Dear Ospreys supporters,
You may have seen in the press over the weekend that we are looking to find a new stadium to play in. I wanted to talk to you directly so that you hear from me what we’re looking for, and the role that you can play in this important decision.
Welsh region plan to leave stadium as new boss makes it 'number one priority' - Wales Online
New Ospreys chief executive admits region are looking to leave Swansea.com stadium - BBC Sport
The Swansea.com stadium is fantastic, but it’s simply too big for us. The fans who attended Friday’s entertaining win over Perpignan created as good an atmosphere as they could, but 4,000 fans in a 20,000 seat stadium is always going to be a challenge.
We need to get back to the days of playing in front of a packed house, with an incredible atmosphere that our players and fans love, and that the opposition don’t fancy at all. You’ve shown in recent games, for example the win over Cardiff, that this is entirely possible.
We’re very keen to hear your thoughts on where our new home should be. For that reason we’ll be hosting an event before our game against Ulster on Sunday February 18th where I will talk to you about the options as we see them, and listen to your thoughts and ideas. We will publish full details of the event nearer the time, but you can buy your match ticket so that your voice can be heard here.
The criteria we will be using to decide where we go will include:
- the thoughts of our fans from across the whole area
- ability to create a great atmosphere
- transport links/parking
- costs to develop the stadium, including the pitch, fan zones, conferencing, hospitality etc
- flexibility to increase capacity as demand dictates
- sustainability/environmental impact
- opportunities for commercial revenue, including on non-match days
You’ve all seen press speculation about where we might be going, and I've seen a number of people suggesting that a decision has already been made. I can assure you that that is not the case.
There are a number of options, and we will be exploring them all thoroughly, as well as listening to your thoughts, before we make a decision.
I look forward to seeing you on February 18th.
Best wishes,
Lance
Chief Executive Officer
