Wakefield Wildcats have announced plans to build a new 12,000 capacity community stadium.
Club to move away from historic Belle Vue home
Wakefield Wildcats have announced plans to build a new 12,000 capacity community stadium.
The Wildcats hope the move will safeguard their future Super League status having recognised the need to move from their current Belle Vue home to meet the minimum requirements of rugby league's top flight.
Last year the club were awarded a licence to play in Super League until the end of 2011 despite other clubs with better facilities, most notably Widnes, missing out.
Yet without being seen to make significant progress towards moving to a new ground, the club could be overlooked when the licences for 2012-14 are awarded.
Wakefield, who have played at Belle Vue since 1878, have seen other new stadium projects collapse in the past but are confident this latest scheme will prove a success.
Exciting
Chairman Ted Richardson said: "This is very exciting for rugby in the district.
"We are under enormous pressure to be playing in a stadium which lives up to the world-class rugby league being played in Super League.
"Having seen a number of false dawns, we are confident that this is a deliverable plan and should safeguard the future of the club for many, many years to come.''
The development of the site, which will be just off junction 30 of the M62, will be undertaken by Yorkcourt Properties and a community trust, chaired by former Rugby Football League chairman Sir Rodney Walker, to drive the project.
Walker has previous experience of such ventures having overseen Leicester City's move to the Walkers Stadium in 2002.
The stadium will be developed for use by the whole community with the local college and university already considering locating a sports science department on the site.
