Salford City - moving to AJ Bell stadium (P9)

[lancs blue]

Playing football and Rugby in a shared stadium is fraught with problems....ask anyone at Rochdale they despised each other at one point

Oh yes I can imagine that Sale Sharks would like the grass to be a little longer than the football club for starters, not that there'll much left a few months into the season.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Playing football and Rugby in a shared stadium is fraught with problems....ask anyone at Rochdale they despised each other at one point

you'd think sale would know all about this after playing at stockports ground

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

Slightly unrelated but as a Weaste lad, the biggest mistake the ORIGINAL Red Devils made was moving from The Willows. The place had soul and was in the heart of the City. Loved watching them play there. Never been to AJ Bell and probably never will now.

Used to watch Salford RLFC a few times a year at the Willows, never a serious fan, more of a day out and a substitute for football, but always enjoyed going. Never been to AJ Bell but agree the Willows had character, and a few boozers nearby for the match day experience.

 

[domalino]

Playing football and Rugby in a shared stadium is fraught with problems....ask anyone at Rochdale they despised each other at one point

Coventry and Wasps seem to do OK (apart from rent disputes), I suspect it's a budget issue more than anything. It can be done if you put money towards pitch maintenance.

 

[youngbob]

Apparently Neville has said at a fans forum that the intention is to move to the AJ Bell stadium for the start of next season and beyond, sharing ownership of it with Sale Sharks. Salford Red Devils would then play at Moor Lane.

Deal already done between Salford City, Sale Sharks, and Salford Red Devils. Just working on the agreement with the council.

Drive past the stadium a lot on my way to hospital appointments at Salford Royal. A nice little ground, it's just not that near anything.

 

[waspish]

Thought they’ve only just built and moved into there new stadium fee years back why is Neville moving Salford away?

 

[Manc in London]

Slightly unrelated but as a Weaste lad, the biggest mistake the ORIGINAL Red Devils made was moving from The Willows. The place had soul and was in the heart of the City. Loved watching them play there. Never been to AJ Bell and probably never will now.

Are you the Beast from Weaste? ;)

I loved The Willows. One of my favourite sports grounds. Mostly on the basis of good memories and bias as a Salford supporter. The ground had a bit of charm to it and the set-up enabled fans and players to mix pre and post game. Regardless of us being more shite than good, it was a good place to spend an afternoon. Especially in the summer.

AJ Bell is not a likeable stadium at all. Sadly, despite the efforts of the fans and the management of the club, t's soulless and the location is less than ideal. The Willows had to be sold, sadly.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Playing football and Rugby in a shared stadium is fraught with problems...

Hope so

 

[cptaidan88]

Thought they’ve only just built and moved into there new stadium fee years back why is Neville moving Salford away?

I've read that GNev has said Moor Lane is fine for their current needs, but they will outgrow it. The opportunity to jointly take over the AJ Bell is only available now, otherwise Sale Sharks will take it on outright.

I think the rumoured £15m cost to buy it (and so £7.5m for their 50% share) is considerably less than it would cost to build a similar sized stadium, so its a business decision.

In addition, the hospitality options on matchdays and, conferencing facilities on non-matchday is a source of revenue they don't currently have (or not to that extent).

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Coventry and Wasps seem to do OK (apart from rent disputes), I suspect it's a budget issue more than anything. It can be done if you put money towards pitch maintenance.

Hull City and Hull too