Castleford Tigers close to securing stadium planning permission

Castleford Tigers are closing in on finally securing planning permission for their redevelopment plans.

The Tigers have hoped to improve their stadium for the better part of a decade and the pressure has now increased with facilities forming part of their IMG score. In 2023, they missed out on the top 12 though this was due to an error.

However, the club are confident that they are set to have a much better score in 2024 because of the financial boost coming from new part owner Martin Jepson.

They are also close to securing planning permission to use the funding given from Wakefield City Council for stadium redevelopment solving a lot of their off-field problems as 2024 begins.

This is getting ever closer as revealed on the COYFcast Podcast recently. The club have plans for both stadium redevelopment and for the Junction 32.

They have been stifled by British Highways and the Environmental Agency so far but the Highways withdrew their opposition and they are closing in on planning permission now.

What is the capacity of the Castleford Tigers stadium?

The stadium currently capacity of 12,000 but in the past has held attendances of over 25,000 such as in 1935 for a Challenge Cup clash with Hunslet which recorded an attendance of 25,449 supporters.

The plans that the Tigers have in place for the Jungle are set to improve and modernise the ground but also give a slight boost to their capacity.

This will help their IMG score after the club finished outside of the top 12 in 2023 due to an error in the process.

The club are confident that with their plans for the stadium and the finances of Martin Jepson they can push for a higher score and be safe in Super League for 2025 and even push for a Grade A

Castleford Tigers Team News

Castleford are of course thinking about on-field success in 2024 but have been hit with a problem following their friendly win over Keighley Cougars.

Early in that game star backrower Alex Mellor went off with a knee injury and didn’t return leaving the club sweating over his fitness.

Mellor has been a key player for the club since joining in June 2022 and was even named vice-captain in 2023.

Speaking recently, Mellor explained why he left Leeds for Castleford: “I got injured at the end of 2021 and sort of fell out of favour a little bit at Leeds and it was the year I was out of contract, so it became a little bit stressful for me. Every game you play when you are in your final year the pressure is magnified.

“It was the change I needed at that time in my career so I signed initially for 2023 but my agent asked if would I be interested in going now.

“I wasn’t playing as much at Leeds and they had just changed coach with Rohan coming in and it was probably bad timing because he landed and two days later I was talking to him about my future. I took the decision on myself to go to Cas and I haven’t looked back.”

Mellor will be hoping to be fit for the start of the season. Fortunately for the Tigers, they have drafted in a new backrower bringing Luis Johnson back to the club from Hull KR.