could we have one of those official threads for the stadium. I owuld make one, but it would go all wrong and will cry. Plus i don't have much information on it. How is it coming along?

Ironically enough, you seem to have created the "Official" thread without even trying (minus the question mark, of course).

To help out here's the masterplan for the new stadium courtesy of the Cardiff City FC website.

http://www.cardiffcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/4a/df/0,,10335~3202890,00.jpg

Wales premier football club's new state of the art football stadium is currently underway. Contractors are currently preparing the groundworks whilst other contractors are finishing the top layer of the new athletics track.

Once the top layer is in place and the athletes can actually use the track, then they will start to do so, enabling contractors to quickly demolish the old athletics stadium and build a stadium rightfully owned to a football club and rented to its city's rugby counterpart...unlike other less illustrious clubs who ground share with say the council and their own rugby club

The future is indeed very bright for the capitals football club


sorry, in a peculiar mood this am....actually, for those who spotted my thinly veiled dig at the liberty, if you've been there its ace, if we get one like that I'll be happy. And I'm sure pondle will explain the ospreys are clearly the better team in Wales just to even things about a bit....

here here

This stadium is so bland and boring, stick some spikes on the side and it will look like the Millennium stadiums smaller brother :) or an arch over it and... you get the idea! Just something more attractive than this.

Well the orginal design was good but obviously they had to cut costs so just pulled a design from the book of generic stadium designs. I'm sure it'll be a nice enough stadium but not what it could of been.

This:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42233000/jpg/_42233090_new_stadium06_203.jpg
instead of this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38253000/jpg/_38253896_new_stadium_300.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40068000/jpg/_40068919_stadium3.jpg
courtesy of BBC News

Oh great, another St.Mary's.

The origional stadium was lovely, i cant believe it would cost that much more to have a wavey roof and four poles! From a distance the new stadium will just look like part of the retail park.

Anybody have any idea what the 'Vision 21' area is on the masterplan? I'm glad to see that the academy is so close to the ground as well. Should really help give the whole development a 'cohesive Cardiff City FC feel' if you get my meaning, rather than just several disjointed elements.

Snipped from the planning documents:

Vision 21 will provide employment and training opportunities for people with
learning disabilities.

The facility will include a range of green recycling initiatives and will be accessible to the local community and site allotment association.

disappointed with the end design especially considering the original plan, but i guess money is always the major issue.

lol...these IKEA flat pack self assembly stadiums are selling well....must be a sale.

So much parking!!!!! Terrible!! ARRRGH!

So much parking!!!!! Terrible!! ARRRGH!

Well.... no.

This will also serve as Cardiff's first proper daily park and ride site, which is surely a good thing.

Well.... no.

This will also serve as Cardiff's first proper daily park and ride site, which is surely a good thing.

Does it? Oh ok, whoops, I really should read more about the application before I blast it lol!

anyone else a bit nervy about all this £30 million debt talk?

Cardiff '£30m debt' row steps up

Peter Ridsdale maintains the club's case is robust
Cardiff City's financial backers Langston have countered claims made by the club's chairman Peter Ridsdale in the row over an alleged £30m debt.
Earlier in the week Langston accused the club of financial mismanagement and said they wanted £30m back now.

But Ridsdale claimed to have documents showing they had until 2016 to pay off a debt he said had been agreed at £15m.

Langston, who are threatening legal action, have now hit back saying they are in a "very strong position."

In a statement issued by their solicitors Hextalls LLP, they also rebutted Ridsdale's claim he had no way of contacting Langston and that the club's only point of contact had been former owner Sam Hammam.

"The club has the address of Langston in Switzerland; a current representative of the club has met the Swiss representative of Langston," the statement said.

"It follows that it is not true that Sam Hammam was or is the sole point of contact that the club had had with Langston," the statement went on.

It also added: "Langston remains confident that it is in a very strong position and that its claim will be determined on the basis of all documents and not extracts, which may well be misleading."


Langston also said they had asked Sam Hammam to contact Cardiff City, but his "attempts to generate dialogue over the last few months have been ignored."

On Wednesday, Ridsdale had urged Hammam to get in touch to avoid a messy court battle and maintained if it did go to court, the club's case was "clear and robust."

This latest news comes on the day that Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink signed for Cardiff City.

In response the Bluebirds issued a statement standing by what Ridsdale said on Wednesday.

Cardiff City said: "The Club stands by its statement as made yesterday.

"It also notes that at no point does Langston deny the fact that the Board is in possession of signed documents confirming that a balance of £15m is to be paid to Langston by 31 December 2016, with interest to accrue on the balance from 1 March 2007.

"The Club does not have any cause to believe that this signed document is invalid, and consequently it does not consider that it has any debts repayable to Langston prior to 2016."

www.bbc.co.uk

anyone else a bit nervy about all this £30 million debt talk?

Cardiff '£30m debt' row steps up




not really Dan

I've read the Rudgwick* accounts for 2005/6 and basically it says in there that the loan notes have been restructured to £15m in lieu of stadium naming rights and that the principle does not have to be repaid until 2016.

Sam Hammam's trustees signed this off. Either the auditors and sam's representatives have filed incorrect accounts or Peter Risdale is telling the truth....

can't see the auditors filing incorrect accounts...not really!!!

only time will tell though...


Rudgwick is Sam Hammam's holding company

http://uk.youtube.com/valleyramstv

Quite interesting video on the progress of the Leckwith stadium site. Sounds like we should see some real progress in the next few weeks on the retail side of the development with demolition due to start soon on the old athletics stadium.

Haven't heard much about the stadium for a while - is it progressing still?
With Cardiff city looking likely to be going into administration, surely this project is in danger? Or are the funds locked elsewhere?

Well things aren't looking great for CCFC as from what I've seen in the press it looks like Sam Hammam maybe trying to get his dirty paws back on the club, he apparently has links with the company that CCFC owe money to >(.

So yes there could be problems ahead for the new stadium... Oh and fans don't seem to want him back either...

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city-fc/2007/12/05/brinkmanship-could-cost-us-the-stadium-91466-20204257/
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2007/12/04/fans-want-peter-ridsdale-91466-20200573/

Woaaah!

There is a very slim chance that Cardiff will go into administration. I'm no expert on this, and frankly no-one is aside from the lawyers and persons involved. I have however heard nothing to suggest that Cardiff think they will lose this case, but they have stated that mounting legal costs mean it's very important that the case takes place next monday and that there are no further delays. It's pretty clear that all this uncertainty isn't helping the team on the pitch either, so sort it out everyone, or get your greedy snouts out of our game! grrr, this is what happens when business interests get too involved in the beautiful game.

An article today in the Western Mail reported that the club is worried about losing 'ownership' of the stadium to the council, but it doesn't suggest the stadium is in doubt.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2007/12/05/brinkmanship-could-cost-us-the-stadium-91466-20204257/

Finally, Schmeek, the project is really far larger than just the stadium. It is a large retail development, a hotel, an athletics stadium, astroturf pitches, office accomodation, park and ride, and of course the football stadium itself. As such, I think it's pretty secure as a development, and certainly there is a hell of a lot of work going on there. The athletics stadium is pretty much finished and looking smart, so hopefully with the addition of temporary seating some decent meetings could be held there. Eventually this will be a great site for the stadium; (although I'm gonna miss Ninian Park something rotten) it's in the clubs traditional area, loads of pubs nearby, has a dedicated train station, lots of parking, close to the dual carriageway out of the city etc etc.

Thinking further about the club, what a load of spineless useless players are there at the moment. I was so optimistic for this season. I know theres still a long way to go, and the play offs aren't out the question, but it's looking bad considering on paper there are some very good players (Schmeical, Gunter, Loovens, Purse, Ledley, Fowler, Hasselbaink, Rae, Sinclair, Capaldi are all highly thought of)

schmeek, any change of swapping Dave Jones for Gary Johnson?

No chance! But I'm worried he'll depart for the Premiership before long. And good luck to him if he does. He's a top top manager and has already worked wonders here at City.

Yes, Cardiff have been a strange one this season haven't they? They certainly have some good players but it aint happening. I must admit I did have doubts about the Hasselbaink/Fowler aquisition being the success it looked on paper - I would prefer players who are hungry to achieve rather than players winding down career wise and still expectant of (comparatively)large wages. We paid £1m for Trundle who is 30, I know, but he is still very hungry having never played beyond lge1 last season as he was a late starter(I think he was playing non-league until about 25). You probably know all this from his days at the Swans.

Anyway, whichever way it goes with the court case etc, I think CCFC will lose out unfortunately as it is a fact they owe £35m. Either admin, which would be disastrous, or SH will claim the club back.

Sounds like they've got it about right with this new stadium, I'm not a fan of the STADIUM+RETAIL PARK equation but keeping it in the heartland is a must IMO. I haven't stopped by to have a look for a long while now. Any pics anywhere?

I wouldn't panic about the stadium. If there was any chance that the funding wasn't secure I think I would have picked up the vibes - I work within feet of the accountants managing the project.

I've managed to pinch / borrow a picture from the unofficial Cardiff City Messageboard - An aerial shot taken of the new development on the weekend just gone.
Looking quite spectacular if I do say so myself!
http://www.ccmb.co.uk/fudforum/index.php?t=getfile&id=1561&private=0