“The best thing Osama bin Laden could do to get the league fans on side in Australia is blow up Homebush Stadium. That’s the greatest blight on sport. It looks like nobody’s there.”
That’s what millionaire businessman John Singleton said back in May, 2008.
A couple of weeks ago , the NSW state government unveiled a $250 million revamp of ANZ stadium which included key features such as a retractable roof and retractable seating behind the goal posts to make it rectangular.
Here is a design on how ANZ stadium could become a rectangular venue.
I don’t know about you, but I find that to be aesthetically awful.
Surely that has to be a draft, and not a final design. A stadium with gaps looks so damn ugly.
If the NSW state government had the funds and spent $250 million worth of taxpayers money for a stadium to look like that, is not only a waste, but a massive joke.
I am not a stadium construction expert, but maybe if you remove half of the seating from the top tier, and placed them in those ‘gaps’, it could be an improvement.
The way I see it, they should disregard those plans and go with these three options.
– leave it as it is (use the taxpayer funds on more important things);
– make it permanently rectangular;
– follow Singo’s advice.
ANZ stadium, or Stadium Australia, by its original name, was designed to accommodate and facilitate for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where it needed to cater for a running track in the stadium.
Since the Olympics, the venue has been used as a multi purpose facility to cater for all sports, whether it be in ‘rectangular’ or ‘oval’ mode.
The real criticism of the venue, is that the seating is too far away from the action, especially with the rectangular sports of league, union and football. So with that in mind, in my opinion, I would choose the second option; make it permanently rectangular.
Here is my reasoning.
ANZ Stadium this year will hold around 30 events that require a rectangular shape, which includes over 20 NRL matches, two Socceroo World Cup qualifiers, two Origin matches, two Wallabies Tests, a Manchester United appearance, a possible NRL finals match and the NRL grand final.
Compare that with eight events that require the stadium to be in oval mode, it includes, three AFL matches, four cricket T20 Sydney Thunder home games and a T20 international.
With the AFL matches, both Sydney Swans and GWS Giants should play out of their respective home bases of the SCG and Skoda Stadium.
The SCG is currently redeveloping the Northern Pavilion grandstand to the tune of $186 million, $136 million of that is contributed by the State and Federal governments, while the rest is funded from the SCG Trust.
Also in 2008, the Victor Trumper Stand was built and costed at $82 million, $50 million of that was contributed from State and Federal, while the rest was from the SCG Trust.
So all in all, in the last five years, taxpayers have contributed around $186 million towards the two redevelopments at the SCG.
The Sydney Swans this year have nine matches scheduled at the SCG.
Wouldn’t be wise if they played their full compliment of 11 home games at the SCG, especially when you consider the amount of taxpayer expenditure been spent at that ground?
The capacity of the SCG will be 48,000, which is nothing to be sneezed at.
While with GWS, they should play all of their home games at the 25,000-seat Skoda Stadium.
This year, the Giants will only make seven appearances at the old showgrounds. Seven home games, and the Easter Show does make Skoda stadium severely under utilised.
I also think that Sydney Thunder should move their four home games to Skoda Stadium.
Last season in the Big bash, Thunder only averaged 10,277 at ANZ.
In one home game, the Thunder had a crowd of 4,101 in a stadium that holds 84,000. Depressing. As for the T20 international, move it back to the SCG.
Both of those AFL teams and the Sydney Thunder have a ground to go to.
ANZ’s regular tenant, the NRL’s Canterbury Bulldogs, have no choice but to call Homebush home, with their traditional home ground, Belmore Sports Ground deemed unfit for the NRL.
Canterbury, along with regular ANZ tenant and fellow NRL team, South Sydney Rabbitohs, have average crowds more or less around the 20,000 mark.
If the stadium was rectangular, along with a roof, then there is potential for both teams to have increase average crowds. If that were to happen, then you might see a third NRL team move to ANZ.
In recent times, the NSW government have had a stadium strategy where they outlined plans to shift funding away from NRL suburban grounds, and move funding towards major stadiums like ANZ and Allianz.
If the NSW government want ground rationalisation and want to attract a third or fourth NRL team to ANZ, wouldn’t it be sensible if that stadium was permanently rectangular?
In the last few months, the Stadium Australia Group (SAG), holders of the lease at ANZ stadium, offered to ‘sell’ it back to the state government for $100 million.
It was blocked by NSW Treasury officials. SAG have been annoyed by the funds that Skoda and the SCG have received, while ANZ has been left behind with an outdated 14-year old stadium.
Although on a positive side, the stadium does make $10 to $30 million profit annually.
The lease does run out until 2031, which means that the stadium and property reverts back to full ownership by the NSW government, through the Sydney Olympic Park Authority.
With the Manchester United match coming up, forecasters are predicting that Man U will bring in $16 million towards the NSW economy.
Maybe the solution is to get more major events like Manchester United and the British and Irish Lions, and in a round about sort of way, those major events could help fund the stadium upgrade.
Whatever happens, ANZ does need something. At the moment, the old Olympic stadium is not revered in the same light like the other Australia venues like MCG, Suncorp, or overseas stadiums like Wembley or Old Trafford.
In fact, ANZ is despised and least liked. As a mulit-purpose facility, it has tried to please everyone, but sadly, it has been the direct opposite.
A global city like Sydney, should have a world class rectangular stadium to go with the iconic oval shaped SCG.
Surely Sydney should have a rectangular stadium that’s on a par, if not better then Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
The NSW State Government need to make the right choice of design with ANZ Stadium. Failure to do so, not only will the venue lack credibility, but your better off demolishing it and start all over again.
Peter
Guest
Have you ever been to a soccer, league or union game played on an Aussie rules oval? There is a fair amount of distance from the fence to the rectangle pitch, kinda like watching a game from the other side of an athletics track. The viewing from there pretty much sucks. Sideline seating at ANZ is ok because the seating is retractable, though I've heard complaints about that too.
AZ_RBB
Guest
"We’d probably not be having this conversation if NRL fans attended ANZ Stadium " i'm a pretty half arsed NRL fan but talking to other people a lot feel that there is very little value for money. Unlike AFL it's not ideal to view at the stadium. Unlike A League there's very little atmosphere or crowd involvement. Unlike Union they're not well off (half kidding haha) But some just accept it as it is. Crowd have always been average and the organisation still makes decent money. no real incentive to push harder for big crowds. I've always found the NRL to be fairly unambitious. The lack of expansions reflects that strongly. " if ANZ is so bad how come it just hosted two events with 80K+ people" you could've had those events in a hole in the ground and 80k still would've turned up.
Daryl Adair
Guest
We'd probably not be having this conversation if NRL fans attended ANZ Stadium the way that AFL fans attend the MCG. And don't put that down to the configuration. NRL crowds are ordinary at other Sydney venues too. Moreover, if ANZ is so bad how come it just hosted two events with 80K+ people? Also, some geographically challenged blogger above suggested that Homebush is "not in Sydney". Check a map, mate. It's smack in the centre of the city. The vast majority of people live outside the Eastern suburbs, thanks very much.
Daryl Adair
Guest
Aussie, nice idea. But no clubs in Australia have that sort of money. Even in the US the vast majority of stadiums are publicly funded (either in part or whole). Juventus is an intriguing exception to that type of global trend.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
It's still cheaper to fix ANZ than maintain multiple stadiums around Sydney.
Australian Rules
Guest
Perhaps, but "national stadium" can only apply to either the MCG or ANZ. One is loathed by pretty much everyone (esp the locals), the other is revered as almost cathedral-like.
AZ_RBB
Guest
will happily concede it's the spiritual home of Australian sport in an historical sense. but in 2013 it makes no sense to still call it the national stadium.
Australian Rules
Guest
"if MCG truly is Australia’s national stadium then why does it only host half of the nation’s major events?" Well, largely because soccer and rugby are based in Sydney...and it makes sense to feature major games in Australia's largest city. As I said, over the past 14 years, ANZ has rightly hosted a number of big events, but the MCG will always be the spiritual home of Australian sport. It's our oldest and biggest stadium - it's hosted an Olympics, Comm Games, Cricket WC, Bledisloes, Origins, is home to the biggest cricket match each year on the planet, Boxing Day, it hosts the biggest domestic football crowds in the country and is also the home of the Australian National Sports Museum. There's hardly a comparison.
Martin
Guest
Once the retractable roof goes up, everyone will be very impressed. A roof makes a lot of difference to the atmosphere, it contains the noise of the crowd.
AZ_RBB
Guest
a nation's national stadium hosts its national teams right? our main national teams are Wallabies, Socceroos and Aus Cricket team. Wallabies 2003 World Cup final - ANZ Stadium Bledisloe Cup since 1999 - ANZ Stadium 12 matches MCG 1 match Cook Cup since 1999 - ANZ 3 matches MCG none Lions tour - Deciding Test in both 2001 and 2013 tours hosted at ANZ Socceroos 2001 Final WCQ - MCG 2005 Final WCQ - ANZ 2009 Final WCQ - MCG 2013 Final WCQ - ANZ 2015 Asian Cup Final - ANZ Cricket 2015 - World Cup Final - MCG Annual Boxing Day test - MCG if MCG truly is Australia's national stadium then why does it only host half of the nation's major events?
Australian Rules
Guest
I agree that Sydney needs an 80k seater...I just don't think it needs a new one. And in terms of what is Australia's national stadium, whilst ANZ has obviously hosted some big events over the past 14 years, I doubt there'd be many people who would contest that the MCG has that title.
AZ_RBB
Guest
The big difference between Olympic and other main stadiums in major cities is that stadiums like Wembley, Stade De France, Olympiastadion, Millenium Stadium etc are generally reserved for major events. You wouldn't see many week to week events being hosted there. Another big difference is that they're genuinely considered that nation's national stadium whereas that title is shared amongst several stadiums in Australia for every sport. Of course we can bring those massive US stadiums into the picture as well which are packed week in week out. But that goes down to two things. The college sport scene is inexplicably strong over there so nothing here will ever match that. The other being most teams are in one or two team cities. Each part of the world is unique in its sporting culture. Some cater better to filling stadiums than others. Sydney is in a situation where its most popular sport has its fans split amongst 9 teams and suits TV viewing far better than live viewing. The stadium sold out for the 5th time in 2 months tonight. Very much showing the need for a venue of its size in Sydney. All Blacks are in town in a few weeks, Rabbitohs should be in the grand final and the Swans will probably get a home final. So plenty more huge events to come and fill the joint.
Australian Rules
Guest
"Any self respecting major global city needs a stadium of that size regardless of how often it fills it up." That seems to be the prevailing Sydney attitude. The difference is that other self respecting major global cities actually do fill their stadiums up.
AZ_RBB
Guest
"The reason Sydney doesn’t demand an 80,000 seater" covered already. any self respecting major global city needs a stadium of that size regardless of how often it fills up. the stadium is used for concerts at least twice a year as well. "Sydney does already have a rectangular stadium on a par with Suncorp Stadium" the two have completely different shapes. SFS and Olympics have massive wings and small ends. Suncorp is even all the way around like all the great European stadiums. makes a huge difference in terms of atmosphere and in my eyes aesthetically as well. but i agree watching from the sides always beats the view from the ends. 'Venues like the MCG" MCG has a much larger surface area so naturally you're further away. the "steep seating" at venues like Bernabeu gives just about everyone, relatively speaking a decent view. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Estadio_Santiago_Bernab%C3%A9u_03.jpg - view from probably worst seats. this is much much better than what i had at Origin 3 at Olympic.
Adam
Guest
how often would the pies play up there once every 2 years, hardly justifiable in spending 250 million in
Adam
Guest
an interesting article, while its good for Sydney to have a large stadium for the large events, eg NRl grand final or the Manchester united games, but a few games here isnt worth spending 250million on . the AFL does receive some government funding for its grounds, but this is easily justified because of the huge crowds, the swans average almost twice the amount as and NSW based NRL team. the Larger AFL team Collingwoods, Essendon Richmonds are averaging nearly 60k attendance just for their home and away games for the season. so there for the returns for the money spent are there. where as the NRl the regular game played there plays in front of empty seats. the money would be better spent upgrading Allianz Stadium
clipper
Guest
The petty bickering that often occurs (the first line in the Chairman's post) when a united front should be shown
jamesb
Guest
Thanks Brett.
toranahills
Guest
"Cold and wind. The wind is awful at [insert any Sydney venue] at night. I’m a sydneysider who hates watching footy in the cold and wind, so I never go to [insert any Sydney venue] anymore." What about the poor day crowds in Sydney? I don't get it... I am a footy fan who rarely gets home to Australia.. I took in three games this last week... bris v cron at lang park, storm v dogs at ANZ and NSW v QLD at ANZ... I used to do the same when I lived in Yorkshire... got round all the grounds... enormous... the weather rarely precluded enjoyment even in Jan/Feb... It is not about stadia.. broncs used to get great crowds at QE2.. horrible spot it is/was... i love old grounds... i love good footy... yep it is good on tv/the radio but really... nothing beats live sport!!! get on board... the game has never been better!!!
Andy_Roo
Roar Guru
I have three points to make. Firstly Sydney does already have a rectangular stadium on a par with Suncorp Stadium. That is Aussie Stadium, or the SFS or whatever it is called. It's a bit smaller than Suncorp but other than that it is pretty similar. Any large stadium, i.e 50k plus will have a significant number of seats a long way from the action. Venues like the MCG are no different, you need an oxygen mask and a telescope from the back of the top tier of the stands. Any redesign or redevelopment will not solve this issue, no matter how much money is spent. ANZ stadium does have is issues with trying to cater to all sports. It's location is not ideal. But a14 year old stadium is hardly outdated. And Sydney needs an 80k seat stadium to attract events like MAN United.