bbc radio Leeds ,Leeds rhinos have confirmed the redevelopment of the new southstand has been defferred .

Yep. Story now on [url=http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/17475.phpOfficial Site[/url too.

The pre and post match on friday felt like a farewell party for more than two players, probably planned as a Southstand send off before they realised they are not ready to knock it down

So if we're taking it more steady, and growing "in line with all other super league clubs", does that mean we can now afford a proper coach?

Looking for the right funding model. The only right thing that will work for funding is calling it a day at Headingley and building a new purpose built stadium elsewhere. It will be a better option and one that they would find more reasonable funding for. That abomination they were going to proceed with smacked of desperation.

bidding for the 2013 WC ?going to have to look sharp

This isn't a sudden, unexpected piece of expenditure that the club are faced with - the long term future (or lack of it) of the South Stand has been known for at least the last two years.

That the club have now decided they don't have the funds to complete the work and won't risk borrowing to do so smacks of board level incompetence. If no further explanations are forthcoming on why this decision has been made it leaves both Hetherington and Caddick looking foolish.

Frankly it will serve them right if the council refuse to grant an H&S certificate for next year and insist on the entire stand being closed.

I'm interested in the "funding model similar to other Super League clubs" line and what that means in practice - up front receipt of the Sky money for future years?

Really can't see that happening mate.

It would make sense, if they built it in the right place and with a better road network and sound regulations meaning that it could be used for other stuff (like LUFC reserves and concerts) too, that way it might get some funding/sponsorship deals etc but I really REALLY can't see it happening.

Besides which... what would they do with all the £90 bricks?! They've just promised they'll be there forever!

This post is bang on.

Accepted. I wasn't suggesting it would happen. But do suggest it should happen. Move with the times, as Headingley will never the number one ground that it always was.

we are the new Knowesly road,gonna get some stick now

Hmmm, this is a touch embarrassing isn't it?

2013 World Cup? I wouldn't have thought so. Although I suppose if they deferred by 1 year and closed it at the end of next season it might be feasible. I'd want some pretty solid guarantees if I was the organising committee though.

It seems to me, whilst Hetherington has undoubtedly done great things since taking over, he's lost the plot.

Talk about irritating and alienating the fans.

We've lost the salaries (whatever they were) of Senior, Cross, Burgess, Lauitiiti & more than likely Buderus, and you'd expect that Webb & Leuluai have also taken salary cuts, and we've signed Richard Moore. Now whilst this is irritating, and wouldn't be my approach, I think most fans understood that a new stand would mean cuts in other places, it's crazy to burn the candle at both ends, so we kinda put up with it.

Now the new stand isn't happening (or not yet anyway), what's the betting he's hoping we just don't notice lack of investment elsewhere in the club?

If they're thinking of bidding for a game that doesn't involve England, then the three-sided stadium will be plenty big enough to accommodate any likely crowd.

It would still look rubbish though. I'd rather just play somewhere smaller than use a ground which may have a derelict stand. 14k is way over the top for non-England matches in terms of size anyway.

90 quid a brick !now we know why that one came up

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.... the timing now makes sense.

Hetherington at his best.

Now just received an email saying that the 2012 season tickets are on sale. So basically, they had no choice but to mention the South Stand (lack of) otherwise people would've had to ask what was happening when purchasing tickets.

Which makes you wonder how long they've known it wasn't happening?!

Edit - It also means that the "South Stand not Happening" story was the top story on the website for all of about 10 minutes. Call my cynical if you want.

I am assuming that this has been dealt with already. I really do suspect that they have also been told by LCC's structural engineers that they can't keep putting this off and that they might have to do some remedial work as part of the bid to keep it open into 2012, but either way I can't see them taking the risk of granting it a safety cert for 2013 season!



No, building a Tesco on the current site and moving to a new ground somewhere else, possibly alongside some other enabling development.



The 'real' locals will be delighted with a new Tesco I am sure!

So the big drop in attendances came in 2009, I wonder what could have caused that...

[url=http://www.google.co.uk/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&ctype=l&strail=false&nselm=h&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&hl=en&dl=en#ctype=l&strail=false&nselm=h&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_kd_zg&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:GBR&ifdim=country&tstart=1126047600000&tend=1283814000000&hl=en&dl=enThis?[/url

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_financial_crisis_of_2008This?[/url

...people do seem to forget that Britain is in one of it's worst Financial Climates we've had in years

They only had the meeting with LCC last night I understand, but the overall funding issue has been known for sometime - That is why Rhinos' 4 Life was re-launched!!!

It seems to me that Gary and Paul don't want to put the club into debt or at least pay commercial rates to lend the money, now that the Leeds Met Carnegie Gravy train has dried-up. He did say that the plan was to 'borrow' the money and put the club into a structured debt situation, so I am not sure what has changed!

That actually posses a question about Saints deal with Tesco and the housing developer for KR. Is their deal structured to pay off their £8m debt and enter the new stadium debt free? Genuine question?

Yes I fully appreciate that thanks.

You'd think that perhaps, you'd need to give people even more of an intensive to spend their hard earned cash though wouldn't you. By, perhaps giving them something good to watch and not have them feel like they're wasting their money.

Just have a look at what's happened to Warrington's average attendance over the same period. Go on. I dare you. Or is Warrington more financially stable than the rest of the country?

Careful, Warrington always had the potential to grow their crowds and the new ground did most of the that, the success that has followed has kept the figure consistent during the recession.

Also, they have a sugar daddy who is happy to throw his fortune at the club to cover the annual loss they would otherwise show in their accounts!!!

Plus, Tesco and the council helped them build a new ground too!

The last bit is very intriguing...I read it as we've decided we'd like the council to pay/subsidise the stand

I think this line in Hetherington's statement is key...

"the cost of borrowing and repaying the debt and the risk to the club involved"

...the cost of borrowing has remained very high since the 2008 banking crisis and is something that's taking longer to stabilise than experts seemed to predict it would. Maybe the club having previously delayed action on the stand thought credit would be more readily available on attractive terms by now but it simply not...so hence the need to go to the council?

I think this is probably spot on!