This has been suggested several times and clubs mentioned include London Wasps who now play at High Wycombe, London Irish who now play at Reading and London Welsh who now play at Richmond and who would need a bigger ground if they are promoted to the Premiership.Wasps played at QPR's stadium at Loftus Road before moving to Adams Park at High Wycombe.The playing area at Loftus Road was too small for Premiership or Heineken Cup Rugby and the bar and catering facilities were inadequate.Adams Park is not much better but that's Wasps' problem.The Rugby Football Union has a policy of encouraging clubs to base themselves some distance apart so that they build up their own supporter and income base. With Harlequins at the Stoop in Twickenham, there is already one Premiership Club in South-West London and it is unlikely that London Wasps or London Irish will want to move into Brentford as they have invested a lot of time and money building up their supporters' bases in High Wycombe and Reading.Rugby requires a bigger pitch than soccer and more room between the touchlines, the goal lines, the advertising hoardings and the stands because, with due respect, it is a much faster and more physical game than soccer. Players need plenty of room when they run or are tackled into touch or run over the goal line. The consequences of a 20 stone rugby player colliding at high speed with an advertising hoarding and causing damage to himself, the hoarding and spectators could be very serious. A bigger rugby pitch means the stadium would need to occupy a larger area of land.In addition, the rugby ball is kicked much higher than a soccer ball and the floodlighting requirements are much greater as the lights have to cover high dropping balls and garryowens as well as punts, penalties, box kicks,drop goals and grubber kicks.Higher and brighter floodlights would greatly upset local residents.Local residents could also be upset if the advent of Premiership Rugby to Brentford meant a big increase in the number of the number of games played at the stadium. Rugby teams do not play as often as soccer teams but nevertheless tend to have a home game at least once every two weeks during the season.Rugby is also much harder on the playing surface than soccer and it make take weeks for a pitch to be suitable for soccer after a muddy rugby game unless it is of a very high standard and maintained very well.Brentford FC supporters would not be very happy if their home game had to be cancelled because a rugby game had mashed up the pitch the previous week.Rugby spectators are allowed by law and expect by right to be allowed to drink and eat before, during and after matches. The catering and toilet facilities will have to be sufficent to cope. Visiting rugby supporters can be expected to arrive In Brentford by coach and by car rather than by rail or bus. The coach and car parking facilties will have to be sufficent to cope.If London Welsh is promoted to the Premiership, they may seek a site is South East London which currently has no Premiership Rugby Club or alternatively they may seek a site in the Richmond area if Richmond Council would give them the permission to expand it denied to Richmond FC, thus denying Richmond FC the chance to play in the Rugby Premiership.Good luck to Brentford FC in its sporting endeavours. However, I think it faces a huge task obtaining planning permission, financing and building a new Stadium on this site.
David Giles ● 6360d