Ground Sharing may not be the hottest topic of discussion in rugby circles. However in the current financial climate it is incredibly relevant. Many argue against it, few argue in favour of it. I personally believe each case is different and should be considered so.
There are a few success stories in terms of ground sharing, such as Saracens sharing Vicarage Road with Watford FC, London Irish sharing Madejski Stadium with Reading and London Wasps sharing Adams Park with Wycombe Wanderers FC to name just a few long standing ones.
However they don't all run smoothly. For instance, recently Notts County FC and Nottingham RFC were involved in a dispute that very nearly made it to court. Due to previous owners of Notts County telling Nottingham RFC they were no longer welcome to ground share but the new chairman welcomed them back fearing for the finances of the club.
This moves me on to the main pro's and con's of ground sharing.
The Pro's
Ground sharing can be an extremely viable concept in financial terms, It can increase revenue for the stadium owner and generally ground sharers move into a bigger stadium which can ultimately increase gate receipts. The bigger stadiums can also open the door for international fixtures such as Under 20's, 'A' Sides and Seven's tournaments. Which in turn will bring bigger crowds and raise the profile of the club. Raising the profile of the club is just as big a benefit as it can improve sales of merchandise and advertising space. The ground share can also be a quick solution to stadium requirements needed for promotion to the Aviva Premiership and other competitions. Which again if successful can yield a financial windfall.
A club can also expect financial and popularity gain from selling their old ground much like when Exeter Chiefs moved to Sandy Park and the County Ground was sold on with a housing development in line to replace it. Thus creating extra homes for the community, extra cash for the club and potentially increasing their fan base.
The Con's
Sadly the points that go against ground sharing can't really be ignored but like I said each case should be individually assessed. The largest issue in my opinion is fixture conflicts. For example if a football club and a rugby club both have games scheduled at home on the same day it can be a palaver to reschedule if this is likely to happen on several occasions throughout the season. You can then factor in the variables such as cup games. Then you also get the argument of what takes priority. Does the club that owns the ground get priority regardless of which fixture may generate the bigger crowd or which fixture might be more significant. If games are rearranged like Sale Sharks playing home games on Friday nights when Stockport County FC play on a Saturday then it can raise other issues. Such as overnight pitch maintenance, advertising board changes in the early hours, changes to pitch markings and changing posts in a very short space of time.
Pitch deterioration is also a huge concern as some pitches struggle to withstand one team playing on it for a season let alone two teams playing two different sports. With all of these potential problems it throws one more into the mix. Relationships between clubs and their chairman can become fraught and this friction can plunge a team into serious trouble as mentioned previously with Nottingham RFC and Notts County.
Possible Ground Shares
Plymouth Albion RFC - Plymouth Argyle FC
Home Park - Approx. 19500 capacity
Currently Plymouth Argyle are in a state of financial disaster this option of a ground share could be the very thing that could save them from dissolving. It could also be the catalyst for Plymouth Albion to start making a serious push for the Aviva Premiership. The size of the stadium would also make it a viable option for Churchill cup games or group games for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Coventry RFC - Coventry City FC
Ricoh Arena - 32609 Capacity
If Coventry RFC were to get promoted to the Aviva Premiership they would need significant ground development. However a ground share at the Ricoh Arena would be a quick solution and would give Coventry RFC the largest stadium in the Aviva Premiership and the stadium itself would certainly be earmarked for larger Rugby events and would help Coventry City FC recoup some of what this impressive structure cost to produce.
This article was created with the intention of giving people an idea as to what the positives and negatives of ground sharing are. I hope I have given you the information needed to formulate your own opinions on the matter.
