Is there anywhere in London where there is enough available and affordable green space for them to move to is a more pertinant question. 

Enormous hit in bar revenues. Goes from bar takings every weekend to a 50% reduction. 

Close to London Irish's new base in Brentford? 

How about Runnymede Scottish?

Merge with them to become Bank of England Scottish or Scottish Bank of England?

Not sure that sounds right.

LS will still be playing at the RAG next season 20/21. 

So assuming we're able to actually GO to games, rather than sitting at home pickled in hand sanitizer, in terror of the Red Death, you'll still get two trips in

gerg_861 wrote: It was very convenient to hop on the 65 bus from Ealing Broadway. Escher more of a hike. I wonder how much of a hit thay will be to Richmond revenue-wise.

Particularly if you end up going this way:

1223 from Bedford to St Pancras, Underground to Vauxhall, 1354 to Hersham, arrives 1421, 5 minutes walk to ground and time for a pint and a burger before kick-off.

unaware of BOE ground but LS have signed 2 year deal with Esher with an option for another 2 years

that will be at least 3 years before they can move there

We are happy stay in the servants’ quarters for our namesake town. The land is cheaper!

Wimbledon Scottish...

one of John Dee's options is correct

Wonder how that is now seen in hindsight.

https://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/1533-club-statement-london-scottish-to-leave-athletic-ground-after-127-years" rel="nofollow - https://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/1533-club-statement-london-scottish-to-leave-athletic-ground-after-127-years

There is a good interview on the Richmond web site about this. Seems 'amicable'.

The bills to run the place virtually stay the same and London Scottish leaving surely puts the burden of these running costs on Richmond.

I assume by London Scottish moving on the income is halved.

Correct on all counts and Mond will need new revenue streams to fill the drop in the considerable bar takings etc. 

In his interview Nick Preston of Richmond presented the situation as an economic opportunity for Richmond, while paying due respect and affection for LS and the hundred year association.

The RAG is in a very good spot and I expect they will fill the gap, as there are all sorts of functions they can put on. They also have a year to plan.

As for going to Esher, whilst it is an expensive leafy place, it's not London and relatively out of the way.

However the motive for the move is obviously commercial and anything more than zero must be good for Scottish.

The timings do seem strange. 

I presume notice has to be given to RAG/Richmond, but I struggle to understand the Esher ground share in all of this. Surely RAG/Richmond would have been in favour of three more years of revenue unless they have already got a replacement tenant lined up. 

Perhaps the covid losses have forced them to look for ways to save costs and earn revenue. It's a big step after over a hundred years and they are so embedded in the RAG they can't just up sticks and go. Maybe they've done a good deal with Esher. Some years ago I was told they were paying £40000 pa rent at the RAG.

The Richmond commercial people are very enterprising and I feel sure the income will be replaced.

As you say notice period and it stops rumours flying.

It will take time to build Championship level facilities - and we must assume that play will resume and there will be crownds wanting to come and watch Scottisheven if the league goes semi-pro.

It does nto say when the rest of the club will move.

It is probably easier to move the mini and youth onto a new field with temporary facilities  while you build the new main pavilion with all the necessary. 

We all know about the 'law of unintended consequences'. This could well be what happened here. The administrators obviously wanted to get the highest offer they could get. One that came into the frame, temporarily, was Chelsea FC who wanted to use the Athletic Ground as their training base !

It seems that both clubs had pulled together a consortium of investors and ended up having to outbid each other. Richmond pipped Scottish at the last minute and took 100% control of the RAA. There were many accusatons in the backgroundof 'underhand practices' attributed to both clubs. Despite Richmond gaining control of the RAA, a great deal of acrimony still resides within a small band of the Richmond membership.

The next pivotal moment came in 2016, when the Crown Estate lease came up for renewal. Scottish had hoped that this process could, potentially, gain back some equity in the ground enabling future redevelopment etc. Those negotiations have been going on ever since. Add into the mix the RFU funding withdrawal / reduction and the impact of Covid-19, the ensuing consequences for both clubs in the short-term is not great from a commercial perspective. Scottish went back to the table one last time. What they asked for (equity back in the RAA of 50%) was rejected. Hence the announcements made last week.

Many members of both clubs are very upset about the situation. Having shared the ground for 126 years, one could ask, 'if you can share a ground for 126 years, why not for another 126' ? Other folks will need to answer that. Personally, I think it's a real shame, but for the sake of London Scottish's future, it's time to move away from the bitter acrimonies and it's time to move on .

Totally agree, and there has been a lot of moving of grounds since the game went pro, and overall most clubs are better off for it.

With Mose, we had a decade in the wilderness and the god awful university years, but actually (quietly - and it's still rare that people will say it out loud) I reckon that other than the history and the location Billesley Common is now a better ground, with better facilities, than the Reddings.

RAG ground capacity 4500, Esher 3500. Unless Saracens cause a crowd, not needed.

Mond/LS derby about 16-1800 if I recall correctly.

Esher can hold up to 4500, we did when we played Northampton.

After the fallout from their Premiership demise, there was eager anticipation for the first Scottish v Richmond league match in Herts-Middlesex League One (level 9 at the time). The crowd was estimated at circa 3,500 to 4,000. Scottish won that first encounter. However, both were promoted at the end of that first season back in the league structure. Richmond had ditched Middlesex as their CB due to their perceived lack of support following their demise and chose Surrey as their CB. They wouldn’t meet again until both were promoted back to London 1 some years later (now called SE Premier). Crowds then again were very similar with the RFU having to appoint senior ‘teams of three’ to cope with the magnitude of the games. Long may it continue .......

Esher's ground is actually in Walton-on-Thames. The boundary with Hersham is between the station and the club.

And the address is Molesey Road! Esher were founded at the Wheatsheaf Public House on Esher Green, hence the name!

Yes but my post was in response to the suggestion that Esher should move from Hersham where they aren't as the ground is in Walton-on-Thames!

It is 2 minutes from Hersham Station to the ground pre-match but 15 minutes back post-match!

Yes it is. With the boundary between Hersham and Walton-on-Thames crossed as you walk as indicated in my initial post.

How difficult is it for folks to grasp the fact that Esher Rugby Club's ground is in Walton-on-Thames?

Phone Elmbridge Borough Council to check if you like.

And the first time we played Wharfedale we had to accommodate two Yorkshiremen who had got confused and booked a hotel in Horsham! What a difference an E makes!

I also hear no deal had been signed with Esher so I wonder if there ever was any intention to move and if Esher were used as a bargaining tool?

The RAG may well be a few pound better off but I would dread to think what the pitches are going to look  like if we have a semi wet winter.

Historically the amateur club/sides that weren't the pro side trained on a monday & wednesday evening - i believe due to the fact Richmond trained on tuesday/thursday.

The amateur club will be based at another site.

Broncos Academy from memory train on Mondays & Wednesdays.

That’s about the size of it. Agreements were ready to be signed. It is frustrating but it may only be a delay of a year.