The Game Future NRL Stadiums part II

[unforgiven]

I’ve driven past Concord oval so many times and thought why couldn’t they redevelop that as a proper stadium to suit both the dogs and tigers.

It’s the one piece of land I can see that could house these two clubs in without bastardising their roots and heartlands.

It’s merely a training paddock and hosts club rugby these days. It could be so much more.

However the access for cars/public transport is the main issue I see that would need to be overcome. But if that can be worked out, you’ve got a stadium begging to be built with use at least 26 weeks a year (aside from the odd Leichhardt game I assume) in the areas of these 2 great clubs.

I don’t know how this would be received by tigers fans who prefer Campbelltown games. And it is a region that deserved a league presence.

I like to look at the opportunities and then how obstacles can be overcome, rather than the obstacle first and why things can’t be done.

Have you driven past there recently?

 

[unforgiven]

A Tigers fan on here said they’re building their centre of excellence (or something along those lines) there. Like you, I thought Concord would’ve been great for Souths (not too far from traditional base and new market out west) Tigers and even Dogs which is not too far from their heartland as well.

Yeah stands are coming down as we speak, Eastern Stand already gone when I drove past there this morning.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Yeah stands are coming down as we speak, Eastern Stand already gone when I drove past there this morning.

Thanks for the update.

 

[jim_57]

Mate that is a complicated question, there are a large number of Tigers fan who would like to see one venue, but where is the issue. The club is now mostly owned by Wests Ashfield, so I doubt they are keen on having the majority of games played so far away from the inner West as Campbelltown. This conversation has come up a lot on one of the Wests Tigers forums and it appears that the most popular venue if the club was to choose one would be ANZ.

Cheers mate. Yeh it's complicated from an outsider's point of view, sounds like most would agree they need to narrow it down to one major venue at least.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Have you driven past there recently?

Last did about 8 months ago before moving interstate.

Much changed since then?

edit - just saw other posts above. So things are underway then...

 

[unforgiven]

Last did about 8 months ago before moving interstate.

Much changed since then?

Yeah it is being knocked down

 

[unforgiven]

Last did about 8 months ago before moving interstate.

Much changed since then?

edit - just saw other posts above. So things are underway then...

https://www.austadiums.com/news/news.php?id=731

$51m Concord Oval redevelopment approved
Austadiums | Sunday 12th January 2020

The major $51 million redevelopment of Sydney’s Concord Oval is set to commence after receiving the final tick of approval.

The spiritual home of rugby in Sydney will be bulldozed and completely rebuild, to become the headquarters of the Wests Tigers NRL club.

The stadium as we know it today, opened in the lead-up to the 1987 Rugby World Cup where it hosted eight matches, including the unforgettable semi-final when the Wallabies suffered a heartbreaking 30-24 loss to France in front of almost 18,000 fans. Since then, it has remained largely untouched.

Elite sport hasn’t been played at Concord Oval for a lengthy period, with the likes of Allianz Stadium, ANZ Stadium and Parramatta (now Bankwest) Stadium taking over. It has continued to host local sporting clubs, including as the home of Shute Shield side West Harbour.

The City of Canada Bay Council prepared a masterplan almost 10 years ago to bring elite sport back to the stadium and hoping it would once again become the home of rugby in the inner west. It seems that will no longer be the case, but it may host pre-season and other smaller events once the redevelopment is complete.

The Wests Tigers’ selected Concord Oval has their preferred location for their Centre of Excellence back in 2016, proposing a $27 million development at the time.

The major upgrade will include a new indoor recreation centre, open spaces, rooms for community groups, match facilities and a new high-performance centre for the Wests Tigers.

The two existing grandstands will be pulled down to make way for the new facilities. Covered seating for spectators will be incorporated into the new design.

Works are expected to commence early this year, with completion slated for mid-2021.

 

[unforgiven]

How Concord currently looks

 

[greenBV4]

With the tigers comitting to concord as their training base with a shiny new COE, I don't see them ever commiting to Campbelltown full time

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

How Concord currently looks

Are Concord’s uprights still the tallest sticks in the country? Hope Tigers keep them. Just a reminder of another league nail in the union coffin

 

[unforgiven]

Are Concord’s uprights still the tallest sticks in the country? Hope Tigers keep them. Just a reminder of another league nail in the union coffin

Look even higher without the grandstand in the background.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Look even higher without the grandstand in the background.

They need warning lights for low flying aircraft

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

https://www.austadiums.com/news/news.php?id=731

$51m Concord Oval redevelopment approved
Austadiums | Sunday 12th January 2020

The major $51 million redevelopment of Sydney’s Concord Oval is set to commence after receiving the final tick of approval.

The spiritual home of rugby in Sydney will be bulldozed and completely rebuild, to become the headquarters of the Wests Tigers NRL club.

The stadium as we know it today, opened in the lead-up to the 1987 Rugby World Cup where it hosted eight matches, including the unforgettable semi-final when the Wallabies suffered a heartbreaking 30-24 loss to France in front of almost 18,000 fans. Since then, it has remained largely untouched.

Elite sport hasn’t been played at Concord Oval for a lengthy period, with the likes of Allianz Stadium, ANZ Stadium and Parramatta (now Bankwest) Stadium taking over. It has continued to host local sporting clubs, including as the home of Shute Shield side West Harbour.

The City of Canada Bay Council prepared a masterplan almost 10 years ago to bring elite sport back to the stadium and hoping it would once again become the home of rugby in the inner west. It seems that will no longer be the case, but it may host pre-season and other smaller events once the redevelopment is complete.

The Wests Tigers’ selected Concord Oval has their preferred location for their Centre of Excellence back in 2016, proposing a $27 million development at the time.

The major upgrade will include a new indoor recreation centre, open spaces, rooms for community groups, match facilities and a new high-performance centre for the Wests Tigers.

The two existing grandstands will be pulled down to make way for the new facilities. Covered seating for spectators will be incorporated into the new design.

Works are expected to commence early this year, with completion slated for mid-2021.

Well there we go!

Something never sits with me right with a “centre of excellence” development that isn’t used as a competition venue. Presumably it will still have some sport played there (covered seating...?). but not NRL games or elite sports.

Others may know far more than I on the subject but how does it recoup its cost? Or is it purely considered a community facility? Other?

Perhaps it’s the best use of that site given its dimensions and transport access restrictions.

 

[unforgiven]

Well there we go!

Something never sits with me right with a “centre of excellence” development that isn’t used as a competition venue. Presumably it will still have some sport played there (covered seating...?). but not NRL games or elite sports.

Others may know far more than I on the subject but how does it recoup its cost? Or is it purely considered a community facility? Other?

Perhaps it’s the best use of that site given its dimensions and transport access restrictions.

A lot of the funding has come from Canada Bay Council and it is going to contain community facilities.

The Redevelopment of Concord Oval will provide:

• Open green spaces for recreation

• Enhanced outdoor public areas and a new plaza

• New indoor recreation centre including multipurpose sports courts, gymnasium and group fitness rooms

• Public art throughout the precinct

• Café for residents and visitors

• Rooms for community programs, activities and functions

• New match day facilities for local sporting clubs

• A new head office and elite training facility for Wests Tigers.

 

[Quidgybo]

Cheers mate. Yeh it's complicated from an outsider's point of view, sounds like most would agree they need to narrow it down to one major venue at least.

I think it’s more they need to pick a region/market and embed themselves in it. You might have fans from all over the world but you’re only going to get consistently huge game day crowds drawing big from your local region.

Do they want to be an inner west team? If so they won’t get much money for building their own stadium. They’ve already got the new Moore Park and Homebush to choose from and BankWest too if want you stretch your definition of inner West. They can play at any or all of those where they’ll compete for local market share with the Bulldogs, Rabbits, Roosters, Eels, Swans, Sydney FC etc etc.

Do they want to be an south/outer west team? Then they’ve got to think about where in the greater west is going to be enough of a market to support them long term. They need to embed themselves in the community there and get a suitable stadium funded. Liverpool or Campbelltown? Some games at BankWest? They’ll compete for market against the Bulldogs, Eels, Wanderers, the new MacArthur FC and, to a lesser extent, the Panthers.

Leigh.

 

[Timbo]

‘Spiritual home of rugby’.

Jeez, you can tell that the bloke who runs Austadiums is a Southerner. No rugby fan ever liked Concord, except for the blokes who got a drink out of it of course.

 

[Jamberoo]

Well there we go!

Something never sits with me right with a “centre of excellence” development that isn’t used as a competition venue. Presumably it will still have some sport played there (covered seating...?). but not NRL games or elite sports.

Others may know far more than I on the subject but how does it recoup its cost? Or is it purely considered a community facility? Other?

Perhaps it’s the best use of that site given its dimensions and transport access restrictions.

It is never easy to have both in the same place. Councils will only provide funding if the community can use the facilities. People living in the immediate area do not want 20k people ‘invading‘ every second weekend.
Separate training facilities has been the trend across pro sports in Australia for some time.

 

[reanimate]

Good conversation about the west.

What about the North?

Brookvale is a bad place for the Northern team/stadium. The Sea Eagles should change their name (to Sydney or Northern Districts or Norths) and move a stack of their games to North Sydney Oval and try to get North Sydney Oval or the number 2 oval there turned into a good rectangular stadium.

The thing about the North is currently we are handing it to other codes. We should fix is ASAP.

Yes, the rot in the North is a sad situation. Basically, the NRL needs to make a call on the Bears- are they ever coming back? Even just making a call on the potential of a CC + North Shore bid would do a lot to stop the rot. They can still allow the Bears to bid for future expansion spots, but make them bid to start fresh in a new location- no holding onto the North Shore.

As it is, Manly should be engaging with and developing the North Shore. They don’t, however, as if Manly does spend the money on junior development etc in the area, they don’t get the benefits, the club the Bears are currently partnered with do, ie the Roosters (previously Souths).

The zombie Bears situation is doing nothing but damaging RL in Sydney’s north.

 

[Quidgybo]

The zombie Bears situation is doing nothing but damaging RL in Sydney’s north.

Has enough time passed that the Bears could conceivable buy back in to the Sea Eagles if the team was renamed “North Sydney” or “North Sydney - Central Coast” (ie. “Norths” in casual conversation)? Could today’s Sea Eagles fans accept losing the name “Manly - Warringah” if everything else about the current team remained unchanged, other than its appeal to a wider market?

Leigh.

 

[TheRam]

Hey does anyone know if there is a train station anywhere on the north shore that could potentially have a 25k stadium built over it, something like the mooted Central Station option?