Article re future of Bristol Rugby and their playing plans

[SelimNiai]

" Bristol Rugby hosted a Q&A to answer questions on the announced groundshare with Bristol City FC on Wednesday evening.

Chief-Executive Steve Gorvett outlined the plans to relocate to a redeveloped Ashton Gate Stadium at the Crown Pub – ran by Supporters Club Chairman Ian Selway - in Staple Hill.

Among the hot topics discussed were the colour scheme of the stadium, safe standing, ticket pricing and the suitability of the pitch.

"The move to Ashton Gate is logical," said Gorvett. "It's obviously a great shame we'll be leaving our spiritual home but we have no choice.

"We won't just be tenants at the new stadium – we'll be partners. Stephen Lansdown sees this as a partnership and Bristol Sport Ltd (BSL) are keen that we are involved in every step of the design phase."



Will the Club honour '2028' members?

"Absolutely. Everybody who purchased a twenty-year season ticket will have first say when selecting seats at the new ground. '2028' members may be disappointed, but, from their perspective, nothing changes.

"Playing Aviva Premiership rugby at Ashton Gate is a business model that works and so the investment in the Club – and the decision to relocate to BS3 – is a business decision."

Will there be joint season tickets for football and rugby?

"There are a number of potential synergies between the two Clubs. We've discussed the possibility of joint season tickets, or of discounted prices and special deals for season ticket holders of either clubs.

"There will be other sports that will come under the umbrella of BSL, so cross-ticketing across a variety of sports in a possibility in the future."



Will there be safe standing at Ashton Gate?

"The football club have made it clear that they want to include an area of safe standing in the redevelopment plans. Bristol Rugby are very keen to support this initiative, with safe standing areas unallocated.

"The stadium will be undergoing redevelopment when we are playing there. That can be disruptive, but it won't affect the capacity we have to deal with. The minimum it will be at any time is 16,000."

How will the Club commemorate the Memorial Stadium?

"We're looking at ways to ensure that there will be a commemorative rugby fixture at the Memorial Stadium – whether that's Bristol or an invitational side, it remains to be seen. We have to work with Bristol Rovers FC on this, but it's something we're looking into.

"The Former Player's Association are liaising with Sainsbury's and discussing how the Memorial gates will be looked after and maintained. They will be remaining in place, with the possibility of a Memorial garden."

Can the playing surface cope with football and rugby?

"The reinforced DESSO pitch – which will cost around £750,000 to install – will be a multi-sport playing surface. It will support football and rugby without issues.

"A DESSO pitch is made up of twenty million fibres which gives the surface four times as much strength as an average pitch. It's state-of-the-art and it's installation was one of the conditions of us moving there."

What days will the Club play home fixtures on?

"We're open to suggestions on this. When Bristol City are at home, they will play on a Saturday, so we would have the option of Fridays or Sundays. But when they are away, we could play on a Saturday if it was something the supporters wanted.

"We don't foresee any price hikes when we move to the stadium, there is no reason to at all. We will ensure there is suitable pricing, which is affordable for our supporters. The plan is to succeed on field and increase our numbers in the stands without raising the costs."

What will the colour scheme of the new stadium be?

"It's likely that the seating will be red, because, realistically, Bristol City supporters would not accept blue seating. However, beyond there are a number of ways that we can make Ashton Gate a rugby stadium on rugby matchdays.

"The external colour of the stadium and the concourses can be neutral, with blue lighting on rugby days and red lighting on football days – that's simple to do. Rather than rugby or football-themed, the bars will be Bristol Sport themed to incorporate both clubs.

"If we went to Ashton Gate and tried to change everything, there would be big resistance from City fans. The football club have been there for one hundred years and we respect that – we would do this jointly as partners."

Will supporters be able to drink alcohol while watching the game?

"This is another initiative that Bristol City FC are pursuing – they want to change the law so that supporters can drink alcohol in the stadium. We support this, so the stadium plans need to ensure that outlets are suitably placed and adequate for the number of potential customers.

"Stewarding requires different management in a football and rugby environment. That's something we will look at, so our supporters can enjoy the rugby matchday experience."

Bristol Rugby are aiming to set up a voluntary fan's group to gauge the views of the Club's supporters at every step of the redevelopment process. If you'd be interested in joining the group, please contact [email protected]."

A lot of that excites me as a fan, firstly it seems that the two clubs are potentially going to co-exist peacefully. Us and Rovers had some issues, not least the suspicion that the ground was purchased illegally from someone who had no rights to sell.

This plus the signings on and off the pitch show our ambition and desire to be back where we belong.