On Thursday night, the Socceroos will play China on a pitch in Brisbane that is undeserving of an Asian Cup quarter final. It’s a scenario that should never again be repeated in this country.
Players, coaches, officials, and even members of the media, are sick of talking about the quality of the surface at Suncorp Stadium rather than the intricacies of what goes on above it.
But on the day of the Asian Cup’s last hurrah in the Sunshine State, it’s worth one last ponder.
For a tournament many thought would be unappealing in the midst of all the other summer sporting distractions, the Asian Cup has been a resounding success. Brisbane Stadium, as it is officially known thanks to the AFC’s unrivalled commercial pedantry, has been perhaps the only real negative.
Admittedly, the patchy turf didn’t stop the likes of Omar Abdulrahman and Keisuke Honda from turning in virtuoso performances at the Milton venue. And aside from the Jordan-Iraq contest, there has been nary a snorefest to be seen in Brisbane.
But the reputation of arguably the best rectangular stadium in Australia has taken a significant hit over the past 12 days. In turn, Brisbane has been portrayed as some sort of sporting backwater that can’t even get the grass to grow right.
For A-League fans, this is nothing new. While Suncorp was once voted the best pitch in the competition twice in a row – the latter award coming mere weeks after it and half of the city was covered in floodwater in early 2011 – it simply hasn’t been good enough since.
As more and more teams at least attempt to start playing possession football, it’s an increasingly significant issue, and one that needs to be fully grasped by stadium operators.
Suncorp ground staff have attempted to come up with an explanation. Apparently the summer couch grass hasn’t ‘come back in’ quickly enough to replace the winter rye grass, and that this unexpected development doomed the surface for the Asian Cup.
Maybe on this occasion the seasonal switch from one to the other didn’t happen fast enough, but hearing excuses that hinge on different types of grass is about as fun as actually watching them grow. Particuarly when you’ve heard them before.
Not good enough. It’s the same old story. Even though clubs like Brisbane Roar pay through the nose every year for use of venues that would otherwise be collecting cobwebs, football never seems to get value for money.
In December, soon-to-be Triple J Hottest 100 winner Taylor Swift will play a concert at Suncorp Stadium. It won’t help the pitch one iota, and the Roar will quietly suffer for weeks afterwards.
Yet it always seems to be in pristine condition for the first NRL match of the year. Never mind that the round-ball game is actually played on the deck, Sam Thaiday needs a carpet to ram someone into.
To their credit, Suncorp Stadium officials have copped their whack, sitting in on the press conferences where Asian Cup coaches, players and journalists have mercilessly ridiculed their work in front of them. It can’t have been easy.
People in China might not know much about Brisbane, but millions of them will know now that Alain Perrin thinks it’s a terrible place to play football and that there’s moths everywhere.
Not a good look, is it? If there is a silver lining to this debacle, it’s that the international embarrassment caused will act as a cautionary tale for those who look after stadiums in Australia.
Offer up crap pitches, wear the stinging criticism. Offer up something worthy, and everyone gets a pat on the back. It’s surely not that hard.
Thursday night’s game should still be a belter. But it should be better. It’s time ground staff finally started holding up their end of the bargain.
etquiroz
Guest
I don't agree. Look at https://desertpeace.wordpress.com/category/adl-hatemongering/
bill
Guest
Great pitch tonight.no crowd
fiver
Guest
Doesn't the opposition have to play on the same pitch as the Aussies. Not sure why Australia gets to use a 'bobbling pitch' as an excuse for losing but the opposition doesn't.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
@Ian Think about this my friend. Go look through all the comments and you will count 12 unique people that have joined this discussion. Now most have not agreed with my point of view (and I can understand that), but we have managed to keep it fairly civil without insulting each other. Not too often that occurs on this particular forum. As I said to you in a previous thread - I'm always happy to discuss issues involving football with you.
Lee
Guest
Sure the pitch needs work, but those moths flapping about in my face at the Australia vs South Korea match last Saturday night, while at first were annoying, became quite endearing in a quirky kind of way. I actually enjoyed seeing them flutter in front of the camera lens watching the QF last night.
Uncle Junior
Guest
But, the point is that whilst 16 million people watching each China match at Asian Cup 2015 is a huge number by Australian standards, it's not a big number by Chinese standards. It accounts for around 1% of Chinese population. The equivalent ratings in Australia would be around 300k. So, it would not be considered a significant broadcast deal in China. It would be categorised as any deal in Australia that attracts 300k ratings. You keep making snide remarks about the authenticity of China's TV ratings data. Someone just provided a link to an article that says, China is one of 54 countries who provide "verifiable data", which is reliable people-meter data. So, China's data gathering is considered to be the same quality as the USA, Australia and major European countries.
ciudadmarron
Guest
It's not its name though is it. It WAS it's name. Then they pulled it down, built a new one and called it something else.
Carrollj
Guest
To be fair the majority of Queensland are not groundskeepers
Griffo
Roar Guru
Well the Socceroos have won 2-0 on the surface. Got cut up a couple of times. Previous match vs South Korea and the observation was that some of our shots didn't appear to hit the intended part if the boot... Would there be more uproar if the Socceroos got knocked out because the surface caused the ball to bobble too much? Not acceptable. We have got to demand better. I hope one day that we don't miss out in World Cup qualification because the ball skipped over Matt Ryan's boot because we gamble with pitch quality. Anyway, makes a nice change from Newcastle's pitch getting all the flak. Just wait until the monster trucks head to Hunter Stadium in March. The same group that damaged the surface 5 years ago. Venues NSW are losing money so more of this treatment for the new surface to come. Could be ruined for next A-League season Lets hope they had a chat with Melbourne staff...
Ian
Guest
Rick - i see you're causing a fuss again. I'm sure your patients would love to know you are focussing on making comments instead of writing up notes about their health. I hope tonight's game was good enough quality for you. I know you usually love to talk about how much you hate the A-League whilst adoring Chelsea and Manchester United.........
Carrollj
Guest
Maybe when it is called Lang Park they will put a bit of pride into there work
Rellum
Roar Guru
The is always one isn't there that has to claim something as belonging to their code or another. It was named after John Dunmore Lang and can we leave it at that.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Everybody gets that, the question is why "Brisbane" stadium when it already has an alternate name.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I am not saying that "Lang Park" is a leagism, it is the name of the stadium and so far the only reason put forward why the AFC don't use that name as the ABC do is because they think traveling fans are not smart enough to read a map or use the internet.
Roon
Guest
Yes, the park was named after John Dunmore Lang, NSW clergyman and later, politician. However,the "code war" reference is apt - the Association Football connection is significant. A little-known fact about Dr. Lang - he travelled to Brazil in July, 1864 and is credited with bringing the 'joga bonito' back to Moreton Bay Colony, where the game flourished and later spread around the world. For this, Lang Park was named in his honour. This link to the world game is also a major reason that both oval-ball codes lobbied the then-Labor government to have the redeveloped ground renamed in 2003.
Rod
Guest
I think the pitch at suncorp has been bad for all codes over the last few years. I don't watch football , but I watch the rugby codes. For whatever reason the pitch has been a disaster.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Stevo To be honest, I'd probably get struck off in my profession. I've been typing a lot of this **** up between my patients today instead of doing my clinical notes.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
j binnie Nice comments. 100 percent agree and it is both impressive and great to see in Australia.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Yeah but Ciudadmarron...think about it. This thread would be fecking boring if we weren't arguing such rubbish. :)
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
No I was specifically referencing this tournament. After all, if the ratings are as huge as what some here suggest then those same people should be able to directly relate those to a substantial broadcast deal. Now I have not heard or read of any Chinese network paying a boat load of money for these broadcast rights. It's the same point I was trying to make at the start. If you can't show reliable ratings data (which I don't believe the Chinese can) then at least show me where these networks have actually paid a substantial amount of money to secure such a ratings winner. You can't have it both ways. High ratings generally mean a higher premium for those rights and something just doesn't add up when people start floating such huge ratings, yet can not show a substantial TV broadcast deal to match it.