News Simonds Stadium stage 3 redevelopment - Players Stand, big screen and new lights

[SJ]

Re: $25 mil boost for Skilled Stadium

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/04/11/253171_news.html

Work will include the replacement of the Doug Wade Stand to incorporate improved spectator facilities, 3800 extra seats and a community and wellness and education facility.

The club is still working through a detailed plan, but the preliminary concept shows design of new stand in keeping with the Premiership Stand, with two tiers of seating and a continuation of the the accordion-style roof.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/04/11/253171_news.html

Very happy with that.

Also note that lighting is not a part of these Stage 3 plans.

 

[Cataholic]

Re: $25 mil boost for Skilled Stadium

I don't think lights need to be on towers to be effective (perhaps other solutions).

Would love to see night football at the cattery

Am I mistaken in thinking I've seen a stadium somewhere with the lights incorporated in the leading edge (ie eaves) of the roof-line?

That might be a solution, although there could be an issue with angles, eyeline etc.

 

[Cats Eye]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

Would have prefered an upgrade that allows us to have our fair share of home games.... and by that I mean 11, as well as have home finals. The funny thing is though that even if we did an upgrade to take the capacity to 50,000, I still dont think the afl would give us 11 home games and finals. I really wish that sometimes GFC would stand up for themselves and their supporters a bit more than what they do. Still, well done Geelong, any improvement is better than none.

 

[vinum coupe]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

Costa said they want 3 at the G.
Most likely against Collingwood, Hawthorn and Essendon

 

[Turbocat]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

While the AFL has these min games venue contracts it will make it very difficult to get extra games. For instance , we played Freo at the G in the finals well that means extra games thru the year at the Dome.

Really , is it worth the hassle of finding spots for people for what is probably only 7 games. Maybe a year at the Dome/G and a few games sold to place that are willing to pay huge dollars would be in our interest long term. The Dogs and others are getting upwards of 1/2 a Million a game.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Re: $25 mil boost for Skilled Stadium

Costa was on 3aw yesterday.

The club has given him the role to get the stadium sorted.
He said the Wade stand will go and the new stand will be ready for the beginning of 2013.

And they then want 8 games to be the standard fixture.

He said lights were the top priority.

This is due to the fact that they believe Geelong will almost definitely get a T20 team and he thinks one day an A league team.
He said they must get the lights to ensure they can secure a T20 franchise.

He said after the lights that the Ablett terrace area would become the priority. But that is an 80 million dollar project.

And then they want 9 games as standard

They'll have to put out the tender pretty darn soon then.

I still reckon lights will be an issue, both in terms of where they go space wise, and you can bet local residents will (annoyingly) complain. But I hope they get them done, because night footy at skilled will be great (and will potentially help us get more games at skilled).

 

[Saint]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

I think you'd need lights around the ground to be consistent as the main thing to avoid dark or brighter patches.

The MCG has towers spaced evenly around the ground. Etihad has lights around the rim of the roof.

At Skilled it would seem to have to be a mix of the two, given there is no cover on the northern end (I haven't been there in a while). Also, the rooves are all spaced differently around the ground(relative to the playing area).

I'm sure a clever lighting design could sort it out, but obviously not as straightforward as other grounds.

Love seeing the development of football grounds. Hopefully the Bombers can have a game back in Geelong soon.

 

[jim boy]

Re: $25 mil boost for Skilled Stadium

I still reckon lights will be an issue, both in terms of where they go space wise, and you can bet local residents will (annoyingly) complain. But I hope they get them done, because night footy at skilled will be great (and will potentially help us get more games at skilled).

I believe that the intention is to use the lights more for late-afternoon matches. With the new tv rights expected to mean alot more matches starting at 3pm, we would need lights even for that relatively early time.

 

[Berankis]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

Etihad have lights quite close to ground they aren't 50m into the sky , taken it is indoors.

 

[topic97]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

Etihad have lights quite close to ground they aren't 50m into the sky , taken it is indoors.

Yeah, plus the fact that docklands is a real coliseum type stadium so the upper roofline isnt too far back from the ground - whereas KP is more a traditional type stadium where the stands slop back more.

I gather the lighting issues is with the moorabool st side that runs right along the road?
Surely they could mount light towers on the ramps for the reg hickey stand and then have "booster" lights on the eves of that stand?
There is plenty of room for proper towers around the rest of the ground.

 

[Copernicus]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

About the lights - surprised this has not been mentioned yet?

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/05/15/258031_news.html

I guess it's just a bid at this point, so nothing concrete, but a chance we will actually see funding for lights come through sometime soon.

 

[bingle]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

About the lights - surprised this has not been mentioned yet?

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/05/15/258031_news.html

I guess it's just a bid at this point, so nothing concrete, but a chance we will actually see funding for lights come through sometime soon.

Geelong's bid was lodged on Friday and includes $9 million to install AFL and international cricket standard lighting at Skilled, and $6 million to deliver a sports museum, permanent broadcast screens, improved food and beverage facilities for spectators, an upgrade to existing education centre plans, and a long room-style members' lounge

i thought the members lounge was a part of the original grant, unless this is in addition to the plans for a members lounge in the new stand

 

[CF]

Re: Skilled Stadium $25m upgrade green light

that's good news as having lights will make a big impact on the ground. More home games for us which is important for the clubs financial future.

 

[SJ]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

For some reason I missed this last week

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/cats-keeping-seven-home-games/story-e6frf9io-1226121748822

GEELONG will still have seven home games in 2012 despite extensive stadium redevelopment that will increase capacity from 24,000 to 34,500.
CEO Brian Cook said this morning that next season “will be a tough year” as the club plans to redevelop the Doug Wade Stand beginning this November.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/cats-keeping-seven-home-games/story-e6frf9io-1226121748822

Really want to have eight, sick of playing one at Etihad for no reason.

 

[alfy!]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

34,500 is pretty decent. When does it get finished?

As is the projected 40,000 in the future.

 

[S for September]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

40k is way too big for geelong.

 

[topic97]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

40k is way too big for geelong.

Yes but then we become able to lease out the stadium to teams like Bulldogs and Kangaroos for their home games instead of them getting raped by dud deals with the docklands.

It may even mean that we get to play more games at skilled that aren't directly classed as home games for us!!

And where do you think the extra revenue goes for those games?

 

[Copernicus]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

40k is way too big for geelong.

You reckon?

I dunno, I think it's a good size. I am sure against Freo or Port we wont come close to filling it unless Gary Ablett III is taking speckies and kicking bags, but if we are serious about playing all our home games AT HOME, then that is a good size that can accommodate the bigger teams. Probably not many of their fans, but after all that is the point of having a home ground.

We got 26,000 to a Sydney game and that is pretty well chockers, and I am sure there are plenty of other people who would like to have the opportunity to purchase reserved seats and the like.

 

[Ozzie72]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

I think 40k is perfect for the size of Geelong. I know myself and alot of other people don't really bother to goto Skilled anymore cause it is usually sold out. You also got to look at the population growth in Geelong to realise there will be more people who will support Geelong and want to see their team play in their home town.

 

[Turbocat]

Maybe Im just a bit older than a lot on here , but once upon a time we could get 40,000 into KP and that was when the population of Geelong was a lot less.

Admittedly thing's change, peoples taste for one. 40,000 would have had a heck of a lot standing , add to that the cost of seating , every game broadcast , the big games being up in Melbourne and so many more interstate teams and 40,000 now would take a lot of work to fill.

But thats OK. Geelong is growing and they should think where they want to be in 20 years time instead of purely responding to todays environment.

 

[The rabbi]

Maybe Im just a bit older than a lot on here ,

That probably a good bet.

...but once upon a time we could get 40,000 into KP and that was when the population of Geelong was a lot less.

In 1952 when the Cats played Carltank at K'Park they managed to squeeze 49,109 into the ground. Imagine the atmosphere.

 

[Turbocat]

That probably a good bet.
..
In 1952 when the Cats played Carltank at K'Park they managed to squeeze 49,109 into the ground. Imagine the atmosphere.

Imagine the inability to move , 1952 is just a little too long ago for me Rabbi but before they built the Wade nee Hickey pretty sure they could get those sort of crowds.

Early to mid 80's crowds would be in the mid 30's and I can say a crowd in the 30's was more than enough to be rather difficult to move , slip out and buy a burger or beer or what follows the beer.

From memory there was on game against North where there was around 35,000 and at the start and then the rain came that hard that there was only about a couple thousand left by 1/2 time.

 

[AM]

The larger capacity gives the club more leverage with the AFL in its attempts to get more games down the highway, especially against other Melbourne based sides. Home games are real money spinners for the club.

Added to that I think the bigger picture is that the stadium, when entirely finished, will become multi purpose along the lines of Etihad.

 

[jim boy]

Maybe Im just a bit older than a lot on here , but once upon a time we could get 40,000 into KP and that was when the population of Geelong was a lot less.

Very rare - I did attend such a match of 42,000 in the early 80's, wasn't really a great experience.

I reckon 40,000 that is about right. I'm one of those who would go to KP alot more if I was fairly certain I would get into the ground. Would like to see 10-11 matches there a year, including the likes of Essendon and Collingwood. Would be a fantastic atmosphere which Geelong is continually robbed of.

I don't see why teams like Gold Coast get all their matches at their own home ground where they are closer to the Gabba than KP is close to Docklands or the MCG.

 

[Cats Eye]

Re: Massive news coming out of the Cattery this morning. Stay tuned!

40k is way too big for geelong.

Crap, we would get 40k to a Geelong vs Bulldogs game down at skilled stadium (even with the bulldogs low member numbers) let alone when we play the likes of essendon, richmond, saints.

I think 40k or just over would be a perfect capacity to have for Geelong. It would also give us the right to finally host a home final, can you imagine what that would be like..................mmmmmmmmmmmmm......... licks lips.