Did the Sydney Football Stadium fail the Wallabies?
Roar Rookie
By paulmc, 7 Jun 2009 paulmc is a Roar Rookie
Despite Greg Growden’s lobbying in the SMH and the much touted claims that the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) is the “spiritual” home of Rugby in Sydney the facts are apparent. The SFS is a small ground and for the Wallabies v Barbarians game, the fans did not fill it.
Will they if its capacity is 55,000?
The attendance was not at maximum and there were still over 5000 unused seats the day before the match. Why?
Is it time for the Rugby intelligentsia to start thinking?
If Sydney rugby is to grow it must move beyond the lower north shore, the eastern suburbs and the Manly peninsula.
Trying to claim that SFS will win the fans appeals to this stereotypic group but not to the real rugby public.
The insular groups that want to hold on to a past class based status for rugby are at worst self serving.
The real test will be when the Wallabies play at the Olympic stadium. Will they draw better than 39500 to a game against a less star studded and publicity enhanced (Sonny Bill Williams) Barbarians team?
My bet is that it will. Why?
Because those west of Central Station will add to the crowd!
Why else would the hierarchy even be consider a super 15 franchise for Western Sydney?
The reality is that public transport is to the door. If driving, parking is a few minutes easy walk.
Forget all the claims about no pubs – if all those who attended the SFS on Saturday evening went to a local pub the lack of service complaints would embarrass even the NSW government.
But why has the Olympic stadium such a bad image – there are many local pubs. Is not one owned by a renowned Wallaby family?
The restaurants in Concord, Strathfield, Homebush and Flemington rate in the good food guide.
But, where do the “rugby writers” live?
Let’s throw away the baggage of past generations.
Sydney does not have a “Lang Park” but if we want people at the games then we must promote the Olympic stadium and enhance its appeal to all of Sydney – and not keep appealing to the local few.
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Timmypig said | June 7th 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Didn’t help that both the Northern line and the North Shore lines were closed last night for tack maintenance! Took me hours to get home (Hills District). Had the match been at Olympic Stadium I’d have been able to take a single bus from near my place, and a similar bus home, pretty short journey. I’m willing to travel to the SFS because of the extra benefits of the location and the stadium itself. The nature of the Olympic Stadium and its location overrule the ease of getting there and home.
Paul I think you’re drawing a long bow to say there’s plenty to do around Homebush Bay …. there might be, but is is in the immediate environs, all in the one area less than 500m from the stadium?
And speaking of the stadium, the Olympic Stadium is AWFUL to view rugby, (association and American) football or rugby league. The spectator is just FAR TOO FAR away from the playing surface.
Harry said | June 7th 2009 @ 11:03am | Report comment
Its way better to watch rugby – league or union – at the SFS than at the Olympic Stadium. We can debate the merits of transport links and facilities of both places, but that fact is indisputable.
Yes I was surprised that there wasn’t a full house last night (was there) but loved seeing the Wallabies at the best viewing ground in Sydney, and only behind Lang Park for grounds in Australia.
Catering and service facilites were there usual shambles, appallingly under-staffed. When we fork out $100 a ticket and then have to stand in line for 30 minutes to pay $20 for a cold pie and a couple of weak, watery beers with heads on them like John lambie’s hair in the 70′s, it is just not good enough. The crap service, rip-off food and (at the cricket it was worse) heavy-handed nanny-state security really really detract from “the occassion” at these events and the pendulum has swung way too far the wrong way in recent years, and make the couch or the local pub a compelling alternative.
Captain Nemo said | June 7th 2009 @ 11:31am | Report comment
mate, i was at the game last night and it was a great atmosphere. Almost like a party atmosphere. The crowd were aware of what Barbarians rugby is all about and most people enjoyed it I think. Homebush, you would of been lucky to get 20K their!!! I myself refuse to go and watch anything at that ground. When the Wallabies are playing at Homebush, I am at the pub or BBQ watching the game. It was great to see the Wallabies back at the SFS. It is a very comfortable ground, easy walk or bus ride up from central, plenty of pubs in the area for a few beers with your mates, grab a curry after the game up in Paddington or head across to China Town for a feed. Yep, I only watch rugby at the SFS in Sydney, been to Homebush once or twice, never again. No atmosphere out their, nothing to do before or after the game. the place doesn’t have a feel to it. Plus, at the SFS, the view of the game is far superior.
wallythefly said | June 7th 2009 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Think Stadium Australia is the only venue for the big tests against the Kiwis and the Saffas but perhaps SFS might be good for games against lesser opposition…
Working Class Rugger said | June 7th 2009 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
Let’s put this into perspective. It was only a promo Barbarians game. That’s it. They drew near 40,000 to a game that is hardly the pinnacle of international Rugby. If that was a Beldisloe or a Tri-Nations game then the Stadium would have been packed. Sold out in minutes. The game was scrappy but entertaining. Maybe in future BaaBaa games they might fill it. I’ve watched games at both SFS and Telstra and thoroughly enjoy both experience but the SFS has the edge. When the capacity of the SFS is upgraded to 55,000 seats the ARU should play Springbok and incoming European test matches at the venue and Bedisloe Cup matches at Telstra.
Malbino said | June 7th 2009 @ 3:36pm | Report comment
Being a Eastern Suburbs person I understand why the SFS is favoured by locals.Close to Paddo pubs and home.
I dont ANZ Stadium location to pubs is the real issue, as per Word Cup you set up temporary bars[ sponsored]
Its simply you are too far away from the action .. the game.
Sure SFS is too far for many Sydney fans, and I’m happy to move the games and would travel.
BUT not to ANZ to watch Rugby as you are too far from the field.
Remember the ground was built for Olympics ie there’s a running track around the oval.
Most people I know who live in Eastern Subs say the same.. you are to far away from the game.
Bay35Pablo said | June 7th 2009 @ 5:35pm | Report comment
Paul, I think most stopped paying attention to old Misery Guts Growden a while ago.
The SFS beats Homebush hands down in every facet (except service, where Homebush is poor, the SFS is as everyone said diabloical).
40,000 for a Barbarians game is a decent feat, when a lot of people thought it was a sell out, the trains were knackered, and it was a long weekend (some people do go away even when a game is on). Plus the atmosphere and spectacle were far better, at a ground built for footy. Homebush always feels miles from the game, and feels empty unless you have more than about 50,000. That same crowd at Homebush would have produced poor atmosphere, and it may have actually been lower.
You seem to ignore the fact that anyone but Tri Nations games at Homebush now get poor crowds, mainly because the European teams keep sending 2nd rate teams. Was it Wales last year that got 30,000 or so? That’s pathetic. Whereas the same crowd at the SFS would have been a better fit, produced a better atmosphere, and probably gotten a higher crowd.
Even South Africa games in recent years don’t sell out, although I blame that mainly on the poor games of recent years (remember that horrid kickathon a few years ago? the worst Test I have ever seen). So Homebush is not the be all and end all. Decent games fill stadiums, not the stadiums themselves.
What I found annoying was this bull sh%t from JON saying the BarBars game was the litmus test for the SFS as a test venue. Um, JON, if you haven’t worked out it needs to be used for the smaller Tests, you’re not as smart as everyone thinks. I suspect he was just trying to pump the numbers up, rather than that being a true reflection of what they are thinking. If the ARU aren’t already planning on using the SFS for tests in Syndey against Italy, weaker Home Nations, and so forth, they’re fools.
Oh, wait up. This is the ARU I’m talking about ….
And trying to suggest Homebush has decent facilities is rubbish. There’s 1 pub under the Novotel that is always packed and I’ve never been to for that reason. It’s bad enough when I go out there for league games with 15-20,000. The nearest other pub is next to Concord West station, and does a roaring trade (including from me). However, this is a fraction of those that attend, only really helps those travelling on the Northern line, and requires a decent walk that is exactly the reason you are having a go at the SFS for!! Plus it’s horrible to get a taxi from at closing.
And eateries in Concord, Flemington and Homebush miss the point. Olympic Park is in the middle of nowhere, and you’d need to catch a cab from your meal to the game. With the SFS you walk past more pubs and cafes to get there than you could ever visit!
The fact that the ARU have only in the last year or 2 started setting up decent food and bar facilities on a temporary basis shows how poorly thought out their event management is. Had they been doing this from the beginning, many fans might have warmed to Homebush. As it is, only a Bledisloe Cup will now get me out there, and I never enjoy non-Bledisloes as much as games at the SFS. The only good thing about Homebush is it seats 85,000, meaning the bad old days of only 2,000 seats at the SFS being on sale to the general public are over. Apart from that, change the caterers at the SFS and it’d be perfect.
Litmus test passed, JON. Bring on the next Test at the SFS!!
Virgil said | June 7th 2009 @ 6:56pm | Report comment
Aah I miss living in Brissie. Lang Park – what a venue and what a location!!
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | June 8th 2009 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
I went to the game on Saturday, and it will probably be the last time I go to a test at SFS. Queues for the bar were ridiculous, no trains, and an absolute s***fight to get home again. At Homebush I can drive to Pennant Hills pick up my Dad get a bus and be there in less than half an hour. Apparently stats show that most RU fans who go to games are from the North Shore, Central Coast and Western Sydney, it makes much more sense and convenience to go to homebush for the MAJORITY.
Captain Nemo said | June 8th 2009 @ 3:09pm | Report comment
ilikedahoodoogurusingha, I couldn’t disagree with you more. i absolutely refuse to go to homebush. The place has no soul, no heart, no atmosphere. No restuarants, No pubs, it is basically the worst stadium I have ever been to and I have watched rugby in the last 10 years in Stade de France in Paris, Twikenham in London, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and my favourite, Lang park in Brisbane. I would bet my last dollar you would not of got 40 thousand at Homebush on Saturday night. My main critism of SFS is it takes forever to get a $6.50 flat beer. It has been like that since they opened the place and it seems that it will probably always be that way unfortunately.