Time to sell the family silver?

[Perth Red]

Ok just a "out there" idea but today I went to see the WestsvParra game at ANZ.

Transport was great, short $8 return train ride. Walking out into Olympic Park the atmosphere was good despite the dreary conditions. Lots of room for fans to mix and mingle on the concourses, food outlets and a decent pub. All looking good. Walking up to the stadium, great looks impressive, modern stadia, intersting architecture, then it starts to go downhill.....

Good seats $37, ouch

Once inside, the crowd is lost, only 1/3rd of the stadium beer and food outlets open giving it a feel of emptyness. Seats are fine but view is poor due to lack of pitch of the stand, starts to rain, roof doesn't cover anything 26 rows forward!! Good crowd of 22,000 but no atmosphere due to rattling around inside such a big ground. What a waste of what could have been a great crowd.

Ok I know I've just spouted on about something anyone who has been to ANZ knows, here is my solution!

4 clubs sell off their home grounds; Brookvale, Parramatta, West Tigers (both) and Penrith. Bulldogs chip in with what they can raise and between them, NRL throw some money in and the State Govt pick up the rest.We build a $220 million 30,000 state of the art stadium at Olympic Park. There seemed to be plenty of space to do this and we would get a RL owned stadium in a good location. Possible?

 

[Brycey]

None of those clubs own their ground.

Cronulla are the only team that owns its own stadium.

 

[Perth Red]

Damn, there goes that idea! Are they council owned?

 

[Brycey]

Not sure, I know Campbelltown and Parramatta are part of trusts though.

 

[Loudstrat]

Parramatta is owned by the SCG trust

 

[EGGG]

There is nothing wrong with ANZ stadium, as a stadium.

Its the people and fans who don't turn up that gives the ground its bad rep.

The greatest sports grounds in the world don't become great through their construction or architecture. They are great because of their atmosphere.

 

[Perth Red]

Have to disagree Eggg. For club RL it is too big, the stands are too low pitched meaning that you are a fair way from the pitch and low elevation leading to a poor view, the roof only covers 2/3rds of seats (if that) menaing in poor weather people who want to be nearer the action get wet,the palying surface doesn't look great.

Faciltiites etc are fine but compared to other modern stadia I have been too it would rate a 5/10 for club RL

 

[nqboy]

Agree with PR. SA is a poor RL stadium. You're too far from the action.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Parramatta is owned by the SCG trust

Since 1989 Parramatta Stadium has been controlled by the Parramatta Stadium trust.

Off the top of my head, the rest are council-owned.

 

[TV Ted Ellery]

It definitely has a fantastic atmosphere when the place is at capacity. I suppose we just need to ensure that a further 60-70 thousand fans turn up each week. Maybe Mark12345 or one of the other Super League trolls can start marketing Canterbury v Nth Qld/Penrith/Brisbane Bullets

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Ok just a "out there" idea but today I went to see the WestsvParra game at ANZ.

Transport was great, short $8 return train ride. Walking out into Olympic Park the atmosphere was good despite the dreary conditions. Lots of room for fans to mix and mingle on the concourses, food outlets and a decent pub. All looking good. Walking up to the stadium, great looks impressive, modern stadia, intersting architecture, then it starts to go downhill.....

Good seats $37, ouch

Once inside, the crowd is lost, only 1/3rd of the stadium beer and food outlets open giving it a feel of emptyness. Seats are fine but view is poor due to lack of pitch of the stand, starts to rain, roof doesn't cover anything 26 rows forward!! Good crowd of 22,000 but no atmosphere due to rattling around inside such a big ground. What a waste of what could have been a great crowd.

Ok I know I've just spouted on about something anyone who has been to ANZ knows, here is my solution!

4 clubs sell off their home grounds; Brookvale, Parramatta, West Tigers (both) and Penrith. Bulldogs chip in with what they can raise and between them, NRL throw some money in and the State Govt pick up the rest.We build a $220 million 30,000 state of the art stadium at Olympic Park. There seemed to be plenty of space to do this and we would get a RL owned stadium in a good location. Possible?

Funnily enough we have a great football stadium, just no one uses it.

It's called the SFS. Sure it's no Lang Park or Robina, but it's still a great stadium to watch footy in. I hope AFL does buy ANZ so it forces NRL teams away from that soulless stadium.

 

[KalgoorlieRed]

Whats wrong with the SFS? 40 odd thou is enough?

 

[dallymessenger]

30,000 crowds at telstra and the atomosphere isnt too bad.

origins are find when its 70,000 plus so clearly we need to see more games there where the crowds are over 30,000.

its getting there but slowly.

 

[Perth Red]

Ideally Souths, Cronulla, St George, Roosters and the NRL would buy up SFS to ensure max profits were made from growing their crowds. With all Sydney clubs playing out of a purpose built Olymic Park RL stadium or a NRL owned SFS the sky would be the limit!

When I'm CEO!!

 

[dallymessenger]

Ideally Souths, Cronulla, St George, Roosters and the NRL would buy up SFS to ensure max profits were made from growing their crowds. With all Sydney clubs playing out of a purpose built Olymic Park RL stadium or a NRL owned SFS the sky would be the limit!

When I'm CEO!!

what would they buy it with?

maybe they can not pay their players for a couple of years and spend the TV money on that?

 

[Perth Red]

Details, details! Is $300 mill realy that hard to find?

 

[Alan Shore]

Ideally Souths, Cronulla, St George, Roosters and the NRL would buy up SFS to ensure max profits were made from growing their crowds. With all Sydney clubs playing out of a purpose built Olymic Park RL stadium or a NRL owned SFS the sky would be the limit!

When I'm CEO!!

IMO we should turn Toyota Park into a world class 25-30,000 seat stadium. Cronulla will be getting some solid income from developing the currently idle land assets it has into a shopping centre, retirement village and a heap of other stuff. We could then sell shares in the stadium to say, Souths and jointly redevelop it. Maybe even the Steelers could come to the party. That way we'd have Toyota and the SFS.

 

[Nuke]

Only times I've been to (now called) ANZ Stadium were the 2000, 2003, 2005 Grand Finals, 2000 ANZAC Test, and Origin III in 2004 (Brad Fittler's last Origin).

The 2000 ANZAC Test only got about 24,000 people there (from memory), and -although a very impressive stadium (especially for someone who lives in Perth - nothing like that over here!)- just looked empty and hollow.
The 2000 GF was a sh*t game and I was up the top of the since-removed temporary seating, so there was no atmosphere where I was (despite 94,000-odd people being at the game) and little to be excited about.
2003 GF was an awesome experience. Fantastic game, and although I forget how many people were there, was a great atmosphere. Despite sitting behind the goals, I thought it was a great view.
2004 Origin III was awesome. I think there was about 83,000 people there - most of which were cheering for the same team (NSW - as opposed to it being a 50/50 or 60/40 split which GF's tend to be). Best atmosphere at the stadium I've been to (and possibly 2nd of any games I've been to behind the 1997 Grand Final at the SFS). It was a freezing cold night, and Dad and I were up the very top (only a matter of rows in fact in from the back row at the top) of the stand. The wind was blowing the icey wind right through us (I had about 3 layers of clothing on and still found it to be cold!), and the view wasn't the best, but it was still a great occasion and a great atmosphere.
2005 Grand Final was kinda like the 2003 GF, but less so. Probably due to NthQld being one of the teams, so their support wouldn't've been as big or loud as a NSW team's would've been. Add to that, in my opinion anyway, that with both Wests Tigers and NthQld being the teams, neither were a team anyone particularly hated, so the casual League supporter that day (as I was) didn't go for either team over the other.

 

[Perth Red]

One thing that would improve the atmposphere is if they put the opposing fans on each side. Where I was sat it was a 50/50 mix of fans. With 15,000 Wests fans on one side of the ground and 7,000 Parra on the other it might have generated some atmosphere!

Not saying it should be compulsory but when I asked the ticket lady who was sitting where it was clear that apart from the Wests fanatics section they were putting people anywhere.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

what we need is an 40,000 purpose built stadium in western sydney (Parra/Blacktown/Liverpool) to be used by Parra/Panthers or Parra/Dogs and we need a purpose built 80,000 seater at OP. All pipedreams at this stage but.