Home grounds

[N.C.]

Tigers head back to traditional homes

October 28, 2009 - 6:39PM

The Wests Tigers will play more NRL games at their traditional home grounds at Leichhardt and Campbelltown in 2010.
The Tigers will play four games each at both Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Sports Stadium, increasing both grounds' number of home games from three this year.
Three home games will also be played at the Sydney Football Stadium, while the clash against cross-city rivals South Sydney will again be hosted by the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Leichhardt and Campbelltown are undergoing redevelopment work during the off-season, Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys said.
"Over the past four seasons, Wests Tigers have enjoyed the largest support in the Sydney region and the upgrade of our stadiums will provide members with more modern and comfortable facilities," he said in a statement.
The Tigers needed to re-negotiate their deal with the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust after playing six matches at its venues in 2009.
"It is very important to the on-going financial health of Wests Tigers to schedule three specific games at the Sydney Football Stadium and one at the Sydney Cricket Ground," Humphreys said.
"However, we do see the benefits of scheduling more games at our traditional venues.
"We have listened to our members and feel with the latest change we have achieved the right balance.
"Realistically, moving matches back to the traditional grounds is increasing our commercial risk but we are confident this is the right approach."

http://news.leaguehq.com.au/breakin...-back-to-traditional-homes-20091028-hkua.html

 

[westie]

Have to say I'm probably one of the few who, despite enjoying the odd sunny day out at Leichhardt, doesn't really enjoy the traditional (read sh*t) home grounds. Especially with memories of sitting near by myself in the rain. Doesn't exactly inspire me to want to leave the facilities we have become used to lately... even if roofs in Sydney are deemed less necessary than a fancy exterior.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I like going to the SFS... its a comfortable place to watch the games, and can accomodate more then 20,000 people....

I'm happy that there is another game at LO and Cambo... maybe this is the correct split of games??

We need to aspire to 30,000 sized crowds when we play the likes of Dogs, Parra, Souffs and St George....

 

[westie]

It would be lovely to aspire to those crowds, in fact, we did hit some of them. I don't think I need to point out that the chances of things like that happening of now a lot lessl

 

[BuffaloRules]

If the Tigers had a year where they were Top 4 all season, I think they could get crowds of that size for the bigger games....

 

[N.C.]

If the fans don't turn up next year, Humphries will go back to the old ways. We've been bleating about it for years, now's our chance to put our money where our mouth is...

 

[westie]

If we were top 4 against other top 4 Sydney clubs, we'd fill the SFS. It's unlikely to happen that 4 Sydney clubs would be up there at once, but even if it did we'd be unable to have more than 20k, half of who couldn't see half the game. We did circa 30k this year when two Sydney teams outside the 8 simply won a few games in a row. We need to stop this small club, chook raffle mentality, something HoMo seems to be rather hypocritical about... either that or he's really stupid.

 

[RoMo]

You know what makes money westie you wests dinosaur ... winning comps.
You know how you've got to win a comp .. you have to make the 8 (or 4)
Tell me is this goal more easily achieved by playing games at neutral grounds or by playing them at proper home grounds where you get referees calls etc etc etc ... we are starting behind every other team in the comp because we are trying to mke the semis with 6 home games ... good sides win 9-10 of their home games ... means you only need 3 or so away wins and you're in.

Moving games to neutral venues is short sighted and any business or person that needs money up front ain't doing too well

 

[N.C.]

Now go and ask a Dragons fan to back you on that, RoMo...

 

[westie]

You know what makes money westie you wests dinosaur ... winning comps.
You know how you've got to win a comp .. you have to make the 8 (or 4)
Tell me is this goal more easily achieved by playing games at neutral grounds or by playing them at proper home grounds where you get referees calls etc etc etc ... we are starting behind every other team in the comp because we are trying to mke the semis with 6 home games ... good sides win 9-10 of their home games ... means you only need 3 or so away wins and you're in.

Moving games to neutral venues is short sighted and any business or person that needs money up front ain't doing too well

Are you seriously arguing with yourself? I can't keep up with you. We won our only comp, under Noyce, with heaps of wins at Telstra?!?!?!

I guarantee you if we had one home ground of a decent standard, not a sh*thole dug in 1930 or the local sports ground that we'd probably make a bit more money than we would off the merch sales from a GF. We don't have any money BECAUSE we play at these grounds. You understand they lose us money because people don't bother going, even after whinging deluxe.

 

[chrisc101]

I am not happy about these extra games at all!! BUT they have done it because we have been badly dudded with the 2010 draw.

I just hope we go back in 2011 to 6 SFS/SCG games.

 

[gallagher]

I dont get humphrey'slast line.

"Realistically, moving matches back to the traditional grounds is increasing our commercial risk but we are confident this is the right approach."

Why would you increase your commercial risk? I hoped that I may have been able to have some more faith in the people running our club but that ruins that idea.
I hope we have the wettest winter of all time.

 

[macnaz]

As far as playing at SFS or SCG , if im not wrong we are on a fixed revunue $100K wether there are 2 people there or 90 thousand there. So if we can get 20k at LO or Cambo we well make more than the 100K .

 

[gallagher]

As far as playing at SFS or SCG , if im not wrong we are on a fixed revunue $100K wether there are 2 people there or 90 thousand there. So if we can get 20k at LO or Cambo we well make more than the 100K .

Not sure on that revenue figure. But what happens when we get 10k at those grounds?

 

[macnaz]

I dont get humphrey'slast line.

"Realistically, moving matches back to the traditional grounds is increasing our commercial risk but we are confident this is the right approach."

Why would you increase your commercial risk? I hoped that I may have been able to have some more faith in the people running our club but that ruins that idea.
I hope we have the wettest winter of all time.

Hmm yeah it is a funny sort of comment to make, i guess he is waying up comercial dollars due to the venue up against the supporters happiness creating comercial dollars... if that makes sense lol

 

[gallagher]

Hmm yeah it is a funny sort of comment to make, i guess he is waying up comercial dollars due to the venue up against the supporters happiness creating comercial dollars... if that makes sense lol

The whole 'supporters want LO and Cambo' stuff is all crap. No doubt a lot do want to go back there but how do they explain the games at the modern stadia getting crowds over 30k?

 

[macnaz]

The whole 'supporters want LO and Cambo' stuff is all crap. No doubt a lot do want to go back there but how do they explain the games at the modern stadia getting crowds over 30k?

I dont think the 30k crowds were so much the venue but more the matches being played, so i suppose say the WT v Parra game would have just been 22k and a full house at LO. If we must play the at big grounds we should do a better deal with the stadiums so we dont get a pissy 100K for a 35k crowd.

 

[N.C.]

Given that money is being spent on upgrading the grounds, maybe there are some contractual obligations on the Tigers to use them a bit more? Just thinking out loud...

 

[ucantseeme]

I think playing Souths at the SCG is the poor move. The SFS is far better suited to pulling a big crowd for this one. I know it got 29k this season but it is still a cricket ground.

 

[super_coach]

Iam not sure what the break even numbers are at Cambo and LO but must be above 12000, so thats the commercial risk. We could run into bad weather, injuries or just bad form. Where at the the SFS and SCG the money is guaranteed.

I think this is a fair split considering the tough times we are in. On paper you would think we are in for a good season so one would expect big crowds at all venues. Like all clubs we have our fair share of supporters who love the good times and avoid the bad times