Xscape Castleford

[cpwigan]

Castleford by and large is a sad post industrial town with a very poor centre and housing areas that reek of decline and decay. Wheldon Road itself has some charme as a ground in a rather odd way. However, the real jewel / future for Castleford is Xscape. I have been to the one at Braehead in Glasgow but the Cas one is superior. A mixture of leisure and extreme sport fashion retailing with numerous restaurants. Spent the evening there and the return journey was a breeze after the masses had set off together to return home. Fantastic college / Future skills building too. I believe the new Cas ground is planned to be part of the Xscape zone. I hope it happens. Far more accessible and so much better for fans of all clubs.

I am not sure what can be done with 'old' Castleford. A bomb? demolition.

[josie andrews]

It took us 35 mins just to xscape the car park today

[FROM A TO B]

Tend to stop off there when visiting the outlaws on the East coast. Plenty of choice for places to eat and drink

[gpartin]

Tend to stop off there when visiting the outlaws on the East coast. Plenty of choice for places to eat and drink

I went to the KFC there once on the way to a match and they had run out of chicken!! Made the menu somewhat limited.

Cas is part of a longterm regeneration project that was featured on a television programme, their was a modern bridge built over the river and plans are in place to make the centre ultra-modern and attractive to visitors. There is a huge council estate where loads of work has been done to the houses and is ongoing but includes gardens, fencing and double glazing. It has suffered in the past with the closure of the mines but the town remains rugby mad and the local high school is one of the best comps in Yorkshire despite the poverty which usually affects educational standards. I have a lot of time for the people of Cas, my grandma was brought up there. Before the match we went in a pub called the crimea, looked grotty but had a choice of 3 real ales at 1.50 each and the locals (all 5 of them) were really friendly and knew all abour rugby going back to the 50's and 60's.

[cpwigan]

Do you think regeneration of the town centre is feasable GP? Piece meal and small scale perhaps but the problem in any town / city is that the land is owned by multiple parties and you are still hampered by the historical layout.

The council and developers must have found it far easier and better to develop the Xscape project. The freedom in terms of planning is so much superior.

Lots of decent Italian food at Xscape so I was made up. Going there post match meant not being stuck in traffic and the return journey was very pleasant.

[gpartin]

I was at the retail park a bit ago and got a coat for 4 quid and then went to the reebok shop where the offer was buy one item get second for a quid. My dad wanted some reebok classics anyway so I got a pair for a quid ha. CP with the amount they're spending on the precinct alone in Cas it should be good but it needs to be remembered you can't polish a turd lol

[ancientnloyal]

Retail Parks make more money than town centre shops. Most towns these days are carbon copies of each other. They are also easier to get to and have better access for everyone (apart from perhaps rail and bus where there is a terminus). I'd go with a ground where Xscape is, better access for one because getting away from the Jungle is a nightmare, especially negotiating that council estate if you turn right out the ground.

Plus, new facilities = more home crowds = more revenue = hospitality = excitement at turning up at a decent ground = more away support (access also). It's a winner, just hope the parties involved prepare correctly.

The problem with Salford's gig at the minute is that their team and club won't get a license next time round, currently. They'd struggle getting a crowd above the 10,000 criteria benchmark. I believe Cas will get over 10,000 average as it's a traditional rugby town and new stadia can only improve things (apart from Huddersfield for the past 15 years)