Important update on Huddersfield Giants stadium

It was recently reported that Huddersfield Giants could be about to lose their role in control of the John Smith’s Stadium.

The Giants currently control 20% of Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd (KSDL) with 40% controlled by football team Huddersfield Town with the final 40% is owned by the local council who now believe now believe “full operational control” should go to Huddersfield Town to avert the financial issues which were cited in March and has been worsened by the energy crisis culminating in “serious cashflow issues.”

This is according to Huddersfield Hub who revealed that the council stated:

“This is an unfortunate situation, where the options now available are quite limited and the needs of the council need to be balanced against those of the occupiers of the stadium.

“Some decisions taken in respect of the stadium, at its formation and more recently were, with hindsight, not in the best interests of KSDL or of the council.

“It is important now to seek to achieve a solution which resolves some of the historical issues and creates a potentially sustainable solution to enable professional sport to continue to be played at the stadium, whilst not creating an ongoing liability for the council.

“A form of statutory resolution (administration) will arise if no other action is taken. The most sustainable solution seems to be to look to negotiate a revised operating arrangement with HTAFC as the major existing stadium occupier, whereby they take on full responsibility, and offer opportunity for continuing use by HRLFC (Giants).

“Achieving such a solution will involve the council and some other debtors agreeing to write off the historical liabilities.”

Now the Huddersfield Hub has reported that the council is set to open up negotiations with Huddersfield Town over taking “full operational control” with the Giants given a “strong lease agreement.”

This comes after a cabinet meeting was told the original stadium deal was “no longer fit for purpose” according to the Hub and “had left the stadium company, Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd (KSDL), on the brink of collapse.”

Two reports were presented  but only one was made public. The other contained “commercially sensitive information.”

Opposition councillors expressed concern that council taxpayers – and fans of Town and the Giants – were being kept in the dark.