We train at a school!!!

Nope. I couldn't disagree more. VP is our home. As Arsene Wenger said, it's a proper football ground, not just another soulless identikit bowl. It's near the centre of Bradford, not in some godforsaken bleak industrial estate miles from anywhere, like so many of the modern grounds. It's easily accessible by public transport and is a short walk from a large number of pubs and eating places. Many away fans comment on how much they enjoy their awayday for City matches.

Yes, it needs sprucing up a bit, but it's a Championship standard ground. So unless we get a meteoric rise back to the Premier League, which seems unlikely, it's perfectly adequate for our needs for the foreseeable future.

 

Me neither. I'm sure Sparks and Rupp must have a plan.
With a plan, we're in a decent position. The stadium is useless without us!

 

Interesting to hear others opinions but as the old deal would have finished would the same rules apply to the negotiation of a new deal, ie an older stadium, more money to spent on infrastructure of the stadium etc, or do the trustees still have to get the same of better deal.

 

I don’t disagree with a couple of your points but I dont think its a championship standard ground apart from capacity. Saying that neither is The Den or Kenilworth Road

The area its in is truly awful. Im actually embarrassed by the state of the area surrounding it. Little the club can do about that i suppose but the council don’t give a flying fig. A "proper" football ground is all well and good but at some point you have to go with the times. You have to improve to prosper eventually. The opportunities that come with a new ground along with improved and modern facilities is the way forward. It wont happen while we are rotting in league 2 though.

 

You hear far more complementary comments from away fans with regards the stadium and atmosphere it generates than those who complain about the area it's in or the accessibility of a beer or meal.

 

I honestly couldn't give a monkey's about the area it's in. Who cares if it's scruffy? All most fans are doing is walking in and out for a couple of hours to watch a game. For me, it's much more important to be within easy reach of pubs, eating places, stations etc than to be in a nice area or look pristine. It's a football match, not the opera.

 

Would be interesting to know. I have no idea but like with all negotiations it's upto the both parties to put some cards on the table.

 

A Sunderland Vlog I watched, around the friendly, referred to it as 'better than a lot of Championship grounds'.
That's the opinion of the opposition fans.

 

Right… but some people do care!
I’ve been to over 70 football grounds and for me our ground apart from the size of it is abit crap. It needs an overhaul. I don’t think you’d disagree on that? Would it maybe be worth moving and maximising out potential? Absolutely… If you want to continually live in the past then crack on.

 

Think they're probably referring to the result...

 

Yes, the ground definitely needs an overhaul. But, unless and until we're back in the second tier it's adequate. There are many worse grounds in L1 and L2.The Dallas Stand is a bit of an embarrassment, but most clubs in L2 and L1 don't bring enough fans to need to open that.

I don't want to move out of the city to some industrial wasteland, which is what a move would inevitably entail. There's 120 years of heritage at VP that means something - it's a big part of the club's identity.
Many people don't just want to drive in, park, watch the game and then leave. They want a day out, especially away fans. Where would you move us to, that has public transport, pubs and places to eat within walkable distance from the ground? I can't think of anywhere obvious. And where would the money come from?

 

Agree with that, but also, where is the money coming from to stay? Unfortunate reality is that if by say the end of the 24/25 season, if we are still in this division, signing on to stay at VP at those inflated rates by that time for another long term lease, isn't an option either if the club wants to have any financial muscle on the pitch. Rupps reign is over 6 years in and hasn't really gone into any details for plans to buy VP.

Once you go in the champ, there's different safety check rules for stands too, hence why Peterborough couldn't open their oldest stand all last season and now have scrapped it for approved safe standing. Think from memory QPR were having to look into it too for one of their stands. Luton only get away with it for a loophole on their small stand, because it's just now exec boxes only rather than a 'stand'. The TL Dallas might end up needing some work to even open in the champ without some money put in it.

 

Not sure they are inflated rates the subject of the rent we pay has been done to death I believe posters have looked at other clubs in our position and they are paying similar or in some cases more, as I said the higher the division were in the less on a burden the annual rent becomes.

 

I said the same, it all depends on maybe 3 years time? If we are still in L2, there is a massive financial killer on us. But it's certainly going to be inflated? We've just gone from £434K a season rent to touching £500K a season, another contractual rise in 2027 then a new lease needed from 2028, were we will be talking a minimum of £550K as the starting point if we carry on with the agreement we've been used to by Gibb. By then Gibb will know we have no other alternative and could well ask for more.

In terms of other clubs, only ones with easily discoverable rental agreements were...
Leyton Orient paying just over £200K a season.
Walsall pay £440K a season.
Stockport were paying £80K a season but the owner has just effectively bought the stadium with a 250 year lease at just over £2M. The new lease has them paying the 2 million off over 250 years at £8K a season.
Swindon have just agreed to buy their ground for £2m too this summer after leasing.
Hartlepool are renting and are in discussion with the council to build a new ground as they cant afford the current rates on their agreement of just under £200K a season.
Barnsley rent at £250K a season.
Oxford rent their but are in talks with the council over a new stadium as their rent of £250K a season expires in 2028 and want to see if there is another alternative.

Weirdly, every team aboves lease agreements all expire in 2028. Wonder if there was some EFL/FA rule set in place around the time around leases? Some have purchased this summer or in talks to purchase/move grounds.

 

Maths isnt your strong point either. You are humiliating yourself!

Please stop.

 

Not for the training facility Rod.

 

Well it is but you lack ambition so you won’t understand.

Look, dress it up all you want! It’s a school and we train there. We own nothing!

 

I'm not sure in any of this we've been used by Gibb, on the second admin to get us through Gordon Gibb bought the ground, he made Julian Rhodes two offers with regards rental payment it was Julian who took the present deal, I don't see Gordon Gibb as any sort of bogy man but an astute business man.

Were all the other teams 25 year deals I doubt it, I believe the new Peterborough ground that's being built will be rented back by the owner/owners it wont be part of Peterborough Football Club, the new ground being built for Everton at the Bramley-Moore Dock will be a separate issue and not a part of Everton Football Club, that could be one way Stefan can give our club a helping hand buying Valley Parade and renting it back on more favourable terms.