Stadiums with dirt hills

[Follow Me Up To Carlton]

If the clubs were rich.... hills would start to disappear. WHile they don't have the money... it's a nostalgia thing.

If the clubs where rich they'd spend money on lowering the capacity of their grounds? That makes sense....

If the NRL wants to be taken seriuosly as a top line pro-sport... the stadiums have to improve.

The NRL is taken seriously as a top line League. (It's not a "pro-sport")

And grounds are improving, from Newcastle to Penrith and Kogarah, all of which have been upgraded while maintaing hills.

The fact that League is played at suburban grounds is something that makes it unique and different in the Australian sporting landscape. I see it as a good thing.

Crowded hills also put quite a few families off going to games.

Huh? I thought the problem was that empty hills looked crap?

 

[kia ora storm]

Nothing wrong with grass...who wants to sit in a concrete jungle at every ground.

 

[Copa]

Our club is rich, they've just upgraded our stadium to include more seating and they've chosen to keep the family hill as it is.

So much for your theory.

Moreover, As I've said before, people have a choice. Grandstand seats are always usually available.

My theory works.

show me the hills in NFL stadiums, hills in the top Euro soccer leagues etc etc etc.... you'll be hard pressed finding any... Because most people think they are crap.

Actually... how many of the elite sporting comps in the world use hills in stadiums?? The NRL... and... errr... who else?

More fans come if the stadium is comfy and has some sort of rain protection. I've been in better stadiums in the third world than Brookvale Oval....

in fact it is in the third world where you'll find many stadiums with hills.

If you wanna attract new fans... stadiums have to be good quality... if you wanna find it easier to sell your sport to TV... you can't have a dirt hills exposed in the background.

Hills are for amateur suburban sports... I'd rather stay at home than pay good money for a bloody patch of grass...

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

Whilst i usually sit on the hill at WIN Stadium, I'm actually in favour of it becoming an all seater. Concrete the hill, stack in the seats and put a 'Doug-Walters-style' stand behind it.

 

[brooksy19]

My theory works.

show me the hills in NFL stadiums, hills in the top Euro soccer leagues etc etc etc.... you'll be hard pressed finding any... Because most people think they are crap.

Actually... how many of the elite sporting comps in the world use hills in stadiums?? The NRL... and... errr... who else?

More fans come if the stadium is comfy and has some sort of rain protection. I've been in better stadiums in the third world than Brookvale Oval....

in fact it is in the third world where you'll find many stadiums with hills.

If you wanna attract new fans... stadiums have to be good quality... if you wanna find it easier to sell your sport to TV... you can't have a dirt hills exposed in the background.

Hills are for amateur suburban sports... I'd rather stay at home than pay good money for a bloody patch of grass...

Why are you so obbesesed with being like americans and their sports, don't you think the uniqueness of the hills are good thing ?

 

[Green Machine]

Grass hills are OK if the weather is good and crowd them does not go above three quarters full. They are good if all the above happens so kids can run around. My young one hates going to a ground with buckets seats. But the down side when hills are packed, is they are pitiful. Two years ago, my mates and I went to Kogarah to see the Dragons and the Raiders play. We stood on the top of the hill at the school end. At half time it took 20 minutes to shuffle through the crowd to the toilets and back. I beat one of my mate’s back who was buying some beers. At Leichhardt last year, we went to see a Friday Night game between the Tigers and Manly. We stood on the hill on the eastern side of the scoreboard/bar. We could not hear the PA and could not see the Video. When leaving the ground, a line of blokes were pissing against the fence with women and kids walking past. It is no coincidence since grounds have been renovated, that the attendance figures have been going up. I love the atmosphere at grounds like Leichhardt and Kogarah, but if I was regular goer to these grounds, I would become a season ticket holder and sit in the grandstand. I have sat in the stand a Leichhardt in the old Panasonic Cup days and it is one of the best places to watch football. I also love the top tier of the Thornett Stand at Parramatta and high up in the western concourse at Aussie Stadium. I would not doubt within the next 10-20 years, there will be a ground left with a grass hill in the NRL. If teams today played at grassed bowls like Henson Park, they would go broke,

 

[eagleangel]

Good thing about Brookie imo is that there is a wide variety of seating available.

For General Admission, you can either sit on the hill, sit in comfort in the Southern Stand, or sit anywhere along the sidelines up close - an option for all types of supporters for the same price. You then have the option if you want to pay more, for the Jane Try Stand and the Arko Stand.

I love being on the hill - The hill at brookie is really grassy and comfy, and it's a great view (especially on the 40-50m line.. but there's no bad spot either) and its great value for money too, as you can get the same view as the Jane Try Stand, if you're willing to sit on the grass - which I defo am cos the atmosphere is the best!

 

[Estoboy]

Half empty dirts hills look bad on TV, increase the mobility options for d*ckheads and are essentially for small time sports.

Leichhardt Oval hasn't had a half empty hill for years. In fact (and I may be wrong here) but I THINK the media was doing something called "talking up" the fact that places like Leichhardt, Oki and Brookie are getting packed hills!

The sporting market is competitive... if you wanna attract new fans they want comfort, seating and preferably protection from rain.

Do a survey on the Hill at Leichhardt and find out how many of the fans are "new" fans. If anything, the Hill at Leichhardt is bringing more fans from the inner-west to games as the yuppie families bring their kids. Local schools actually organise days at the football specifically to be on the Hill.

The NRL is the worlds premier rugby (either code) comp.... when shown on TV around the world and around Oz it needs to be showcased in a great stadium.

State of Origin yes

 

[The Preacher]

Hills are for amateur suburban sports... I'd rather stay at home than pay good money for a bloody patch of grass...

You beauty, Oki has a hill, and that means you will not be there. That will make a lot of people happy, because nobody would want to sit next to you, all you do is f**king whinge. Dribbler !!

 

[gunnamatta bay]

Another thread topic aserts this years comp is boring. At least you can watch the grass grow.

 

[Copa]

Why are you so obbesesed with being like americans and their sports, don't you think the uniqueness of the hills are good thing ?

I just wanna see comfy stadiums with seats and some sort of rain protection

 

[Copa]

Leichhardt Oval hasn't had a half empty hill for years. In fact (and I may be wrong here) but I THINK the media was doing something called "talking up" the fact that places like Leichhardt, Oki and Brookie are getting packed hills!

Try bringing kids to a packed hill. It's hopeless...

 

[magpie_man]

i like the hills in the inner-city yuppy grounds like leichardt, brookvale and oki as the crowds tend to be better behaved and the atmosphere is better.
as you head further out, to grounds like campbelltown, penrith and win, the crowds tend to be more feral, you get kids running around looking for trouble and drunken idiots getting into fights.
what i think is the ideal thing for the grounds with hills to do is have it 3/4 grandstand or terrace seating and then have one entire side as a hill. so a ground like leichardt oval could have a grandstand spaning the entire west side and continuing along the north and south sides, and then leave the east side as a hill.

 

[The Preacher]

i like the hills in the inner-city yuppy grounds like leichardt, brookvale and oki as the crowds tend to be better behaved and the atmosphere is better.
as you head further out, to grounds like campbelltown, penrith and win, the crowds tend to be more feral, you get kids running around looking for trouble and drunken idiots getting into fights.
what i think is the ideal thing for the grounds with hills to do is have it 3/4 grandstand or terrace seating and then have one entire side as a hill. so a ground like leichardt oval could have a grandstand spaning the entire west side and continuing along the north and south sides, and then leave the east side as a hill.

Looks like the perfect design to me, Magpie Man. I see that as what the continuing works at Oki Jubilee are heading towards.

 

[Green Machine]

I recently went to the Eels V Raiders game at Parramatta Stadium. Behind the concourse seating at the southern end of the ground, is a grass section inside the fence. About 50 or so kids were running around playing footy during the evening.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Love the Hills, they're brilliant part of suburban footy grounds, I've had a great time on the hills at Brookie, WIN, Oki and a few others. Sure the stands are better when it's wet, but nothing beats the hill on a sunny arvo, and the atmos and crowd banter you get there is unbeatable.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

i like the hills in the inner-city yuppy grounds like leichardt, brookvale and oki as the crowds tend to be better behaved and the atmosphere is better.
as you head further out, to grounds like campbelltown, penrith and win, the crowds tend to be more feral, you get kids running around looking for trouble and drunken idiots getting into fights.
what i think is the ideal thing for the grounds with hills to do is have it 3/4 grandstand or terrace seating and then have one entire side as a hill. so a ground like leichardt oval could have a grandstand spaning the entire west side and continuing along the north and south sides, and then leave the east side as a hill.

WIN's been fine the times I've been there, as has Penrith (although I sit in the stand at Penrith as I prefer the veiw from the sides. I agree with your ideal ground layouts although maybe 3 sides in unnnecessary, a typical suburban ground should have one good covered grandstand on one side, with a hill opposite, and either hills, terraces or smaller stands at either end.

 

[Sea_Eagles_Rock]

So you attended Brookie and didn't get a 'seat ticket' and sat on the hill. There was under 10k people there, it was wet and you still choose to sit on the hill? If you don't like hills, don't sit on them. Obviously a lot of people do. You had a choice and didn't take the right option for you...

I think he was more a question of the crap performance your team delievered that sh*t you off at the ground.

 

[innsaneink]

Hills are history.... that's just the way things will unfold.

Half empty dirts hills look bad on TV, increase the mobility options for d*ckheads and are essentially for small time sports.

There is no way I'd pay to sit on a dump of a hill.

The sporting market is competitive... if you wanna attract new fans they want comfort, seating and preferably protection from rain.

The NRL is the worlds premier rugby (either code) comp.... when shown on TV around the world and around Oz it needs to be showcased in a great stadium.

I feel sorry for you.....you dunno what youve missed.

I just wanna see comfy stadiums with seats and some sort of rain protection

Youre a pussy.

 

[Copa]

I feel sorry for you.....you dunno what youve missed.

I know what 've missed. No more hill for me.

Rugby league can be a suburban sport without "suburban" stadiums..

You lot better contact the Qld and Victorian governments as they are building great stadiums for RL very soon.

Just tell 'em to put a big pile of dirt on the side of the field and save millions of dollars.