" Bye Bye Blues ? "

Cardiff Blues could make Arms Park return - coach Gareth Baber

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Cardiff Blues left the Arms Park for Cardiff City Stadium in May 2009
Cardiff Blues coach Gareth Baber believes the team could move back to the Arms Park from Cardiff City Stadium in a bid to boost crowd numbers.

In 2009 the Blues moved to Cardiff City Football Club's new home as tenants.

But they have struggled to generate an atmosphere and had a crowd of only 6,102 for their 25-8 Heineken Cup win over Edinburgh last weekend.

Baber said: "That [moving back to the Arms Park] is probably in the offing somewhere."

In May 2008 the Blues signed a deal to play all their home games at the stadium for the following 20 years.

In the first two seasons of their existence at Cardiff City Stadium, the Blues crowds averaged 10,000-11,000.

But amid on-going worries over attendances at Wales' rugby regions, Baber believes there is a possibility that they could return to the Arms Park in the shadow of the Millennium Stadium.

Baber said: "People are always looking at ways you can regenerate that sort of energy in a crowd and that enthusiasm.

Gareth Baber is Cardiff Blues joint coach
"For us as a team and a squad we are at the stadium. That's where we are going to be and we are going to crack on with it.

"What probably is affecting crowd numbers is perhaps that we have had a World Cup, people have watched a lot of rugby and we have a downturn in the economy.

"It's tough for people, it's coming up to Christmas. It becomes tough to spend money on tickets as well, and it's [the game] on TV.

"You want a full stadium, everyone baying for blood.

"It would be nice to have that full stadium but at the moment that's outside of my control. We can only control what we do as a group."

Cardiff RFC have continued to play at the city-centre Arms Park in the Welsh Premiership since the Blues moved two miles to the edge-of-town development at Leckwith.

Cardiff City moved across the road from Ninian Park to the new stadium and have continued to enjoy solid support at their new home.

Elsewhere in Welsh rugby, Swansea City have stronger match-day backing than their Liberty Stadium co-inhabitors the Ospreys.

The Scarlets have also had difficulty filling Parc y Scarlets since moving there from Stradey Park.

Newport Gwent Dragons have remained at their traditional rugby home of Rodney Parade and have begun to redevelop the site.

wouldn't they have to buy themselves out of the contract ? Bit of cash for next year

I have never understood why the Blues moved to CCS in the first place and they must be financially better off playing at CAP. They used to play all their big European games at the Millenium Stadium so there was no reason to move.

Personally I would be delighted if they went back, but the saddest thing of all would be that the Blues should have listened to Sam Hammam who always warned that Rugby wouldn't work at our new ground.

wouldn't they have to buy themselves out of the contract ? Bit of cash for next year

Yes they would about 17 years left.


I would love to see all the rugby signs taken away, perhaps we will get a Welsh flag up then.

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

I agree but that's an awful lot of revenue lost if it happens

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

I agree but that's an awful lot of revenue lost if it happens

anyone have any idea how much money city actually get out of this deal??

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

I agree but that's an awful lot of revenue lost if it happens

They cant just get out of it, they will have to pay big time to leave us.

Would love for them to go, hate all the egg hit everywhere etc etc

If I remember rightly tho financially it would be a considerable blow

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

I agree but that's an awful lot of revenue lost if it happens

anyone have any idea how much money city actually get out of this deal??

I'm sure its something like £250k a season. Might be wrong though!

Good. If they want out their going to have to pay out their contract. 17 years could mean a lot of money for the club.
Revenue lost from their attendances wont be too bad as they hardly had anyone their to fill our ground anyway.
And maybe the Cardiff Blues badges on the Ninian and Grandstand can be changed for something else then. Like a Welsh Flag?
All I see is positives from this

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

I agree but that's an awful lot of revenue lost if it happens

anyone have any idea how much money city actually get out of this deal??

I'm sure its something like £250k a season. Might be wrong though!

I think it's around that but the thing that stands out is (I think) they pay 40% of the overheads??

Good if it happens, I've always had the feeling they were one of the reasons why the stadium was built (the rugby supporting council wanting them out of arms park)

Even the Blues fans will be happy (except their new supporters who started going due it being a new ground).

PMG still have a lot to do with Cardiff Blues yeh??

"You owe Cardiff City FC a lot of money but some of those shares
you only recently bought look good"

maybe??

I have never understood why the Blues moved to CCS in the first place and they must be financially better off playing at CAP. They used to play all their big European games at the Millenium Stadium so there was no reason to move.

Personally I would be delighted if they went back, but the saddest thing of all would be that the Blues should have listened to Sam Hammam who always warned that Rugby wouldn't work at our new ground.

I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that it was sort of 'forced' on them by the council power-brokers that put a 'conditional' shared stadium deal together before they would sign it off

Personally, I like the Blues and used to be a season ticket holder when they were simply 'Cardiff' playing at The Arms Park in the town centre (I had a flat in Westgate Street at the time and it was cheap parking!! )

However, I would be chuffed to bits if they moved out of the CCS because (like those pesky PFI's in industry) the partnership works on NO other leel than a financial one; and even that is debatable with 6,000 crowds

Cardiff Arms Park?? Better for them (Les Bleus), better for their fans and better for the future of Cardiff City Football Club at the CCS!!

Good riddance. Just a load of fat twats messing up our pitch. Really hate the egg-chasers. Get rid of their poxy badges from around the stadium, and kick them out of the club shop.

They couldn't afford to buy out their contract, it would cost them an EGGcessive amount of money.

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

With only 6000 of them Annis that is unlikely

Ill be glad if they leave. I hate the egg and egg types.

Ill be glad if they leave. I hate the egg and egg types.

same here. i hate all egg types including the welsh national team.

I have never understood why the Blues moved to CCS in the first place and they must be financially better off playing at CAP. They used to play all their big European games at the Millenium Stadium so there was no reason to move.

Personally I would be delighted if they went back, but the saddest thing of all would be that the Blues should have listened to Sam Hammam who always warned that Rugby wouldn't work at our new ground.

I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that it was sort of 'forced' on them by the council power-brokers that put a 'conditional' shared stadium deal together before they would sign it off

Personally, I like the Blues and used to be a season ticket holder when they were simply 'Cardiff' playing at The Arms Park in the town centre (I had a flat in Westgate Street at the time and it was cheap parking!! )

However, I would be chuffed to bits if they moved out of the CCS because (like those pesky PFI's in industry) the partnership works on NO other leel than a financial one; and even that is debatable with 6,000 crowds

Cardiff Arms Park?? Better for them (Les Bleus), better for their fans and better for the future of Cardiff City Football Club at the CCS!!

You are correct the council did force the ground sharing deal through. What I said was that they should have listened to Sam Hammam who said it would never work.

I totally agree with the rest of your post that for the good of everyone they should go back to CAP. At worst we would lose around £300,000 p/a in revenue but that has to be weighed up against the extra cost in damage and maintanence that they cause whilst using the stadium.

not going to happen the arms park will be knocked down and the mill stadium north stand finished off and a car park and conferance centre being built.i know the developer involved in it ,the north stand has cancer of the concrete its only a matter of time but what i do know is the rugby could have a ground share at glamorgan swalec stadium that has been talked about

what i do know is the rugby could have a ground share at glamorgan swalec stadium that has been talked about

Bloody Hell that would play havoc with the Test Wicket

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

I'm sure you are joking about the fat bastards thing but in case you are not. Have a word. You must have seen the shape these guys were in at the World Cup. Warburton, Roberts and Halfpenny are fitter than any of our players I would guess.

I would love to see the agreement.
I bet theres a get out somewhere.

Well its not happening as Peter Thomas would have to pay the whole 17 years.

how much would they have to pay annis?

wouldnt be a bad thing..

30 fat bastards running all over our pitch!!

And an Egghead sitting in my seat.

annis judging by their crowd size chances are your seat was empty