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Artificial turf, the '50 Event per year' restriction and FFP



Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
Following on from the thread about Spurs potential groundsharing being a non-starter because of the restriction on 50 outdoor events per year, it strikes me that the ONLY way a club like our can balance our books on an annual basis is to make more use of the facilities we've got.

This 50 event restriction is a killer. Since the caveat was agreed we've now got FFP and - significantly - turf technology has developed so that rugby sides like Saracens and Widnes regularly play on it and the big downside to groundsharing - that of the deterioration of the playing surface - is eliminated.

Does anyone know if there is option to appeal or overturn this 50 event restriction?
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
I see Worthing Rugby Club have reached the third tier of English rugby and are looking to move from their present ground. There's no professional rugby club in Sussex, yet England have had 3 or 4 Sussex players playing for them in recent matches.

In theory we could whack in an artificial pitch, get them to rent the ground and play on Sundays like Saracens did at Watford, use any proceeds from the sale of their Angmering ground to reinvest in better players and push on towards the Rugby Premiership. Clubs like Jersey and Cornish Pirates have come from nowhere to be one division away from the top flight, while other clubs with modest resources, i.e. London Welsh, have actually made it to the Prem.

Having heard about the absolute fiasco at the Rod Stewart gig re the catering and parking it seems to me to have more regular events over the course of 12 months could help the organisers perfect the running of these events.
 


deletebeepbeepbeep

Well-known member
May 12, 2009
20,887
You could apply to have it varied although there's absolutely no evidence to indicate that the club are even or would consider letting another club use the Amex be it for football or otherwise.
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
It's interesting that Brentford are moving to a new ground and have stated they're looking to share, with London Wasps rumoured to be their preferred co-tenant once their lease with Wycombe expires.

In any other business if you were losing £8million a year and had a shiny stadium that was empty for a guaranteed 86% of the year you'd be looking to get more use out of that facility. I recognise that there are various running costs too, but if you double the events you get better at running them and get some economies of scale too.
 





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