Although calling it a crisis may be out there, there is little doubt that some grounds pose a problem for A-League teams. It may not and should not be a top priority for the FFA, but finding true homes for our teams must be somewhere on the to-do list.
There are several advantages that good football stadia gives a team, and ultimately a league. The first is the atmosphere created by a packed stadium of passionate fans.
This was highlighted by the recent matches at Etihad Stadium, including the Gold Coast match and Adelaide clash earlier this year.
The next point is viewer pleasure. I myself wonder what it would be like if the behind the goal seats at Suncorp could move in, closer to the pitch. There may also be a connection with Adelaide’s promising crowds and Hindmarsh’s configuration.
Lastly, the effect it has on the home team. We see this all over the world but not necessarily in Australia; home teams dominating. It must give the players a huge boost to walk out into all the sights and sounds of a true football arena. Although, there must also be a negative affect on players walking into an empty rugby league stadium to play football. There is little doubt in my mind that this is the reason behind the Suncorp curse.
Here are my views on the teams and there stadiums:
– Adelaide United – Excellent ground, perfect for them and capacity can be increased if need be.
– Brisbane Roar – Need to experiment with Ballymore or an upgraded Perry Park, or if possible a nice new ground.
– Central Coast Mariners – I quite like it, the only thing going against Blue Tongue is that the seats spell Bears.
– Gold Coast United – I don’t like it, not even with more people there, sorry Robina – just doesn’t look good to me.
– Melbourne Victory – Docklands (Etihad) is terrible, but Melbourne will soon have their very own piece of Europe.
– Newcastle United Jets – Energy Australia looks all right at night, but still too big and terrible colour scheme.
– North Queensland Fury – don’t like the stadium in general, but I do like the hills.
– Perth Glory – Personally, I love ME Bank Stadium, even if the behind goal stands are well back.
– Sydney FC – The only good thing about the SFS is the seat colours.
– Wellington Phoenix – I quite like Westpac, but there own fans may not agree.
So there are my opinions, and I am interested in reading yours.
Nath FC
Guest
It's hard to get to, unless you live around the corner!! It wouldn't be good for the Roar to move there but it would be great for me!!
Midfielder
Guest
Yawn of a thread another crisis with the usual slipping in the slipper .... Back to you kids .......YAWN... a song for the thread and its posters... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzUS6wHQkDw Killer ... go easy on em they know no better.... we don't wonta beak their little hearts.
macavity
Roar Pro
jets are fine, their break-even is about 4k people. They have the best deal in the a-league, they pay a pittance per game.... and bitch about it. the knights only just cover their marginal cost opening the gates for jets games. the issue is that they dont make anything from catering, which is why con was whinging like a bitch when the jets were flying high, claiming to all and sundry that he was hard done by. now catering is losing money every game, you wont hear a peep out of him...
Rob
Guest
The reason why Ballymore is a bad idea is because getting there is a right pain in the backside. It's tucked away in a corner of Lutwyche that has no train access, and bus access is ordinary at best. The ground could be great for generating an atmosphere if they closed it in on all sides, but the problem is access. I have been there a few times for a variety of reasons (happily, none were Rugby related), and parking is poor, public transport access is crap, and generally it is not an inviting place to go to. As for Perry Park, have you been there lately? Upgrading the place really isn't much of an option. Sure, it's inner city, on the train line there at Bowen Hills, but the costs would be prohibitive, especially since the government forked out so much to upgrade Suncorp a few years ago, and to build Skilled Park at Robina. I really can't see this happening. So, the thing would be to get a better deal for the Roar at Suncorp. it's actually a really great place to watch football at, and if/when the crowds come back, we'll all be laughing up here.
Ryan Steele
Roar Pro
On top of this, Hindmarsh Stadium doesn't actually have the ability to upgrade, contrary to somehow-popular belief. It has been said, in the past, that if Hindmarsh could reach or near capacity on a regular basis throughout a season or two, the State Government (who lease the stadium) would "consider" an upgrade - which would be similar to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where the corners were filled to reach a 20-22,000-ish capacity. Would be an improvement in some ways, sure, but it wouldn't make the stadium any better. Great place to watch football, in terms of seating arrangements, but the facilities just aren't there.
M1tch
Roar Guru
How are the jets finances, they must be losing a fair whack each home game
Michael C
Roar Guru
correct - it's around the 30,000 mark. The silly thing around stadium deals etc, the example of North Melb hosting the Swans with 28K at Docklands last year I think, and we lost $1000. Doesn't seem much,.....losing a grand. But, by comparison, Geelong can draw about 24,000 down at Kardinia Park, and clear $600,000. Everything is relative!!! For the Melb based AFL clubs like North and the Doggies, if they can hold out until 2025 when the AFL assumes full ownership - - then, they should be okay, so long as the roof is still functioning!!
Spanner
Guest
MC, If the AFL teams lose $100K a week at 22000 people what is the break even as I would guess that Dogs, Roos would average not much more than 30,000 at etihad. In bad years when the teams are no chance less.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Public opinion is starting to sway on this topic now, and I do wonder, listening to Barnably Joyce on the weekend, what he described around the Govts ETS was pretty welll a 'no worries/sign on and trust us' view such that it would be impossible to sign on. I couldn't help but think that that's the same status of the FIFA WC bid by the FFA......the best chance for K.Rudd and Lowy is that the current landscape of state Labour Govt's makes such a blinkered 'sign on in good faith' possible, otherwise, I really wonder where this would all be. btw - - we'll be moving closer and closer to Govt having to legislate the AFL off the MCG - or, huge compensation that if the GOvt isn't willing to pay, the AFL will seek from the MCC (with whom they have the contract until 2037 - - - and for the MCC, it's NOT in their interest to back in the FIFA WC - - they won't stand to benefit - nearly enough - from it, and they can't afford to lose the AFL).
Chris
Guest
I'm not sure why all of New Zealand's main grounds (Eden Park, Jade Stadium, Westpac) are in Oval configuration when Rugby is a religion there. Why on earth is Wellington an Oval when they don't even play cricket there more than once a year? (The present Cricket Test in Wellington is being played at the Basin Reserve).
Chris
Guest
Macavity - with respect, your idea for the Jets to play at the number two ground is just silly. If their crowds keep trending the way they are a 5,000 capacity stadium will be far to big for the Jets.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Ok it’s time the HAL takes a little bit of a hit too help out the World Cup bid. Where there is an oval ground not being used by cricket HAL clubs have to move and play their (Subiaco and Aami Stadium) and the grounds have to put up rope fencing so that the fans can sit on the grass. We then try and claim that is how Australians expect to be able to watch football which is why we are building so many oval stadiums and the MCG is perfect for that purpose just the way it is. Sepp my good mate Australians just wouldn’t stand for having to sit on a plastic seat so close to the action!
Redb
Roar Guru
Tifosi, This bid is starting to look like an oval peg that does not fit into a rectangular hole. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/world-cup-threat-for-afl-20091207-kdhh.html In what is sure to fire up the hard liners of both sides, the news comes that apparently the MCG ground (bowl) has to be lowered. No point beating around the bush now. Redb
Michael C
Roar Guru
ensure you share that advice evenly.
Punter
Guest
I'm not talking about just this thread. Most of your comments on the football thread I find very negative. It's like you have this fear that football will change everything you stand for or you secretively love it. It's OK to have passion for 1 sport, but to have such hatred for another, is not healthy. Love yours & allow others to love theirs. Just abit of advice.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I first heard of the idea of team owned stadiums for the HAL earlier this year and originally scoffed. "If theya re losing money now how could they afford that". But then all the revenues from stadium operations (the food & Drink, Poorage rights, signage, 100% of the gate) and the fact we are talking about small stadiums and not 30k jobs that require a huge upkeep. It's actually a pretty decent idea. A team like GCU could be doing quite well if they owned a 10k stadium.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Punter - unless you read the AFL thread, then you probably aren't aware of the many cross code blogger-ers, being cross code and hopefully keeping it real homie - is ideally a feature of theRoar, it's a fine line, we don't always get it right, but, we do now and then have genuine breakouts of cross code conversation and elucidation that perhaps couldn't occur elsewhere, btw - unless you've been hiding under a rock - - 4 football codes and stadiums and cricket are all pretty well topically enmeshed in this country. People can loose the broader perspective if spending too much time focussing on one game only!! At any rate - an article about AFL and FFA and NRL and stadiums etc etc.......we really need a 'cross code' tab to put such articles under!! ;-)
Killer_Tomatoes
Guest
If the FFA believed that the post WC06 peak would remain and continue to rise they're again showing a lack of their supposed business nouse when all evidence in other new leagues in similar markets (MLS in America, J-League in Japan, etc.) shows that round the 5th year attendances start to settle at a low trough and that most clubs are unlikely to be profitable for between 10-15 years (same goes for league as a whole). Surely these supposedly top of the line sports admins could have done a little research? As for expecting Brisbane to have an average of 20k, well, their attendances were quite respectable until again the FFA stepped in and raised prices close to 100% in some sections of the ground and decided to give the club its first couple of home kick off times during local league fixtures so actual players of football in Brisbane could not attend - marketting genius.
Punter
Guest
First time blogger, long time reader. For an AFL fan Michael C spends alot of time in football threads. He either has a secret love of the game or great fear for it. Get over it, come out & be proud about it.
Michael C
Roar Guru
and for that very reason, going 'unused' during summer - is why MVFC got such a GOOD stadium deal at Docklands, because, any AFL club there averaging 22,000 would be losing $100,000 a week. 'Good' deals in this case are relative!!! However, if we'd asked 3 years ago - would not folk at the FFA have assumed that by now that MVFC would almost be averaing 30K, and Roar and SFC would be around 20K. THat hasn't happened. What has is probably near enough to their worst case attendance modelling which would leave stadium deals all looking pretty sick.