When I first heard the press release regarding the club getting financial backing from a 3rd party to finance the Headingley rebuild I thought initially that it was akin to a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) and it could well still prove to be the case as Leeds City Council have used this process to rebuild or replace sports centres throughout our region

Although the above posts from Ronzy and Backwoodsman have stirred my curiosity to a tale that I was told 18 months or so ago that I had dismissed as hearsay

I was told that discussions had taken place at board level regarding how the club would/could move forward and who would actually have the business interests and also the longevity to oversee and implement the much needed changes to the business that were urgently required to move the club forward and more importantly was who would be interested that would also have the required finances to undertake this task?

Feelers were apparently put out to see if any prospective backers were interested


Interesting times either way

I guess that at some time GH is going to want to get his money out & that of Kath & his kids.
Not sure that Caddick is in the same position.

If the club did became available there would be no shortage of bidders .we have come a long way since those dark days of the mid 90s

It may be caddick feels it's time to step down. After the development has been completed caddick will be about 70 years of age. He certainly doesn't need the money but he has been at the helm for a long time.
Hetherington is also in his sixties . Time to cash in and move on?

I would personally put the Holmes statue at the Carnegie / cricket entrance just after the club shop. I would then have some like the Wembley RL statue with the golden generation. Sinfield / McGuire / Burrow / JJB / Leuluai / Peacock / Lauitiiti.

Agreed yes it is a more prominent location where you said

No Bailey? You'd have to have him in there, not least for the annoyance it would cause. I'd add Ryan Hall to the group statue, if such a thing ever gets built. Sinfield should have his own though.

Don't forget Ali

I suppose it would be difficult to put a sale price on the caddick and hethrington shares. Should imagine it would run into the millions, anyway I have respect for both of them. Especially caddick,to build up several highly successful businesses from a standing start is remarkable.
Don't know much about hetherington, but I gather he started off with very little ,so best of luck to him.

I think Hetherington remortgaged his house so he could found Sheffield Eagles

he did, was a double glazing sales man, old fashioned door to door when double glazing was new.

And what's changed?

Its not new?

Leeds are considering moving games to the cricket pitch while development is going on.

I say it's a good option. Yorks could move to Scarborough for the last few County championship games but still play their lucrative T20 games at Headingley. The logicstics shouldn't be too hard to get around.

Players could twist their ankles on the little divots that batsmen make at the crease.

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It could have been a real opportunity for the club to spread the word. At elland road and go for an SL record attendance. Maybe even a west Yorkshire magic double header with Wakefield. Maybe help some of the expansion clubs and go up to Kingston park and get some people through the gates for the Thunder. The Ricoh are begging for RL events. A double header with the eagles and Sheffield back in Sheffield at bramall lane or Hillsboro.

I'm not sure Elland Road is much of a drawcard.

Bit of a naff area. Lacks atmosphere unless its packed. Not a patch on Headingley.

So Leeds could go and play in a soulless, bland, boring new stadium with no atmosphere, no architectural merit and loads of empty seats? I suppose it's something they'll have to get used to

Pack it out then would be the answer. Reach people we wouldn't normally reach.

To pack it out you'd have to do just that since I don't think it's an attractive venue to many that are familiar with it.

Just going on my experience of it. If I'm going to watch RL in Leeds I'd rather it be in a nicer part of the city. Think I've only ever been part of a big crowd there once and that was the 2nd test in 1986. I've been many times since to semi finals, finals and tests and they've never filled the place. RL fans obviously not keen on it.

Some of the best atmospheres ive known were at elland road, the cup semi against Fev, Yorkshire cup against Cas, and the unforgettable storm night against the Melbourne storm. i think use elland road for a couple of the big local derbies and use elsewhere for smaller crown draws.

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. The WCC crowds were 37k 33k 33k (then 27k with the top tier closed) 39k for the 04 tri nations 27 for the 05 tri nations (oz v nz) 31k in 09, 34k in 2011.

The old girl has seen better days and nobody is going to sell that part of the city as the nicest area but she can still pack em in.

If marketed, organised (and priced) correctly at ER it could be just the catalyst to draw in new fans / sponsors up to Headingley.

Just hope if we do, we get the match day special buses too.