Why the new stadium is so important and why ‘Mini Murrayfield’ was the only option.

Those of us fortunate enough to have our own homes will know the feeling of opening the door for the first time and stepping into your own place. Well Edinburgh will soon have that feeling of their own and it will be all the sweeter having been hermits up until this point. Despite playing at a number of venues across the city and even signing a few quickly forgotten contracts with some, Edinburgh have never had a home ground. In fact the only thing they’ve consistently had is a stadium that began with the letter ‘M’ and which wasn’t fit for purpose. 

Murrayfield itself has been the best solution up until now but even with it’s transport links, plentiful facilities and SRU ownership there’s no getting away from that gapping 75,000 fan hole in the North, South and West stands. It’s not only a disheartening gap either, it’s at risk of being filled by opposition fans for our ‘big’ home games. The ice blue Warriors flags seen to make the trip across to the Capital better than out own whilst nobody could possibly forget the sea of red that greeted the team in what should have been a home quarter final to Munster in the Champions Cup. No Murrayfield cannot be the answer for Edinburgh so what is?

Sharing arrangements with smaller rugby venues clearly do not work. Not only do Edinburgh (as the larger and professional team) become lodgers, something that never feels right, there’s often a woeful lack of facilities, transport links, parking oh and did I mention the action groups set up by local residents? Share with Tynecastle then as equal partners? Too far in the other direction. Yes it shares the same transport links and facilities benefits as Murrayfield but Edinburgh would be the baby brother in that arrangement by a long way and again there comes the lodger arrangement, perhaps worse in such an iconic location as Tynecastle. I also get a sinking feeling when I see rugby played in a football ground. Those covered but visible markings of a football pitch and the tiny tiny strip of in goal area are a novelty for a World Cup but not something I want to see week in week out and I’m sure not something the football clubs are keen on in the other direction.

So that leaves our new stadium. It’s been a long time coming but it’s going to feel so special. Now there’s just the name. The Castle, Mini Murrayfield, Murrayfield Stoop? You know what, I don’t care. I just can’t wait to be #homeatlast

By Joe Jeffrey
Categories: Blog