Codes applaud planned revamp of ANZ Stadium
By AAP, 11 Dec 2009 AAP is a Roar Pro
Football Federation Australia and the National Rugby League have both applauded a proposed $150 million makeover of ANZ Stadium that would help football’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup.
A retractable and transparent roof over the stadium, changing the venue to a rectangular shape and an extra 7,000 seats are all on the cards in a draft master plan development, News Limited reported on Thursday.
A source close to the plans said the changes would attract many national and international sporting events, including the World Cup.
“We won’t get it with a venue that hasn’t changed much since the Olympics because FIFA will want a stadium that’s a monument for the world game and even bigger than the Olympics,” the source told News Limited.
“This makeover will deliver that. It will knock Melbourne out.”
The final plan and architect designs will be presented to NSW government officials and the FFA bid team that is chasing the rights to the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, News Limited reported.
A spokesperson for the FFA applauded ANZ Stadium’s desire to be involved in the World Cup by creating a showpiece stadium.
“It’s good to see that ANZ Stadium are enthusiastic about the FIFA World Cup,” the spokesperson said.
NRL chief executive David Gallop said rugby league would appreciate any stadium upgrades that come about through hosting the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We would welcome any upgrade to any stadium that we use,” said Gallop.
However the league chief still has reservations about pledging full support to Australia’s World Cup bid.
He will meet with FFA officials on Friday to discuss how hosting a World Cup would affect the NRL schedule and rugby league’s access to stadia across the country.
“Tomorrow’s meeting with the FFA is more about learning what is proposed in terms of disruption to our season,” he added.
A spokesperson for ANZ Stadium did not immediately return AAP phone calls.
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Gatto Nero said | December 11th 2009 @ 4:36am | Report comment
Who is actually proposing this? I haven’t seen it attributed to anyone specifically, and the article simply names “sources”, which makes me skeptical.
The rights to manage the facility are partly controlled by AFL Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick, and the stadium has had a lot of issues finding sustainable tenants in the past to justify it’s large capacity. League critics of the stadium often cite the lack of atmosphere there, which has more to do with the absence of the necessary crowd than the configuration. If it were permanently rectangular, it would make ANZ Stadium unsuitable for cricket, Australian football as well as any future AFL Grand Finals should Sydney wish to bid for them. That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.
I could understand a temporary reconfiguration for a potential World Cup, such as that suggested for the MCG, but a permanent reconfiguration seems unnecessary.
dom ROmeo said | December 11th 2009 @ 6:44am | Report comment
WHy would sydney wantr to bid for the final??
If they did it would be played at the SCG and still would not be a sell out
Punter said | December 11th 2009 @ 6:52am | Report comment
What???
Turner said | December 11th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Face it Punter. The world cup is nothing to so so so many Australians. It shouldn’t stop us getting it though. It’s no different anywhere else. As long as there is the passionate few.
Ken said | December 11th 2009 @ 8:05am | Report comment
I don’t think any soccer WC game would be at the SCG, especially the final, it’s current config is around 50k, so it’s not that big, and all the same reasons that it’s terrible for watching rugby league (i.e. it’s an oval) would still be there for soccer. Why do you think they built the football stadium right next door. The NRL play 1 or 2 games a year there solely because of the immense history of the game there. Also apparently being tackled anywhere near the pitch feels like you’re being tackled on concrete, not that big of a deal for soccer I guess with no tackling.
Beautiful old ground to go for a day at the cricket though
Dom ROmeo said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:10am | Report comment
AFL FInal^^
AndyRoo said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Oh, don;t know what Gatto is going on about I think the AFL final is locked into melbourne for the next 20 plus years or something else ridiculous.
Michael C said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:25am | Report comment
correct – locked in until 2037.
Brett McKay said | December 11th 2009 @ 7:12am | Report comment
Gatto, I’m reading this as coming from ANZ Stadium themselves…
Michael C said | December 11th 2009 @ 5:14am | Report comment
A question is -
if $130 million to rectangularise the MCG is too much,
and $150 million (and with or without a little compensation to Docklands re the no competiting stadia agreement) to expand Swan St Bubbledome is too much,
then – how do they justify $150 million to put a roof on a stadium that really doesn’t that much need it…’cos it ain’t cold in Sydney and they get less rainy days than Melb for example.
If this is official FFA policy, it appears Mr.Lowy has made his choice – I guess is what we can take from this.
AndyRoo said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:00am | Report comment
If this is official FFA policy, it appears Mr.Lowy has made his choice – I guess is what we can take from this
Like Brett I think this is the stadium trying to become relevant again.
It’s not as big as the MCG yet it’s oval shape…..but the only times it sell’s out are for rectangular events.
TammyS said | December 11th 2009 @ 5:26am | Report comment
I dont really care whether or not we get the world cup, that stadium’s needed a makeover for a very long time
Bill said | December 11th 2009 @ 7:25am | Report comment
Could not agree more Tammy!!!
NUFCMVFC said | December 11th 2009 @ 5:32am | Report comment
Is the same sort of mould as mooted $150 million towards a Rectangular redevelopment of the MCG? Are there other mooted plans for what would be done to ANZ stadium? Presumably they would have to alter the configuration back somewhat to allow for Rubgy League/Union try line areas. Not to mention to adjust the shape to allow for AFL games being played in there (Fitzpatrick will ensure this remains to be the case)
Generally the FFA would do better by the Australian football fraternity by directing money into stadiums that leave a bit more of a lasting legacy, not a temporary one or as was the case with the Gabba with 2000 Olympics one that predominantly suits another code and not football. I would imagine the NRL would be happy to see some kind of redevelopment towards the SFS and some of the Suburban grounds (which can be used to either host a continuing NRL season or be used as training facilities). In this sense, $150 million towards the permanent upgrading of Swan Street Stadium is better than temporary redevelopment of the MCG, or of ANZ stadium that may look pretty in a WC final but would need to be somewhat rolled back
Let’s not forget the AFL had mooted buying ANZ stadium, if that went ahead, can’t see them allowing too much of an adjustment that would infringe AFL’s ability to use the stadium.
AndyRoo said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:01am | Report comment
The plan is for the ends to become moveable, like the docklands corners.
Comes in for RL and Football goes out for AFL
AndyRoo said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:06am | Report comment
,
mvfc.lfc.trfc said | December 11th 2009 @ 7:48am | Report comment
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think FIFA allows the roof to be closed at any FIFA-run game. All World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers played at Docklands have been played with the roof open from good memory. So what’s the point of building a roof over a stadium to win The Final if it can’t be used for The Final.
Somebody better tell the NSW Govt. this or Premier Keneally will be out on her ass quicker than Nathan Rees.
I don’t think Sydney has anything to worry about in regards to the MCG hosting the final.
If the FFA don’t recommend Sydney as the host of the final, then FIFA will.
Ken said | December 11th 2009 @ 8:24am | Report comment
Yeah I’d think that Sydney would be first choice for the final regardless. MCG is a great venue but too comprised for rectangular football codes, Suncorp is a bit small – it pretty much leaves ANZ by default. Also, while I know it’s all been seen before, Sydney brushes up nice and glitters for the international audience. Standard cut shot of the harbour and then into the stadium (yep I know that’s a long swim up the river to Homebush)
Last Minute Hero said | December 11th 2009 @ 10:45am | Report comment
The ’94 FIFA WC had games played indoors (Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit).
Agree about Sydney being more likely than Melbourne to host the WC Final but I’d be just as happy with either. As long as it’s in Australia …
Midfielder said | December 11th 2009 @ 7:59am | Report comment
Updating Homebush is great… why some have asked because many of the seats have you so far back its not funny… with the roof and the bringing in the ends and increasing seating it will become of of the worlds best grounds to watch Football / Rugby/ & RL….
KB said | December 11th 2009 @ 8:59am | Report comment
A revamp Olympic Stadium with a roof over head and the movement of the end terraces close to the goal ends is what this ground has been crying out for since it was first built..
Sydney has never had a truly world class football stadium one that should have been a fortress with an intimidating atmosphere of the home team supporters right on the touch lines…
We thought we were going to get one as a legacy after the 2002 Sydney Olympics was won, but as always it was sabotaged by the oval configuration advocates… A result tying to please everyone with an all purpose stadium, to please too many interests, and in the end, a facility that has failed to capture the imagination of any one particular group; particularly the rectangle football codes with its soulless dispassion and sparseness…
Finally now, we have a chance to fix this problem with the pending 2018 FIFA WC to make it truly conducive to rectangle football… All football matches need the patrons close to the side lines on all four sides…
Sydney being the home of Rugby league, Football, and Rugby, the most favoured codes of NSW—we will finally have a chance to rectify a long standing mistake that has plagued us for the past 8 years, which now can finally be rectify with a permanent rectangle retractable roofed stadium; designed and built pacifically for football… Bring on the 2018 FIFA world cup…
~~~~~~~
KB
Chris said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment
I have heard people pronounce “specifically” as “pacifically” but I have not seen it actually written down until today.
KB said | December 11th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
good for you…
Aljay said | December 11th 2009 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
“We thought we were going to get one as a legacy after the 2002 Sydney Olympics was won, but as always it was sabotaged by the oval configuration advocates”
You mean like the advocates who wanted a running track for the Olympics???
Michael C said | December 11th 2009 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
I thought it was 2000……but, I can’t remember pacificially…..
KB said | December 11th 2009 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
yes 2000 it was…
Michael C said | December 11th 2009 @ 3:03pm | Report comment
was there a soccer tournament?
I only remember Cathy Freeman and some nightmare about boguns pushing lawnmowers……although in more recent times it’s been merged with another nightmare about a goose and a dread fear of Ron Barassi drowning…….
seriously though – soccer overates the value of 3 or 4 games in isolation if they really reckon that’s worth a brand new stadium…..especially back in that lead up to the 2000 Olympics in the NSL era.
KB said | December 11th 2009 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
MC, we are talking about the world game here, the future holds no bounds for it … What did happened in 2002 there was a FIFA World Cup somewhere I’m sure…
KB said | December 11th 2009 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
Does the Manchester City FC home ground have a running track around it now?? The old Commonwealth Games venue… Now that’s proper planing for real football, four sides all permanently moved forward close to the touch line…
M1tch said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:12am | Report comment
Great news, hopefully it will be like a bigger suncorp
Timmypig said | December 11th 2009 @ 9:30am | Report comment
There is a Facebook group “ANZ Stadium is a Total Sh1thole” …. now whilst I concede that this group doesn’t have many members, it’s indicative of the level of disdain that many in Sydney have for the Olympic Stadium.
I’ve basically stopped going to it, I don’t think I’ve been there since the 2006 (?) State of Origin. I live in Sydney’s north west, so it’s easy to get to, but I still go to the SFS for various matches, despite that being an $80 cab fare or over an hour on public transport.
A reconfiguration to make it genuinely football / rugby / rugby league friendly would go a long way to encouraging more people to go to games there. As it is, with occasional AFL & ODIs, it’s neither fish nor fowl, and suffers. A stadium should be rectangular or oval. If it tries to be both it’s a compromise and suits nobody.
So three cheers for a football – friendly reconfiguration of the Olympic Stadium!!! Now, if we could only do something about the cultural wasteland that is Homebush Bay …..
Springs said | December 11th 2009 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Understand the seats being brought closer but why the roof? The only time it wil be closed is for rain and then it will take away the weather element of Rugby League. With the amount of games played at ANZ it will be terrible to take away the wet weather aspect.
There is no need for a 100 million-dollar roof
NCB619 said | December 11th 2009 @ 8:46pm | Report comment
Tick for you Springs. To me, they are a waste of time, unless it will actually mean something to the sport, like the one’s at Wimbledon, or any on any Cricket Ground, such as the Telstra Dome (it can hold cricket matches)