Diamond blasts council after stadium u-turn

SALE boss Steve Diamond has accused local council bosses of “bottling it” over the club’s proposed new £100m stadium.

Title-chasing Sharks, currently based in Salford, announced plans in June to move to a council-backed sports village in Sale.

Yet Trafford Council this week withdrew their support for the scheme, much to Diamond’s disgust.

He said: “It’s very disappointing. We’ve been involved in this for a long time and we had 100 per cent backing from the council.

“It was only on Monday night that we were informed the political element of the council had done an about-turn.

“Somewhere along the line they have been spooked and the politicians have bottled it, basically.

“They have not looked at the bigger picture, which is a £100m development for the community, not just professional rugby being played there 20 times a year.”

Sharks owner Simon Orange insists a return to their ancestral home in Sale remains a “long-term ambition”.

The Crossford Bridge Community Sports Village plans would have seen a floodlit 4G pitch, running track, grass pitches, community pavilion and children’s activity centre built on playing fields on the edge of the town.

But thousands of people urged the club and council to find a different site, raising concerns about the loss of green space, extra traffic, noise and pollution.

Orange said: “We have made no secret that our long-held ambition is to return our elite teams to our home town of Sale.

“Although disappointed by this political decision... we look forward to delivering a solution in the future.”

The Sharks left Heywood Road in Sale for Stockport’s Edgeley Park in 2003 before moving to the AJ Bell Stadium, sharing with RL side Salford Red Devils.