Matt Ellis outlines Wakefield Trinity stadium plans – with one crucial caveat

With a heavily depleted pack, Daryl Powell's side produced a performance for the ages to end Wigan's nine-match winning streak.

Above all, it showed how far Matt Ellis has lifted the club – from the brink of insolvency to solid footing in Super League – with room still to grow.

"It was the best night since I've owned the club," said Ellis. "And I've had a lot of fans saying it's the best night we've ever had down there.

"The whole event and atmosphere was great. Even though we've got a good side, we've got that old underdog spirit back.

"We beat Wigan with a full pack out. It just shows the players are playing for Daryl and the club. Whatever they throw at us, we're coming back at it.

"I think the club has still got a lot of potential to grow. We're getting the word out around Wakefield and interacting with people new to the area to let them know about Wakefield Trinity through different campaigns.

"We'll average somewhere close to 7,500 this season, which is a big step forward for Wakefield."

Yet despite their rapid progress – from last year’s Championship treble to becoming Super League play-off contenders with a growing crowd – Ellis is targeting bigger and better, as the best leaders do.

He remains relentless in his mission to attract more spectators to the new-look DIY Kitchens Stadium.

"We've managed to get the stadium to just over 9,000 capacity," said Ellis.

"It's a nice challenge to get the crowd up from 7,500 to 9,000 and be full. I don't think we're quite at that point yet but I'd like the problem that the stadium isn't big enough.

"We've now got 9,200 after sorting the North Stand ground safety issues. It's a good target to see if we can get our average close to 9,000 and then we might need a bigger stadium.

"We are a little bit landlocked so the North Stand is the obvious one that could be extended back. There are plans already there for that.

"If we get 9,000 in every week, we're extending it because we want to grow again."

Trinity still harbour multi-million-pound ambitions for the West Stand – including a full-length rooftop terrace previously outlined by Ellis – but capacity gains would be modest and any redevelopment is complicated by the houses that back onto the stadium.

Ellis has already poured significant funds into Belle Vue, with Wakefield Council this week approving a new batch of upgrades aimed at improving the matchday experience.

As he ramps up his efforts to drag both the ground and surrounding area into the 21st century, the Trinity owner is keeping a close eye on the club's attendances.

"There are things we're doing to the West Stand terrace like roofing it but we want to see where we are with the support base before we decide what to spend money on next," he said.

"If we're selling out every week up to 9,000, we've got to spend the money on increasing the capacity.

"We've got a big spend sorting out the Rollin Shack, the corner bar that is going to become a club shop and a cafe, and a hospitality venue on gameday.

"We've bought the shop outside the ground and are considering doing a Newcastle-style shack in there for matchdays. Almost a Trinity bar that is open a few nights a week as well.

"Once we hit 9,000, the question is: 'Right, what are we doing next?' We've got plans in there but we're still 20 per cent off capacity.

"We need to get closer to that capacity first because it's probably a £2million or £3million project to increase the North Stand significantly."