I've had a couple of conversations today about how football stadia has changed for the better as a result of the Hillsbrough and Bradford disasters.

It stirred up a memory of something I was told some 20 odd years ago regarding the closure and subsequent demolition of the West and South stands at Belle Vue.

I don't know if this is true or not, maybe someone can clarify one way or the other, but I was told that we closed the two old stands as a result of the new safety standards recomended by judges Taylor and Popplewell. Many other RL clubs did the same but in time, due to a lack of funds, Trinity demolished the two stands rather than upgrade them.

Years later after a lobby of the Government by Rugby Clubs of both codes the legislation was relaxed for Rugby stadiums. This allowed many of the closed stands to be reopened something Wakefield couldn't do because they had been demolished.

The sorry state of Belle Vue ever since is down to the positive action taken by the club in the wake of those football disasters.

Can anyone confirm or disprove this?

I always thought the wooden west stand was demolished as a result of the Bradford fire and not Hillsborough. The Taylor report also only incorporated the top flight in football too. I think as many clubs below that tier still played in grounds with terracing. Sunderland and more recently Fulham played in the Premier League still with terracing at their home ground. .

Thought the West stand had to be demolished as a consequence of the fire at Valley Parade, it being a wooden structure.

I also thought west stand demolished because of it's wooden structure.
Also a little known fact, the Taylor report did not recomend all seated stadia, this was only introduced by then FA chairman sir bert millichip, who intrestingly enough owned a plastics company which could supply said seating!!!
Not relevant really, but there you go!!!!

The old west stand was demolished after the valley parade disaster as others have said, I always thought that the south stand had been demolished as well but funnily enough someone at the club told me last week that we demolished the terracing and sold the stand and it is still in existance somewhere in another sport but I can't think for the life in me where they said it had gone.

the old South stand went in 1977/78 i was always told a supermarket like the one at Hull City was going to be built as part of a new stand but the contractor went bust and the end was then open for many years untill the flats came along
Still do not know to this day if this is true

You're right about the timing of the South Stand coming down. I can remember being shown an artists impression of what the new South Stand would look like, I think running on from the side of what is now the Cats Bar. I seem to think that Trevor Woodward and his money were helping with this but sadly, when Trevor went any hope of the stand being rebuilt went with it.

The West Stand was demolished as a result of the Bradford fire but the South Stand was demolished by the then Chairman of the club. His reasons as I recall was that the stand was demolised to make way for the pitch to be moved south so that a sports complex could be built at the North end. Where he got those ideas from no one seems to know.

Of course there was no sports complex and we were left with a 3 sided ground. When the Chaiman was challenged he said he got the South Stand removed because it was unsafe and he got it demolished free of charge - what a load of rubbish.

He then decided to sell the ground to ASDA without having an alternative. Then Ted and Brian come on the scene and along with some others the Chairman is eventually deposed and the new Committee including Ted and Brian pick up the pieces and try to get the club back on it feet. The rest is history.

Long time ago back in the bad old days.

I remember the bradford disaster, finished playing football and was in the pub in ossett, I couldn't drink my pint,
I just went home sat in front of the telly and wept, the most horrifying event I have ever witnessed and that was on telly,

the stadium lost the west stand due to fact that it was a death trap and could of claimed many lives if the same happened, I always remember the bar that was under the stand and the passing way through to get to each end

Hi

I remember going to a meeting with the late Clarkie. We were shown plans of a proposed new stand to go where the flats are now.

There was a building company Duncan Developments. I believe their managing director joined the Trinity board at the time. They were responsible for improving the west stand i.e taking out old wooden bench seating, concreting the floor area installing raised wheel chair area and installing new plastic seating, and putting a new block/brick back on it. They were supposed to be doing the new stand too but not sure what
happened?

Think you're wrong on this one! Trevor Woodward was the chairman at the time of the stand being demolished and had he not been forced out the club would have been in a much healthier state and a force to be reckoned with. Following his departure, the people who pushed him out put John Scaife as chairman and the club sold all its best players and bought third rate ones to replace them. I beleive the same Mr Scaife was found guilty of embesseling from his own company. Not sure at what point Ted Richardson got involved?

My memory of the time was slightly different. Trevor Woodward, think Peter Ridsdale

, grandiose ideas, big spending, poor attendances, slippery slide into deep financial abyss

Those of us who were involved with the club on the inside at that time saw it differently! Fairly wealthy person with his own successful business leading a club that had one of the best squads in the history of the club. Unfortunately, the other members of the board at that time didn't get on with him and forced him out. That's when the bad times began.

Think your spot on there . As for Trevor Woodward from what I remember
he was not that good a chairman. I also don't think he had that much money either. I was always under the impression he owned a pub in Methley and that was the sumit of his business empire. I would say the last
good chairman was Ronnie Fell and when we lost him thats when we started to go downhill

Trevor used to call into Eric Richmonds to collect his orders for the Viking he was a decent fella who would always give you the time of day
All i know is that when he was forced out we had just being to Wembley we had the best team i can ever remember and the new board sold the bloody lot. The club had never being out of the first division but we got relegated in 1981/2 again in 83/84 when it took us 2 seasons to come back only to win 4 and draw 1 in 86/87 we became the butt of everybody’s jokes the club was a bloody shambles
any wonder we had sold Skerett, The Rayne twins, Andy Kelly, Brian Juliff, Graham Idle, Toppo, Terry Day the list goes on
dark dark days

Whether Trevor Woodward would have put the club in a better position is a matter of opinion. Its certainly not my opinion based on my personal dealings with him at the time.

You are correct about John Scaife and some others who formed the Committee immediately after Woodward's defeat and fall from power. However Ted was involved with the Action group (as was I) and following the departure of Scaife and Jimmy Cranswick I believe Ted took hold of the reins.

Having dealt with both Woodward and Ted I know who I would have trusted with the future of Wakefield Trinity and it was not Woodward but that of course is a personal opinion based on knowing them both personally.