Rage Online

Has anything more emerged on the joint purchase of the stadium.....?

Was thinking about this the other day and thought that maybe this might work quite well for us....if for instance the two clubs share the purchase of the stadium (£6.5m each, to use the oft-quoted sale price), then that will be more achievable in the first instance for OUFC and also remove FK from the equation.
Then when LW get relegated and/or run out of money (which I would suggest are both quite likely for any club trying to move into the rugby top flight), then we can offer to buy their half at a much reduced price (as they probably wont want to still use our stadium if they dont have to for league purposes), thus meaning we get the whole place at something more approaching what we want to spend on it....

Only issue I see is if LW want to repaint some of the seats in their colours......

The only issue I can see is that surely LW won't fall into that one!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19063017
Stade Francais come to visit on 13 October.

&quotslappy&quot wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19063017
Stade Francais come to visit on 13 October.

Does this mean that Grenoble might be visiting Grenoble Road later in the season too?

&quotslappy&quot wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19063017
Stade Francais come to visit on 13 October.

I also saw that link today. I wonder how their attendances will pan out over the season?

Aviva Premiership - 11 home games
Amlin Challenge Cup - 1 game at the Kassam (Stade Francais), and 2 at Old Deer Park (FC Grenoble and Club I Cavalieri) - so Grenoble are not coming to Grenoble Road
LV Cup - 2 games at the Kassam, assuming they don't get through the group stage.

So 14 games is not as bad as it could have been - I feel a little bit more hopeful the pitch won't be totally ripped up.

I'd have thought quite a few teams will bring good support, as Oxford is fairly central to the rugby. I've no idea what sort of home crowds London Welsh got at Old Deer Park, but perhaps locals in Oxford will come along to see the likes of Leicester, Wasps, Harlequins.

&quotslappy&quot wrote: I've no idea what sort of home crowds London Welsh got at Old Deer Park

Last season, they played 17 first-team games at ODP and averaged 1,074 - high of 2,057 (last game of regular season v.Worcester) and low of 237.

&quotMyles Francis&quot wrote:

&quotslappy&quot wrote: I've no idea what sort of home crowds London Welsh got at Old Deer Park

Last season, they played 17 first-team games at ODP and averaged 1,074 - high of 2,057 (last game of regular season v.Worcester) and low of 237.

Which does rather suggest that they are unlikely to have £6.5m lying around to jointly fund a stadium purchase.

&quotRadley Rambler&quot wrote:

&quotMyles Francis&quot wrote:

&quotslappy&quot wrote: I've no idea what sort of home crowds London Welsh got at Old Deer Park

Last season, they played 17 first-team games at ODP and averaged 1,074 - high of 2,057 (last game of regular season v.Worcester) and low of 237.

Which does rather suggest that they are unlikely to have £6.5m lying around to jointly fund a stadium purchase.

Hence the quote from Rent Boy regarding if LW stay up it may happen. FFS, Wigan Warriors have been the Manchester United equivalent in Rugby League for years and they still don't have a ground to call a home.

LW are now selling match tickets for their opening clash with
Leicester Tigers on Sept. 2nd.

Just South Stand tickets can be purchased at this point :

http://www.london-welsh.talent-sport.co ... tHome.aspx

Real Ale at Grenoble Road next season ?

http://www.london-welsh.co.uk/rugby_new ... sp?id=1299

London Broncos have been playing home games 'on the road' last season.

&quotThey are expected to return to Priestfield in Gillingham, where the Medway Dragons amateur club have made remarkable progress over the past few years, but Oxford's Kassam Stadium could be another possibility, especially for the Wigan game in May.

Wigan's chairman Ian Lenagan holds the same position with Oxford United and was a key figure in persuading London Welsh to play there following their promotion to rugby union's Premiership.&quot

I'm not sure about that last sentence, as I doubt IL had any say in the matter.

&quotslappy&quot wrote:London Broncos have been playing home games 'on the road' last season.

&quotThey are expected to return to Priestfield in Gillingham, where the Medway Dragons amateur club have made remarkable progress over the past few years, but Oxford's Kassam Stadium could be another possibility, especially for the Wigan game in May.

Wigan's chairman Ian Lenagan holds the same position with Oxford United and was a key figure in persuading London Welsh to play there following their promotion to rugby union's Premiership.&quot

I'm not sure about that last sentence, as I doubt IL had any say in the matter.

Indeed, and I can't think of a single reason that would benefit OUFC for IL to do so either, unless IL has been able to negotiate a reduction in rent and service charges for ground sharing.

“Unless IL has been able to negotiate a reduction in rent and service charges for ground sharing.

http&#58//www&#46london-welsh&#46co&#46 ... ampid=1483
Enhancing the Club’s commitment to Oxford:

Since September 2012 London Welsh has played all its key matches at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford. Over the course of the season so far the crowd base has grown dramatically from that seen in the Championship. Base crowd levels are now around 4,500 to 5,000, but have been as high as 7,500 for the opening game against Leicester Tigers. The upcoming fixture against neighbouring team London Wasps scheduled for Saturday 29 December (3pm kick-off) is expected to attract the biggest crowd of the season. This support from the local communities, schools and rugby clubs re-enforces the Club’s decision to move to Oxford. Having already started to build an active community rugby programme in the Oxford area the Club is pleased to announce that it has embarked on the search for new training facilities in the area as well as laying the foundations for a rugby academy programme.

The key investor in the Club over the past few years has been local businessman Kelvin Bryon. London Welsh would not have reached the heights of the Premiership without his historic and continued support, both financially and across all operations of the Club. As the Club progresses into its next key phase new investors are being targeted from the Oxford area and beyond, including businesses, entrepreneurs, and lovers of rugby. The Club is intent on widening its investor base and solidifying its new roots in Oxford and further afield and is seeking to raise additional funding in this next phase of its development with more ambitious plans further ahead if all goes as well as one would hope.


Commenting further on these matters, Bleddyn added

“For a professional club to survive in the modern world of Premiership rugby it requires the support of enthusiastic and committed investors as well as the full backing and following of a supportive fan base. Our new fans and supporters in Oxford, as well as our established and loyal following from Old Deer Park which remains very much our spiritual home and the continuing base for all our Amateur, mini and ladies' rugby teams, need to know that we are committed to both retaining our position in the Premiership and to developing our participation and engagement in all aspects of rugby and community sport. We are keen therefore to ensure that we have in place the necessary investors for the next phase as we seek to build on the momentum thus far generated during our first four months in the Premiership. We will do all we can as a club to ensure that we are successful in achieving this goal&quot.
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Does this sound like they have their eyes on the stadium? Or is it more the training facilities being the 'next phase'?
Or at least getting a new hybrid pitch like Swansea?