Future Developments of Sydney Stadiums

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pOleK

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With the last ever game of AFL football being played at ANZ stadium, there is no longer a colossal stadium for AFL in Sydney. That in mind I began to question, do the stadiums in Sydney need redeveloping for future matches and finals? Obviously the Giants in time would be due for an upgrade, but this might be needed sooner than expected if they are to become the 'Orange Overlords' everyone on Bigfooty are so scared about. Future redevelopments could see capacities for the stadiums as:

SCG - 55,000
Spotless - 32,000

Thoughts?
 
The most interesting question is if GWS were to host Sydney in a final from now on, with no ANZ in play, would it be at Spotless?

If the Swans host there is no doubt it is at the SCG.
 
Bit of a tough one. ANZ had a large crowd capacity but was a tiny ground to play on and obviously the list of spectator gripes was a mile long.

It'd take a new purpose built stadium for AFL/cricket, but it's hard to see that happening within the next 20 years.
 

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I haven't been to ANZ since 2010 but why is the gripes about it a mile long? The only real gripe I heard was related to getting there when I lived at Concord atnd then over its first 11 years and then how slow it is if you have driven to get a park inside Sydney Olympic Park and how slow and congested the traffic is inside SOP. What are the gripes inside the ground that are so different to the SCG or SFS?
 
Speck said:
The most interesting question is if GWS were to host Sydney in a final from now on, with no ANZ in play, would it be at Spotless?

If the Swans host there is no doubt it is at the SCG.
Click to expand...

It is a tough one.

I'd say it would go down like this.

If the Giants have won a Flag by the time that happens, that game is hosted at the SCG.

If they are yet to win a Flag by that time, that game is hosted at Spotless.

If by that time Spotless has an increased capacity say above 35,000, that game will always be at Spotless.
 
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...e/news-story/188deeb3113362865975987867d6d7ce

Sydney Thunder and GWS Giants join call for Spotless Stadium upgrade

Exclusive, The Daily Telegraph
May 10, 2016 2:17pm
Subscriber only

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.


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.



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.”
 
What are peoples thoughts on the SCG as a spectator stadium? I went for the first time on the weekend. Really enjoyed it as a scenic ground, however found staff at ground were hopeless at managing queues to get in gates, we didn't know where we were lining up and then people were walking past the queues ignoring them and pushing in via gates. Poor signage directing to our bay and had to walk 3/4 of a lap of the ground to find a SCG person to direct me.

Lines for beers and food were incredibly long particularly due to a lack of bars/kiosks in seating areas. This was also magnified by their insistence of pouring each drink individually as ordered (quite different to Melb stadiums). Annoyingly also there was limited toilet areas and in fact toilets in each bathroom.

Following the game, there were about 10 lines for buses swirling all over the place and very limited signage or designation of queueing areas. I had no idea where the bus was actually going, just lined up and hoped for the best which was ok thankfully haha.

I loved the SCG as a massive cricket tragic, and fan of history in the game. Just felt that the stadium is somewhat poorly run.
 
JM71 said:
What are peoples thoughts on the SCG as a spectator stadium? I went for the first time on the weekend. Really enjoyed it as a scenic ground, however found staff at ground were hopeless at managing queues to get in gates, we didn't know where we were lining up and then people were walking past the queues ignoring them and pushing in via gates. Poor signage directing to our bay and had to walk 3/4 of a lap of the ground to find a SCG person to direct me.

Lines for beers and food were incredibly long particularly due to a lack of bars/kiosks in seating areas. This was also magnified by their insistence of pouring each drink individually as ordered (quite different to Melb stadiums). Annoyingly also there was limited toilet areas and in fact toilets in each bathroom.

Following the game, there were about 10 lines for buses swirling all over the place and very limited signage or designation of queueing areas. I had no idea where the bus was actually going, just lined up and hoped for the best which was ok thankfully haha.

I loved the SCG as a massive cricket tragic, and fan of history in the game. Just felt that the stadium is somewhat poorly run.
Click to expand...

Aboslutely love the SCG I sit in SCG members which seems well run and has amazing facilities. Great ground for watching the game though. Just like Spotless.
 
I hate it as far as tv coverage goes.
I am assuming the main cameras are in the historical members stand on the wing, and its just too low - they really need to build a platform on the roof (or even behind the stadium) so that the tv cameras can be higher like at most other stadiums.
but going there live, awesome venue
 
I like going there to watch the game, but agree the staff are rude, queue management non existent, and beer lines took forever

Found spotless much better for this (although a much lesser stadium)
 
Wanderers packing out Spotless over summer will be great for the stadium. But even if Giants increase crowds by 50% over the next two seasons, that still won't warrant an upgrade. It will take a few years of averaging 20k with 5/6 annual sell outs, then five years of lobbying/planning/construction so an upgrade is probably 10-15 years away, especially with the hundreds of millions going to ANZ and SFS.
And
Now that ANZ will be rectangular, does the restriction on the SCG expanding beyond 50k still exist?
 
walhawk said:
Wanderers packing out Spotless over summer will be great for the stadium. But even if Giants increase crowds by 50% over the next two seasons, that still won't warrant an upgrade. It will take a few years of averaging 20k with 5/6 annual sell outs, then five years of lobbying/planning/construction so an upgrade is probably 10-15 years away, especially with the hundreds of millions going to ANZ and SFS.
And
Now that ANZ will be rectangular, does the restriction on the SCG expanding beyond 50k still exist?
Click to expand...
They will expand spotless. It gets used for more than just AFL.

Wanderboys were only selling out derbies and finals.
 

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General Giant said:
And avged 15k. Selling out only for their derby games.. lets not mention parra.

Going on your terms spotless should be upgraded as well. Thunder sold out their games and on our growth this year we will be doing so soon as well.
Click to expand...
They played 4 games.

Wanderers play more games in a season than GWS and the hit and giggle combined. That's without counting finals and champions league. Or the Eels.
 
JM71 said:
What are peoples thoughts on the SCG as a spectator stadium? I went for the first time on the weekend. Really enjoyed it as a scenic ground, however found staff at ground were hopeless at managing queues to get in gates, we didn't know where we were lining up and then people were walking past the queues ignoring them and pushing in via gates. Poor signage directing to our bay and had to walk 3/4 of a lap of the ground to find a SCG person to direct me.

Lines for beers and food were incredibly long particularly due to a lack of bars/kiosks in seating areas. This was also magnified by their insistence of pouring each drink individually as ordered (quite different to Melb stadiums). Annoyingly also there was limited toilet areas and in fact toilets in each bathroom.

Following the game, there were about 10 lines for buses swirling all over the place and very limited signage or designation of queueing areas. I had no idea where the bus was actually going, just lined up and hoped for the best which was ok thankfully haha.

I loved the SCG as a massive cricket tragic, and fan of history in the game. Just felt that the stadium is somewhat poorly run.
Click to expand...

The SCG reminds me a bit of Adelaide Oval pre-redevelopment. A hodgepodge of stands where your experience is going to depend purely on where you sit.

You have the iconic Members and Ladies stands - and they are a magnificent sight.

You have the Noble/Bradman and Trumper Stands, which have all the modern mod-cons of a modern stadium.

Then you have the O'Reilly and Churchill/Brewongle Stands, which are really outdated and tired. Here is where you have the snaking lines for food/drinks and the decrepit, poorly maintained toilet facilities (I've seen public toilets that have been better maintained than the ones in the SCG).

Then there's the video screens, and it's clear they went for the 'Oh s**t Spotless has a bigger screen so we need an ever bigger screen at any cost' method. For a screen of that age and size, it's quite low-tech. Remember it was one of two in the AFL that couldn't show a shot clock for shots at goal (though that has been fixed).
 
General Giant said:
And the reason for that is the ground hosts other events as well. Upgrading spotless is needed overall not just for us.
Click to expand...
The reason is that GWS has a set number of home games and the big bash league is 8 weeks long. What other events are you talking about. The Wanderers games at Spotless while Parra is being redeveloped? The Eels and Wanderers host 23 fixtures in a year not including finals and champions league. That is double what GWS and Big Bash have. Tell me this list of other events to make up the short fall - events that average over 2/3 the capacity (in the case of the Eels) and 3/4 /wanderers) to a dilapidated stadium.

Spotless does not need expansion. Its initial redevelopment wasn't even warranted. It hosts 2/5 of * all in a year.

Parra should get the funding, it always should have. It was a hell of a lobbying effort from the AFL, as usual, but it sure wasn't a just outcome when measured against what the actual western sydney residents want.
 
Last edited:
DERIBERATE said:
The reason is that GWS has a set number of home games and the big bash league is 8 weeks long. What other events are you talking about. The Wanderers games at Spotless while Parra is being redeveloped? The Eels and Wanderers host 23 fixtures in a year not including finals and champions league. That is double what GWS and Big Bash have. Tell me this list of other events to make up the short fall - events that average over 2/3 the capacity (in the case of the Eels) and 3/4 /wanderers) to a dilapidated stadium.

Spotless does not need expansion. Its initial redevelopment wasn't even warranted. It hosts 2/5 of **** all in a year.

Parra should get the funding, it always should have. It was a hell of a lobbying effort from the AFL, as usual, but it sure wasn't a just outcome when measured against what the actual western sydney residents want.
Click to expand...
Lots of ranting here.

It also hosts the easter show and music festivals.
The giants and the big bash will continue to grow you would be insane to think otherwise.

Yeah having the wonderboys there isnt a good thing. Hope they finish parra quick.
 
General Giant said:
Lots of ranting here.

It also hosts the easter show and music festivals.
The giants and the big bash will continue to grow you would be insane to think otherwise.

Yeah having the wonderboys there isnt a good thing. Hope they finish parra quick.
Click to expand...
One finals game in GWS history used the existing capacity. It brought the average crowd over 50% of the existing capacity for the first season in their history. You must really love empty seats and no atmosphere to want another upgrade to Spotless.
 
DERIBERATE said:
One finals game in GWS history used the existing capacity. It brought the average crowd over 50% of the existing capacity for the first season in their history. You must really love empty seats and no atmosphere to want another upgrade to Spotless.
Click to expand...


Actually had two sellouts both this year. And with projected growth that we have had it won't be the last.
Thunder have had many more. And the bash will continue to grow.

Easter show is massive

As are the music festivals.

You obviously have no idea about the situation in Sydney so ill leave you to it.
 
General Giant said:
Actually had two sellouts both this year. And with projected growth that we have had it won't be the last.
Thunder have had many more. And the bash will continue to grow.

Easter show is massive

As are the music festivals.

You obviously have no idea about the situation in Sydney so ill leave you to it.
Click to expand...
Upgrade Spotless because the Swans play there once a year.

Meanwhile over 60k are packing in to the Wanderers home derby this week.

But, I clearly have no idea because I don't live in Mudgee
 
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