Meanwhile all our friends must choose
Who they will favor, who they will lose
Hang the garland high or close the door
Or throw away the key
This house is empty now
There's no one living here
You have to care about
This house is empty now
There's nothing i can do
To make you want to stay
So tell me how am i supposed to live without you
This house is empty now
This House Is Empty Now...Elvis Costello and Bert Bacharach
As a precursor to this post, I just want to make it clear (again) that I have no problem with Wasps playing in the Championship in September.
You can argue 'til your blue in the face about the appropriateness of the sanctions imposed on our erstwhile neighbours but it is what it is and all Coventry Rugby can do is continue to ensure its own long-term viability, striving to progress as it currently is, both on and off field; just ignore all the white noise.
The thought of at least a couple of games against Wasps next season is a mouth-watering one - I've missed the derby atmosphere when Moseley were in town and whilst there's no real history to a Wasps' fixture, many supporters will want to see Cov mete out its own punishment to a club most supporters, particularly those indigenous to Coventry, feel never should have been allowed to move to the city in the first place.
A home game in December would be ideal, after all revenge is a dish best served cold.
For me though, Wasps' place in the Championship is no bad thing as it will doubtless raise the profile of the competition, if only because there will be plenty of interest from the media to see how the former Premiership side equips itself in tier 2 of English rugby. More interest equates to more sponsorship, something that all clubs could benefit from, provided the RFU does the decent thing.
Of course, there's no guarantee that will happen.
Without the benefit of the P share (apparently costing a reported £15-£20m to purchase should a Championship side ever be promoted), nor with the £1.5m of central funding each year, there should be a more level playing field than was originally envisaged.
A big crowd, and it will be big (I'm prepared to stick my neck out even now and predict a gate in excess of that for the final home game against Hull in our promotion winning season back in 2018; in excess of 3800 I think), will significantly increase the club's coffers. It's the one aspect of Wasps' appearance in the Championship next season that outweighs any of the negatives for me. And it won't be just Cov that benefits. They'll add to the gates of most clubs next season.
Those who know me will be aware that since the early days of the first lockdown I've been a regular walker, 12-15 miles a day 5+ times a week for the most part - initially as a way of staying healthy both physically and mentally and latterly because I genuinely enjoy being outside in all weathers. This morning, I decided to make a slight detour from one of my normal routes to take a gander at Solihull Moors' ground, the ARMCO Arena, in Damson Parkway as rumours are doing the rounds that it will also be Wasps' home base next season.
I was interested to see just how far it is from home (2.6 miles as it happens) and have a quick, sneaky peak at the arena if possible. I actually ended up getting a much better look than I'd hope for, courtesy of the fact that the gates were open and no one was about.
Armed only with my mobile phone, I took some photos which I thought I'd post on here. Many Cov supporters will be probably be uncertain as to where the ground actually is and what sort of facilities it offers, so hopefully this might at least provide some basic info.
At this point, if you have more than a passing allegiance to Wasps then I ought to apologise for the rather flippant title I've given the post. It probably comes across as rather disparaging, but the presence of a webuyanycar.com hut in the carpark was just too good an opportunity to waste, especially given all the politics surrounding the club's involvement in the Ricoh.
I'm sure I won't be the last person to suggest that should Wasps suffer another financial crisis, the directors will at least be able to sell their 4*4s and Teslas hassle free if they are in need of funds at short notice...
The Arena has a decent sized car park, probably similar to the main carpark at the BPA. However, once all the playing, support and admin. staff are parked up, plus a couple of coaches for the away team and their supporters, it's not quite as roomy as it first looks.
A quick check on Google suggests the ARMCO arena's capacity is 5,500, but average attendances there last season were only 1,779, getting on for 800 less than Cov's this season.
There's a £5 flat charge for parking, but payment fortunately doesn't involve the normal pay and display machines you'll find at most car parks and which are the bane of my life at the BPA, even when they do work. You have to purchase a token from reception which feeds into the barrier when exiting the car park, by the look of it.
The ground itself has a couple of covered stands, but the covered seated area is considerably smaller than that at the Butts, although there is a second seated area that runs the length of the pitch on the opposite side that is completely exposed to the elements. On a frosty day like today, it would be very, very cold sitting there.
There was mention of a temporary stand being installed at Cov in time for the start of the next season, but if it's similar to that at the Moors, I'm not altogether sure how popular it would prove. Unless there is a roof covering it, I think most supporters would prefer the present arrangement where at least there is some shelter there and you're free to move around either side of it.
The main stand has one or two boxes (that my guess as to what they are), with space for others should they be needed. You're never very far from the ground and the lower viewpoint would be a slight disadvantage if, like me, you prefer looking at the game from a higher vantage point where you often get a slightly better perspective.
It was encouraging to see the pitch covered; it certainly will have needed protection from the ground frost this week. I'm not sure many clubs playing on grass in the Championship have this facility, so that's a big tick in the plus column for them.
For anyone wanting to find out a little more about the club's indoor facilities, there's a very good 3D tour to be found at: Virtual Tour of Hospitality | Solihull Moors FC
Certainly, the Moors' ground has advantages over some in the Championship. I, for one, am hoping Wasps' move there is rubber stamped before too long as it will be home from home for me.
I might even wander along and watch the Moors, too...although watching Wasps other than against Cov might be a step too far.
Comments