News: Mansfield confirm Titans talks
As one rugby club sets out plans to take over Yorkshire, another is putting together plans that could see them play home games outside the county.
Mansfield Town Football Club has confirmed that it is in "the negotiations stage" over the possibility of Rotherham Titans Rugby Club playing their home matches at its One Call Stadium next season.
The talks follow an excellent Championship season so far for the Titans which sees the club in the playoff positions for the Rugby Premiership.
Were the club to gain promotion back into the premiership, its ground would need to meet strict criteria set by the RFU, the governing body for the sport in England. The Titan's current home at Clifton Lane does not and development would be difficult.
Paul Broughton, stadium director at Mansfield, said: "We're currently at the negotiations stage with Rotherham Titans and if discussions go well then their sharing of the stadium will provide the club with another income stream.
"We are set for discussions with the Safety Advisory Group, our structural engineer, and our communications director Andy Sutton will also advise us on whether it is feasible.
"Requirements to stage rugby matches at the level which Rotherham Titans play at require grounds to be at a minimum of 10,000 capacity and so we are looking to increase capacity at One Call Stadium by a further 800 to ensure the criteria is met.
"Hopefully a mutual agreement will be reached soon which will benefit both Mansfield Town Football Club and Rotherham Titans.
"We will look at ways to enhance the pitch in the summer to ensure the playing surface is not totally affected by an increase in matches being played on it."
The use of Rotherham United's former home, Millmoor, to stage home matches for the Rotherham Titans looks unlikely after "a commercially viable solution could not be found." Talks took place in 2011 between Rotherham Rugby Club, Rotherham Council and ground owners, CF Booth Ltd.
Rotherham United moved into a new £20m stadium on the edge of the town centre in 2012.
Rotherham Titans website
Images: Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club has confirmed that it is in "the negotiations stage" over the possibility of Rotherham Titans Rugby Club playing their home matches at its One Call Stadium next season.
The talks follow an excellent Championship season so far for the Titans which sees the club in the playoff positions for the Rugby Premiership.
Were the club to gain promotion back into the premiership, its ground would need to meet strict criteria set by the RFU, the governing body for the sport in England. The Titan's current home at Clifton Lane does not and development would be difficult.
Paul Broughton, stadium director at Mansfield, said: "We're currently at the negotiations stage with Rotherham Titans and if discussions go well then their sharing of the stadium will provide the club with another income stream.
"We are set for discussions with the Safety Advisory Group, our structural engineer, and our communications director Andy Sutton will also advise us on whether it is feasible.
"Requirements to stage rugby matches at the level which Rotherham Titans play at require grounds to be at a minimum of 10,000 capacity and so we are looking to increase capacity at One Call Stadium by a further 800 to ensure the criteria is met.
"Hopefully a mutual agreement will be reached soon which will benefit both Mansfield Town Football Club and Rotherham Titans.
"We will look at ways to enhance the pitch in the summer to ensure the playing surface is not totally affected by an increase in matches being played on it."
The use of Rotherham United's former home, Millmoor, to stage home matches for the Rotherham Titans looks unlikely after "a commercially viable solution could not be found." Talks took place in 2011 between Rotherham Rugby Club, Rotherham Council and ground owners, CF Booth Ltd.
Rotherham United moved into a new £20m stadium on the edge of the town centre in 2012.
Rotherham Titans website
Images: Mansfield Town
1 comments:
How can this even be possible?
We've got 2 football stadiums in the town and neither set of owners can get round the table and find a solution to keep the club in the town?
Time for the adults to get involved and sort this.
Surely its commercially better for the Titans to be keot in Rotherham?? For the club and for the town??
Insane
Post a Comment