The Carnegie stand took 10 months including demolition but iirc the demolition took so long because the terrace was solid concrete, the southstand should be able to be brought down in a matter of weeks, I think it would be possible for the terrace part to be ready for the new season but it would be tight, but this is all speculation as we don't know what their building yet.

Also the Carnegie stand isnt just a stand. Cafe Bar, University class rooms etc.

The RU does give the pitch (or any pitch) a battering but as I said, the Galpharm grass is modern and will have been 'designed' for use as a sports pitch, they also have under-soil heating meaning it will have not have been damaged by being covered with frost sheets.

The demolition of the old Eastern terrace will probably have taken slightly longer than it will end up taking to bring down the South Stand, but mainly due to the logistical and site constraint issues generating by the road and retaining wall to the rear etc, not the job itself.

How many weeks do you think it will take to bring down the South Stand ready for ground-worker to move in to start the founds? I reckon 4 weeks at it's quickest, the founds are going to be around 4 to 6 weeks, steel and pre-cast terrace units (the quickest way) 8 to 10 weeks, cladding and roofing is more difficult but 4 to 8 weeks. Ok, we will have some programme overlap, especially between the steel and cladders but they will not move in to start the fit out until all overhead work is complete normally.

So what we at now, looks like absolute best case 20 weeks to get the shell up and top-out. That does not include M&E and any fit-out!!!

There might be a plan to get a safety passable standing terrace up, possibly without a roof, and then other works including the roof and possible upper seating terrace to carry on between fixtures. Or, they might go for a half stand approach but I think that route would reduce the capacity below the average the club would want.

Lets say they have a super plan and can get this super full pitch length stand up, in full, in 16 to 20 weeks, why do that and still have the crap pitch. The best time for the grass to grow (in relation to the off-season and build programme) is March/April, so why mess about and spend a small fortune getting a new stand ready and then open it in February and have a pitch that is even worse (hard to imagine I know) than it is now!

For me, we are not going to playing at Headingley at the start of next season if they go ahead and Elland Road would seem to be the logical option.

this season we have 4 home games before april.
teams such as wigan and huddersfield have a month away from home in the summer for re-seeding of the pitch.
if we play our first 6 games away next season we won't be far off having the stand finished.
as for estimates i would guess at 2 weeks to demolish it and 2 weeks to roof it.
if we are lucky and caddick wins the contract

then i would guess it will be pushed on in double quick time

Have you not put in a tender yourself Graham - discount for cash?

Has it actually been confirmed that the South Stand will be redeveloped at the end of the 2010 season?

ha, just done a cash job as it happens.

for a woman who is a fraud officer in the police

Give over tad... you need to give me the numbers of the demo subbie and cladding subbies you are using, they must have a full order book!!!

I don't think Caddick will compete on a job of this size, so they will either buy it or they will not be the best price in the market. I think the MC tender list will be something like BAM, Laing, Wates, GB (just done Chesterfield), Sir Robert Mac's, Kier, Shepherd, GMI and maybe Allenbuild and possibly Bovis, Balfour Beatty but it might be too small for them.

bet you a pint caddick gets the order

No, because I don't necessarily disagree and because they might negotiate overhead and prelims with Caddick only and then put the main packages out to open-book tender with GH/club. That said, in the current market, I think that GH would be making a mistake not to put the whole project out for MC tender or even D&B like Saints and go with the best price, which would never be Caddick unless they get nod on that price and match it.

Since when?

Huddersfield do not have just bog standard grass as mentioned before.

For the last two years IIRC. It's a all-sport competition as well beating golf courses and roundball pitches too.

Quote ="vastman"Since when?'" Read it and weep........ www.therhinos.co.uk/news/8247.php especially if you're a Leeds fan of a certain vintage

Quote ="vastman"Since when?'" Read it and weep........ www.therhinos.co.uk/news/8247.php especially if you're a Leeds fan of a certain vintage

Thanks Tvoc

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leeds/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8401000/8401588.stmThis BBC article says[/url



so the ground is so good people pay to find out how we manage it!

Thanks hopie4ever

That's another interesting article, especially this bit:

[iBooth said: "The lines between the (weather) seasons have become very blurred in recent years. In my 20 years of groundskeeping, I have never had to cut grass in December, however we cut the pitch twice before our recent game - Carnegie v Harlequins."[/i

I'd be interested to know what would have happened had the grass not been cut twice in December prior to playing rugby union on it? Grass doesn't grow in December anyway in McLaren Field's back garden.

Keith Boyce could tell us.

It certainly doesn't up here on the ice cap, might be something to do with the dog though, I could arrange for a bin liner full to be delivered to Headingley later on this week if they wish to try it ?