Cardiff moving back to the Arms Park

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Cardiff Blues coach Gareth Baber believes the team could move back to the Arms Park from Cardiff City Stadium in a bid to boost crowd numbers.

In 2009 the Blues moved to Cardiff City Football Club's new home as tenants.

But they have struggled to generate an atmosphere and had a crowd of only 6,102 for their 25-8 Heineken Cup win over Edinburgh last weekend.

Baber said: "That [moving back to the Arms Park] is probably in the offing somewhere."

In May 2008 the Blues signed a deal to play all their home games at the stadium for the following 20 years.

In the first two seasons of their existence at Cardiff City Stadium, the Blues crowds averaged 10,000-11,000.

But amid on-going worries over attendances at Wales' rugby regions, Baber believes there is a possibility that they could return to the Arms Park in the shadow of the Millennium Stadium.

Baber said: "People are always looking at ways you can regenerate that sort of energy in a crowd and that enthusiasm.

Gareth Baber is Cardiff Blues joint coach
"For us as a team and a squad we are at the stadium. That's where we are going to be and we are going to crack on with it.

"What probably is affecting crowd numbers is perhaps that we have had a World Cup, people have watched a lot of rugby and we have a downturn in the economy.

"It's tough for people, it's coming up to Christmas. It becomes tough to spend money on tickets as well, and it's [the game] on TV.

"You want a full stadium, everyone baying for blood.

"It would be nice to have that full stadium but at the moment that's outside of my control. We can only control what we do as a group."

Cardiff RFC have continued to play at the city-centre Arms Park in the Welsh Premiership since the Blues moved two miles to the edge-of-town development at Leckwith.

Cardiff City moved across the road from Ninian Park to the new stadium and have continued to enjoy solid support at their new home.

Elsewhere in Welsh rugby, Swansea City have stronger match-day backing than their Liberty Stadium co-inhabitors the Ospreys.

The Scarlets have also had difficulty filling Parc y Scarlets since moving there from Stradey Park.

Newport Gwent Dragons have remained at their traditional rugby home of Rodney Parade and have begun to redevelop the site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/16167359.stm


So its clear to see that this move was a complete failure. Cardiff have failed to generate the support the so called "Biggest name in world rugby" said they would get. Do you think they will move next season then as it would be pointless Pieman and Norster parting with yet another 750K. I guess this epitomises the failure of the current "regional" system which lets be honest, after nearly 9 years, is a complete shambles

JayMaster3000 wrote:I'll offer my thoughts-

The whole Region Vs Club situation will probably never be sorted out. One step I think the WRU should take is to restore the Premiership to its level of prestige before the regions were formed. Like what New Zealand do with the NPC. The biggest prize in domestic rugby.

I think you're right and it would be nice to resurrect the old Welsh league then maybe enter 2 proper Welsh regions in the HEC made up of the very best players in Wales. What would these regions be called though?

How would we be able to afford them? As a big problem when the game went professional was that there was limit on the amount of professional players we could afford to pay.

It would have been nice - but those 2 regions would probably still have the same problems as the current regions, they would prob be based in Cardiff and Swansea and a lot of fans could well say stuff it - especially as their fav players might not get picked.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:How would we be able to afford them? As a big problem when the game went professional was that there was limit on the amount of professional players we could afford to pay.

It would have been nice - but those 2 regions would probably still have the same problems as the current regions, they would prob be based in Cardiff and Swansea and a lot of fans could well say stuff it - especially as their fav players might not get picked.

We can't afford it I know. I meant it would be nice to see Welsh sides battering each other every week just like the old days without the Scots, Italians and Irish interfering until HEC time. The 2 Welsh teams entered in the HEC could've been made up from the best players from all of the the Welsh sides and would play their games at a venue to suit. Could be Sardis or CAP, could be St Helens or the Library (no thanks), could be Rodders or whatever.
I don't know. I'm brainstorming a bit to try and come up with an answer and Welsh club rugby needs one by the look of it.

Ahh I c. It would b nice to have the old rivalries back - just a shame those days r gone. Which is why as harsh as it is to say, people have to move on coz itll never b like it was

Smirnoffpriest wrote:Ahh I c. It would b nice to have the old rivalries back - just a shame those days r gone. Which is why as harsh as it is to say, people have to move on coz itll never b like it was

Those rivalries haven't gone though. They are very much alive and kicking still.
Try telling a Ponty fan that their region is Cardiff? I wouldn't unless you were looking for trouble.
I see you're a Scarlets fan. Nothing changed for you lot then and Llanelli RFC paid to standalone didn't they?

Yes but Ponty are never going to play Cardiff RFC in a top level game (the Prem is the 2nd tier) - so those days have gone.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:Yes but Ponty are never going to play Cardiff RFC in a top level game (the Prem is the 2nd tier) - so those days have gone.

Your're probably right, but who knows what will happen in the mad world of pro Welsh rugby.
I've spent more cash watching semi pro rugby this season than on the rubbish the Blues have provided.
Give me Ponty v Cardiff at Sardis or CAP any day of the week. Kids will love it too as they've always have done.

I'd say kids want to see internationals and big names playing, (at least when I was a kid it was what I wanted to see) regardless of the name of the team or the history.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:Ahh I c. It would b nice to have the old rivalries back - just a shame those days r gone. Which is why as harsh as it is to say, people have to move on coz itll never b like it was

I don't see why it should be over. I wrote an article on the benefits of moving the WP to the summer so it could regain it's prestige and all it's benefits for Welsh rugby.

https://www.606v2.com/t20471-a-suggestion-on-restructuring-the-welsh-premiership

But the only way it would regain it's prestige is if it had the best Welsh players playing for it's teams - otherwise it'll never get the coverage by the press or get the casual fans or money

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I'd say kids want to see internationals and big names playing, (at least when I was a kid it was what I wanted to see) regardless of the name of the team or the history.

Priest,

Yes they do to a point but when I was growing up I looked up to the players who played for my local team as well. It helped they were Internationals but Ebbw had the likes of Arthur Lewis, Clive Burgess, Paull Ringer, Ian Watkins, Steve Jones ( who was my PE teacher) so we also wanted to be like them.

They were local lived local etc.

I did to Bedford - But Kids today will probably be more likely talk in the school yard about their local 'region' rather than the local club (because they will have grown up with regions and will know all the big players for that region. At least I'd think so

But what you say about living local playing local is a very good point - it really connects you to a club when your seeing your heroes walking around town every so often

Priest,

Sad thing these days is kids in the school yard talk about Z factor this or no list celebrity that.

Yup - it's not only kids it's lots of people in all walks of life - the lack of intelligent, thought provoking shows is shocking - I left the TV on last night while doing other things and within an hour there had been a show taking a rough as .... Scouse family and putting them in (laughable) situations with the poshest of the posh in Barbados and making them make fools of themselves, and Tool Academy.

It is funny how some of my farts last longer than some X Factor contestants careers

Did i hear the Pieman say something along the lines of "If the fans demanded it, then we'd look in to moving back."

Coleman wrote:Did i hear the Pieman say something along the lines of "If the fans demanded it, then we'd look in to moving back."

Good one Coleman and yes he did give that impression..
But if the pieman had listened to fans/supporters in the first place, instead of ignoring us completely, Cardiff Blues would still be at Cardiff Arms Park today.
He still pays to play at Cardiff Arms Park though since most of the Cardiff Blues academy boys still play there week in, week out.