Wildcats 120-year-old stadium sold to property developer

It was sold for an undisclosed sum to 88m Group after being marketed with a guide price of £600,000.

The club and 88m Group are said to be working on plans to turn the site into a community stadium and retail park, following decades of uncertainty over whether the Wildcats would remain at the ground.

In a statement 88m Group said: “We’re delighted to have purchased the historic Belle Vue Stadium and we are looking forward to working with the local council, supporters trust and the club to ensure its future in Wakefield.

“The Wildcats, in one guise or another, have been an integral part of the city’s identity for decades and I look forward to its continued role in the area.”

The sale was confirmed by property consultancy Sanderson Weatherall.

Neil Bestwick, a partner at the company, said: “It’s great to see Belle View under the stewardship of an organisation that wants to see it thrive.

“There has been continued speculation about where the Wildcats will be based going forward and the purchase by 88m Group, not just of the stadium itself but the adjoining former Superbowl site, has revealed exciting new multi million pound plans for a new state of the art community stadium with student accommodation & retail park.”