Out of the blue on Wednesday the Echo published the following story
Bluebirds in stadium share talks
it appeared to come out of nowhere prompting speculation that any one of the main players could have pushed the story for their own ends.
There have been strong arguments either way. There is the argument that it's our stadium and we don't want 30 rugby chaps wrecking our pitch to the other end of the scale that groundsharing would be the most cost effective way forward.
Today a second story has been published
Developer urges teams to explore new stadium share
Reading and Watford are the two most high profile groundshares in the Championship at the moment. Both teams could be in the Premiership next season.
Who would benefit the most? The council (if it's them who own it - I don't know) could have themselves a huge slice of very lucrative real estate in the City Centre if Cardiff Blues move out. Cardiff City could have a tennant that would be contibuting to the running of the new stadium.
My initial reaction is to tell the rugby to go away, in the current financial climate though the possibility has to be looked at but whatever happens has to be the best for Cardiff City.
Here are some of the comments generated on the Messageboard.
What a cheek these people have... 5 years we have fought for this stadium... now it's almost here the biggest rugby team in the world (it was once quoted as that) may have to leave their ground to become tennants of a football club. I doubt the rugby club want this neither would their fans...but what a coup for the council acquiring prime City centre land.
There is more to this than meets the eye. It sounds good financially for our club but DO WE NEED TO SHARE? No we don't...if we were to achieve the desired success we all hope for we definately do not need to share.
It stinks all round Cardiff Blues destroyed Pontypridd and Bridgend rugby clubs now they want to give money to a football club...why?
You would think they would relocate to Ponty or Bridgend and keep monies in rugby...unless ofcourse they have no choice????????????
How much is their valuable asset worth without planning permission?
NO its our new stadium our new football pitch if the council want us to share should we all agree to it?
Where were these people when we really needed them????
Council...scrutinise the business plan...and decide if its ok to go ahead...do not make sharing the stadium part of any equation.
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NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! Does the Club even recognize what it turns the pitch into? Let me jog your minds with Watford, Reading, Swansea, Wigan etc. Watford's pitch is so poor that they bypass midfield altogether.
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I think in an ideal world we would all like the new ground to be for the City and no one else, but , as long as the ground stays under our ownwership and income from things like the leasing of the shops and offices on the ground floor of the development all goes to the club, then I'm struggling to come up with a reason why this should be such worrying news for City. For the record, my attitude to groundsharing is the same as quite a few others on here - if it enables us to get the new ground, then I don't have a problem with it.
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I have waited 3 lifetimes for hopefully the good times that are a coming, now it may sound selfish but I want that stadium to be ours and ours only, no distractions, no faded 25 yard lines showing through our pitch, no sets of rugby posts leaning over in the corner waiting for next weeks game against Cross Keys.
Surely it would be even worse for the Cardiif Blues, what identity would they have, what sense of passion and belonging, fortress Arms Park more like something borrowed something blue.