Dewsbury in ground share talks with Wakefield

Dewsbury Rams chairman Mark Sawyer has revealed that his club is in talks with Wakefield Wildcats, about the possibility of a ground share arrangement for 2016.

Trinity will not be playing at Belle Vue next season, having recently issued a six-month notice to the owners of the ground that they would be leaving.

The club feels that the rent being asked by owners the Bank of Ireland is too high. They have called Belle Vue home for the last 120 years.

“I would like to inform our sponsors, supporters and members of the media that the club is currently in negotiations with Wakefield Trinity Wildcats regarding a ground-share for next year,” said Sawyer.

“The Wildcats are considering possible avenues for a playing venue for next season and they have ear-marked The Tetley’s Stadium as a serious option.

“We are looking at this very seriously, in constant and current liaison with Wakefield, and further announcements will be made should there be any developments in the weeks ahead.”

Meanwhile, Dewsbury have also confirmed that crowds at the club are at a 15-year record high.

The average crowd this season for Championship games has been 1,429, which is a 37 percent increase on last season’s figure.

“The club, its sponsors and a dedicated team of volunteers have made a huge investment in the club and the stadium during the last two years and it is pleasing to see that hard work paying off,” said Sawyer.

“We have transformed the stadium and the match day experience for supporters through the construction of new terracing, the creation of new refreshment facilities and refurbishment of old ones, and general maintenance and renovation throughout the ground.

“The figures posted for matches against Bradford, Sheffield and Leigh demonstrate the club’s ability to attract big crowds for big matches, but the like-for-like increases almost across the board are also extremely encouraging.

“And even if the crowd for the game against the Bulls is discounted, the average is still our highest in six years.

“With the ‘regular season’ now under our belts, we look ahead to the Super 8s and our charge for the Championship Shield.”