Trinity bosses offer to step down from trust to ensure £10m stadium is built

Wakefield Trinity bosses Michael Carter and Chris Brereton have offered to step down from the community trust, if it means the planned £10m stadium will be built.
Michael Carter and Chris BreretonMichael Carter and Chris Brereton
Michael Carter and Chris Brereton

A statement was put out by the pair after it was announced that a new stadium trust has been set up by former club chairman Sir Rodney Walker in order to have the long-awaited project finally delivered.

Due to planning red tape between developers Yorkcourt and the old trust, which had been trying to build the stadium off Newmarket Lane since before 2010, Sir Rodney is spearheading a new group - the Wakefield Community Stadium Charitable Trust - which he says has attracted new members and is hopeful that work on the new 10,000-seater community ground can begin before the end of the year.

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He says Wakefield Trinity needs to be the anchor tenants of the project to make it viable.

But due to conflict between Sir Rodney and the club’s bosses, they have pledged to quit their roles with the existing trust if it meant progress with the stadium.

The statement reads: “If a binding agreement is put in place with the existing trust, council, and the developer that sees a new fit-for-purpose 10,000 capacity stadium operational by the start of 2019 season, which the club operates and controls to maximise revenue streams, myself and Chris will immediately stand down from the existing stadium trust.

“This will ensure that Walker and Yorkcourt do not have to deal with us on any level, thus removing their one last obstacle to this community stadium being built and delivered.

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“For the avoidance of any doubt, we do not wish to own outright the community stadium.

“This must happen within the next month. If it did happen, then the club would enter negotiations with the 88M property group to stay at Belle Vue for one last season subject to RFL approval.”