Dragons to play at Eugene Cross Park??

Malpas69 · Post by **Malpas69** » 04 Sep 2007 16:36

From Today's N*****t Gwent Andrex ...

Teams Require Temporary Home

N*****T Gwent Dragons and N*****t will have to play away from Rodney Parade for a season while a new stadium is built on the site, writes Robin Davey.

Work is due to start on the new £40m, 15,000 capacity stadium in 2009 and will take 18 months to be completed by the autumn of 2010 in time for the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort.

But the nature of the redevelopment and construction of a new stadium means that there will be no rugby played at Rodney Parade for that period.

The Dragons and N*****t, who both use the ground, will have to move for a season.

It will not be that simple for the Dragons as other grounds in Gwent do not meet the required standards under the Safety of Grounds Act.

That is one reason why major Dragons fixtures have not been played at traditional venues like Pontypool Park, Newbridge, Cross Keys and Abertillery, though the Dragons have twice played pre-season fixtures against a Gwent Premier Division XV at Pandy Park.

The only ground in the county which would remotely meet requirements for leading Magners League, EDF Energy and European fixtures would be Ebbw Vale's Eugene Cross Park, and even then a fair amount of work would have to be carried out.

An alternative nearby could be Caerphilly's Virginia Park, which has staged top flight Celtic League games and European fixtures in the past and is almost within the Dragons catchment area.

Using Cardiff Blues' ground would probably be a non-starter while another possibility, though remote, could be to play all their home games in one go early on in the season, leaving the rest of the campaign free for the required building work.

A further option could be Spytty Park, home of N*****t County, who are not involved in the new plans.

Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell says it is too early to speculate on where the Dragons might play during that season.

N*****t have played once at neighbouring Llanwern in recent years. The Black and Ambers met Beddau in the Konica Minolta Cup there on December 3, 2005 to avoid a clash with the Dragons' game against Worcester in the Powergen Cup the same day.

N*****t might be able to use Llanwern on a regular basis for a season or they may be accommodated on another ground in the N*****t area or possibly share with another Gwent side.

Milo · Post by **Milo** » 04 Sep 2007 16:52

As the article says I think we are the only other ground in Gwent (apart from Pontypool Park) capable of housing them. So I wonder what excuses they'll come up with not to play here. I could see them trying for a temp groundshare with the blues or somthing. Either that or a football ground in Newport somewhere!

Interesting!!

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 04 Sep 2007 17:17

We'd better sort them blydi floodlights out then.

Steve Young · Post by **Steve Young** » 04 Sep 2007 18:33

They would never use EXP just in case we had better support . Dragons fans can't travel further than Cross Keys,that's why they have had the warm up matches there the last two seasons( 'tis said they have nosebleeds over 500 ft.)

piglet · Post by **piglet** » 04 Sep 2007 20:53

If they want to play at EXP show us the money first

Eye Jay · Post by **Eye Jay** » 05 Sep 2007 10:20

This will be a real test of whether they have even a shread of regional credentials left.

If they play on Newport County's ground or go to Bristol of Cardiff, then regionality (if there's any left) is shot to pieces.

If they are at all interested in coming to Eugene Cross, then let's not (at this stage) look a gift horse in the mouth. It might just be the opportunity/excuse for the ground to have a bit of a facelift at the expense of someone other than EVRFC.

In other words, there may be something in it for us.

Dil · Post by **Dil** » 05 Sep 2007 19:13

They could play in my back garden for all I care and I still wouldn't bother watch them.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 08 Sep 2007 10:00

If they played here, I think I would pop along.

Being ever the optimist, give the Dragons a good away day and they may, I say may, be prepared to give us a game or two each season. After all, they are hardly likely to need a 15,000 capacity for Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Pigs may fly, but we can't carry on playing the victim if the REGION does visit only for us to stay away in our droves.

If they don't come here, then f*@k em!!

welshboy1993 · Post by **welshboy1993** » 09 Sep 2007 20:37

If they use ECP for a game for the dragons, perhaps they might fill it ( having a laugh).

I would never watch the Dragons, they can play where ever, I'm not watchin the stupid f*****.

Dai Rob · Post by **Dai Rob** » 11 Sep 2007 18:04

Just one tiny question..

..if 'they' played at EXP, how much of the monies raised would Ebbw Vale RFC see??

Graham · Post by **Graham** » 11 Sep 2007 22:04

Dai Rob wrote:Just one tiny question..

..if 'they' played at EXP, how much of the monies raised would Ebbw Vale RFC see??

Good question. I'm not sure how it works Dai, but my inner monkey tells me that we're not going to get the chance to find out.

is steve going? · Post by **is steve going?** » 03 Oct 2007 11:18

Caerphilly offer Dragons a home
By Robin Davey

CAERPHILLY Rugby Club have offered their ground and fCaerphilly offer Dragons a home
By Robin Davey

CAERPHILLY Rugby Club have offered their ground and facilities to Newport Gwent Dragons when they have to leave their Rodney Parade headquarters for around 18 months while it is redeveloped, writes Robin Davey.

Caerphilly have played domestic Celtic League, Anglo-Welsh and European rugby at their Virginia Park ground in the past, though they became a casualty of the regional system and are now in Division One East.

But they insist their ground will now meet Welsh Rugby Union criteria for Premier Division rugby which they are planning to embrace again, and have told the Dragons they will be welcome there, especially as they come under their regional umbrella.

Chairman Phil Emanuel said: "When the plans were known and it was realised the Dragons would have to be out of their ground for 18 months we decided to offer to help them out, being part of their region.

"It's a rugby answer to a problem they're going to have and being so close together we feel it would be a good idea to at least have a talk.

"It's only 12 miles away and a lot of supporters from Rodney Parade have always travelled here. We were left out on a limb, but times change and we need to embrace regional rugby."

Club committeeman Phil Whitfield added: "We have done a lot of work at the ground and apart from the floodlights which will be sorted within days we will meet all the WRU criteria for Premiership rugby.

"We have seated stands on either side of the ground and a terrace at one end. We would also like to know how their supporters feel, we would make them most welcome.

"We are also adding a second set of changing rooms and we have a capacity of just under 5,000. We have staged European rugby and played a lot of big teams at Virginia Park."

Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell replied: "Any help we can get will be welcome and we're thinking about the situation, but it's too early to decide what we're going to do yet."

The plan is for a consultation process to operate until next March and, if planning permission is received, start building work in January 2009 with the new stadium ready for the start of the 2010-11 season.
____________acilities to Newport Gwent Dragons when they have to leave their Rodney Parade headquarters for around 18 months while it is redeveloped, writes Robin Davey.

Caerphilly have played domestic Celtic League, Anglo-Welsh and European rugby at their Virginia Park ground in the past, though they became a casualty of the regional system and are now in Division One East.

But they insist their ground will now meet Welsh Rugby Union criteria for Premier Division rugby which they are planning to embrace again, and have told the Dragons they will be welcome there, especially as they come under their regional umbrella.

Chairman Phil Emanuel said: "When the plans were known and it was realised the Dragons would have to be out of their ground for 18 months we decided to offer to help them out, being part of their region.

"It's a rugby answer to a problem they're going to have and being so close together we feel it would be a good idea to at least have a talk.

"It's only 12 miles away and a lot of supporters from Rodney Parade have always travelled here. We were left out on a limb, but times change and we need to embrace regional rugby."

Club committeeman Phil Whitfield added: "We have done a lot of work at the ground and apart from the floodlights which will be sorted within days we will meet all the WRU criteria for Premiership rugby.

"We have seated stands on either side of the ground and a terrace at one end. We would also like to know how their supporters feel, we would make them most welcome.

"We are also adding a second set of changing rooms and we have a capacity of just under 5,000. We have staged European rugby and played a lot of big teams at Virginia Park."

Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell replied: "Any help we can get will be welcome and we're thinking about the situation, but it's too early to decide what we're going to do yet."

The plan is for a consultation process to operate until next March and, if planning permission is received, start building work in January 2009 with the new stadium ready for the start of the 2010-11 season.
____________

String · Post by **String** » 03 Oct 2007 12:01

Better there than having them cluttering up our ground.

The Ebbw Vale Supporters Arena

Dragons to play at Eugene Cross Park??

Dragons to play at Eugene Cross Park??

EXP?