Mowden Park Rugby Club - The Arena!?

[bga]

Hilly The point i was trying to make (badly i guess) was that everyone seems to have blamed the arena atmosphere for crap performanes on the pitch over the last what is it 7 or 8 years. The facts are with a couple of exceptions we have had crap mangers and crap players simple as that nothing to do with the atmosphere. I just feel if we provide players with the best facilities on and off the pitch USED PROPERLY THIS TIME we would attract better players which would lead to promtions and bigger crowds. Sorry but anyone who thinks a move back to Darlo other than using an existing facility like the arena is in for a very long wait!

[loan_star]

I reckon we should restart this discussion when we hit the bad weather and then see how many change their minds!

[divas]

I reckon we should restart this discussion when we hit the bad weather and then see how many change their minds!

Indeed. Had we had weather like we did away to Consett I'd have been interested to see the reaction.

[bga]

Glad to see some sensible comments above. I lived down south for many years and witnessed first hand how long it took Brighton to move back to Brighton. If we don't move back to Darlo after this sesaon it will just get harder and harder!

[carver30]

Sorry, but I just cannot understand the "Knee Jerk - Fuck the Arena" posts.

Currently, we are ground sharing with Bishop, but that is NOT a long term reality when we progress up the leagues.

Our plan is to return to Darlington, but unfortunately, at the moment, we do not have the cash to be in a position to buy land within in the town, nor build a new stadium. (Perhaps some posters need to get into the real world, as to how much this will cost - it is not going to happen).

There now appears the possibility that Mowden Park RFC, with their new riches, may be creating a new "Sporting Hub" for the town, with what appears to be Council backing. From the information released so far, the Council seem to be looking favourably on the DMPFC offer for additional land
as well.

Totally agree if we can be a tenant of the Arena and use the facilities it can only lead to a better future. We have a team in place that finally care about where the club is going where we play is irrelevant and the board need to make the decision on a long term financial view.

From what I understand, DMPRFC are far more interested in the potential social facilities of the Arena, than the ground itself. They have an extremely vibrant social club.

So,for example, DMPRFC did not actually play within the Arena, but created their new 18 pitches, but also created a brand new new pitch, with a stand holding say 1,000 seats, they then said to us - how do you feel about groundsharing with us - also share the existing bars etc.

DMPRFC would continue to own the Arena and could hold concerts etc

My view is that we should not just dismiss the idea, but hopefully hold discussions with Mowden Park and the Council, with a view to creating a new sporting facility for the whole town, which given the impact of the Olympics and the Paralympics, could be even bigger - not just Football and Rugby.

DC

What would be our reaction

[carver30]

Sorry, but I just cannot understand the "Knee Jerk - Fuck the Arena" posts.

Currently, we are ground sharing with Bishop, but that is NOT a long term reality when we progress up the leagues.

Our plan is to return to Darlington, but unfortunately, at the moment, we do not have the cash to be in a position to buy land within in the town, nor build a new stadium. (Perhaps some posters need to get into the real world, as to how much this will cost - it is not going to happen).

There now appears the possibility that Mowden Park RFC, with their new riches, may be creating a new "Sporting Hub" for the town, with what appears to be Council backing. From the information released so far, the Council seem to be looking favourably on the DMPFC offer for additional land
as well.

Totally agree if we can be a tenant of the Arena and use the facilities it can only lead to a better future. We have a team in place that finally care about where the club is going where we play is irrelevant and the board need to make the decision on a long term financial view.

From what I understand, DMPRFC are far more interested in the potential social facilities of the Arena, than the ground itself. They have an extremely vibrant social club.

So,for example, DMPRFC did not actually play within the Arena, but created their new 18 pitches, but also created a brand new new pitch, with a stand holding say 1,000 seats, they then said to us - how do you feel about groundsharing with us - also share the existing bars etc.

DMPRFC would continue to own the Arena and could hold concerts etc

My view is that we should not just dismiss the idea, but hopefully hold discussions with Mowden Park and the Council, with a view to creating a new sporting facility for the whole town, which given the impact of the Olympics and the Paralympics, could be even bigger - not just Football and Rugby.

DC


Totally agree now is the time go develop the Arena for a state of the art sports hub for the whole town where all sports are catered for including DFC with only 2% of the population watching us we need to be in this altogether, the Arena is to big an asset to be thrown away.
What would be our reaction

[Robbie Painter]

Divas & loan_star - do you really think the Arena can work as the long term home for DFC?

I personally fear that we move back to the Arena and in 1/3/5 years time Mowden realise what a moneypit it is and mothball it leaving us homeless all over again.

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

I believe a long term return to the Arena will condemn us to a expensive rental agreement and slowly declining fan base due to the it being a crap place to watch football.

[Hilly]

Divas & loan_star - do you really think the Arena can work as the long term home for DFC?

I personally fear that we move back to the Arena and in 1/3/5 years time Mowden realise what a moneypit it is and mothball it leaving us homeless all over again.

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

I believe a long term return to the Arena will condemn us to a expensive rental agreement and slowly declining fan base due to the it being a crap place to watch football.

Nail on the head, Robbie.

Summed up perfectly.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[m62exile]

Divas & loan_star - do you really think the Arena can work as the long term home for DFC?

I personally fear that we move back to the Arena and in 1/3/5 years time Mowden realise what a moneypit it is and mothball it leaving us homeless all over again.

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

I believe a long term return to the Arena will condemn us to a expensive rental agreement and slowly declining fan base due to the it being a crap place to watch football.

I'm in that camp too I'm afraid. Not blind to the difficulties ahead, nor overly romantic about wanting the tin shed back blah blah.

It would be like trying to put five stone back on just to fit back in to a pair of trousers you once liked, even when all your mates think you like like a twat in them.

It might end up being easiest option to go back, but it will kill us again.

[divas]

Divas & loan_star - do you really think the Arena can work as the long term home for DFC?

I personally fear that we move back to the Arena and in 1/3/5 years time Mowden realise what a moneypit it is and mothball it leaving us homeless all over again.

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

I believe a long term return to the Arena will condemn us to a expensive rental agreement and slowly declining fan base due to the it being a crap place to watch football.

No I don't. But it may have to.

Like everyone I want a nice 8000 capacity ground with a nice 2K main stand and 2/3 sides terracing, however I'm struggling to see how that is possible.

If the numbers stacked up re the Arena for short term then I think we'd be daft not to. Although we're getting very good crowds for this level at Bishop we've still lost nearly 1000 fans that I think we can re-engage if football was brought back to the town. Plus when the poor weather comes I think we may take another hit.

If we're out of town for more than 2 years I can see us losing more fans potentially - if coming back to the Arena gives us breathing space to get back to the town while we plan more mid-term then I don't see an issue, especially if the rugby club buy the other land and put pitches on - one of which may turn out to be our long term home.

If we somehow manage to do what we want and get 3 promotions on the bounce we'd have to have somewhere to move capable of BSN standard football - the only place I can see that fits is the Arena.

[lo36789]

If we somehow manage to do what we want and get 3 promotions on the bounce we'd have to have somewhere to move capable of BSN standard football - the only place I can see that fits is the Arena.

I think this really needs to be taken into consideration - especially if we are potentially hoping to be 'cherry-picked' if we don't win the league, surely having the facilities to play at the higher levels would be key to this sort of decision.

In my mind, it is going to cost £2million to get a facility like HP - in which case we need more than £2million (The main cost surely was the main stand, the grass banks and terracing must have been cheaper!?)!

The alternative - I have heard numerous times that the Arena would cost about £1million to pull down. It could be a real option, to do exactly that. Pull everything bar main stand down to the ground. We take our temporary stand and erect them at one end. We then need to build a terrace almost identical to that at HP at the other end (no idea on cost - but if it's less than £1million then hey we are probably hitting around the 8,000 mark for under the £2million).

This will create more space around the main pitch for the Rugby club to develop and will potentially allow them to increase the main pitch size so that it is suitable for Rugby.

[divas]

Don't see the point in pulling down the Arena when there will be more undeveloped land to utilise.

I can't see Mowden playing in the Arena but using it for concerts and international games and maybe to tempt the Falcons - if they can make £250K pa from it it covers the running costs, you could probably lower the costs too depending on if it was open 7 days a week or not.

Our best bet IMO would be to try and co-develop a parcel of undeveloped land which they plan to buy which would be more suitable for both them and us.

[Quakerz]

It would be like trying to put five stone back on just to fit back in to a pair of trousers you once liked, even when all your mates think you like like a twat in them.

[lo36789]

I have just done a very simple mapping of the size of the current rugby pitches at Mowden Park over the top of the Arena land. There doesn't appear to be the space to fit 1 rugby pitch in as it stands now around the current structure, never mind 2 (which they currently have) or more which you'd expect that's what they would want!

Because of where Reynolds planted the Arena structure the space around it is the most awkward shape and size.

[divas]

I have just done a very simple mapping of the size of the current rugby pitches at Mowden Park over the top of the Arena land. There does appear to be the space to fit 1 rugby pitch in as it stands now around the current structure, never mind 2 (which they currently have) or more which you'd expect that's what they would want!

Because of where Reynolds planted the Arena structure the space around it is the most awkward shape and size.

The whole deal hinges on the council selling them the 2 adjacent plots of land. If they don't get them then the deal will be off.

If they do get them there'll be plenty more space for pitches - 40 acres worth.

[lo36789]

ah right didn't realise that. Wait and see, don't want to go back and watch a game in that place - but fear we may have little other option to return to Darlington.

[funksoul]

going back there would be a huge pill to swallow. itd be like going back to the abusive partner. and if in few years we go back to where we are now wed lose more fans and more support from town etc

[loan_star]

Divas & loan_star - do you really think the Arena can work as the long term home for DFC?

I personally fear that we move back to the Arena and in 1/3/5 years time Mowden realise what a moneypit it is and mothball it leaving us homeless all over again.

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

I believe a long term return to the Arena will condemn us to a expensive rental agreement and slowly declining fan base due to the it being a crap place to watch football.

No I don't. But it may have to.

Like everyone I want a nice 8000 capacity ground with a nice 2K main stand and 2/3 sides terracing, however I'm struggling to see how that is possible.

If the numbers stacked up re the Arena for short term then I think we'd be daft not to. Although we're getting very good crowds for this level at Bishop we've still lost nearly 1000 fans that I think we can re-engage if football was brought back to the town. Plus when the poor weather comes I think we may take another hit.

If we're out of town for more than 2 years I can see us losing more fans potentially - if coming back to the Arena gives us breathing space to get back to the town while we plan more mid-term then I don't see an issue, especially if the rugby club buy the other land and put pitches on - one of which may turn out to be our long term home.

If we somehow manage to do what we want and get 3 promotions on the bounce we'd have to have somewhere to move capable of BSN standard football - the only place I can see that fits is the Arena.

Sums it up for me perfectly.

[princes town]

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

Ditto.

I can appreciate we're between a rock and hard place. We stay at HP and lose the fans who want us to be in Darlington. We move to the Arena in haste and end up regretting it for years to come. At the risk of sounding abstract, the problem for me is the Arena is not the town for me and I think in sport there is a spirtual significance about the 'yard' (American term). It was the vanity project of one man and I don't associate it with the town at all. It might be located in the town but it couldn't be further away for me.

I'm not even sure the sports hub idea will work anyway. Aren't we going to see the same problems we had at Feethams - a vanquished tenant suborting their ambitions to the more powerful landlord. It will be suffocating surrounded by the oval ball brigade and that is not a dig at MP.

[Robbie Painter]

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

Ditto.

I can appreciate we're between a rock and hard place. We stay at HP and lose the fans who want us to be in Darlington. We move to the Arena in haste and end up regretting it for years to come. At the risk of sounding abstract, the problem for me is the Arena is not the town for me and I think in sport there is a spirtual significance about the 'yard' (American term). It was the vanity project of one man and I don't associate it with the town at all. It might be located in the town but it couldn't be further away for me.

I'm not even sure the sports hub idea will work anyway. Aren't we going to see the same problems we had at Feethams - a vanquished tenant suborting their ambitions to the more powerful landlord. It will be suffocating surrounded by the oval ball brigade and that is not a dig at MP.

Did we really have those problems on a regular basis at Feethams?

Ownership of the freehold of the ground isn't important to me and nor should it be detrimental to the future of the club. Of course if you mean a groundshare, which is a different proposition, would present real problems but plenty of clubs who don't own their own grounds can & do prosper.

[Darlobp]

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

Ditto.

I can appreciate we're between a rock and hard place. We stay at HP and lose the fans who want us to be in Darlington. We move to the Arena in haste and end up regretting it for years to come. At the risk of sounding abstract, the problem for me is the Arena is not the town for me and I think in sport there is a spirtual significance about the 'yard' (American term). It was the vanity project of one man and I don't associate it with the town at all. It might be located in the town but it couldn't be further away for me.

I'm not even sure the sports hub idea will work anyway. Aren't we going to see the same problems we had at Feethams - a vanquished tenant suborting their ambitions to the more powerful landlord. It will be suffocating surrounded by the oval ball brigade and that is not a dig at MP.

have you just ran that through a Stuart Hall translator or are you on drugs.

Any and every chance to get our club back home must be taken, come on if it all goes wrong we can always move out again.

[princes town]

We need a properly sized venue, that works for all Darlo fans for the next 50/100 years.

Ditto.

I can appreciate we're between a rock and hard place. We stay at HP and lose the fans who want us to be in Darlington. We move to the Arena in haste and end up regretting it for years to come. At the risk of sounding abstract, the problem for me is the Arena is not the town for me and I think in sport there is a spirtual significance about the 'yard' (American term). It was the vanity project of one man and I don't associate it with the town at all. It might be located in the town but it couldn't be further away for me.

I'm not even sure the sports hub idea will work anyway. Aren't we going to see the same problems we had at Feethams - a vanquished tenant suborting their ambitions to the more powerful landlord. It will be suffocating surrounded by the oval ball brigade and that is not a dig at MP.

Did we really have those problems on a regular basis at Feethams?

Ownership of the freehold of the ground isn't important to me and nor should it be detrimental to the future of the club. Of course if you mean a groundshare, which is a different proposition, would present real problems but plenty of clubs who don't own their own grounds can & do prosper.

It isn't my main point so don't let it distract but as a tenant you can only do so much. I think in the latter years we did have problems but then that view is largely reliant on GRs complaints. I stand to be corrrected.

The main issue I have with the Arena is its 'fitness for purpose'. This summarises my views on the Arena football ground better than anything I could write.

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=13332