party to the agreement and
13.5.2 the Club shall have the ability to postpone other activities scheduled to take place on the pitch in the immediately preceding 48 hour period where in the opinion of the Club, acting reasonably, there is a risk that such activity may result in the subsequent postponement or abandonment of a match to be played under the auspices of the League.

[Steppers]

This true it appears

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18063564?

[Swissbloke]

Yup true, I feel for the poor Welsh fans.

http://www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 0,13290128

[slappy]

meanwhile, down the A40, it seems Wycombe Wanderers are being abandoned after the new ground move fell through.

http://www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/page/ ... 63,00.html
Wycombe Wanderers can today announce that the club and its owner Steve Hayes are in the final stages of negotiations to complete a deal which would see the club taken over by Wycombe Wanderers Trust.

[slappy]

[London Welsh] have confirmed that the reason for switching the home leg from their Old Deer Park home is down to the Kassam Stadium being a potential venue for their fixtures next season should they win the Championship title.
A London Welsh statement read: &quotLondon Welsh have taken this opportunity to showcase the Kassam Stadium because it is one of the grounds where the club could play next season if they are promoted to the Aviva Premiership.
&quotIt is the home of Oxford United F.C. but the stadium was always designed for rugby as well as football. It offers high quality playing and spectator facilities plus excellent floodlighting which was a factor in the club's decision.&quot
The Kassam Stadium previously played host to the Amlin Challenge Cup final in 2002 and 2005.

[theox]

If London Welsh do move in next season would this decrease our rent or just increase income for StadCo?

[A-Ro]

If London Welsh do move in next season would this decrease our rent or just increase income for StadCo?

I think we all know the answer to that.

[slappy]

HMRC launch a winding up petition against Wycombe Wanderers.

This just days after they were appealing for funds to get them to the end of the season.

[Myles Francis]

Wycombe's statement on the issue:

Wycombe Wanderers can confirm that the HMRC have advertised the club’s overdue taxes.

The club are working with the HMRC to settle this amount and matters are progressing towards an amicable and workable end.

As stated previously, the club had great difficulty releasing funds held within the assets owned by Wycombe Wanderers Trust via Frank Adams Legacy Limited, but these are now being unwound and will allow the club to operate with ample working capital.

If the club are working with HMRC to settle the debt in an &quotamicable&quot fashion, why the need to issue a winding up petition? And why not confirm how much the debt is for? Frank Adams Legacy Ltd is the holding company set up to allow the supporters trust to take over the club back in July. How come it's taken until now to find the problems with releasing funds? All sounds a little odd.

[slappy]

Assuming they get past 25 March, Wanderers are calling on the people of High Wycombe to come together and show their support of the club against Accrington Stanley on Good Friday (29th March).

Special ticket prices are on offer to encourage as many people as possible to celebrate the occasion.

...
Prices will be reduced with adult tickets at just £10, concessions £5 and FREE entry to U7s in all areas of the ground, while Stanley fans will also be able to benefit from the same deal.
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Didn't they try something similar against Bradford, or was it Bradford that were going to provide free away tickets, but the match was called off?

I think they also had a scheme recently where anyone with a season ticket for another club could get half-price entry.

Apart from the &quotLucky seven&quot, OUFC don't really seem to ever do these type of discounts. The last Bridle one apparently lost money compared to predicted gate takings without the discount. And we were told the &quotKid for a quid&quot also doesn't bring in as much as the Guard of Honour and kids football teams. (Although under 7s are free anyway).