Sheffield Eagles’ General Manager has expressed his frustrations with Sheffield City Council over the current situation at the Olympic Legacy Park.
Liam Claffey appeared as a guest on the sports podcast – By The Balls and gave an update on the lack of the developments on the former site of Don Valley Stadium.
This week, James Barnes, service manager of culture and environment at Sheffield City Council said:
“With regard to the OLP future management, we had a meeting last week with Sheffield City Council Property Services, to get an update on the current position and timescales for the Scarborough Development Group.
“We have been informed that it is hoped that Scarbrough Development Group’s lease will be in place by January/February 2021 and be in a position to commence their stadium development construction plans.”
When asked about the Community Stadium on ‘By the Balls’, Claffey said: “We keep getting told it’s happening but you’ll forgive us, we take it with a very heavy pinch of salt because we’ve been told that before.
“We’ve had positive conversations with Scarbrough Development Group recently and they’re confident it’ll start early in the new year – the build, which we desperately need, so we’re confident with them”
Claffey manifested his disappointment with Sheffield City Council and their support of the Eagles.
He said: “We’re still having issues with Sheffield City Council around training, around supporting the site because it will be a building site down there next year.
“The finger is being pointed at Sheffield Eagles at the moment, to invest in that to get it up to the RFL (Rugby Football League) minimum standards or we’ll have to go outside the city again.
Claffey admitted the club could cease to exist if they had to move out of Sheffield for the third time in six years.
He said: “If we go outside the city again it now could be the death of us, I’m not being dramatic there.
“Don Valley Stadium got knocked down in 2013, from that we were told that a rugby stadium would be built by the powers that be.
“That’s changed and that’s developed over time and at the moment there’s a 3G pitch down with floodlights.
“It’s a great pitch, great floodlights but there’s nothing around it, so we’ve had to put in temporary facilities to get back to the city after we had to leave to go to Wakefield because it wasn’t ready.
“That cost us circa £106,000 to put in temporary facilities so we could play there in 2018.
“Since then, nothing has developed.
“We’ve been pushing and pushing for this stadium to happen for us.
“It’s nothing flash, it will meet our purpose, it will be a 5,000 capacity with 750 seats and everything that meets minimum Championship standards and if we needed to it could be developed into Super League minimum standards in time.
Claffey also provided an update on Sheffield’s role in hosting an England’s men group game at Bramall Lane and the eight Wheelchair matches including a double-header semi-final which will all take place at the English Institute of Sport (EIS).
Claffey said: “The ticket sales are massive for Bramall Lane at the moment and the EIS wheelchair games look like they’re going to be the first to sell out in the tournament.
“There’s interest and there’s appetite and if we can’t utilise that as a club then why are we doing what we’re doing?”
Claffey shared his disappointment in the Eagles’ progress since Don Valley Stadium was demolished.
“We’re fighting, that’s what I’ll say, we’re still fighting, sometimes we get to the end of our tether and you feel like giving up but me, Mark (Aston) and the directors are still fighting for the club and the supporters, so bare with us, we’re on it.”
“We were averaging 1,350 (fans) in 2013, we had the academy and scholarship, reserves and first-team all training at Don Valley.
“We had everything there for us and it’s all been taken away.
“We moved to Owlerton, that wasn’t fit for purpose, we’ve had to move to Doncaster then up to Wakefield and back again to a 3G pitch with floodlights, it’s a great 3G pitch but we’ve had to put everything around it, again it’s not fit for purpose.
“You come to it and it’s a makeshift site, we do our best with what we can but portaloos, a temporary stand and an outside catering unit isn’t Championship level and I appreciate the frustrations of other clubs that come to us when we won the 1895 Cup last year and we’ve got that down there.
“We’re grateful for everyone that’s helped us, Carl (Hall) at Doncaster, the team at Doncaster Knights and Wakefield because otherwise, we wouldn’t be in existence.
East Sheffield Sport 