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.
Recommend this story.
June 8th 2009 @ 5:25pm
Brett McKay said | June 8th 2009 @ 5:25pm | Report comment
If the SFS crowd was a litmus test for future fixturing, then the same must be the case for Canberra Stadium this Saturday with the Italy Test. The ACT and surrounding areas has been crying poor for a Test match since Argentina visited in 2000, and especially with two Super titles coming in that time.
I’m very glad the SFS was well-attended Saturday just gone, and I sincerely hope the same can be said for Canberra this weekend. Yes, it’ll be cold, but that’s part of the experience. And rum fixes that!! Get out there and get amongst it!!
June 8th 2009 @ 5:41pm
Worlds Biggest said | June 8th 2009 @ 5:41pm | Report comment
Malbino the running track was removed after the Olympics, the Stadium North and South ends were reconfigured to move closer to the acction. Also Level 2 in the East and West Stands slide in and out offering great seats. The first 4 levels at the Stadium offer good seats. Level 5 & 6 your getting into the nose bleeds. The SFS does offer closer seating to the action but it only holds 40 k, do the math. As a rule of thumb those living in the East simply don’t travel to ANZ. Are they true rugby supporters ??. Are they happy to just go to the SFS to watch the Sydney Waratahs, sorry make that NSW. You want to talk about atmosphere and soul at Rugby Stadiums. You get that in the Northern Hemisphere or Sth Africa but not in Aus or NZ. It is the people in the crowd which offer that. Our crowds just don’t get into it. I have been to countless Tahs games at the SFS where you can hear a pin drop. Don’t blame it on ( ANZ ) the Stadiums, Rugby supporters need to make more noise. I can’t see that happening. Also hoodoogurusinger, well said. All ANZ bashers reside in the East and parts of the North Shore. It is fine for everyone else. ANZ is a World Class venue where the Wallabies have a very good record.
June 8th 2009 @ 6:02pm
Broken Knees said | June 8th 2009 @ 6:02pm | Report comment
I also went to the game on Saturday Night at the SFS, and as an earlier writer said, it was hard to get food and drinks, the lines were 15 to 20 minutes long. (at least)
I live the same distance from the SFS as to ANZ Stadium, and it takes twice as long to get home from the SFS as ANZ.
There was also other events on in the area that added to the traffic problems.
I think if they want to have the bigger games at the SFS the organisers need to address the difficulty with the transport, and sort out the delivery of service to the patrons (their customers)
June 8th 2009 @ 6:09pm
OldManEmu said | June 8th 2009 @ 6:09pm | Report comment
Worlds biggest – passionate advocacy for ANZ……………any particular reason? Apart from its world class status of course.
June 8th 2009 @ 6:34pm
Worlds Biggest said | June 8th 2009 @ 6:34pm | Report comment
OME, there are plenty of reasons,
1. Capacity ensures most supporters don’t miss out on a ticket
2. 75% of seats are undercover
3. plenty of room in concession area’s when accessing food and drink
4. Easy to get in and out of venue
5. Members are gaurenteed a seat
6. Very good Corporate and Premium seating
7. Excellent and friendly customer service staff
8. Venue is only 10 yrs old – still modern
9. Reconfiguration allows Swans to play one day and League, Union or Soccer the next day
10. MOST IMPORTANT – the Beer is cold and not flat !
I could go on OME
June 8th 2009 @ 6:50pm
Bay35Pablo said | June 8th 2009 @ 6:50pm | Report comment
I used to live near Concord, and could walk home from Concord West Hotel in 30 minutes (with a million Bundies under the belt) and still hated the place. I now live on the lower North Shore, so the SFS is even better for me, but I still hate Homebush. But having lived in areas each suitable to one, at the end of the day the SFS is a better stadium. Apparently the plan is to expand it to 55,000. Yeeha!
The problem with the catering at any staduium, as I understand it, is that they sell the rights to the highest bidder, who then has X years to make their money back and then a profit. So they do it as cheaply as possible for the highest prices possible. And wonder why service is crap. Stadiums may have KPIs, but you wouldn’t know it. Although I remember going to an AFL game one year where the caterers had clearly changed from the cricket game I had been to 3 months before, and the change was noticeable. So it’s all about who does it and how.
I was in Bay 34 (not my usual) for the BarBars. We got to the game 10-15 minutes before the game. We all split up for relief stop, food, beer, etc. I looked at the beer queues, said forget it, got in the short queue for the noodle bar behind Bay 34, worked out they had ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD 10 minutes before the game started, and then went to my seat. My boys turned up with beers 2-3 minutes after the game started. I went to get some food 20 minutes into the 1st half. No noodles at the noodle bar, grabbed 2 pies. Went for another pit stop 20 minutes into the 2nd (the 743 beers at the Forresters were arriving). Noodle bar fully stocked, no one buying, every other bar closing. I just shook my head.
I’ll say that for Homebush, at least the catering is slightly better. But it’s hard to service 80,000 people promptly. The problem is that they drop the staff levels depending on the expected crowd. I have been there for a 40,000 crowd test and gotten atrocious service because they obviously didn’t put enough staff on, and over half the service points weren’t open. It’s not rocket science.
However, the worst thing about Homebush is closing the bars about 10 minutes into the 2nd half. Even the SFS doesn’t do that. It REALLY drives me nuts. Because rugby crowds have a real habit of getting drunk and rioting …
I must say, a lot of the time I feel like I’m taken for a ride. I pay top dollar for tickets, usually fight my way into the stadium (whichever), face horrid queues, get sh!t house service, and if I get a decent game to watch I feel lucky. Anyone at the SFS, AU or Homebush that thinks they provide a quality service is kidding themselves. The frustrating thing it it wouldn’t be that hard to make it 100% better.
June 8th 2009 @ 7:01pm
Working Class Rugger said | June 8th 2009 @ 7:01pm | Report comment
It’s probably impractical but wouldn’t it be great if they came to you like they make out happens at the Baseball on T.V
June 8th 2009 @ 7:05pm
Mr Grumpy said | June 8th 2009 @ 7:05pm | Report comment
John O’Neill’s comments following the Barbarians match at the Sydney Football Stadium indicate the fall of rugby union in Australia.
“Apart from the All Blacks, it’s difficult to see any other tests drawing crowds of more than 60,000.” O’Neill said.
If there are genuine plans to expand the SFS to hold 55,000 seats, some reports indicate the ARU would host the European nations and the South Africans at Moore Park.
What does this say about the game in Australia when a test against the second greatest rugby nation, South Africa, cannot attract more than 55,000 spectators in Sydney?
Maybe the ARU need to look at their pricing of matches compared to other codes, in particular soccer internationals.
The catering in the major venues around Sydney is crap. Go to the MCG or Docklands and you will have food an/or booze without missing too much of the action.
June 9th 2009 @ 8:30am
bennalong said | June 9th 2009 @ 8:30am | Report comment
world’s biggest
You can write off people from areas other than your own, and you can further blame the lack of atmosphere at Homebush on the crowd, but I can’t understand it.
It’s a terrible Rugby venue
Have you ever been to the SFS ?
The best rugby stadiums are steep sided on the rectangle and the hum of the crowd is enough that you wouldn’t hear a pin drop.
We should get together with the League and sponsor a big Rugby stadium for Sydney
Homebush is a white elephant.
June 9th 2009 @ 9:11am
tifosi said | June 9th 2009 @ 9:11am | Report comment
I think a lot of the reason that crowds have come down is the fact that many of these games are now considered friendlys.
Today people want to see real contests that mean something, not games where you win 50 nil. It also doesnt help when touring sides from the north bring their “b” teams.
Look at the socceroos, they can play a team like uzbekistan, (a country where most people couldnt point to it on a map) and get 57000 people turn up. The reason being that its a world cup qualifier and has meaning. If it was a friendly you would be lucky to get 30,000.