Castleford Tigers are set to scrap plans to move to a new stadium and instead develop the Wheldon Road ground which has been their home for the last 94 years.
The Super League club have been talking since 2014 about relocating to a new purpose-built stadium as part of a brand-new commercial development at Junction 32 of the M62 near Glasshoughton but are now poised to stay put at a revamped Jungle.
The move follows a proposal from Wakefield Council to give up to £2M to all three professional clubs in their district – Wakefield Trinity and Featherstone Rovers are the others – to invest in their current grounds and improve community use.
The Tigers are now considering rebuilding their main stand and modernising the other three ends to create new facilities, including food and drink outlets and hospitality suites, in an effort to improve fans’ matchday experience and boost income.
“We welcome the council’s announcement on making a contribution towards our plans to improve our home stadium on Wheldon Road,” Castleford managing director Mark Grattan said.
“There is already an urgent need to invest significant sums to keep Wheldon Road functioning as a Super League ground.
“Being realistic about the time frames to deliver the retail and leisure development with the new stadium following the Covid-19 pandemic, from the club’s perspective we believe that the time is right to explore the option of staying at our historic home.