Perth’s new stadium is already in doubt
Roar Rookie By ren, 22 Oct 2008 ren is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- AFL, Andrew Demetriou, FINA, football, Soccer World Cup, West Coast, West Coast Eagles, Western Australia, World Football
Related coverage
- West Coast Eagles news
- Football news
- World Football - EPL, Champions League & Europe news
- AFL news
- Toyota Premiership news
Perth’s new stadium has been put in doubt by the new Liberal Premier, Colin Barnett. As part of a deal with the National Party that gave the Liberals the majority, Barnett pledged a quarter of Western Australia’s mining royalties to regional Western Australia.
This equates to removing $625 million from the State’s bottom line. With a number of large infrastructure projects in the pipeline, Perth’s new football stadium is in the firing land.
There are further concerns for those in favour of the new stadium:
“I do find it difficult in my mind to justify a billion dollars of tax-payers money on an extra 20,000 seats,” Barnett said, after a cabinet meeting yesterday.
So what does Barnett offer to appease the West Australian sporting public?
The proposal from the West Australian Football Commission to redevelop the aging Subiaco Oval has reemerged as an alternative for the Premier.
However, Barnett did not rule out building a new stadium.
Barnett said he will meet AFL chief Andrew Demetriou this week to discuss the options for a new football stadium at Kitchener Park or a progressive rebuild of Subiaco Oval.
So what does this mean for West Australian sport?
Both the West Coast and Fremantle Football clubs had more members than seats available this season, though they rarely filled the stadium. So there is no doubt there is a need for a larger capacity in anticipation of better days.
The Force desperately need a rectangular ground with Subiaco being blamed for declining membership numbers and crowd attendances.
So it can be presumed that the Force would be in favour of the proposed entirely new stadium, which is to have retractable seating.
The Glory are in the midst of another poor season and their entire future has been cast in doubt by both major West Australian papers.
As a result, the needs of the Glory are unlikely to be considered as it is extremely unlikely that they will fill the old Perth Oval in the foreseeable future, barring finals or ACL games, which both seem as unlikely as a full stadium.
However, with constant talk of Australia’s bid for an upcoming football World Cup, there is still a need for Perth to have a suitable stadium for hosting international football.
Such a requirement is, again, like the Force, in favour of a retractable seating stadium.
So what will Barnett do? Redevelop Subiaco or build a new stadium at Meuller Park?
Recommend this story.
Jim Beam Devil's Cut
As bourbon ages, a portion of liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation. This is known as the Angel's Share. When the bourbon is taken from the barrel, a certain amount is left trapped within the wood. It's that extracted liquid, and the rich flavours from deep within the barrel that are in Jim Beam's Devil's Cut.
Click here to learn more about Jim Beam's wicked new bourbon.
October 22nd 2008 @ 8:28am
TommyM said | October 22nd 2008 @ 8:28am | Report comment
I can assure you that the majority of Force fans are most certainly not in favour of the new stadium.
The proposed retractable seats are similar to those at Telstra Dome, where they are almost never used. Deploying them costs tens of thousands of dollars and involves the lifting of turf at the edges of the pitch. Under the current proposal the WA Football Commission (WAFC) would have control of the new facility and would most certainly not allow such a process to take place week to week if at all, especially in the latter end of the S14 season when the pitch would be shared with football.
What Force fans want is a dedicated 30-35,000 seat stadium, similar to the one currently being built in Melbourne, which would afford an incomparably superior view of the game and atmosphere to Subiaco. Given the amount of money that this would cost however, the suggested compromise is rather to redevelop Member’s Equity Stadium- initially 25,000 and later to 30-35,000, and with a significant investment in corporate facilities.
The Force currently regularly get 20K+ to their home games, which would cause a short term problem in that ME Stadium only fits 18,000, but such is the antipathy towards Subiaco that it appears people would rather miss out for a year on tickets than spend another one there.
Tests and the like would certainly still have to be played at Subiaco in the meantime, but perhaps as part of its redevelopment retractable seating could be worked into the design (most likely only to be deployed in test situations though if WAFC has anything to do with it).
October 22nd 2008 @ 9:03am
Michael C said | October 22nd 2008 @ 9:03am | Report comment
ren -
However, with constant talk of Australia’s bid for an upcoming football World Cup, there is still a need for Perth to have a suitable stadium for hosting international football.
care to review this line.
Talk of a bid is enough in your mind to equate to a need.
Should a bid be agreed to, then should it be deemed that Perth would host, then – and only then – is there a need for anything – - -but then, it’s only a need to develop a proper plan -
either
Perth DOES get designated to host
- and then to build a soccer friendly venue
-or adapt/upgrade existing venues
or
Perth DOES NOT get designated to host
- soccer doesn’t enter into the equation.
—————
SHould a bid be launched and ultimately be successful, so long as there are some decent options on the table – then, like South Africa, Japan, Korea etc – - the 4-8 years leading in can be spent happily building said venues.
—————
the need for one code to be forced to compromise too much is interesting -
when the AFL clubs have waiting lists for seat allocated memberships – - it doesn’t matter one bit that the venue is not filled each week if the majority of seating is effectively sold out. I know for many people that buying WCE memberships was out of the question due to capacity, and so, they even went as far as buying Freo memberships – just to be able to get to the footy and to access local derbies.
Given that the 2 AFL clubs are presently being held back – - there’s is a compelling argument for a larger venue.
The Force – - well, perhaps there is a real case that people are boycotting a venue and opting, in doing so, to not support their team. That’s sad. But – - at a certain point, people have to realise that they are the new kid on the block, and that it just seems plain petulant to jump up and down about lack of ideal or exclusive facilities when they should still be grateful to have a Super 14 team to support (if that’s their prefered code)…………..just seems some people are trying to flex their adult muscles before sporting puberty……..put the V12 engine in a mini cooper………put the B-triple trailors before the horse…..
October 22nd 2008 @ 9:21am
Koala Bear said | October 22nd 2008 @ 9:21am | Report comment
“Both the West Coast and Fremantle Football clubs had more members than seats available this season, though they rarely filled the stadium. So there is no doubt there is a need for a larger capacity in anticipation of better days.”
Ren,
can you elaborate on the above statement ie to why the members who paid their hard earned money to attend games through their memberships, but then fail to turn up… ?? Or is it that the AFL supply free tickets to Freo and WC to distribute to Auskick programs then are not acted on.. ??
~~~~~~~
KB
October 22nd 2008 @ 9:38am
Michael C said | October 22nd 2008 @ 9:38am | Report comment
KB –
I’ll have a go at answering this one – - -
why did people who had bought tickets for the sold out SOcceroos match against the Guitarists in Brisbane last week not turn up?
The weather.
why do some people buy high level memberships and not use them during the season more than once or twice? Often because it carries a guarranteed access to Grand Final tickets.
why do some people buy allocated seat memberships and not turn up to every game? Some elderly folk like to sit together with the same people, but can only attend day matches and not night
likewise family groups with young kids – - may only be able to attend a small number of the games
But – - in that position you are willing to pay that little bit extra in advance to know that -
A. you don’t have to queue for tickets at the time and risk missing out
&
B. you don’t have to battle the General admission areas and end up stuck up with the Gods (a million miles from the action)
If you don’t understand these issues – then you show perhaps you soccer pedigree too well, i.e. the domain of single males – - so, for a minute, just imagine yourself at an AFL game with 45% women (of all ages), with young kids and families………….these issues are quite important……….especially at venues for which there is super limited general admission ticketing.
October 22nd 2008 @ 10:07am
Koala Bear said | October 22nd 2008 @ 10:07am | Report comment
MC,
sorry your answer does not explain anything I don’t already know.. Sure there are some in Sydney and Melbourne that are rolling in dough and pay exorbitant amounts of money for SCG and MCG memberships as my eldest brother did but we are talking about WA (“rarely fill”) where there is no GF or SoO whatever; plenty of freedom of movement… on basically clear days over an entire season…
As for those who did not turn up at Suncorp for the Socceroos match that incrediable night as I live on the GC it was an amazing flashing of lightening that would have made the Australian Secret Services think twice about ones safety .. We are talking of clear weather here in WA … Understand…
~~~~~~~
KB
October 22nd 2008 @ 10:11am
Midfielder said | October 22nd 2008 @ 10:11am | Report comment
MC
Will bite only this time as maybe emotion got in the way of a otherwise decent reply post ……… but you said …
“then you show perhaps you soccer pedigree too well, i.e. the domain of single males – - so, for a minute, just imagine yourself at an AFL game with 45% women (of all ages)”
The A-League and Socceroos have similar numbers of women at matches, and Football has a W-League starting soon and huge player numbers at park level ……… and it has been said to be the fastest growing sport in Australia (Womens Football). There is a World Cup for Womens Football, Olympics for womens football, Asian cup for womens football.
So this idea that only AFL has women ……..Errrrrrr ………. sorry not true
October 22nd 2008 @ 10:37am
Koala Bear said | October 22nd 2008 @ 10:37am | Report comment
Middie,
Oh not to mention those future Matildas…. Back later, need make love to my wife… 
In fairness to MC I think he was referring to those fat Bogon MacDonald burger types that attend the MCG with tribes of free ticket holding brats … He has no concept of the W-Leagues and the beautiful athletically sculpted female bodies who will procreate the future Socceroos for the 2018 FIFA WC in Australia …
~~~~~~~
KB
October 22nd 2008 @ 10:55am
ren said | October 22nd 2008 @ 10:55am | Report comment
KB-
Currently for WCE- following ticket allocation to members and opposing fans there are just 1000-1500 tickets available to the general public. And if you think it is always clear weather here in the west you are wrong, simply put when it rains in perth, it pours down. I think michael c covered your question well, throw in the fact that this was WCE worst season ever and their fans are very fickle.
Tommy M- As one of those regular 20,000 I agree that a rectangular ground would be better. However I dont see ME as a genuine alternative, it is after all a suburban ground. With regards to your concerns about WAFC, they will only be managing the ground if it is a redeveloped Subiaco, The new stadium at Meuller PArk (despite being adjacent to Subi) would be managed independently of all the governing bodies.
Michael C- I threw that in to cause a little stir to be honest. Having seen ANZ o tv the seats look really badly positioned, not facing the centre but rather running parallel to the square. (Can any one confirm this) As such it is my preference for an oval stadium without the retractable seating. The difficulty in this is that the WACA is in the throes or redeveloping their East Perth home, removing footballs logical partner from the equation.
Considering all this my preferred option was to develop a sporting precinct on the Burswood Peninsula. A 60,000 seat oval and 30000 seat rectangle on the train line, across the road from belmont race track and adjacent to the freeway. The problem with this is the cost, mainly associated with dealing with the geology of the local soil.
October 22nd 2008 @ 11:50am
Shaun said | October 22nd 2008 @ 11:50am | Report comment
To all those doubters about the proposed stadium’s suitability for the rectangular codes, take a good look at this video: http://www.perthstadium.com.au/index.php?id=48 and this article: http://www.perthstadium.com.au/index.php?id=69 .
If as the article states “Sitting on the sideline at a Western Force game at Subiaco Oval you are currently 31 metres from the action, but with Perth’s new stadium you will be just 15 metres from the sideline and dead-ball line!
WA rugby fans will be closer to the action than crowds currently attending similar events at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium and Melbourne’s Telstra Dome” then surely it will not only be adequate but great. I’m sure that the Force would love a Suncorp or an SFS, but really they don’t have the pulling power- the AFL do!
October 22nd 2008 @ 12:03pm
Gerry said | October 22nd 2008 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
Shaun,
Thats IF the WAFC deem it suitable to extend out the retractable seats. Given that they wont even mark the Rugby lines properly in a childish attempt to styme Rugby.