Under 5000 people saw Australia win on Sunday at the Gabba.
Barely 13,000 turned up on Day 2, when David Warner got a ton. Warner looked primed to turn that into a double on Day 3, with Marnus Labuschagne also looking the goods for a 100. Surely that would bring in the crowds? On a Saturday after all, with clear skies. Nope. Same old low crowds.
No camera angle could hide the empty tiers.
And yet, it’s been the same at the Gabba year in, year out whenever an opposition team walks out without three lions on the shirt. It’s as offensive as it gets, and paints the cricket public in Brisbane in a poor light.
Sure, a slightly boosted figure when night Tests have been scheduled there, but nothing impressive.
Even the ODIs and T20I audiences have dropped off.
The excuses that the matches (particularly Tests) are on during school days doesn’t wash. Most of the Australian Test summer is during school time and yet Perth and Adelaide get better crowds faced with the same issues. The fact that the Gabba fills up for Ashes cricket shows this isn’t an issue.
The excuse that the Gabba is a poor facility just doesn’t wash either. It’s not – it’s actually quite decent as Test facilities go. An all-seater 42,000-capacity stadium is a hard find in cricket outside Australia and India. And the fact it fills up for Ashes cricket is indicative the facilities are fine.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Australia also has a phenomenal record there, and yet the people still won’t go? The All Blacks are unbeaten in Auckland since the ’90s and yet they still pack out the stadium even though it’s a foregone conclusion who will win. Funnily enough, the public like to see their national side win and revel in individual successes. Not in Brisbane though.
Perhaps it’s been the quality of the opposition? The purist fan (myself included) isn’t seeing a contest, so why go? A fair question, yet the English have generally provided the worst competition at the Gabba and people turn up to that, but ignore for example a full-strength South Africa in 2012. Go figure.
Can’t use accessibility as an excuse – the SCG is the worst of the lot. People walk two kilometres from Central in January heat to go. Or they abandon hope and drive. The attendance for Ashes games at the Gabba is proof that this isn’t an issue.
No, the Brisbane public have stopped caring about international cricket, unless it’s England, plain and simple. And it’s myopic and offensive to the other nations. They deserve to tour a nation and play at grounds where the public provide more than token respect.
So what should be done? I’ll dispense with listing all the options and go straight to my preferred two – both featuring a stick approach. No carrots.
One is to re-create a broadcast blackout for Gabba Tests, like the way it was less than 20 years ago. If you are in Brisbane and you want to watch the Test, then off you go and watch it at the ground. Blackout policies still exist in the US for football, and in England (no broadcasting of any match at 3pm on Saturday). It’s not controversial and would be an easy test to see whether this lures people from the couch.
If option one still doesn’t bring in the crowds, then ban the Gabba from hosting cricket indefinitely. Ban it until the people can demonstrate a willingness to return. There are plenty of other venues that would love to host more cricket (Canberra, Hobart and even regional venues like Newcastle or Geelong). Huge call, but if this myopic and offensive “I only care about England” attitude by the Brisbane public continues, then take away the games from them.
There’s more to cricket than just Ashes Tests. Other venues and cities in Auatralia know this. Time for Brisbane to be punished into learning this too.
Snow John
Guest
So Moose, you a numbers man, so lets have a look at you articles...... 35 articles worth with only 5 over a hundred comments. There's some with only seven, 11, and look , even a couple with no comments. By your logic, the Roar shouldn't let you write for them. As the evidence shows, it's seems you're a poor performer that only can attrack commenters using click bait headlines and heated topcs. Here's a hint, take the anger out of your writing and people might take you seriously ;).
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
1 week later - a wet Thursday & 30,000 at Adelaide Oval. Proves my point.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Hey spruce, I just thought of something that I don't think has been mentioned. If the Gabba *was* to be blacklisted from the Test calendar, what is your alternative Test schedule for the summer? Especially, who are you allocating the first Test to? Remembering that it appears compulsory to begin it on a Thurs in mid-November.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
They would want to for $1.5 billion - even if a lot of that just went into the lightshow :thumbup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjBjuvyAUTE
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Yes, that's my point. People will go to an event regardless of the perceived quality of the venue if they're interested in the event.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The Ashes have a daily section of probably at least 3,000+ poms in the barmy army and other tourist groups that make their way over for it plus others. Plus more aussies go see the ashes due to it's cultural significance and iconic status.
Omnitrader
Roar Rookie
Melbourne, usually drive over and make a weekend of it. Golf, wineries etc...
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
I'm not convinced the venues play all that big a part in crowd numbers. As has been pointed out by several others, the Gabba is packed for Ashes Tests. So clearly people are prepared to go to the venue if the event is attractive enough.
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's a bloody relief Jeff. I was thinking it would trap all the heat in, being a bowl and all. It's good to see they actually put some thought into the design and engineering of it.
Micko
Roar Rookie
What I mean is: attendances in Australia at test matches are heavily affected by several factors, one of the main ones being the experience of sitting in a huge concrete stadium for 7 hours which isn't ideal for test cricket. And if you want to be a pedant, the point is cricket is played there in the hot period of the year, generally not cool unless in Hobart, or a random cold Melbourne or Sydney day, as their temperatures seem to be erratic. Brisbane, Perth & Adelaide will be consistently hot this time of the year. Look how Auckland rarely hosts test matches, with NZ playing at proper grounds with grassbanks as the crowds don't show up for tests in that Eden Park rugby stadium. That alternative is quite rare in Australia now, Adelaide being the noticeable exception
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
"Tests aren’t meant to be played in hot concrete bowls." 1. Er, it's a summer sport. It's going to be hot. 2. The Gabba Test is usually played in November (i.e. it's not even summer yet). 3. Test matches are regularly played at far hotter locations than the Gabba around the world. Most of the sub-continent venues for starters.
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
I don’t think so.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but Perth Stadium has amazing cross ventilation through the concourses and the "periphery roof" is more of a shade cloth than a metal structure, so heat doesn't get trapped. Plus 70%+ of the seats/concrete are in shade so there isn't the same heat build-up issue.
Micko
Roar Rookie
True, days 2 & 3 still have bloody exceptional crowds for a day of test cricket!
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Likely in India. They’ve played their “home” Tests there against Ireland, West Indies and Bangladesh there this year so far…their West Indies Test (in Lucknow in northern India), starts tonight…
Micko
Roar Rookie
I've heard that the main mass of kiwis living in Qld are on the Gold Coast though, and they're apparently young, dumb and therefore probably not test cricket followers but I could be wrong.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Where would Australia play an "away" series against Afghanistan though?
Micko
Roar Rookie
tomothy where do you "travel" from?
Micko
Roar Rookie
Tests aren't meant to be played in hot concrete bowls. MCG & SCG are exceptions being Boxing Day & New Year's Test, so the community focus on them being in a prime summer holiday period helps?
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
For those that don't live in Perth, Ch7 over here is pushing for the 1st next season vs India to be played in Perth. Similar type of venue. A concrete bowl. Hot. Temps in Perth are about the same as Brisbane this time of year.