Crowd Watch 2011

[Yosemite Sam]

I'm guessing health and safety isn't such an issue in NZ! Amazes after the crushing disaters in Europe that grass hills are deemed safe. Great image for the game playing a supposed top level sport in a local park.

Those crushing disasters you speak of have NOTHING to do with grass hills (they were standing terraces actually) - and the cause of these disasters was failure of police control, and fan stupidity, NOT the stadium itself.

There is nothing wrong with grass hills, it's common knowledge to any English Football supporter over the age of 25 that all seater stadiums greatly detract from atmosphere and game day experience.

Full grass hill >>> Full grandstand.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

yeah.

i mean, its grass. and theres no fence infront or anything

she'll be right

 

[Serc]

I've been looking forward to it for eight months now.

Me too, flying down on Sunday morning!!! Woohoo!!!

 

[Timmah]

Aren't Kogarah, Leichhardt, Brookvale, and to a lesser extent Centrebet, Campbelltown and Ausgrid all responsible for having grass hills?

:lol: f**k me that's dumb

 

[Ladmate]

I like the grass hills. It feels much more alive that sitting in seats. It doesn't look professional though, but that isn't important.

 

[adamkungl]

The usual suspects sooking that they're too good for grass...at a game they won't be attending

 

[clarency]

Have any of you applauding actually been to a sold out match on a grass hill?

I've been to several at Kogarah and without failure the first 20mins involves the people at the back screaming at the people at the front because they can't see... who are busy screaming at the people in the seated area standing up, making it difficult for them to see.

Seated stadiums were invented for a reason.

 

[Perth Red]

Those crushing disasters you speak of have NOTHING to do with grass hills (they were standing terraces actually) - and the cause of these disasters was failure of police control, and fan stupidity, NOT the stadium itself.

.

Actually they have everything to do with having no barriers seperating big masses of people, push starts at the back and by the time it reaches the front people are crushed, suggest you read some reports on the causes of stadium tragedy and the strict regulations around barrier segregation on terracing before making such comments.

But hey if you think its a good thing fine, personally i will always considering grass hills little more than parks and not even close to representing what modern stadia should be. Whatever way you view it this "stadium" looks extremely poor for an NRL game.

AAMI, Suncorp, Skilled >>>>>>>>> Brookvale, leichardt etc etc

 

[Timmah]

Have any of you applauding actually been to a sold out match on a grass hill?

I've been to several at Kogarah and without failure the first 20mins involves the people at the back screaming at the people at the front because they can't see... who are busy screaming at the people in the seated area standing up, making it difficult for them to see.

Seated stadiums were invented for a reason.

Actually, I've been to Kogarah and stood on the hill probably 10-15 times in the last 3-4 years.

At no point have I witnessed any of what you're talking about - at Kogarah everyone knows the Army stands and that it's dumb to sit behind them. The seated area in front of the hill isn't high enough to impede the vision of those on the hill either :lol:

Actually they have everything to do with having no barriers seperating big masses of people, push starts at the back and by the time it reaches the front people are crushed, suggest you read some reports on the causes of stadium tragedy and the strict regulations around barrier segregation on terracing before making such comments.

But hey if you think its a good thing fine, personally i will always considering grass hills little more than parks and not even close to representing what modern stadia should be. Whatever way you view it this "stadium" looks extremely poor for an NRL game.

AAMI, Suncorp, Skilled >>>>>>>>> Brookvale, leichardt etc etc

Of course those stadia are better quality than the suburban grounds, that's not the argument.

But to suggest a grass hill is going to be "prime candidate for crushing" and some of your bizarre reasoning... well :lol:

As for "look for the game" - taking an NRL game to an outpost like this is a very intelligent move from Cronulla at a time when they've been seen to be going from pillar to post. I say good on them.

 

[clarency]

Actually, I've been to Kogarah and stood on the hill probably 10-15 times in the last 3-4 years.

At no point have I witnessed any of what you're talking about - at Kogarah everyone knows the Army stands and that it's dumb to sit behind them. The seated area in front of the hill isn't high enough to impede the vision of those on the hill either :lol:

And were all 10-15 attendences sold out? I didn't go to the last sold out match at Kogarah last year and I could actually hear the PA making the same "due to limited space/capacity crowd. could the people on the hill please stand" over the TV.

Yes it would be dumb to sit behind them considering that they stand at the back of the hill. It is they who are yelling at the people at the front of the hill to sit down, and from the ground position the people are seated who are standing most certainly do get in the way.

However I see where you are coming from... Kogarah's average is what, 15K? I haven't been to a game that was below 20K. So I guess it would be difficult for you to understand my point.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

However I see where you are coming from... Kogarah's average is what, 15K? I haven't been to a game that was below 20K. So I guess it would be difficult for you to understand my point.

Since the return to Kogarah in 2003 there has only been one game with a crowd greater than 20k.

 

[clarency]

I'm quite a distance away... I don't go often... regardless that (20) was a guess. 18-22K suite you better?

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

I'm really not interested in being petty about numbers, just putting the facts out there.

Frankly I think most people agree that in an ideal world no NRL grounds would have grassed standing areas.

But we don't live in an ideal world so the fundamental question is what is the resolution. Some clubs have gone with simply moving to larger stadiums that already exist, others are contrinuing efforts to redevelolp grounds towards being full seaters. While this process runs its course you're still going to have some grass hills. THis isn't the end of the world and in the most part they work reasonably and patrons are happy to populate said hills. At grounds like Kogarah, Wollongong and Newcastle there are generally empty seats on game days despite there being thousands of people on the hill. THis suggests that people are happy to sit on hills despite seats being unoccupied so I'm really not convinced that this is a key issue with our game that requires drastic action.

So long as the clubs have a straegy in place to continue to develop and improve game day facilities I really don't think it's a big problem.

 

[gottabegood]

And were all 10-15 attendences sold out? I didn't go to the last sold out match at Kogarah last year and I could actually hear the PA making the same "due to limited space/capacity crowd. could the people on the hill please stand" over the TV.

Yes it would be dumb to sit behind them considering that they stand at the back of the hill. It is they who are yelling at the people at the front of the hill to sit down, and from the ground position the people are seated who are standing most certainly do get in the way.

However I see where you are coming from... Kogarah's average is what, 15K? I haven't been to a game that was below 20K. So I guess it would be difficult for you to understand my point.

Your right matey, when the place is packed people stand up and watch the game on the walkway between the seats and the hill. So the bottom hill sitters vision is obscured who yell "sidown" before they then stand up, then people behind them stand up and so on. It usually fixes itself after some time.

I would still prefer the diversity of both local grounds (yes hills) and modern stadia, as opposed to the AFL set up, which would just....suck.

 

[Perth Red]

I'm really not interested in being petty about numbers, just putting the facts out there.

Frankly I think most people agree that in an ideal world no NRL grounds would have grassed standing areas.

But we don't live in an ideal world so the fundamental question is what is the resolution. Some clubs have gone with simply moving to larger stadiums that already exist, others are contrinuing efforts to redevelolp grounds towards being full seaters. While this process runs its course you're still going to have some grass hills. THis isn't the end of the world and in the most part they work reasonably and patrons are happy to populate said hills. At grounds like Kogarah, Wollongong and Newcastle there are generally empty seats on game days despite there being thousands of people on the hill. THis suggests that people are happy to sit on hills despite seats being unoccupied so I'm really not convinced that this is a key issue with our game that requires drastic action.

So long as the clubs have a straegy in place to continue to develop and improve game day facilities I really don't think it's a big problem.

The answer is the NRL makes some min criteria for stadiums like the RFL has done for SL. It has forced SL clubs to get their acts together re their grounds or risk being kicked out of the comp. All evidence shows modern stadia = bigger crowds. Secondly maybe the reason that more people are on the hills is A) it is alot cheaper and B) it is GA so you aren't restricted to having to find 10 seats together if with a group of friends who decide to go on the day?

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

The answer is the NRL makes some min criteria for stadiums like the RFL has done for SL. It has forced SL clubs to get their acts together re their grounds or risk being kicked out of the comp.

Yet the ESL still has 12k grounds. Even the new impressive new Saints ground is only 18k with only 10k seated.

The problem (in Australia at least) is you have to be playing at the ground to get the money to increase standards in the first place. Also, it's basically impossible to get all of the money needed to achieve a big improvement in one go. Thus it's taken at least six grants over eight years from three different levels of government to complete the Kogarah Master Plan.

All evidence shows modern stadia = bigger crowds.

All is a bit strong. There are plenty of NRL clubs that don't fit with that statement, Saints and Newcastle being examples off the top of my head.

Secondly maybe the reason that more people are on the hills is A) it is alot cheaper and B) it is GA so you aren't restricted to having to find 10 seats together if with a group of friends who decide to go on the day?

(A) it isn't a lot cheaper - only $3 more for Saints for example.
(B) this is one of the advantages of hills, surely this is an example for why the punters actually like hills, which proves my point.

 

[adamkungl]

Have any of you applauding actually been to a sold out match on a grass hill?

I've been to several at Kogarah and without failure the first 20mins involves the people at the back screaming at the people at the front because they can't see... who are busy screaming at the people in the seated area standing up, making it difficult for them to see.

Seated stadiums were invented for a reason.

I've seen this...but I still don't mind the hill. I put it down to Kogarah being a sh*thole full of dumb merkins who think its their right to spread out on a picnic blanket in a packed crowd then sook when everyone is standing in front of them even though the ground announcer repeatedly told everyone to stand due to limited space.

 

[Usain Bolt]

Apparently only 4000 tickets have been sold for the Sharks/Warriors game so far lol

 

[Billythekid]

Looking forward to attending the knights game on Sunday. One thing that will be interesting is how difficult it is going to be getting out of the ground. It looks like half the car park currently isn't in use and even if it was there isn't nearly enough for 30K people.

I tend to park a fair way up the street so i will be fine but i think for some people it will be a nightmare finding a park and also getting home.

Apparently only 4000 tickets have been sold for the Sharks/Warriors game so far lol

Lets hope things pick up, the game isn't until Sunday. Even if the crowd is only in the 12-13K region i think that would be a good result for the sharks. I doubt they usually draw very much against the warriors and i think they are being payed to move the game.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

Lets hope things pick up, the game isn't until Sunday. Even if the crowd is only in the 12-13K region i think that would be a good result for the sharks. I doubt they usually draw very much against the warriors and i think they are being payed to move the game.

yes 150k before merch.

3 year contract

and yes its because we dont draw well with the warriors at home.

we got 4k at shark park for that game one year.

the rain was sideways.