Wakefield announce Stadium expansion
Wakefield have tonight announced plans to expand the Rapid Solicitors Stadium to a total capacity of 12,000, of which 10,000 will be covered.
Wakefield Chairman Andrew Glover delivered the news to fans at the Cedar Court Hotel and stated it would significantly boost the club’s Super League Licence application for the 2012 season.
The new developments will increase the capacity of The Rapid Solicitors Stadium to 12,000, and 10,000 will be under cover. The new hospitality suite will hold 750 people and will boast restuarants and bars throughout.
There will be a new bar in The West Stand called the “Touchline Bar” and further concessions will be introduced around the ground to further the match day experience for supporters.
The developments to the stadium will ensure that The Rapid Solicitors Stadium is compliant for Super League and better many other stadia of teams currently in Super League.
The second announcement of the night was that of a membership scheme called “Club 1873”. The membership will consist of a weekly draw of £500 and a range of other benefits including in-store discounts and free junior membership.
The RFL have stated that clubs need to have at least 5,000 members as part of the Super League requirements and Wakefield hope to reach this target through the “Club 1873” scheme.
Wakefield Chairman Andrew Glover stated “We said at the beginning of the year that we would do everything we possibly could to keep the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in Super League and this is exactly what we are doing. The biggest issue that we were faced with, within our control, was the stadium, so without wasting any time we have worked hard to ensure that we will have this new, fully developed stadium that will meet with all of the RFL’s criteria in 2012.”
Chief Executive James Elston added “By launching our new membership scheme and announcing our exciting new stadium plans we have immediately strengthened our application in two incredibly important areas. Keeping The Wildcats in Super League is at the forefront of everyone’s priorities and this has given us a great boost towards that.”
Below in bold is the critera for a Grade A Stadium as set out in the RFL’s facility criteria. Wakefield’s position once the planned developments are implemented are in italics.
2a: Stadium has an operational capacity of at least 12,000
The stadium developments will allow a capacity of 12,000
2b: At least 12,000 of stadium capacity is under cover
10,000 of the stadium capcity will be under cover
2c: Stadium has operational capacity of at least 5,000 seats all of which are under cover and available for use
Stadium will have capacity of 3,000 seats
2d: Floodlighting is of at least 1,000 lux
Floodlighting is at 850 lux
2i: Total capacity of hospitality areas at home Stadium (boxes and lounges) is at least 750.
Total will allow a capcity of 750
2l: The Stadium has facilities which host and support community activity, with reference to educational learning, support of grassroots rugby league and levels of activity.
The Club has an award winning Community Department that use the ground and the classroom facilities on a daily basis for internal and external community activities.