Just to update everybody, we had great news earlier this week in that Steve has been passed fit to drive and we've renewed our ST's for next season, so you'll all have to put up with us for at least another season.
Thanks to all for the kind words, when we thought we were coming to the end of our supporting the Ospreys.
Thanks to you and Paul much appreciated, basically I've supported the Ospreys since they moved to the Liberty Stadium, and I'm really pleased to be still here on our final season at Swansea.com.
I've had great times and made some fantastic friends along the way.
Yeah, I was pretty disappointed when I saw it. It’s all the more reason to announce where we are going to if possible, as there’s going to be a lot of disgruntled people.
Edit to add: Aftrr todays announcement, if we are going ahead with the move still, the quicker it’s announced, the better, as otherwise it will just be another stick to hit us with.
I used to know and deliver training for their Managing Director of Global Seating. The really interesting bit about the New York stadium is that much of it is "second hand". Ordinary seats came from the Formula 1 Las Vegas GP with catering, VIP, toilets and other facilities re-furbed from golf and other events. When the T20 is over it will be dismantled, moved and re-erected elsewhere.
Mr Bradley can shift it onto the beach for summer and run Ironman events. 🤣
The Ospreys can confirm that they have narrowed down their search for a new home stadium to two exciting options, St Helens Sports Ground in Swansea, and the Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend.
Since Ospreys CEO, Lance Bradley, first announced that the club was planning to move to a new stadium, this topic has dominated Welsh club rugby conversations, with various theories and rumours spread around social media and the like.
After months of work and careful consideration, the Ospreys can officially confirm they are working together with local councils in exploring two potential options for a new home stadium, St Helens Sports Ground in Swansea, and the Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend. Both St Helens and the Brewery Field offer unique advantages for the future of the Ospreys.
The decision to narrow down choices to these two grounds was made after extensive discussions with stakeholders and thorough evaluations of the feasibility, accessibility, and potential for growth at each location.
Both choices would require significant redevelopments which would be phased over a number of years.
The Ospreys will remain at the Swansea.com Stadium for the 24/25 season, using this time for initial redevelopments to ensure the selected stadium is fit for purpose for the following 25/26 season.
Ospreys CEO, Lance Bradley said: “I am happy to share that we have narrowed down our decision to two fantastic grounds, each offering unique opportunities, and we are confident that either choice would be more than suitable as the Ospreys new home.
“It’s been a pleasure working with both the City and County of Swansea Council and Bridgend County Borough Council to get to this point. Both councils have really come to the party and been more than accommodating in our requests, and open to working together to ensure our new stadium is not just a suitable top-flight rugby stadium but offers further opportunities to enrich the local community.
“I look forward to being able to share our preferred option in the coming weeks and working in partnership with the relevant Council to ensure our new home becomes the hub of the community.”
Further updates regarding stadium selection will be shared in due course.
So what’s the latest? Did we expect some form of announcement today, which was canned last minute due to Knock Off Nigel displaying his legendary incompetence?
WRU 😱 lance and Funders arm shoved right up their back, trying to agree Leases and Development Agreements with Councils , and Prat Walker announces on Scrum 5 reducing number of Regions still an option
Rumour the delay due to the original backers making requests difficult for Council to accept,
Cant understand this preoccupation with a hotel , as nearly all hotels , Morgan’s is an exception, are franchised to a company , (Hilton,Sheritan , Regency etc ) who then operate the venue on a commercial basis
One can only muse the intention is that the completed building be sold on as an asset to obtain funds for the development
A conference/ hospitality unit operated by the Ospreys , as at the Swansea.com or Parc Scarlets would seem the most advantageous for supporters and long term income
All very well playing one council off against another, but if one pushes one party too far, resulting developing the remaining option which may not be the best site for the Ospreys, this would be very disappointing
I thought most councils were struggling budget wise so I am little bit confused as how Bridgend Council has allegedly found some money to help facilitate a move to the Brewery Field.
I have said throughout this, that I believe the Ospreys will be playing out of St Helens simply because of the amount of land there is around the ground for development purposes for the Training Barn and Hotel.
However, it is not me making the decision so like you all, I have to just wait and see.
If Bridgend do find money for a private company like Y11 after raising council tax by 9.5% and making £13M to £20M cuts to services they could be in deep political doodoo.
Probably on Saturday, it will be my Brother in Law (Steve) and mine final Home game of watching the Ospreys and Judgement Day the final match for both of us, due to Steve's inability to be able to drive down. For the vast majority of our Home games we will not be able to get back home for a reasonable price and at a decent time.
Anyway, after reading some of the comments on here I don't even know whether I'd want to support the Ospreys,
the OIMBY'S (Only in my back yard) amongst you sicken me, so much for the ONE TRUE REGION, it definitely doesn't apply to some of the supporters.
I personally wouldn't particularly want it to be the Brewery Field, my preference would have been Llandarcy, but if LB with all the information he's gathered opted for the BF, I would support him 100%. I've travelled 20 odd miles from the Ogmore Valley there and back in all weathers in car and on a not small number of times by Public Transport for nearly 20 years.
On the merits of the BF, if this process had been going through about 5 years ago, IMO would have been the obvious choice, for anybody that has been to the BF recently, about 50 yards from the BF, there is a very large building that curves around the corner towards the Town Centre, although it's one building there appears to be 3 parts. The 2 outer parts are single storey and the centre is 2 or possibly 3 stories. That building would have been absolutely perfect for the Ospreys. The centre part would be excellent for restaurant and conferencing facilities, with the 2 outer parts being the offices and the edge nearest the BF the indoor training facilities and the BF with it's new 4G or whatever hybrid pitch, for the outdoor training and playing on.
The only reason this site is NOT available is the fact it was built as a call centre and as that had folded, the Area that covers the Maesteg, Garw and Ogmore Valleys and surrounding areas Police Headquarters transferred there from Cheapside (Asda and other shopping outlets) a few years ago and the old Headquarters have been demolished.
Finally the travelling down to Swansea to St. Helens via the M4, Jersey Marine and the Oystermouth Road for Friday Night and Saturday Afternoon and Night would be horrendous, it's bad enough now when the Oystermouth Road is not even used, good luck with that in 16 to 18 months time.
Really finally I would love the announcement to be made on this Friday when LB meets these new local business's , as it would be a great omen for myself and Steve as it is our Birthdays that day and we could celebrate with a great win the following day against the Dregs.
Obviously disabled facilities at the BF would have to be dramatically improved and line of sight to the pitch would also have to be improved upon, as this option is not available, it will probably have to be elsewhere.
The problem is he could be hung by his own words like it does not work without significant off field income and getting training and staff all on one site has a hugely beneficial effect
Sorry to hear that, Wayne. For some people I can understand your anger with them only wanting it in their back yard, but for the majority of “sensible” fans, I don’t think it’s that. If I may use myself as an example. Bridgend is far closer to where I’m originally from, and when back in the country, the brewery would be far easier for me to get to. However, not withstanding the council trying to entice the O’s to the brewery, it would surely be commercial suicide to move there, just like the warriors found out?
Would we not also be surrendering large swathes of potential sponsors to the Turks, not withstanding the potential loss of players to them? As much as it would be far more convenient to be located in Bridgend for me, when i think about it sensibly, St Helens is the logical answer.
As alluded to above, us O’s fans have taken an absolute hammering in the past few years. I’ll not forget that feeling of going to bed one night, coming to terms with the fact that we were being absorbed (it was never going to be a merger) by the scarlets. I’m not willing to be taken down the path by the Ospreys again, and, in my honest opinion, if we decide to move to Bridgend, that process of us being”chopped” becomes incredibly likely once again. If that’s our decision, think I’ll just slip quietly away from the O’s before the inevitable happens.
I sincerely hope your Brother-in-law gets good news, and who knows maybe one time I’m back home, I’ll buy you a pint at the game (Hopefully at St Helens, with the sun shining in off the bay)!
I’m genuinely aghast that they could make such a short sighted decision. Twitter is rife stating that it’s Bridgend. I’ll wait and see, as I’m holding onto the fact that no one involved in the decision making process could make such a foolish and fundamental mistake.
Given he is presenting to 150 businesses next Friday to try and re-engage them as part of a business club I would imagine he will have to say something next week to encourage them on the back of what might be coming from the 23 the boys in blue have selected for tomorrow night.
Hope you're right Fiddler because it does seem to have gone concerningly quiet.
If the WRU decide to cut a team as part of their new strategy then we're clearly the ones on the chopping block with no stadium. I really hope we announce any new ground ASAP.
The union have no power to cut a team. They need the agreement of that team to be cut. The reality though is unless we get our own stadium with strong off field non match day revenue flows we won’t be viable. If we do then we will be more viable than most of the others. I suspect there is a big couple of weeks ahead that might answer that question and let us all know one way or the other.
Excellent news!
We are going to St Helens. Woohoo
Get in there
Theres an announcement on something at 12pm. Be nice if it was the big one!
Just to update everybody, we had great news earlier this week in that Steve has been passed fit to drive and we've renewed our ST's for next season, so you'll all have to put up with us for at least another season.
Thanks to all for the kind words, when we thought we were coming to the end of our supporting the Ospreys.
Has anyone else noticed the number of times the Ospreys fixture list clashes with the Swans?
Well if they want some temporary seating they could look here; https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/populous-previews-new-york-cricket-stadium-for-t20-world-cup/5127437.article
I used to know and deliver training for their Managing Director of Global Seating. The really interesting bit about the New York stadium is that much of it is "second hand". Ordinary seats came from the Formula 1 Las Vegas GP with catering, VIP, toilets and other facilities re-furbed from golf and other events. When the T20 is over it will be dismantled, moved and re-erected elsewhere.
Mr Bradley can shift it onto the beach for summer and run Ironman events. 🤣
From the Ospreys website...
The Ospreys can confirm that they have narrowed down their search for a new home stadium to two exciting options, St Helens Sports Ground in Swansea, and the Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend.
Since Ospreys CEO, Lance Bradley, first announced that the club was planning to move to a new stadium, this topic has dominated Welsh club rugby conversations, with various theories and rumours spread around social media and the like.
After months of work and careful consideration, the Ospreys can officially confirm they are working together with local councils in exploring two potential options for a new home stadium, St Helens Sports Ground in Swansea, and the Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend. Both St Helens and the Brewery Field offer unique advantages for the future of the Ospreys.
The decision to narrow down choices to these two grounds was made after extensive discussions with stakeholders and thorough evaluations of the feasibility, accessibility, and potential for growth at each location.
Both choices would require significant redevelopments which would be phased over a number of years.
The Ospreys will remain at the Swansea.com Stadium for the 24/25 season, using this time for initial redevelopments to ensure the selected stadium is fit for purpose for the following 25/26 season.
Ospreys CEO, Lance Bradley said: “I am happy to share that we have narrowed down our decision to two fantastic grounds, each offering unique opportunities, and we are confident that either choice would be more than suitable as the Ospreys new home.
“It’s been a pleasure working with both the City and County of Swansea Council and Bridgend County Borough Council to get to this point. Both councils have really come to the party and been more than accommodating in our requests, and open to working together to ensure our new stadium is not just a suitable top-flight rugby stadium but offers further opportunities to enrich the local community.
“I look forward to being able to share our preferred option in the coming weeks and working in partnership with the relevant Council to ensure our new home becomes the hub of the community.”
Further updates regarding stadium selection will be shared in due course.
So what’s the latest? Did we expect some form of announcement today, which was canned last minute due to Knock Off Nigel displaying his legendary incompetence?
WRU 😱 lance and Funders arm shoved right up their back, trying to agree Leases and Development Agreements with Councils , and Prat Walker announces on Scrum 5 reducing number of Regions still an option
Unbelievable W⚓️
Rumour the delay due to the original backers making requests difficult for Council to accept,
Cant understand this preoccupation with a hotel , as nearly all hotels , Morgan’s is an exception, are franchised to a company , (Hilton,Sheritan , Regency etc ) who then operate the venue on a commercial basis
One can only muse the intention is that the completed building be sold on as an asset to obtain funds for the development
A conference/ hospitality unit operated by the Ospreys , as at the Swansea.com or Parc Scarlets would seem the most advantageous for supporters and long term income
From Gwlad:
New stadium announcement is alledgedy tomorrow or Wednesday.
They may have to play in the Brewery Field for a season before moving to St Helens.
There's also some disagreements if St Helens needs a new pitch or not.
I expect it’s because money men are demanding too much of leaseholders, who are not bending over
Update expected next week - but not final decision....so not really sure what the update will be about
All very well playing one council off against another, but if one pushes one party too far, resulting developing the remaining option which may not be the best site for the Ospreys, this would be very disappointing
Probably on Saturday, it will be my Brother in Law (Steve) and mine final Home game of watching the Ospreys and Judgement Day the final match for both of us, due to Steve's inability to be able to drive down. For the vast majority of our Home games we will not be able to get back home for a reasonable price and at a decent time.
Anyway, after reading some of the comments on here I don't even know whether I'd want to support the Ospreys,
the OIMBY'S (Only in my back yard) amongst you sicken me, so much for the ONE TRUE REGION, it definitely doesn't apply to some of the supporters.
I personally wouldn't particularly want it to be the Brewery Field, my preference would have been Llandarcy, but if LB with all the information he's gathered opted for the BF, I would support him 100%. I've travelled 20 odd miles from the Ogmore Valley there and back in all weathers in car and on a not small number of times by Public Transport for nearly 20 years.
On the merits of the BF, if this process had been going through about 5 years ago, IMO would have been the obvious choice, for anybody that has been to the BF recently, about 50 yards from the BF, there is a very large building that curves around the corner towards the Town Centre, although it's one building there appears to be 3 parts. The 2 outer parts are single storey and the centre is 2 or possibly 3 stories. That building would have been absolutely perfect for the Ospreys. The centre part would be excellent for restaurant and conferencing facilities, with the 2 outer parts being the offices and the edge nearest the BF the indoor training facilities and the BF with it's new 4G or whatever hybrid pitch, for the outdoor training and playing on.
The only reason this site is NOT available is the fact it was built as a call centre and as that had folded, the Area that covers the Maesteg, Garw and Ogmore Valleys and surrounding areas Police Headquarters transferred there from Cheapside (Asda and other shopping outlets) a few years ago and the old Headquarters have been demolished.
Finally the travelling down to Swansea to St. Helens via the M4, Jersey Marine and the Oystermouth Road for Friday Night and Saturday Afternoon and Night would be horrendous, it's bad enough now when the Oystermouth Road is not even used, good luck with that in 16 to 18 months time.
Really finally I would love the announcement to be made on this Friday when LB meets these new local business's , as it would be a great omen for myself and Steve as it is our Birthdays that day and we could celebrate with a great win the following day against the Dregs.
Obviously disabled facilities at the BF would have to be dramatically improved and line of sight to the pitch would also have to be improved upon, as this option is not available, it will probably have to be elsewhere.
Thanks Wayne
Not the Gnoll then.
One of my ex-wives used to say;
"Patience is a virtue,
Practise if you can.
Seldom found in women,
Never in a man."
I am doing my best, honest but it isn't easy Mr Bradley.
My theory is that the announcement will coincide with the local business people on 17th May
Any news on this? Not heard anything from LB on X since I contacted him 3 days ago 🤷