Crowe and Lapaglia may join forces to build a new stadium

[herbert henry1908]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/stars-may-build-own-sydney-stadium/2007/06/02/1180205562630.html

Stars may build own Sydney stadium
Australian Hollywood heavyweights Russell Crowe and Anthony LaPaglia are in talks about developing a purpose-built football stadium in Sydney.
The stadium would house both Crowe's South Sydney NRL team and Sydney FC, the A-League club in which LaPaglia is a director and shareholder.
"You're the first person I'm going to tell this, Russell and I have been talking to each other about the possibility of ... joining forces to achieve that goal," LaPaglia said today.
"He wants a stadium, I want a stadium and we think together there is a possibility we might be able to pull it off.
"We would combine forces to have a home field, and training facilities.
"It's been ongoing (the talks with Crowe) for about four months now, we're still trying (to work out) how to do it exactly, but there's a bunch of emails flying backwards and forth.
"He's done a great job in turning (the Rabbitohs) around."
"I would say if we could get the right people in the room at the same time, it was something that could happen in two to three years.
"I think it should be about a 25,000-seater, intimate, close."
LaPaglia, who was in Sydney today to help announce American Express as an official sponsor of Sydney FC, said he had not yet officially raised the issue with the club.
"It's not something I've really discussed with the club yet, so it will come as a bit of a surprise to them as well," said the star of the television series Without A Trace.
"It's one possibility, but not a bad possibility.
"I want to be associated with people who are driven and passionate about the game.
"(Crowe) is as driven and as passionate about the Rabbitohs as I am about Sydney FC. And we both appreciate each other at that level."
Sydney FC currently play their home games at Aussie Stadium, but have no established training grounds or facilities in Sydney, primarily using a back field at Parramatta Stadium.
The Rabbitohs play the bulk of their home games at Telstra Stadium, with a few matches in Gosford. Redfern Oval is currently being redeveloped as their training facility.
"In order to establish a true culture of football, a kind of feeling that this club belongs to the city, we need that home," LaPaglia said.
"It does breed a different kind of mentality and culture, when you walk into your house and you're not renting."

sounds like a great idea , the more quality stadiums the better!

 

[philstorm]

As an idea, it's absolutely phenomenal, but getting councils/money together to build the damn thing would be a pain.

I know PHAC and Crowe have money to throw around, but do they have money in the vicinity of 100 mill?

 

[BuffaloRules]

Movie business must be paying well if they can reach into their wallets for a hundred mil plus ...

 

[TITAN1]

Stadium in question would have to be built in or around the inner city area would it not?
Seems unlikely that rusty would want the rabbits playing as far west as homebush and sydney fc would be of the same mindset...so were would they build the darn thing?
One idea,demolish the block in redfern and build it there :lol:

 

[philstorm]

Movie business must be paying well if they can reach into their wallets for a hundred mil plus ...

It'd be just 5 movies for Rus. :crazy:

 

[sooperdooper]

sydney needs it

 

[herbert henry1908]

one thing is for sure it would need to be close to a train station , so the best spot would be as close as possible to Central or redfern station.

where you get the land from i have no idea.

 

[BuffaloRules]

It'd be just 5 movies for Rus. :crazy:

His last couple have been duds though...

Whats Anthony been doing.. still guest starring on Frasier?? How much is that paying?

 

[Brycey]

Because these guys only income is from movies isn't it.

I mean they just build a pool and fill it with all their money like Scrooge McDuck instead of investing it.

 

[BuffaloRules]

So Brycey - you think a sporting stadium is a good investment??

 

[ash the bash]

Please, Please happen

Great news although in its infancy, an area that has heaps of space is Heffron Park plenty of space there for a 25,000 seater and car parking aswell Plus a benefit for the Bunnies its in the heart of our territory, i can picture it nice grandstand on one side with corporate facilties and on one end a traditional hill....

a negative being no trains near by.....

As much as Aussie has over Telstra ask most bunny fans and it still feels like its the Roosters homeground, id love a ground where we can finally call our home (Red & Green seats) and have that atmosphere non of this white elephant Telstra sh*t... For once we can actually get home ground advantage like Manly, Wests (2 traditional grnds) etc....

 

[Lockyer4President!]

sydney needs it

Agree.

 

[chunk]

Love the Tigers to play there Telstra games there.

Make it 40 000 Dogs and Tigers for example would pack it out.

Can you imagine the atmosphere-better than that joke of a 'football' ground that we have to put up with-Telstra

 

[Brycey]

So Brycey - you think a sporting stadium is a good investment??

I dunno. tbh if I was rich I'd go with the pool filled with money.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

sydney needs it

Agree.

Why?

 

[nqcowboy87]

souths actually played out of the agricultural ground initially which is next door to aussie stadium

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Why?

Homebush is too far away and the SFS is too big and shared with 3 other teams.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Homebush is too far away and the SFS is too big and shared with 3 other teams.

Surely if the SFS is too big than Homebush is far too big.

Empty seats is hardly a good reason to build an extra stadium that would cost at least $100 million.

Perhaps it would be nice to have a boutique stadium in that part of Sydney but we hardly need it.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Surely if the SFS is too big than Homebush is far too big.

lol yeah, I figured that was a given

Perhaps it would be nice to have a boutique stadium in that part of Sydney but we hardly need it.

I reckon Sydney does. Look at the current NRL grounds. Either half-arsed upgraded suburban grounds, the SFS that's too big for normal clubs games and offers no protection from the rain and Homebush, which, apart from the GF and other big games, really isn't suited to NRL matches.

 

[Tom Shines]

I reckon Sydney does. Look at the current NRL grounds. Either half-arsed upgraded suburban grounds, the SFS that's too big for normal clubs games and offers no protection from the rain and Homebush, which, apart from the GF and other big games, really isn't suited to NRL matches.

Bluetongue is the best "suburban" rugby league ground in the competiton (Ausse and Suncorp, whilst excellent, are too big for most club games), and all Sydney teams should have venues similar to this. It is fully seated (don't get me staqrted on how sh*t Hills are), most seats are undercover, it is close to the field of play, within walking distance from public transport, and there's barely a bad viewpoint, no matter where you are.

There are barely any good sports stadia in Australia. Playing rugby league week in, week out at sh*tholes like Brookvale, Shark Park, and Leichhardt may give the traditionalists a hard on, but the fact is they are holes with no parking, no public transport, and no cover. People are less likely to go to one of these facilities than a decent stadium like Aussie or Bluetongue.