Ricoh Arena....

[westwinds31]

First experience of this venue yesterday. £20 to park in a field, maybe I should have pre-booked. Stadium good, looks like a decent view from all areas. Amazing atmosphere but there were a fair number of Tigers fans there. A few idiots around, notably behind us a guy wearing a Coventry City top who had drunk quite a few beers and thought it best to let us know the result at the end, whilst being right in our faces ! Took a lot of restraint not to lamp him one. Aside from that, enjoyed it but not the 30 minute queue to get back onto the M6. Oh, the drums and the announcer.....

[L Smith]

£5 for parking at Coventry Welsh. Money well spent.
The stadium is nice but not my cup of tea.
The queue for the M6 was inevitable and expected
The abomination that is the PA announcer is the single biggest turn off for me.
Midway through the first half, I had a moment of clarity regarding the atmosphere. Oggi, Oggi, Oggi...
and DJ Otzi. They've created a modern day Maplins!

[1988]

stadium is too big for what it is used for. A football club that have lost their bulk of match day support and a rugby club who are attracting 'new' rugby fans. who only want fast flowing rugby (football fans basically).

Lost any atmosphere except for big games as is only ever half full. one stand is normally closed.

When I have been, it doesn't feel like a rugby ground. No matter what is won there it will never truly be Wasps home. or London Wasps which ever it is.

[Iain]

I respect what they're doing. That massive fan village before games is a quite wonderful thing, a lot of effort has gone into it.

And yes, much in the stadium is gimmicky but they need to do that to draw people in. It's beginning to work for them when I doubted they'd stand a chance. They have done a much better job than Irish ever did in the Madejski.

[Roly]

I respect what they're doing. That massive fan village before games is a quite wonderful thing, a lot of effort has gone into it.

And yes, much in the stadium is gimmicky but they need to do that to draw people in. It's beginning to work for them when I doubted they'd stand a chance. They have done a much better job than Irish ever did in the Madejski.

Unless a team owns its own ground, inevitably it ends up ground sharing with a football team. Wasps aren't the only ones that do it. It should come as no surprise to anybody that a rugby team that usually gets only 15 000 spectators (and lets face it, most are around the 8 - 10 000 mark) is going to struggle to fill a 30 000+ capacity football stadium - but they have no choice.

The Mad Stad is the nearest stadium to me that hosts rugby and even as a well supported team, LI never get anywhere near filling it. The atmosphere can be a little flat. But that's life.

The razzmatazz does help to generate an atmosphere - and this will always be quite appealing to new fans of the sport, or the team, which Wasps are doing well IMO. You either like it or you don't but I think the more vocal opponents of it are suffering from a bit of rugby snobbery.

[Iain]

I respect what they're doing. That massive fan village before games is a quite wonderful thing, a lot of effort has gone into it.

And yes, much in the stadium is gimmicky but they need to do that to draw people in. It's beginning to work for them when I doubted they'd stand a chance. They have done a much better job than Irish ever did in the Madejski.

Unless a team owns its own ground, inevitably it ends up ground sharing with a football team. Wasps aren't the only ones that do it. It should come as no surprise to anybody that a rugby team that usually gets only 15 000 spectators (and lets face it, most are around the 8 - 10 000 mark) is going to struggle to fill a 30 000+ capacity football stadium - but they have no choice.

The Mad Stad is the nearest stadium to me that hosts rugby and even as a well supported team, LI never get anywhere near filling it. The atmosphere can be a little flat. But that's life.

The razzmatazz does help to generate an atmosphere - and this will always be quite appealing to new fans of the sport, or the team, which Wasps are doing well IMO. You either like it or you don't but I think the more vocal opponents of it are suffering from a bit of rugby snobbery.

I'd agree with that. I don't like the buzzing or the PA who appears to be like an excitable child, but I don't oppose it. Too many equate "I don't like it" to "it shouldn't happen". They are beginning to make that place feel like their home - you'd have to say it's working for them.

[SirGordonRamsey]

I did like the Ricoh, I was behind the Tigers posts first half. Good atmosphere especially when the Beehive noise came on at the beginning. The announcer added to it, and always nice to grab a few pint glasses.

Was anybody else knee to knee with people, felt like the seat were alot closer together than at Tigers.

Also you can tell the bar area was built for a Football stadium, very small and claustrophobic, same with the ground entrance alot of rails to separate fans.

[sapajo]

Chalk and cheese when compared to Welford Rd and after Saturday's experience at the Hornets nest, I shall stick to the latter.

[upandunder]

:censored: drummer. Please, please don't transfer to Welford Road. Added nothing to the atmosphere.
Tigers fans very vocal and and in mho better that Wasps.

[GS]

What was the bar like? Choice and quality, cost and, of course, service? Can fully recommend Gosport RFC, good beer, good service but not too cheap, but on the south coast drinking isn't a poor man's hobby. That said good Guiness just over £4 a pint.

[Noggs]

Just to correct Roly it is my understanding that Wasps do own the ground which was bought by their owner from Coventry City Council for a knock down price together with the arena facilities. Indeed, I believe there is a question as to whether Coventry City football will continue to use the ground or build their own stadium.

That said, they continue to run at a loos and have debts of some £40+ which is fine so long as they have an investor prepared to take the hit. Clearly the gamble is that they slowly build an increasing fan base in the hope that in 'x' years time they have a sustainable business centered around the rugby club. In that I wish them luck.

I believe that Wasps own the Ricoh with a very large mortgage.......still a lot of money to be repaid

[LE18]

As a 75 yr old I was not looking forward to the visit based on previous adverse comments I had read, but I have to say, it was not too bad. Announcer was a bit over the top, drummers were not too bad, better than the Indian drummers we get, but this is based on the fact that the drummers were in the South stand, we were in the East and I am comparing that to having been seated almost on top of the Indian band in Nottingham last year. Steps up the stand were a bit steep!
Burger I bought outside the stand was probably the worst I have ever had, Guinness outside was great.
One last comment, I could not see why Wasps had to delay the KO in their previous game, there are plenty of turnstyles, entry did not seem a problem for the 29000+ on Saturday but of course I don't know what happened that day.

[tigercaspian]

As a 75 yr old I was not looking forward to the visit based on previous adverse comments I had read, but I have to say, it was not too bad. Announcer was a bit over the top, drummers were not too bad, better than the Indian drummers we get, but this is based on the fact that the drummers were in the South stand, we were in the East and I am comparing that to having been seated almost on top of the Indian band in Nottingham last year. Steps up the stand were a bit steep!
Burger I bought outside the stand was probably the worst I have ever had, Guinness outside was great.
One last comment, I could not see why Wasps had to delay the KO in their previous game, there are plenty of turnstyles, entry did not seem a problem for the 29000+ on Saturday but of course I don't know what happened that day.

In fairness, LE18, I sat three rows in front of the drummers in the north stand for our league fixture at the Ricoh earlier this year and, boy, do they make a row!! I did and do quite enjoy the drums though and, anyway, as we had one man and his bodhran in the South stand this weekend, we can hardly complain.
I had a burger at the league match and agree, it was rubbish!
For me it's just the idiot on the mic that needs to go

[Hot_Charlie]

Knee room? Not much of it.

Big screen? I think we're lucky in having two much better ones.

Announcer? Too over the top for anything Wasps related, almost disrespectfully low key for anything related to the opposition. Did anyone hear him announce the return of Tigers for the second half? He did, but it was so jumbled you'd have struggled to hear it.

Getting out? Not too bad. We didn't rush but weren't slow either and were on the M6 by 8 having parked 10 minutes away.

Overall, ok. The announcer really puts me off, as does the music, just as it does anywhere else. The ground is okay, bar knee room and it's a shame the south stand is sealed off, but hey, it's a footy ground after all.

[jgriffin]

AFAIK Wasps have leasehold, and if they go bankrupt, reverts to Coventry Council?
Wasps Rugby is owned by a Malta-registered company itself owned by Derek Richardson. Richardson is insulated from personal liability and is a creditor of Wasps Rugby. Operations are 25% the leisure group that runs the casino.

That's my understanding, which may be flawed by memory lapse.