Sale RFC to become England's first Super Club

Massive funding and a Diamond of there own are the ingredients...

From Todays Telegraph

"Sale are also understood to be in advanced negotiations with rugby league side Salford City Reds about a groundshare deal for their £26million, 12,000-capacity stadium at Barton. Sale have been based at Edgeley Park in Stockport since 2003."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/8988345/Sale-to-name-Steve-Diamond-as-chief-executive-in-bid-to-become-northern-super-club.html

But what is a "Super Club"?

Maestegmafia it clearly says NORTHERN super club. Capacity of 12k hardly screams super club but it's a good start.

Though one of the main questions is: where does Sale get it's money from?

Well according to the Times Rich List (Apr 2010 edition) Brian Keenedy has a few bob (£250m)

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/5936-sunday-times-rich-list-whittaker-s-wealth-falls-18.html

Clearly what they are looking at here is the likelihood that sometime in the next few years the question of trimming and fencing the top division will be raised again.

Why would somebody pay £26 million for only 12,000 supporters?? Nuts. Ground share plus small gate receipts = doomed business model. Won't make money.

That would be a state of the art 12,000 seater stadium (plans for extensions are normally built in to modern stadiums) shared between the two clubs. That would ideally mean gates of 10k for the entire 12 months as Sale play through the winter and the Reds through the summer.

I'd imagine it would help a great deal to have the conference etc capabilities of a new stadium. That is a handy financial tool. Tigers built multiple coporate/party/wedding bits into their new CAT stand and it's a good source of funds a report on SSN showed an exec of the Reds talking about the fancy suites they had available to them now.

Thanks LondonTiger

bathmad it would be 13m for Sale, 13m for Salford I believe.

Saracens new stadium will cost £18m for a 10k seater I think.

That's the going rate.

What are Bath's plans?

I think it's good that Sale have plans. I think a lot of club's are trying to expand/build but it's not an easy process.

A purported 25k stadium in the centre of Bath with all the planning considerations will be coming in at a figure significantly north of £25M which is why the new club owner rightly wants some guarantees around the structure of the season.....watch this space would be my guess.....

What guarentees are those?

Looks like Sale are moving in the right direction. I think there is a viable business there, and it's good to hear they intend to invest more in their academy (which has already gone from 16 to 90 players in a short period).

Don't they have to actually merge with another club to become a superclub, i:e Region?

I think they want to become a de-facto region. I don't see another NW club with the potential to get to and stay in the AP. If it is successful you could imagine Newcastle trying to copy the model and I think the Pirates are trying to become a Cornish region. More difficult for Leeds as their are a couple of decent clubs not too far away.

Recwatcher wrote:A purported 25k stadium in the centre of Bath with all the planning considerations will be coming in at a figure significantly north of £25M which is why the new club owner rightly wants some guarantees around the structure of the season.....watch this space would be my guess.....

Stop, I'm dreaming....

Recwatcher wrote:A purported 25k stadium in the centre of Bath with all the planning considerations will be coming in at a figure significantly north of £25M which is why the new club owner rightly wants some guarantees around the structure of the season.....watch this space would be my guess.....

apologies my memories of Bath (mainly from university days in the 80s) are hazy, but where in the centre of the city could they build a 25k Stadium with parking etc?

I thought Bath City Council were refusing them the option of building in the city because people were complaining it would spoil their views.

Bath will either build at the Rec or on an abandoned site originally earmarked for a Sainsbury on the SW edge of the city - not far from the train station. Craig wants to ensure he can fill a 25k seated stadium - hence his discussions with French clubs (where he lives) on competition scheduling.

For the Rec deal, the training ground at Landsbridge is part of the deal to replace lost parkland under the covenant of the trust - the Council apparently are keen and the Trustees as always are saying very little.

Craig has unofficially committed to spending a lot of money on the club which includes the new training set up and the Academy - one number bandied about is £50M but whatever it is, it seems money is not the issue - he sold his business for £900M+ a fair chunk of which he owned.
It won't happen immediately but the future is looking positive as we have some catching up to do with Tigers and others.

I lived in one of those Georgian blocks overlooking the Rec. I cannot see them getting planning permission to build a proper stadium there.

By the station could be a goer I guess - though I do not remember there being much land there - otherwise you are starting to have to be up one of the hills.