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Rugby heroes’ site still empty
Tuesday 2nd October 2007, 11:50AM BST.
The former Wolverhampton home of youth rugby is still standing empty, despite being on the market for six months.
A buyer has not yet been found for the Castlecroft grounds, which closed for good in August with the loss of 20 jobs.
The grounds were the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) schools and youth base for more than 15 years, and the training place for numerous world cup heroes, including Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall.
It was hoped a flood of offers would stream in once the site was vacated, but today Wolverhampton-based property consultants First City was still marketing the grounds to potential buyers.
Read the full story in today’s Express & Star.
The former Wolverhampton home of youth rugby is still standing empty, despite being on the market for six months.
A buyer has not yet been found for the Castlecroft grounds, which closed for good in August with the loss of 20 jobs.
The grounds were the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) schools and youth base for more than 15 years, and the training place for numerous world cup heroes, including Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall.
It was hoped a flood of offers would stream in once the site was vacated, but today Wolverhampton-based property consultants First City was still marketing the grounds to potential buyers.
First City spokesman Chris Bywater said today they had been close to a deal with an unnamed company but it had “gone quiet”.
He added: “We have therefore taken the decision with our clients to offer the first floor office accommodation to the general market in the hope that a company will be able to make use of the offices which occupy an enviable location with plenty of car parking.
“They would be ideal for a professional services company of some kind such as accountants looking for an out of town location.
“In the meantime our clients are keeping security in place and we are still looking for a suitable tenant who will be prepared to take on the ground floor changing rooms and ancillary facilities, the 495-seater stadium and of course the pitch.”
The site used to be Wolves training ground, developed by Stan Cullis in 1949 during the club’s golden years.
It was acquired by Wolverhampton Council in the 1980s and taken over by the RFU in the 1990s.
But last year the RFU decided to move the operation to its headquarters in Twickenham as part of a restructuring programme.
Mr Bywater said any expressions of interest should be registered at First City on 01902 710999.
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Why is this site not being turned into a venture for the young people in Wolverhampton.
Today to many children are overweight,unfit,roaming the streets up to mischief.
Surely there is potenial to change their lives with that building and its location.
Some one isnt looking at the big picture!
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Castlecroft was an excellent facility and am still bemused by the RFUs decision to close it.
Sport’s governing bodies take too close a look at the bottom line rather than the enormous benefits it could produce.
Just look at what the FA managed with National Accademy at Burton on Trent. What could have been a centre for developing national players of the future, it’s now a huge white elephant because of the FAs ineptitude over Wembley.
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