End nears for suburban NRL grounds

[gallagher]

Your distaste for Leichardt is fine. On the other hand I really enjoy it. Who is right and who
is wrong? Neither. What matters is what the majority want to do and at the moment the
majority seems in favour of Leichardt.

If you want to watch a game in absolute comfort get your some a big screen TV and
and a comfy Lounge chair, fill your fridge with beer and your pantry with snacks.
If you go to the game you go for atmosphere not comfort.

A move away from suburban grounds is a vote for a sterile game. ANZ stadium provides
nothing more than Leichardt IMO. You wouldn't feed the food to a dog and you are so
far from the game you watch half of it on the screen anyway. It is a recipe for disaster.

You say the majority want LO. Whats that based on? We get bigger crowds at the $tadiums.

 

[gallagher]

When half the Sydney teams collapse because you force them to play miles from their
attending supporter base it won't be good for the Tigers. It will more likely mean
four conferences.

I'm not talking about all clubs moving their games, I'm saying whats best for the tigers.

 

[gronkathon]

You say the majority want LO. Whats that based on? We get bigger crowds at the $tadiums.

The fact that 78% of WT Season Ticket sales revolved around the Leichhardt Oval option in 2012.

 

[CrazyTiger]

You say the majority want LO. Whats that based on? We get bigger crowds at the $tadiums.

You don't mean Campbelltown. Do you mean the SFS?

 

[gallagher]

The fact that 78% of WT Season Ticket sales revolved around the Leichhardt Oval option in 2012.

If you dont get a membership to LO then you cant get a seat. Thats why.

 

[gallagher]

You don't mean Campbelltown. Do you mean the SFS?

No I'm lumping Campbelltown in with LO. Over the histroy of our club we have a higher average at homebush and/or SFS than either of our two traditional parks.

 

[elbusto]

Your distaste for Leichardt is fine. On the other hand I really enjoy it. Who is right and who
is wrong? Neither. What matters is what the majority want to do and at the moment the
majority seems in favour of Leichardt.

If you want to watch a game in absolute comfort get yourself a big screen TV and
and a comfy Lounge chair, fill your fridge with beer and your pantry with snacks.
If you go to the game you go for atmosphere not comfort.

A move away from suburban grounds is a vote for a sterile game. ANZ stadium provides
nothing more than Leichardt IMO. You wouldn't feed the food to a dog and you are so
far from the game you watch half of it on the screen anyway. It is a recipe for disaster.

Check the stadiums played in, in every other code in the world at the elite level and you will not find hovels that hold 19000 people with antiquated toilets, food services, slippery grass hills and no cover.

Look at where cricket his heading. Look at NFL, AFL and major soccer leagues.

People want to watch games in comfort. I watch local league and Union in conditions similar to LO and it costs me between about $5.

You are arguing against the world and where all professional codes are heading.

I went and watched the Strom play at Olympic Park and then the Wallabies play at Etihad on the one day some years ago.

There was no comparison in terms of value for dollar. The caravan is moving on. Suburban grounds are a thing of the past.

 

[newman]

Your distaste for Leichardt is fine. On the other hand I really enjoy it. Who is right and who
is wrong? Neither. What matters is what the majority want to do and at the moment the
majority seems in favour of Leichardt.

If you want to watch a game in absolute comfort get yourself a big screen TV and
and a comfy Lounge chair, fill your fridge with beer and your pantry with snacks.
If you go to the game you go for atmosphere not comfort.

A move away from suburban grounds is a vote for a sterile game. ANZ stadium provides
nothing more than Leichardt IMO. You wouldn't feed the food to a dog and you are so
far from the game you watch half of it on the screen anyway. It is a recipe for disaster.

You bring up a point which seems to have gotten lost in this debate. In daylight and good weather, with even a half decent match up, most suburban grounds and in particular Leichhardt are rammed full. Even with the "sub standard" faciliites, the muddy hills, the shocking toilets the market is falling over itself to go to suburban grounds. People, league fans, genuinely care about and enjoy these places. That's why it's important that the ARLC gets the balance right.

I concede that the sub 20k stadium can't service bigger fixtures but until every game draws a 20k plus crowd (a long way off) it would be very very sad to deny the market this experience that it is clearly craving.

 

[gronkathon]

Actually that is not true at all, if you get to the ground at a reasonable time there are plaenty of seats available. In fact ticketed seating on the Eastern side was only introduced to less then half the span for the stat of the season. Less then half the ticketed options at Leichhardt Oval are guaranteed seat ones.

Whether you like the ground or not the evidence would suggest you are in the minority in that regard.

There will come a time where the allocation will need to be reduced but as it stands look at the draw for Leichhardt for season 2013 and it is being used for exactly the matches it should be for three of the four occasions we are drawn to play there

 

[elbusto]

If you dont get a membership to LO then you cant get a seat. Thats why.

I had a membership and still did not get a seat!

 

[gallagher]

You bring up a point which seems to have gotten lost in this debate. In daylight and good weather, with even a half decent match up, most suburban grounds and in particular Leichhardt are rammed full. Even with the "sub standard" faciliites, the muddy hills, the shocking toilets the market is falling over itself to go to suburban grounds. People, league fans, genuinely care about and enjoy these places. That's why it's important that the ARLC gets the balance right.

I concede that the sub 20k stadium can't service bigger fixtures but until every game draws a 20k plus crowd (a long way off) it would be very very sad to deny the market this experience that it is clearly craving.

But the tigers get bigger crowds at homebush and sfs. Supporters of the small suburban grounds never want to talk about this fact.

 

[CrazyTiger]

No I'm lumping Campbelltown in with LO. Over the histroy of our club we have a higher average at homebush and/or SFS than either of our two traditional parks.

Our club as a single entity might get away with playing at the SFS. I am more concerned
about forcing clubs like Manly, Penrith (important to western sydney) etc to start playing
out of big stadiums.

If the NRL comes down with a directive (a criteria designed not to be met) regarding
suburban grounds they would only be doing it to force clubs like Manly to fold. Once
teams start folding on mass, all the Sydney teams will get swept up in it.

 

[gallagher]

I had a membership and still did not get a seat!

Thats ridiculous. And our membership numbers wont increase while this is the case. The dogs saw the light about 10years ago, bloody Souths even worked it our before us.

 

[gallagher]

Our club as a single entity might get away with playing at the SFS. I am more concerned
about forcing clubs like Manly, Penrith (important to western sydney) etc to start playing
out of big stadiums.

If the NRL comes down with a directive (a criteria designed not to be met) regarding
suburban grounds they would only be doing it to force clubs like Manly to fold. Once
teams start folding on mass, all the Sydney teams will get swept up in it.

As I said before, I'm not saying its the best decision for all clubs. Its the best for ours though.

 

[newman]

I had a membership and still did not get a seat!

You had a membership to Leichhardt?

 

[innsaneink]

My point though is that Leichhardt serves a greater purpose -

Depends on how the teams going, if we are finals contenders (well- even that dont matter)
It depends if its a sunny sunday arvo

Because if its not, if its a drizzly sat night, its your last home game for the yeary, your pommy import & player of the year for past three seasons is playing his last game, you need to win to stay alive for the semis, youre playing the benchmark in Melb....well...if that all happens - sometimes that can only drag a piddly 10k along as occured this season

The ground needs a lot of other things occuring for these crowds to rock up

 

[gronkathon]

But the tigers get bigger crowds at homebush and sfs. Supporters of the small suburban grounds never want to talk about this fact.

There are games which require the bigger stadiums, it is better for our bottom line and as an image. There is still room with crowd levels and low drawing opponeents to use suburban grounds.

Use Leichhardt as the draw for the games which would draw lowly regardless like we are doing for 2013.

The fact that the Cronulla and Roosters game shift back to the SFS this year is the example of a club managing the allocations very well as both those clubs have a higher drawing potential then in recent seasons.

Converesly scheduling the Wooden Spooners early in the year at Leichhardt works as well.

It is about balance and I am happy with the direction the Wests Tigers have headed. They have shown that a balance is not only possible but profitable

 

[elbusto]

Thats ridiculous. And our membership numbers wont increase while this is the case. The dogs saw the light about 10years ago, bloody Souths even worked it our before us.

I joined as an interstate member, rang to make sure I would get a seat in the stand, arrived at the ground to be told I was welcome to the hill. My wife had an umbrella thank God and one lovely chap offered her some plastic to sit on in the pouring rain. I stood next to her and got hammered.

The previous year I did get a seat - at the SCG. Tigers played Souths that day. I went to LO telling my wife what an experience it would be. She does not want to go back......

 

[innsaneink]

The fact that 78% of WT Season Ticket sales revolved around the Leichhardt Oval option in 2012.

How many of that figure was the rort that was Round one v Sharks, with Humpty blatantly BSing to all and sundry, stating:

The last 4 Sunday afternoon matches at Leichhardt Oval have either sold out or have had less than 500 tickets available. The only way to guarantee a ticket to the Round 1 match is to purchase a Wests Tigers membership starting from as little as $100 for an adult and $50 for a child for 4 home matches.

http://www.rleague.com/content/article.php?id=41884

As it stands, all reserved seating is already sold out at Leichhardt Oval for the Tigers' three matches there this season.
Unlike other stadiums, such as the SFS or ANZ Stadium, there is only one small grandstand and the majority of fans at the 18,000 capacity venue have to stand.
Humphreys said the $65 membership package was the only way fans could guarantee tickets to the match.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...dt-fixtures-20120220-1tjre.html#ixzz2EW9wrGnO

I went to this game......without an LO membership

 

[CrazyTiger]

I had a membership and still did not get a seat!

I had no problem organising a seat for my 89 year old uncle (life long tigers man)
as a surprise to go the Leichardt game when Robbie's mum died. Unfortunately he
refused to go so I had to watch the game at home with him (he reckons he is too
old for any stadium).

If you want a seat you can get one. If you go to telstra you can get a seat with no
trouble, because the place is basically empty.