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After writing about Allianz Stadium and the stadium situation in Sydney’s north, south and west in Parts I and II of this series respectively, it’s time to venture across to the much-maligned ANZ Stadium.
ANZ Stadium cops so much criticism that one would think it’s more hated than Joffrey Lannister, or Cersei or Tywin – okay, any Lannister except the seemingly soon to be dead Tyrion.
I don’t really understand the hate. Yes, the food is expensive. The parking is expensive. Some of the sightlines aren’t great and it can feel like an airport hangar when there’s less than 15,000 people watching, not to mention it will look like one if they put a roof over it.
But anyone who has witnessed a Blues State of Origin victory or watched their team win a Premiership there will know that this is one of the best stadiums in the world. Those criticising the size of the stadium need to do some thinking, as Sydney needs a stadium of this size.
There would have been at least ten events across four different sports and music concerts where over 60,000 people attended last year. It is very difficult to design a stadium that fits over 80,000 people yet doesn’t feel like a cavern when it is under a quarter full. This task is made even harder when the stadium is originally designed to hold 110,000.
ANZ Stadium’s major issue is the sightlines. Currently the stadium is suffering a similar fate to the Cookie Cutter stadiums that were tried in America in the ’80s and ’90s. It’s a jack of all trades, master of none.
If you’re sitting behind the try-line, the oval shape means that you are a fair way away from the action, especially if the play is down the other end of the field. If you’re sitting in the upper deck not only does the roof obstruct your view, but also you feel you’re so far away from the action that the players look like ants.
If the stadium is in AFL or cricket configuration, your view can be obstructed by the retractable seats in the centre of the stadium. There’s not much that can be done about the sightlines in the upper decks, and the only way to fix the sightlines in the lower bowl is to turn the stadium into a purely rectangular stadium.
Stadium Australia Operations Pty Ltd will not allow this to happen unless the developer promises that the stadium can still be configured for AFL and cricket. Do we really need ANZ Stadium to host cricket and AFL matches? Not really, especially with the Sydney Thunder’s planned move next door to Spotless Stadium, the home of the GWS Giants.
But ANZ Stadium operators want to attract the best sporting events to the stadium and that includes sports played on oval-shaped fields.
Does ANZ Stadium have a future if a new stadium is built at Moore Park? Yes it does.
It can, and should, remain the home of both the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs. It should continue to host major NRL finals. It should host the Western Sydney Wanderers’ home match-up against Sydney FC, even with a new 40,000 rectangular stadium in Sydney’s west.
If the GWS Giants grow, it should host the Giants home matches in the Battle of the Bridge. And if NSW is hosting two State of Origin matches, perhaps the home clashes can be split between Sydney’s two 80,000-seat stadiums.
These are all suggestions, but it is clear that ANZ Stadium holds a key role in Sydney’s stadium future; it just needs a few carefully considered improvements.
One last note about ANZ Stadium and the common complaints about travel time.
The Stadium is located in Homebush. Parramatta is the geographical centre of Sydney. Parramatta is just 15 minutes west of Homebush. Theoretically, ANZ Stadium is ideally located. It has thousands of parking spaces, its own train station and buses regularly service the area.
Yet people from all of Sydney still complain about the stadium’s location and accessibility. Firstly, the people in Sydney’s east only have themselves to blame as they are the ones that blocked the proposal for Sydney’s Olympic park to be located near Centennial Park.
Secondly, the traffic isn’t that bad, the stadium should be within an hour of most Sydney residents. It has never taken me longer than an hour and a half to get home from ANZ Stadium, yet it took spectators of the Super Bowl in New York nearly four hours to get to MetLife Stadium and then another four hours to get home.
Clearly many Eastern Suburbs residents would much rather head to Allianz Stadium, but it’s not that much of a journey to get to ANZ Stadium. And nobody from Parramatta should be complaining about having to go ‘all the way’ to Homebush if it means their side will be playing in front of 40,000 people instead of 20,000.
The final argument against ANZ Stadium – that there is nothing to do once you get to the venue – is becoming less valid. The area and suburbs surrounding the stadium are now developed, with residents, restaurants and pubs. The atmosphere arriving at the areas surrounding the stadium, even surrounding suburbs such as Rhodes, is fantastic. It feels like a big game is happening.
Sydney is a very large city with a very large number of professional sporting teams, and those teams need adequate stadiums. Like it or not, the NSW Government is committed to investing money in multi-purpose stadiums, not small suburban grounds. This means investing money in ANZ Stadium, Allianz Stadium and a new multi-purpose venue in Sydney’s west.
Careful thought and consideration must be put into this issue in order for Sydney to get the right outcomes. This includes the NRL seriously considering owning a stadium and determining when it is best to knock a stadium down and start again, rather than continually improve a stadium that is very difficult to improve upon.
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