Does highlight the current required standard for super league. Think it states stadium capacity of 5000 with 2000 seated. Wakey have to move next year from Belle view fev have offered a code share, apparently fev has 8000 capacity. Anyone remember offhand how many seats we have at ealing?

970 is the official seating max, including 120 in 'mobile stands'.

Ben Ward the Trailfinders' Director of Rugby ruled out promotion this year in the rugby paper this week, even though they are in a play-off place:
"We've made phenomenal strides but it's important we catch up off the field and we're not yet ready to go up to the Premiership or have a chance to do that.
We're speaking with our owner about it and over the next couple of years that opportunity may arise; but to jump to that level now would be too much too soon and it's important we grow at the right pace."

If our 'senior' partner at Ealing isn't ready for the jump presume we aren't either!

As a London Welsh season ticket holder without a season can see a lot of merit in this rather than continually pressing for promotion with no confirmed economic plan.

Cheers Paul.
Sensible approach by ealing RU.
I wonder if we would take the same view. If we did take that view what would fans reaction be? Say we finish 3rd in 8s or win the million pound game, then we say no thanks we don't want to play in Super league, the million pound game is therefore nothing of the sort for us. For some they would say yep let's stay in championship it's the right thing to do but, I think for others it would be an unpalatable decision.

Sadly, I think this demonstrates that as a sport RL is struggling, the fact wakey can't secure a new stadium and are considering sharing with other club Dewsbury being one mentioned!!!! Does not show a sport that's looking at national growth
Radical shake up? Cas build a new stadium, merge cas and wakey?

In terms of bums on seats and the maximum cost of seats, I can't see the exisiting number of RL fans being able to support more than semi-pro leagues or fully-pro based on above national average wages rather than 'sports stars wages'

TV money has changed the top end of the game. To be attractive to TV rights money you do need world sports stars playing in top clashes every week. The only way RL could compete here would be for half a dozen clubs to take all the exisiting TV money and pay the worlds top rugby stars. Two top games a week gets more of those TV subscriptions in than a choice of 6 mediocre ones. Sadly mergers don't work in sport so this would be a brutal process. Constant mention of 6 teams in the media may also raise the awareness of the publc to the sport. The talent would be drawn for RL/RU and American Football worldwide so not an easy progression path for British RL players.

Third option , granted I don't know how likely it is, but DH puts his hands in his deep pockets and offers to build a new stand at Ealing . Might it force the pace of Ealing RU's ambition?

Would they want us if promoted. That would dramatically increase their revenue.

In return for a stand we'd want a mighty long lease or shared ownership and I have a suspicion the land won't be owned by ETRUFC If so would either of those actually be in the interest of the owners?

Can't remember what the ownership thing is with Trailfinders, I know it's a bit complicated I will try and find out. Not sure what the situation is with planning permission if they were to go for a bigger permanent stand either, I do know a temporary stand has been discussed and I believe they have agreement fir it up needed.
Even with a bigger capacity the access to ealing is always going to cause problems as we found out to our cost at the Leeds game, if I headed right the locals were mightily peeved with cars parking on the roads round the ground.

It appears the freehold is owned by the Mike Gooley Trailfinders Charity, with Ealing RU presumably anchor tenants, quite possibly at a token tent.

If it is charity owned I can't see any sort of stand for part ownership or long term lease deal working.

Yeah I knew it was something like that, I think ealing RU are in effect free tenants maybe paying a peppercorn for the tax man. I would like to think that long term the option of promotion for ealing would be an option so growing the facility is not fully discounted

So we'd be faced with the choices of saying in the Championship or another move?
Some choices!
Have Ealing ever been a top flight club in the modern era?
That's our trouble isn't it - we have been and would surely want to be again in the very near future.

For where we are at this point in time, Ealing Trailfinders is more than adequate. However, should we ever return to Super League it will never do.
I have no idea as to how high David Hughes ambitions are. If he really is aiming for promotion then he needs to have a Plan B. For the team to achieve promotion and be denied because our ground is not up to standard, would be awful.

Again it's one of those things that is out of our hands.
Reality is Trailfinders works for us and seems to be reaping rewards, everything in one place, a decent youth team coming through training and playing alongside the senior squad. We seem to be getting back to being a London club rather than a team that plays in londin
The aim has to be get back to Super League but if we do what then re a home?
Can we survive as a full time championship team?

Ealing Trailfinders RU operate on a very similar business model to London Welsh RU i.e. one rich benefactor who is spending his way to the top.
There's talk on an RU site I use that Ealing could well go the way of London Welsh, sooner rather than later, if they are not careful.

Could that mean we become sole tenants in Ealing? Or the major one?

Highly unlikely. Believe it is the Gooley family funding Ealing. Difficult to see them ceasing to fund Ealing and the charity then granting a long lease to another club. Few million quids worth of land there and a charity ready to receive the money if it frees up and planning permission can be granted.

TBH given Michael Gooley is not a young man and Ealing have said they are talking to him about a possible premiership push I'd suggest that there has already been planning for the day he can't put in any more money. The Premiership stuff will be an extension of that planning.

My money is on Ealing playing there for years to come, at what level is the bigger question I suspect.