Storm will get their stadium

[El Diablo]

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200705/s1931002.htm

Melbourne to get 31,000-seat stadium

The Victorian Government and the Melbourne Victory Football Club have reached agreement over the size of a new $270 million to be built next to Olympic Park.

The Government initially wanted to build a 20,000-seat stadium but due to the huge growth in Melbourne Victory crowds, capacity will be increased to 31,000.

The rectangular stadium will be used for Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Storm home games and the Melbourne Demons Football Club will use it as a training base.

The stadium will be completed by the end of 2009.

 

[Timbo]

Can I ask, will you guys even be playing at the damn thing? I know you will be but if you go off the Victorian government you wouldn't know it.

Here's the full article from Austadiums.com:

» AUSTADIUMS.COM NEWS / Wednesday 23rd May 2007
Bigger Stadium to boost Melbourne’s sporting reputation

Melbourne’s next world class stadium will be expanded to accommodate over 31,000 fans thanks to an agreement reached with Melbourne Victory and the Football Federation of Australia.

Premier Steve Bracks said the agreement boosted Melbourne’s credentials to host extra soccer matches such as international ‘friendly’ matches or games against clubs from overseas in addition to matches during the normal A-League season.

“This is the best possible deal for soccer, rugby league and rugby union fans,” Mr Bracks said.

“The new stadium will be a significant addition to Victoria’s world-renowned sporting facilities. For the first time Victoria’s soccer fans will be able to watch A-League games in a purpose-built stadium.”

Mr Bracks said work on the $268 million stadium will begin later this year and is expected to be complete by the end of 2009.

An average of seven soccer games, including Melbourne Victory A League games and other international and national soccer matches, will be played every year at the new stadium. Another five games per year will be played at the Telstra Dome, taking advantage of its capacity to hold crowds of more than 50,000.

Minister for Sport and Recreation, James Merlino, said the announcement was designed to grow soccer in Victoria even further.

“Soccer has enjoyed an amazing 12 months in this state and we hope to strengthen this success with a bigger stadium,” Mr Merlino said.

“The completion of the larger rectangular stadium, together with Telstra Dome and the MCG, will result in Melbourne having the World’s best suite of Stadiums able to cater for all football codes. This will reinforce Melbourne’s reputation as the sporting capital of the nation.”

Minister for Major Projects, Theo Theophanous, said he was pleased the stadium would now be built to provide seating for more than 31,000 fans, up from 20,000 seats as originally planned.

“This will be the best soccer stadium Victoria has ever had. We have worked very hard to design a modern stadium that meets the needs of Melbourne Storm, Melbourne Victory, the Australian Rugby Union, the Football Federation of Australia and the Melbourne Football Club,” Mr Theophanous said.

Melbourne Victory will also join the Bracks Government and the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) in their Victorian Community Football Program. The program will enable Victory players to pass on their knowledge and expertise to school children across Victoria, including in the regions, to ensure future generations of soccer players.


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The Storm is mentioned a scant once in that article. This stadium was being campaigned for by the Storm well before the A-League was ever dreamed of, yet you'd think you had nothing to do with it.

Oh well. At least the damn thing is getting built.

 

[Dr Crane]

I thought the best soccer stadium the Vics ever had was the MCG


Isn't it the best stadium in the known multiverse?

 

[murray]

I thought the best soccer stadium the Vics ever had was the MCG


Isn't it the best stadium in the known multiverse?

It actually isn't that good for soccer because it is sloped.

 

[aarondoyle]

Sloped? Is that some sort of joke I'm missing... what do you mean?

 

[Ice777]

Sloped? Is that some sort of joke I'm missing... what do you mean?

I assume he means because the playing area of the G isn't flat. It's higest point is in the middle and it gradually slopes down all the way around to the fence, presumably for drainage purposes. You can't tell on TV or if your high up in the stands but if your near ground level it's quite noticable.

 

[aarondoyle]

Didn't know that... Interesting.

I've watched the cricket from the bottom level of the MCG. Seriously sucks as you can't see whats going on the other side of the field because of the slight slope.

 

[Collingwood Storm]

I assume he means because the playing area of the G isn't flat. It's higest point is in the middle and it gradually slopes down all the way around to the fence, presumably for drainage purposes. You can't tell on TV or if your high up in the stands but if your near ground level it's quite noticable.

they would have leveled it out in the re-development for the comm. games

you can't have a world class athletics meet on a sloping track

 

[Ice777]

they would have leveled it out in the re-development for the comm. games

you can't have a world class athletics meet on a sloping track

Well that'd be obvious but we're not talking about just when the games we're on. They dug it up but hey also re-laid the turf back down after the games and i'm tipping they put the slope back for the exact reasons it was there in the first place. So again the G has a sloping surface.