Sydney Showgrounds (Spotless Stadium)

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Sydney Thunder and GWS Giants join call for Spotless Stadium upgrade
May 10, 2016 2:17pm
ExclusiveThe Daily Telegraph


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GWS Giants star Shane Mumford and Sydney Thunder paceman Pat Cummins at Spotless Stadium. Picture : Gregg Porteous



SYDNEY Thunder and GWS Giants have joined the fight to turn Spotless Stadium into a 30,000-seat international arena that Western Sydney can really be proud of.



The not-for-profit Royal Agricultural Society wants to expand Spotless Stadium as part of a major redevelopment of Sydney Showground’s precincts, including two major new residential towers, an entertainment hub and a performing arts centre.

The precinct is worth more than $616 million to the economy and attracts 1.7 million visitors a year.

There was no money for Spotless in the Baird government’s recent $1.6 billion stadiums strategy — which will strip ANZ Stadium of its capacity to host cricket and AFL and leave its smaller neighbour as the West’s only major events oval.

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There was no money for Spotless Stadium in the Baird government’s recent $1.6b stadium plan.
Around $20 million is needed for the Spotless expansion and the government is being lobbied for help.

“It’s a great stadium at the moment but the expanded grandstand could really put it up there with the best stadiums in Australia,” said Sydney Thunder general manager Nick Cummins.

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley backed the revamp, saying it needs “significant investment by the government”.

When Sydney Showground Stadium, as it was first known, was built to accommodate the baseball at the Sydney Olympics, the original plan included grandstands right around the 24,000-seat arena.

But a funding shortfall meant the work wasn’t completed, leaving a gap at one end.


GWS Giants and Sydney Thunder both call the stadium home and have a growing number of fans.

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Giants players train this week at Spotless. Picture : Gregg Porteous
“With ANZ Stadium being rectangularised we would like to have an oval stadium with more capacity in the West – Spotless is the logical choice,” GWS and SCG Trust chairman Tony Shepherd said.

“As the club gets bigger, the current size of the stadium will begin to become an issue for us.”

Western Sydney Wanderers will play the majority of their matches at Spotless Stadium next year as Parramatta Stadium is rebuilt. Australia is also due to host the T20 World Cup in 2020, with domestic fans of those of visiting teams spread right across the West.

The government is spending $1.6 billion turning ANZ Stadium into a rectangle arena, rebuilding of Parramatta Stadium and upgrading Moore Park’s Allianz Stadium.

Royal Agricultural Society boss Michael Kenny said the Spotless upgrade would be relatively simple and take only 10 months because no new foundations are needed.

A spokesman for Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said: “While Spotless Stadium is part of the 2012 Stadia strategy, it is not included in the current funding allocation.”
 

2014

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commentators recently said they would love to see this stadium packed out, just wait a couple of months and it will be packed out
 

WagonBang

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2014 is a Wanderers troll. Hense the response to him.
Do i think we can sell it out. Yep.

Will it happen? Who knows.
It's true though. If it's over priced and both Swans and Giants have a home final first weekend can see it being hard to sell out the Giants.
 

Thrashor

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So with ANZ stadium no longer an option for AFL, if we were actually to win the right to play the Swans in a home final in the future how does 60,000 go into 24,000?
That is a lot of people to lock out. You would think the AFL would insist it is played at the SCG which to be fair is no different to Geelong having to play big games at the MCG.
The crowd for the preliminary final will be an interesting test of whether the capacity at Spotless needs to be increased in the near future.
 
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So with ANZ stadium no longer an option for AFL, if we were actually to win the right to play the Swans in a home final in the future how does 60,000 go into 24,000?
That is a lot of people to lock out. You would think the AFL would insist it is played at the SCG which to be fair is no different to Geelong having to play big games at the MCG.
The crowd for the preliminary final will be an interesting test of whether the capacity at Spotless needs to be increased in the near future.

Of course it would be unfair for us to host the Swans at the SCG. Completely unfair.

We only play one game at the SCG each season. The Swans play eleven, and have decades of familiarity at the venue.

It's totally different to the situation in Melbourne, where "home ground" advantage has become something of a misnomer. Hawthorn, Collingwood, Melbourne and Richmond share their "home ground" at the MCG. And the other Melbourne clubs aren't exactly unfamiliar with playing there, including Geelong, who played five games there this season.

The only people who think it would be "fair" for the Giants to host the Swans at the SCG are members of the SCG. They've conducted a vicious campaign against ANZ Stadium as an oval sport venue for years. Don't believe me? Read the Swans board - many of their most prolific posters are SCG members. They couldn't care less if thousands of people who'd like to come to really big games are shut-out because there aren't enough seats, and are quite upfront about it. In fact, they welcome such an outcome, because it increases the value of their membership.

Unfortunately, they've been listened to, and the days of huge crowds at AFL games in Sydney are effectively over. As yesterday proved, many fans, and the code in NSW, will be the real losers.
 
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hitthepost

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Actually pretty neutral
So with ANZ stadium no longer an option for AFL, if we were actually to win the right to play the Swans in a home final in the future how does 60,000 go into 24,000?
That is a lot of people to lock out. You would think the AFL would insist it is played at the SCG which to be fair is no different to Geelong having to play big games at the MCG.
The crowd for the preliminary final will be an interesting test of whether the capacity at Spotless needs to be increased in the near future.
The difference is the fact that Geelong play 3-4 games a year at the MCG from memory, and some of them (Geelong v Hawthorn for example) are home games. Giants play one away game at the SCG. But yes, it is only home state advantage that teams earn so it is entirely possible. And to an extent I'd hope that GWS would want as many people to be able to attend as possible.

Secondly, do we know where the Giants' Prelim will be played? ANZ or Spotless?
 

brucetiki

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The difference is the fact that Geelong play 3-4 games a year at the MCG from memory, and some of them (Geelong v Hawthorn for example) are home games. Giants play one away game at the SCG. But yes, it is only home state advantage that teams earn so it is entirely possible. And to an extent I'd hope that GWS would want as many people to be able to attend as possible.

Secondly, do we know where the Giants' Prelim will be played? ANZ or Spotless?

GWS' PF will be at Spotless
 

thegreig

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It's certainly a conundrum... Unfortunately I think the only answers in the short term future is to play big finals at the SCG. Hopefully spotless has it's capacity increased down the track but it needs to start selling out during the season before that can happen
 

McCrann

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It's certainly a conundrum... Unfortunately I think the only answers in the short term future is to play big finals at the SCG. Hopefully spotless has it's capacity increased down the track but it needs to start selling out during the season before that can happen

You would want a minimum Spotless capacity of 40,000+ for a future GWS Giants v Swans Finals game to be played at Spotless.

Barring that, it should be played at the SCG.
 
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It's laughable that there is calls for expanding spotless. What's the demand for it? One game a season and the chance of finals.

How about they consistently get crowds 80% of capacity before expanding the place.
You do onow cricket is played through the summer there for the big bash. Good crowds as well.

Im guessing you know nothing about what goes on up here
 
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How many home games does the big bash side have in a season again?
Well.
We have an ever growing Giants club. Why wait till its bursting?
We have the Thunder who sell out regularly 5 or 6 times incl finals.
But they are also going to extend the season.
We have the EasterShow
We have concerts/festivals on the ground as well.


So theres allot of reasons to bring it up to the 32k by adding the stand.
 

Punt Road Feral

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Well.
We have an ever growing Giants club. Why wait till its bursting?
We have the Thunder who sell out regularly 5 or 6 times incl finals.
But they are also going to extend the season.
We have the EasterShow
We have concerts/festivals on the ground as well.


So theres allot of reasons to bring it up to the 32k by adding the stand.

Ok so we have a club that averages 50% of the stadiums capacity. You'd think the government will take a bit more notice when it rises to 70-80% on a regular basis.
The Thunder had 4 home games in the 15/16 season, all with good attendances however 4 games over a summer isn't enough to justify expansion for a summer tenant. Once the season expands and they continually push capacity again this gives the venue more grounds to push.

I'm not too privy on the info on the Easter Show, concerts and festivals but i'd assume the current facilities and capacity are more than adequate.

When the NSW Government opened up a stadium report in Sydney recently did they mention anything about Spotless? From memory it only had ANZ Stadium refurbishment, Allianz Stadium/SFS and Parramatta.
 

thegreig

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I think most people will agree that now really isn't the time to upgrade the stadium but its good to be talking about it with the GWS and Thunder only getting bigger. I'd say see how the next two seasons go crowd wise for both footy and cricket then plan from there, 2020 would probably be about the right time to start construction
 

mikeg4

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Got my tickets for the prelim, row CC section 250, just wondering how the lettering works as there clearly isnt more than 26 rows. The first few rows of seats look like they are temporary, is this why the weird lettering?
 

Happy Mastenator

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Got my tickets for the prelim, row CC section 250, just wondering how the lettering works as there clearly isnt more than 26 rows. The first few rows of seats look like they are temporary, is this why the weird lettering?
There won't be any temporary seating where you are. It's all built up. I imagine CC will just mean they are row 29. Might be under a bit of overhang from the the second tier, but shouldn't impact on viewing.

Spotless is a lovely stadium to watch footy at (size not-withstanding) and there isn't a bad seat in the house. You might get a touch of the sun in your eyes at the start (if it hasn't already dropped enough by then).
 
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