Saracens in talks with Watford about staging games at start of next season before Copthall move

12:59pm Monday 2nd April 2012 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Simon Mail

Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths is keeping his options open: Action Images Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths is keeping his options open: Action Images

Saracens have confirmed they are in talks with Watford about staging matches during the first half of next season but have "other options".

The Men in Black are set to move to Copthall midway through next season but this will not happen before November, while they wait for the stadium to be redeveloped, and may not take place until early 2013.

Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths said: "We'll have a look at that. We're in discussion with Watford but there are other options as well.

"We've only now cleared the final hurdle with Copthall so we need to look at the construction schedule and see when it will be physically ready to play but it won't be dull."

Comments(33)

garston tony says...
1:13pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Take their money and make sure its a lot!

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Ronny oh Ronny Ronny says...
1:39pm Mon 2 Apr 12

We will have a lovely new pitch for them to ruin!!
May not be condusive to our Brazil like passing football in the Premier league though. Unless they are going to pay mega money, ie cover our new pitch costs we should let them go elsewhere.

Looking forward to another 'Ronny' type dribble from the halfway line and goal against Blackpool on Friday.

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LE PARK says...
2:09pm Mon 2 Apr 12

No new pitch then if they stay. Why would you shelve out a load of cash for these lumps to ruin it. Bid decision to make here bas

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the sniper says...
2:12pm Mon 2 Apr 12

No,No,No... We must not let Sarries play on the new pitch whatever they want to pay us, they can fill Wembley but not the Vic,will Watford fc receive any of the Wembley takings?...get shot of the Sarries and their supporters once and for all!!!!!

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Alex Hillcroft says...
2:41pm Mon 2 Apr 12

This is excellent news - we could be watching first class football and rugby union next season. The pitch should be easily able to withstand football and rugby - look at Reading's.

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LoveKeithDublin says...
3:03pm Mon 2 Apr 12

This is bad news in my book.

Every year we seem to get strung along by Saracens with their 'will they won't they' antics - does anyone know how much they pay for ruining the pitch and any prospect of decent football? The figure I heard was 250K - I have no idea if that is correct, but if so that is a measly amount for how much it takes away from the quality of football Sean's lot can play.

Hillcroft - I understand your point, but if our pitch is relaid, do we know that it will be the same quality as Reading's?

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Toshhorn says...
3:04pm Mon 2 Apr 12

I'M NOT IN FAVOUR OF SARACENS USING OUR PITCH, BUT THE BLOKE WHO SHOULD BE CONSULTED WITH IS NOT ME, BUT SEAN DYCHE, IF HE SAYS NO THEN NO IT SHOULD BE, SIMPLE

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Mickey Quinn, not so thin says...
3:11pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Take their money and invest it in the squad. As long as the pitch has time to bed in properly before they use it, and they are out before winter arrives, there should be no impact on the pitch.

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Hornet Cornet says...
3:22pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Ask SD, if he says no then it's a no. If he says yes then use Sarries money to finance the new pitch. After all, if they leave by December then they won't have played more than 10-12 games on it.

On a brighter note, the piles have stayed away and all is rosey.

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andyhooked says...
3:26pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Sniper is right. Ruin the pitch at Wembley. England are, alas, crap anyway

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DannyMan says...
3:27pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Hornet Cornet, if we leave by December we'll probably have played no more than about 3 games on it.

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mooneysmagic says...
3:47pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Get rid of those arrogant thugs ASAP and tell them to take the pitch they have wrecked with them.

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Chris the Vic says...
3:50pm Mon 2 Apr 12

The deal has to be right for WFC and Sean Dyche. If Sean says yes make them pay heavily...they could not wait to leave us in the lurch and go to the promised land and now they pretend to have options.

Double this years fee and it may help them to decide but it has to cover the cost of a replacement pitch, and Reading is a modern stadium on a hill with superb drainage whereas we have a pitch in a hollow...totally different.

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Eastsussexhornet says...
4:11pm Mon 2 Apr 12

The type of pitch proposed is the best possible (and, the most expensive). It's use for rugby as well would not be an issue. It is actually better than the pitch at the new Amex stadium.

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Hornet Cornet says...
4:17pm Mon 2 Apr 12

DannyMan wrote:
Hornet Cornet, if we leave by December we'll probably have played no more than about 3 games on it.
Even better!! ha ha

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bushey tales says...
4:30pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Every year this seems to happen. Your heart bleeds for Dychey, trying to put a football team together and then having to play on uneven rolled mud from mid-winter onwards. Bassini, tell them to do one - and this time mean it.

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tonupchris says...
4:38pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Alex Hillcroft wrote:
This is excellent news - we could be watching first class football and rugby union next season. The pitch should be easily able to withstand football and rugby - look at Reading's.
I support Watford not Saracens. I have nothing against them or rugby but it will not do the pitch any good. I was in Reading's ground Sunday for the half marathon and I can assure you the pitch is not great. If there going to Barnet you can watch them there

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mrbankrupt says...
4:49pm Mon 2 Apr 12

football and rugby dont mix,But put a pound in front of Bas and he will rip your hand off.
Hope SD puts his foot down but sadly i dont think he will have a say

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rookerylad says...
4:52pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Saracens cannot be blamed for our uneasy on the eye football. As a huge Watford fan, you just come to accept the 'Watford way'

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Dr,Oftaw says...
4:55pm Mon 2 Apr 12

not much financial gain for us if they are only to play a handfull of games and baz your stock could rise in the eyes of many if you give us our new pitch and tell them where to go.

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Back from Hammerau says...
5:14pm Mon 2 Apr 12

If the new pitch is of the same type as the current one it will be designed to cope perfectly well with a season's rugby being played on it.
The reason for the current state of the pitch is the fact that it still hasn't been replaced several years after the end of its designed life beacause the money was wasted on the likes of Nathan Ellington.
It's not Saracens' fault.

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Johnny Ryden says...
7:15pm Mon 2 Apr 12

We have ****-footed around too long on this just trying to appease Sarries; well guess what? they couldn't care less, they've made their decision and it is to leave us! So just for once in this never-ending saga, can we just put Watford's (and their fans)interests first, show Sarries the door and put a nice new pitch down so we can enjoy the fantastic talent of an emerging young side playing decent football!

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There was only one Scully says...
7:51pm Mon 2 Apr 12

They want there cake and eat it! They do not deserve to grace us now that they are moving to pastures new.
If I was Baz, I would tell Nigel, no Wray!

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bushey tales says...
8:14pm Mon 2 Apr 12

I'm sorry but this is a football club in a football town. Saracens are based in Southgate, so Barnet will be much closer to their spiritual home. There is extremely limited overlap between the two sets of fans and Saracens have no local identity whatsoever. I wish they'd clear off, once and for all.

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corbindallas says...
6:10am Tue 3 Apr 12

I understand the frustration by the football vs rugby debate but have to say this, Saracens pay to play at Watford and yes it was 250k with all takings for food and drink added to the WFC accounts, this is sensible business and beggars should not be choosers in these time & day's. It will be for only a few games and any extra income is income to help the club. Let me pose this to the negatives, if the Saracens money means we can afford to pay the wages to keep TK would that make a difference, or how about imroving Murray's contract so he stay's with us instead of moving on for better wages, WFC is a business and is operated as such, as far as I can see this is sensible money for minimum impact, the new pitch will be better than Reading's pitch with latest technology lamps etc to maintain it seems to me they are heading for the Prem again so it clearly has boosted their finances and not hinder their football style, this really is a no brainer and Saracens should be welcomed to stay as long as they want for the right money. Also don't forget the Yellow & Red Lion needs them also to make money!

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strummerjoe says...
8:41am Tue 3 Apr 12

corbindallas wrote:
I understand the frustration by the football vs rugby debate but have to say this, Saracens pay to play at Watford and yes it was 250k with all takings for food and drink added to the WFC accounts, this is sensible business and beggars should not be choosers in these time & day's. It will be for only a few games and any extra income is income to help the club. Let me pose this to the negatives, if the Saracens money means we can afford to pay the wages to keep TK would that make a difference, or how about imroving Murray's contract so he stay's with us instead of moving on for better wages, WFC is a business and is operated as such, as far as I can see this is sensible money for minimum impact, the new pitch will be better than Reading's pitch with latest technology lamps etc to maintain it seems to me they are heading for the Prem again so it clearly has boosted their finances and not hinder their football style, this really is a no brainer and Saracens should be welcomed to stay as long as they want for the right money. Also don't forget the Yellow & Red Lion needs them also to make money!
corbindallas - don't you know that common sense should never get in the way of an anti-Bassini / anti-Saracens rant? Shame on you!

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not a regular says...
8:46am Tue 3 Apr 12

Yep, as much as I dislike rugby as a sport (I just find it boring) it can only be good for the town to have two sports with good teams!

As corbindallas says above, the Red Lion will be open on their match days, it's also a direct source of funds for the club.

Pitches these days can support football AND rugby and quite honestly we'd be fools to show them the door. Sure, work out a price that works for us, but I'd be annoyed if being stubborn and resentful meant that we lost a chunk of our income.

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Toshhorn says...
11:03am Tue 3 Apr 12

The only reason Griffiths is saying he has other options, is because he knows we have him over a barrel.
Take the money but make sure its a £1 million not £250,000

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bushey tales says...
11:23am Tue 3 Apr 12

I take the point about the Red Lion, but if we're to broaden the pub's appeal to welcome the rugger fraternity, shouldn't it be named the Yellow, Red and Black Lion with a Funny Little Hat?

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WFTTWTFR says...
9:29pm Tue 3 Apr 12

bushey tales wrote:
I take the point about the Red Lion, but if we're to broaden the pub's appeal to welcome the rugger fraternity, shouldn't it be named the Yellow, Red and Black Lion with a Funny Little Hat?
Or some kind of Lion/Camel hybrid? A Camelion, possibly? (see what I did there?) Anyway, don't delay relaying the pitch, get some money for using VR, and a few late summer / autumn rugby games on a quality modern pitch aren't going to make any odds at all.

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Johnny Ryden says...
9:45pm Tue 3 Apr 12

There is no debate that over the first 11 years of this so-called 'Partnership', Watford have been massive financial losers. This season and next the financial equation may be more evenly balanced but those who believe Rugby is good for our Football Club should take into account lost TV revenue when the cameras shy away from us because they know what sort of game it will be after New Year, lost fans revenue when new fans are dissuaded from giving us a go because they know what to expect, lost good players coming to the club who are aware of our problem pitch and their chances of playing decent, passing football on it. The new board said they would get back to basics so let's do that; we are a football club and we want to play football on a football pitch!

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corbindallas says...
9:30am Wed 4 Apr 12

Lets face it you will never please everyone all the time at least with extra income you have more of a choice!

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HornetJJ says...
12:59pm Wed 4 Apr 12

Jog on egg chasers. Why don't you try Cassiobury Park.

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