Think the Friday 5.30pm crowds have so far been higher than the Sunday 6pm crowds? Weather has played a part but going on raw crowd statistics Friday 5.30pm is drawing better than Sunday 6pm crowd wise. Can't be refuted really?
Imagine the massive crowds on a Friday late afternoon, early evening kick off if they built the eastern Stadium on top of Central Station? It would be a crowd favourite and TV box office bonanza. Build it and they will come.
Stadiums need to be the right size for what is actually needed, have all the right bells and whistles(including fans staying dry when raining) and location/transport convenience.
The Moore Park Stadium will only have 1.5 of those criteria. It will have all the bells and whistles and beyond, the size will be to big for its every day use, but a curtain will alleviate that to some degree(hence the .5) but its location will still suck for the majority of Sydney folk. When you need to catch 2 or 3 different public transports to a game, especially in winter and at night and or with the kiddies, you can forget going to the footy. The lounge never looked so good.
I predict that the new Stadium out at Moore Park will not increase crowds all that significantly after the initial first year of operation. Sydney people in particular want convenience. The tram will help somewhat but not enough to make a huge difference in the long term.
A Stadium at Central would be a game changer for all rectangular sports and major events in this city unlike anything we have ever seen before. I mean look at the way people are waxing lyrical about Parra Stadium and it is nothing compared to building one on top of Central Station, especially if you put a roof on top of it. Like I said before, it would even become a tourist must go to experience when visiting our City. That side of the city would quickly light up and become a food and drink mecca on game days/nights.
Game changer.
Like I have said before. It is funny how none of the League jurnos or shows have picked up on this story and made it a crusade to highlight it and see if they could get enough buzz, interest and support to make it happen. Disappointing but not surprised at all. But 5 years from now these same jurnos will be whinging and bitching that the crowds out at Moore Park are a disappointment and that TV was killing the crowds and there are to many distractions in Sydney...bla bla bla bla and that not much else can be done. When all that needed to be done was stick the damn stadium on top of Central F'n Station!
Build it in the right freakin place and they will come.
