Paper Says Raiders Returning to Oakland

Reports about moves of the Los Angeles Raiders continued Thursday, as the Oakland Tribune claimed in a front page story that the Raiders “have all but signed a deal to move back to Oakland in the 1990 season.”

The story, by sports columnist Dave Newhouse, said that elements of the deal include enlarging the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to 65,000 seats, building 100 permanent luxury boxes, erecting movable bleachers with 40 boxes, building a practice field and clubhouse for the team at the Oakland Port and making a cash gift to the team of $15 million to $20 million.

There have been numerous published reports in recent weeks that the Raiders are about to move to either Oakland or Sacramento. But team representatives said this week that, with the team’s plan to move to Irwindale faltering, Raiders owner Al Davis is prepared to hear offers from the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission for reconstruction of the Coliseum to keep the Raiders playing there.

A meeting is scheduled today between Davis, Los Angeles Coliseum Commission President Richard Riordan and Coliseum private managers Irving Azoff of MCA Inc. and Tony Tavaras of Spectacor Management Group at which the Los Angeles offer will be heard.