Groundsmen of Australia, Ange Postecoglou has a message for you.
Keep your grass clipped, the ground flat and your lines straight, and the Socceroos could be headed your way.
Australia’s pathway to the World Cup, released this week, includes its fair share of challenging away trips.
Three visits to the Middle East to tackle Iraq, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates will tax the Socceroos.
Australia has never brought three points home from Japan and Postecoglou has forecast a frenzied atmosphere to play their group’s minnows, Thailand.
That’s why it’s imperative Australia maximises its home comforts if it’s to progress to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Unlike many countries, Australia has no designated home ground and tours the country as a result.
Every mainland state and the ACT have hosted the Socceroos since last January and usually it’s been decided according to which state government chooses to fund their appearance.
For this campaign, Postecoglou has added his own imprimatur.
“I want a good pitch. I can’t say it often enough and hopefully the curators are listening to me,” he said.
“The last thing I want is to go away and play under tough conditions and to come home and face our own tough conditions.
“I want a good pitch and I want big crowds.
“If we get a good pitch and big crowds, I’ll play in Darwin.”
Postecoglou’s plea is more than superficial.
The Socceroos’ passing brand of football benefits from a smooth surface, making it less about the optics and more about the result.
“I want to get any advantage I can,” Postecoglou continued.
“When we pay Saudi we’ll face a massive, hostile crowd. Japan will be a similar sort of scenario.
“I reckon the Thais will pack the stadium inside and out for our game.
“We really need our home games to become integral.
“Hopefully our guys will feel like they’re invincible at home.”
Cameron
Roar Guru
Won't Pirtek be unavailable anyway due to upgrade?
Paul
Guest
You should include Pirtek as a good surface and is not used every fortnight for NRL or Rugby! Unfortunately, the corporate facilities do not not meet the standards set by the AFC for backscratching. The Sheiks can't be get all the free food they want.
AZ_RBB
Guest
It's not that people weren't allowed on to the grass just everyone had to be allocated a seat. No general admission. But you could wonder over to the grass.
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
That was my understanding. Capacity was reduced to 25k because of the grassed areas but people were on the grass areas anyway so i don't know what was going on there.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Really? I thought it was an instant sell out. The lower attendance was due to a reduction in capacity due to afc regulations.
Fadida
Guest
We couldn't fill it for an Asian Cup semi, home nation involved....
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
Hunter stadium has improved out of site, seems to be holding up well with added rugby fixtures too. With 33k capacity i'd imagine it would sell out most matches especially with the opposition being stronger in this phase.
Paul
Guest
Only if the pitch is better than the last time the Socceroos played there. It was a goat track.
Fadida
Guest
Yep, I think Ange will struggle to get both big crowds AND great surfaces looking at that list
Fadida
Guest
After I posted it was about the only stadium I could think of Ben!
Mark
Guest
A few years ago I went to a Wallabies test there against Fiji there in late June or early July. It was -2 at kickoff and only got colder. The poor Fijians were freezing! Certainly not an experience you would expect to have in Australia.
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
I don't know much about Canberra Stadium. Just looked at at some images on Google &, if the surface is as good as you say - for sure it'll be perfect. As someone just mentioned (above), we have AUS vs Saudi Arabia in June 2017. Play it in the freezing cold of winter in Canberra.
Mark
Guest
Playing the Saudi Arabia home game in June next year in Canberra in sub zero temperatures would be a good strategic selection.
Mark
Guest
Canberra Stadium had the best pitch for the Asian Cup and it was also immaculate for the WCQ in the last round. No reason why it shouldn't be in your list.
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
The only decent football playing surfaces in Australia currently are: NIB Stadium, Perth Central Coast Stadium, Gosford Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide AAMI Park used to be immaculate but the turf has been infected with a fungus & it is now a cow paddock. If I recall, the last time I saw a match at Hunter Stadium it wasn't bad either. So, if Ange is true to his word, he will insist the above stadiums get preference for the WCQs. Apart from the JPN match, no reason why this shouldn't occur.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
It is a more than reasonable request from Ange. In Australia, however, it can be tough as all sports share grounds. Just the nature of sports total over reliance on Government funds to build infrastructure. For football there are some awesome stadiums but due to the amount of League and Union that is played the surface is mostly garbage for football. Think ANZ and Suncorp Stadium – the surface is nearly always rubbish resulting in a poor quality contest. The Roar’s saving grace this weekend is that they play first on Friday night with the Broncos following up on Saturday and the Reds in South Africa. The Socceroos should think somewhat strategically of grounds to use during this qualifying campaign. But as we know the usual suspects of Allianz, Suncorp, ANZ will be used at some stage – all grounds which have surface issues. AAMI Park in Melbourne due to the mixture of the surface should be top of the tree with grounds like Coopers in Adelaide, NIB in Perth, CBus on the GC all in the mix.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
I am not sure how many games at Coopers the FFA is willing to play
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Unbelievable that it's 2016 and we're still contending with this problem here. There should be one football specific stadium they play in and that's it, if we are incompetent as a country in guaranteeing/delivering pitches that are up to standard. What's the point in touring the brand if the brand may fail because of the tour.
Fadida
Guest
Any ground that is shared with other sports needs to be discounted. The hooves of NRL wilderbeasts in particular churn up surfaces.
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
In other words he wants all the pitches to be of the standard of NIB, not the rubbish we've had to play on the last two qualifiers.