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manly sea eagles home ground . ok
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Just putting it out there......
The Parramatta Eels and Western Sydney Wanderers edict to Barry OFarrell: dream bigger
44 minutes ago April 11, 2014 11:25AM
PARRAMATTA Eels and Western Sydney Wanderers have joined forces to tell the government that a $29 million upgrade to increase Parramatta Stadium capacity by just 1800 seats is a waste of time.
Eels and Wanderers chiefs want a bigger plan to convert the venue into Western Sydneys largest rectangular stadium with 32,000 seats.
Such a plan could cost up to $120 million but Eels chief executive Scott Seward said that private investors would be interested in developing office, retail and elite sports science facilities.
The plan at the moment is not going to give us or this region the stadium it deserves, Mr Seward said, after a meeting with Venues NSW this week.
Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop has also weighed in, raising the prospect the Wanderers would consider relocating if the Parramatta facility was not fully upgraded.
He revealed he had recently met with Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun, who would love to build a stadium.
Certainly that would be an option if Parramatta is not significantly upgraded, Mr Gallop said.
The Wanderers have almost outgrown Parramatta Stadium already in only their second year, he said. They are only going to get bigger and bigger.
Preliminary work is scheduled to begin next month increasing Parramatta stadiums capacity to 24,000 seats, using $20 million allocated by the federal government, $6 million by the state and $3 million by Parramatta City Council.
Pressure is mounting on Sport Minister Gabrielle Upton to finalise where the government wants to develop what will become Western Sydneys leading mid-capacity stadium.
Its stadiums strategy, released in 2012, said there was a need to develop a Western Sydney stadium of between 20,000 and 40,000 seats with modern corporate suites and elite training facilities, but no decision has been made.
Artist impression of the planned upgrade to Parramatta Stadium. Source: Supplied
Penrith Panthers general manager Phil Gould is pushing to redevelop the 22,500 Centrebet Stadium, while Campbelltown lawyer and Wests Tigers supporter Jim Marsden has appealed for an NRL team to be based permanently in the southwest.
Ms Upton said yesterday it was important the government was on the same page as the Eels and Wanderers, the stadiums two major tenants.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith said a world-class rugby league stadium was needed in Western Sydney but said the NRL had not yet landed on a preferred option.
Unfortunately the overall standard of stadiums in this State is not satisfactory, he said. It means we cannot offer fans the best possible experience.
We need stadiums which are easy to get to, which bring fans close to the action and enable them to watch games in comfort.
Wanderers chairman Lyall Gorman said the team believed Parramatta was the correct choice as it was centrally located within Western Sydney and well serviced by public transport.
Game days already pumped more than $18 million a year into the local economy.
We would prefer a commitment to the whole of the picture, not just part of the picture, he said.
Its not our strategy to hold guns at heads we prefer to explain why this is the best option, but time is of the essence, he said.
He said the Wanderers would facing the prospect of losing $1 million next season due to the redevelopment works just to increase capacity to 22,500.
Another view of the proposed upgrade. Source: Supplied
