The Game Future NRL Stadiums part II

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

SFS is serviced by a central train station that services EVERY train line city and country

ANZ only services the Western and Bankstown lines and ignores its two key hub stations of Strathfield and Central

Metro line won't solve that problem for regular public transport users or regional supporters

Actually it is 2.5km to central, which is about the same distance walking from ANZ to Lidcombe station (except theres also a train from ANZ that takes you to Lidcombe)...

 

[Perth Red]

Needs a cable car, or even better a monorail!

 

[Billythekid]

10k less seats at Allianz would save a significant amount of money.

It wouldn't correlate as an equal percentage to the reduced capacity but it'd still be significant.

Honestly I used to think 80k was required for our main stadium too, but I think we need to be realistic about how few times it sells out.

if it is going to be above 70k I hope provisions are made for a good intimate mode experience by blocking off the upper decks.

I don't really agree. Personally I think games with 20K+ at ANZ have a pretty good atmosphere and that's with ANZ being a shithouse stadium.

I think a purpose built 80K rectangular stadium with a decent gradient that's more enclosed would be fine for NRL games. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes having a good stadium.

Hopefully with the new stadium we see general NRL crowds so we don't have to worry about so many sub 10K crowds. If we can get most matches having 15K or more than that would be perfectly fine in such a stadium.

I disagree that it wouldn't be filled enough. 1-2 SOO a year and the GF. Plus international matches of league, union and soccer. Hopefully when we have a decent rectangular stadium we might even potentially see finals matches selling out (like bulldogs v parra).

You have to think long term as well. This stadium will be there for decades. If we decide later that we need a bigger one then it's too late.

Personally I hope it's at least 70K.

 

[herbert henry1908]

MCG is 1.5km from Flinders St station, plenty of people seem happy enough to walk that to attend AFL and cricket. Is an extra 500m the dealbreaker here?

SFS is actually 2.7km from central & a decent amount of it is uphill.

Flinders station is a nice flat walk, no?

Edit: correction it's 1.7km uphill

 

[Captain Apollo]

10k less seats at Allianz would save a significant amount of money.

It wouldn't correlate as an equal percentage to the reduced capacity but it'd still be significant.

Honestly I used to think 80k was required for our main stadium too, but I think we need to be realistic about how few times it sells out.

if it is going to be above 70k I hope provisions are made for a good intimate mode experience by blocking off the upper decks.

A reduction in 10k seating at Allianz may reduce the build costs, but the one thing you neglect is the amount of seating currently dedicated to members. Out of the current 45k seats, only around 28k are available for sale by the venue hirer. The remaining seats are kept for the SCG Trust Members. As such by reducing capacity to 30k or 35k, you would be drastically reducing the seating you a hirer could sell to the general public as I'll bet the Trust won't give up any of its current seats.

 

[adamkungl]

SFS is actually 2.7km from central & a decent amount of it is uphill.

Flinders station is a nice flat walk, no?

1.7km actually.. (and there's a soon to be completed tram line going between them)
The walk seems to be growing every time someone mentions it. A 2.8km walk will get you all the way to Town Hall smack in the middle of the CBD

 

[BestHookerRein]

Is it true the walk is 5.6km from Central?

 

[Timbo]

Is it true the walk is 5.6km from Central?

Little known fact - central is actually in Tamworth.

I work near central and live near Randwick Racecourse (which is twice as far as the stadiums). On nice evenings I sometimes walk home. It's not a hard walk and fairly pleasant if you take your time.

 

[Perth Red]

SFS is actually 2.7km from central & a decent amount of it is uphill.

Flinders station is a nice flat walk, no?

Differnece is Melbourne know how to plan a city and Sydney don't. MCG walk is a pleasant stroll along the river with plenty of food and drinks options along the way. Allianz is weaving through side streets and crossing busy roads. Its not exactly a hardship, especially if in the cbd, but its not exactly pleasant either!
Having said that I have walked there via the street with all the cafes etc on and bus back to central with no probs in the past so maybe they are just excuses?

 

[adamkungl]

Allianz is weaving through side streets and crossing busy roads.

Literally follow 1 road. And they built a footbridge across Anzac Pde.

 

[Perth Red]

Literally follow 1 road. And they built a footbridge across Anzac Pde.

Must have been my poor sense of direction!

Interestingly it is further to walk from South bank to Suncorp than central to allainz but again not really a hardship. Northbridge to nib is 1.8km. I don't think around a 2km walk is that much is it or have we really become so sedentary?

 

[johnny plath]

Must have been my poor sense of direction!

Interestingly it is further to walk from South bank to Suncorp than central to allainz but again not really a hardship. Northbridge to nib is 1.8km. I don't think around a 2km walk is that much is it or have we really become so sedentary?

you missed your stop if you're getting off at Southbank to go to suncorp.... roma street or milton, neither very far to walk.

 

[adamkungl]

Must have been my poor sense of direction!

Interestingly it is further to walk from South bank to Suncorp than central to allainz but again not really a hardship. Northbridge to nib is 1.8km. I don't think around a 2km walk is that much is it or have we really become so sedentary?

it is worrying that a 1.8km walk is seen as an insurmountable obstacle by some..

 

[Perth Red]

you missed your stop if you're getting off at Southbank to go to suncorp.... roma street or milton, neither very far to walk.

Being a visitor to these cities I usually like to pub crawl my way from my hotel to the ground whenever possible

 

[Perth Red]

it is worrying that a 1.8km walk is seen as an insurmountable obstacle by some..

I get it if you have kids or its a 6pm Friday game, or even a late game that doesn't finish till after 10pm. But for reasonable time games the walk to the stadium is part of the experience for me, few beers something to eat etc. That's why I love afternoon or early weekend evening games better than night games.

Good walking stadiums that I've done:
Northbridge to NIB
Southbank to Suncorp
Southbank to AAMI
Darling Harbour to Allianz

 

[adamkungl]

I get it if you have kids or its a 6pm Friday game, or even a late game that doesn't finish till after 10pm. But for reasonable time games the walk to the stadium is part of the experience for me, few beers something to eat etc. That's why I love afternoon or early weekend evening games better than night games.

Good walking stadiums that I've done:
Northbridge to NIB
Southbank to Suncorp
Southbank to AAMI
Darling Harbour to Allianz

Why isn't Homebush on this list?
One of the great stadium experiences....

 

[herbert henry1908]

1.7km actually.. (and there's a soon to be completed tram line going between them)
The walk seems to be growing every time someone mentions it. A 2.8km walk will get you all the way to Town Hall smack in the middle of the CBD

Yeah sorry, my bad.

Still it's not an easy walk with kids or elderly.

Plus there's a station that's 300m from the MCG, so it's no real comparison to that.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Differnece is Melbourne know how to plan a city and Sydney don't. MCG walk is a pleasant stroll along the river with plenty of food and drinks options along the way. Allianz is weaving through side streets and crossing busy roads. Its not exactly a hardship, especially if in the cbd, but its not exactly pleasant either!
Having said that I have walked there via the street with all the cafes etc on and bus back to central with no probs in the past so maybe they are just excuses?

The difference in past planning has a lot more to do with Melbourne being flat & Sydney being hilly.

Walk to the SFS is fine for me, but I don't have kids and I'm in my 30's. For some it's difficult.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Literally follow 1 road. And they built a footbridge across Anzac Pde.

If you used the Tibby Cotter "Walkway" in walking from Allianz Stadium to Central you would have to follow more than 1 road. You would have to walk further using that bridge as it is not on the shortest route between Allianz Stadium and Central Railway Station at all. Even the NSW Auditor-General found there was no compelling economic case to build that bridge - http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/news/albert-tibby-cotter-walkway

 

[adamkungl]

If you used the Tibby Cotter "Walkway" in walking from Allianz Stadium to Central you would have to follow more than 1 road. You would have to walk further using that bridge as it is not on the shortest route between Allianz Stadium and Central Railway Station at all. Even the NSW Auditor-General found there was no compelling economic case to build that bridge - http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/news/albert-tibby-cotter-walkway

Yeah the bridge is actually awful. But it exists if you dont want to cross the road.