Universal Love Princes Park Update

[bluedabadee]

Mediumsized nailed it. Makes my blood boil every time I think about what my rates/taxes have paid for down here compared to what Carlton had to put up with at Princes Park. The Legends Stand was just an ego trip for the bloke I can only compare with Donald Trump for his bombastic self promotion and ultimately poor and careless business acumen. Hopefully they match each other in their quests to lead their countries too.

 

[LanceRomance]

Carlton has a gross income of 50-60 million, I've taken a home loan out for 4 times my annual income and i'd imagine the Carlton entity is a less default risk than i am.
No reason why we couldn't fund a 50 million dollar redevelopment ourselves.
Only thing stopping it would be planning permits.
That's where the state government would have to come to the party.

you took a home loan out for $4000?

 

[LCBlues95]

GWS, GC and Brisbane would be perfect games for Ikon.

Maybe Fremantle and WCE as well.

Seeing PP on my membership would make me smile again.

 

[Omega Blue]

you took a home loan out for $4000?

House prices are cheap or in the country

 

[Doro]

The club could always go back to its community roots and have a working bee or 2. There might be a reasonable amount of the clean up, painting etc where costs could be minimised- I'm sure there may be some willing to volunteer a little time. Not something we would have considered in the silver tail past, but not all renovation is skilled work.

 

[LanceRomance]

The club could always go back to its community roots and have a working bee or 2. There might be a reasonable amount of the clean up, painting etc where costs could be minimised- I'm sure there may be some willing to volunteer a little time. Not something we would have considered in the silver tail past, but not all renovation is skilled work.

how much asbestos is in the facility?

 

[Brighton_Diggins]

Adelaide Oval 2.0 has ripped the soul and uniqueness of Adelaide Oval away. I'm not a Blues fan but I would be disappointed to see the same happen at Princes Park. I'm probably voicing one of the most unpopular opinions in football, but I just think the new AO isn't really an Adelaide Oval – it's a brand new stadium that could have been built anywhere in the world, but it's plunked on Adelaide Oval's location and integrated about one or two new stands. Optus Oval will never house 45,000 again. So in the world of hope where it seats 29,999 max, I'd be disappointed to see it as an entirely brand new stadium.

For better or worse what's there is there. The Legends Stand is pretty shit. I've been to two matches at Optus Oval – one was in 1998, or '97, or maybe '99, when the Dockers came back and nearly snuck a win against Carlton. I think the final margin was four or five points. I was a little kid but getting kicked in the head with a Sherrin straight after the final siren, on the ground, is my first memory. I went a few years ago for a scratchie. Both times I was in the Legends Stand – the incline is pretty bad. You really struggle to see probably the first ten metres near the city end boundary.

Buuuuut the rest of it is fine. I maintain it is better than Subiaco Oval. I know it's not saying much, but I'm sure that the Legends beats out the best areas of Aurora, Manuka, and the worst parts of Optus would be better than the grounds in the NT, Cairns et al.

I think the Heatley Stand is the difference. For the meantime, forget the café and rooms at the end of the ground. They are far too expensive and dumb to demolish. The hope of a further 7,000 people comes from the ground initially being a success for five or six years, and the negotiation of a new deal. This could perhaps be timed with the buy out of Etihad. Maybe if Carlton can convince a secondary sports team and the Vic government, and get a guaranteed four matches a year at Prinny Park, you'd then knock down the HQ and put in a new stand which backed onto a brand new social club, training house, club shop etc (like the Cats and Kardinia). Even now though it still doesn't look empty or awkward with people standing

I think the Heatley Stand has potential – awesome views from the current structure. It looks so beautiful with the Melbourne sun hitting those red bricks, making them orange and yellow, on a Sunday at 5pm... that's priceless. I think you could do a lot with it and make it probably the lushest part of the arena for a small price. This is a guide to look at to see what I mean

• Deck out the entire lower section in brand new bucket seats. The last time I went, seats from this section, the bottom of the Lygon Legends end, and the bottom of the Gardiner were all torn out or in the process of. This will make an undeniable and insurmountable difference to spectactor comfort. It will also add a more orderly and higher capacity. Also, make sure they are technicolour or at least blue and blue

• Re-fit the media boxes and put in corporate boxes in the place they once were. Corporate spots could also be opened up on the western goal end, ala in the café.

• Half of the top tier is already sunburnt signage and redundant score and video boards. Put one video board in here, put a scoreboard next to it, and then use what's left of the non-seating half as massive signage.

• Use the 'footy festival' food truck idea primarily on this wing. One: there's infinite space on that side. The Legends/Richard Pratt Stand wings back onto a bit too much; barbecues, concrete, benching, and the cricket pitch. That wing side has nothing but green space. Continue the fencing only to the goals of the Legends Stand, meaning the majority of the Legends uses turnstiles, but access from that area can still be made to the food area. This also really works in that the Heatley and Gardiner Stands do not have modern, enough, or safe turnstiles. If you make the turnstiles 30 metres away at the gates of the food area, you ease that safety concern/time loss/antsiness.

Imagine if it looked like this (the old terrace) on that side of the ground... a hive... awesome

Basically, some money, but not a massive amount, could make this a totally unique day out. It would offer a genuine alternative to the modern world of Etihad and the G. Those stadiums are what you want every weekend, but the odd trip to a smaller ground carries enough excuse and rarity to be exciting and hugely popular. You don't need mass demolition and building, and the debts and issues it'd cause, to make this a cracking place.

Adelaide oval still has some charm in my opinion. The old score board is still there and that open ended
part of the ground still has a semi cool vibe to it. Honestly the real vibe at Adelaide Oval was killed in the late 90's when they stopped serving full strength beer. I remember attending a one day game between australia and.... someone. Anyway there was that much craziness going on on top of the hill they said 'never again'. It's never been the same. Security beefed up, too many aggressive f#$kheads looking for blues and just a general killing off of shenanigans and good times.
The other problem is they had to bring the family element from AAMI and reinstall it at Adelaide Oval for the crows members. Fair enough but no more hi jinx on the hill. I've been on the hill since. Not a patch on the old days.But it still reminds me enough of Adelaide Oval.
Probably a more apples for apples model is skilled, simmons, shell stadium.
Thats what princes park could be. My fear is they've perhaps left it a little too long.
But after seeing 19k jammed in there on sunday as opposed to a half drab looking Etihad stadium there's just no comparison. As an Adelaide based/blues supporter I would actually seriously consider coming to a couple of blues games at princes park every year if we had a regular fixture there.
I've only ever been to princes park once, the very last game in 05. Even though we lost I got a small taste for it. Nothing like a home ground that borders on tribal and opposition supporters fear for their lives!
Wished I'd been there in the 80's when the place was rocking.
Epic.

 

[Doro]

how much asbestos is in the facility?

No idea, it would still need OHS compliance etc, just a thought about asking those connected to the club to pitch in as a means of reducing cost.

 

[Silent Alarm]

The Rcihard --att Stand has a serious amount of asbestos in it. Especially the outside.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Most Melbourne based clubs could play most interstate teams there. Lots of revenue for the Blues.

Yep....Agree with this.

Great memories of that ground from 1974-1989....Our move there, turned us into a power-house of the competition....16 years for 6 flags.

And to those 2 Blooze fans in 1986, atop the wing in the old Hawthorn Stand; Who kept telling me & my Hawks mate how Spiro Kourkoumelis was the next 'Wayne Johnston', & was gonna give Wallace a football lesson after half time, but went missing altogether....We're still lolling over it to this day.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

And to those 2 Blooze fans in 1986, atop the wing in the old Hawthorn Stand; Who kept telling me & my Hawks mate how Spiro Kourkoumelis was the next 'Wayne Johnston', & was gonna give Wallace a football lesson after half time, but went missing altogether....We're still lolling over it to this day.

Yeah but Spiro wins the name stakes and had the good grace not to call himself The List Manager right after butchering a list. Call it a draw?

 

[thylacine60]

To the mix.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/what-is-the-future-of-etihad-stadium-20160302-gn87lm.html

 

[HBF]

Yeah but Spiro wins the name stakes and had the good grace not to call himself The List Manager right after butchering a list. Call it a draw?

Nah I reckon Spiro still comes out on top.

 

[thylacine60]

After going to the footy on Sunday the topic of Optus Oval being used for home and away matches has come up again. I would love it, but i was wondering what do people think it would cost?

I am putting $30 million up, which i am just plucking from no where in particular.

pretty generous offer there, dangerous.............

 

[Procrastinator35]

Yeah but Spiro wins the name stakes and had the good grace not to call himself The List Manager right after butchering a list. Call it a draw?

Reckon we're happy about the Tigers 'stealing-in' to sign him ahead of Clarko....Dodged a bullet there.

Still....We do owe him for avoiding Roughead, Franklin & Lewis on draft day.

Finally: Koutoufides>>>Kourkoumelis

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Finally: Koutoufides>>>Kourkoumelis

It is close but Spiro beats Anthony surely.

 

[1981]

Screw car parking.
Part of the fun was getting on the tram from the city down Royale Parade and seeing all the traffic chaos.
Oh for the good ol days.

 

[passmark]

Stop ****ing whinging and get it done.

Weak Melb campaigners.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Stop ******* whinging and get it done.

Weak Melb campaigners.

 

[HBF]

Screw car parking.
Part of the fun was getting on the tram from the city down Royale Parade and seeing all the traffic chaos.
Oh for the good ol days.

I used to get their about 10ish, reserve my seat in the top deck of the Social Club and walk downstairs for a coffee.
Parking that time of morning was very good. Prime spot of Royal Parade if you don't mind.
At the end of the game i'd usually hang around again the Social Club to wait for the traffic to thin out a bit.
Was a long day, but what could be better than spending most of the day at Princes Park.

 

[1981]

I used to get their about 10ish, reserve my seat in the top deck of the Social Club and walk downstairs for a coffee.
Parking that time of morning was very good. Prime spot of Royal Parade if you don't mind.
At the end of the game i'd usually hang around again the Social Club to wait for the traffic to thin out a bit.
Was a long day, but what could be better than spending most of the day at Princes Park.

I feel as though I grew up there, that is how often I went there.
I was lucky, there was a patch there for a few years I was able to go into the rooms post game. That was a treat.
Part of my soul resides there, to be honest.

 

[HBF]

I feel as though I grew up there, that is how often I went there.
I was lucky, there was a patch there for a few years I was able to go into the rooms post game. That was a treat.
Part of my soul resides there, to be honest.

I grew up in the Dandeong Ranges so it was hard for me to get to Carlton as a kid, as both my parents aren't Carlton supporters and there was no way they'd drive me all that way. I started going to Princes Park in the late 80's, and barely missed a game right up to the last once in 2005. So many good memories from my days out there, and I certainly get a buzz when I still go out there now.

 

[1981]

My greatest memory, without a shadow of a doubt, was in the early 80s when the mosquito fleet went beserk banging goals into the heatley stand. There was a patch there, the premiership quarter, it was magical. It was like the stand was going to collapse there was that much energy. Harmes, Marcou, Sheldon, Ashman, Cattogio (he might have retired by then?), The Dominator, they just smashed the opposition. And it always seemed to be the HS and the 3rd Qtr.

It is so long ago now though and one thing that annoys me slightly is I cannot recall my first game there. Would have been 1980 though. I know that.

Remember the dunnies down the other end of the ground? God they were terrible. But it is part of the historic charm.

Bradley's goal and Buzz's mark, they were just epic. I was there for both of those moments.

Gives me a hard on just thinking about those times.

 

[Procrastinator35]

My greatest memory, without a shadow of a doubt, was in the early 80s when the mosquito fleet went beserk banging goals into the heatley stand. There was a patch there, the premiership quarter, it was magical. It was like the stand was going to collapse there was that much energy. Harmes, Marcou, Sheldon, Ashman, Cattogio (he might have retired by then?), The Dominator, they just smashed the opposition. And it always seemed to be the HS and the 3rd Qtr.

It is so long ago now though and one thing that annoys me slightly is I cannot recall my first game there. Would have been 1980 though. I know that.

Remember the dunnies down the other end of the ground? God they were terrible. But it is part of the historic charm.

Bradley's goal and Buzz's mark, they were just epic. I was there for both of those moments.

Gives me a hard on just thinking about those times.

That old geezer, who use to walk round the boundary at every break, with the hessian bag slung over his shoulder, shouting "peanuts, peanuts;" was legendary....Great shot with the bag of nuts too he was....People would toss their 50 cents at him, & there'd be 2 or 3 kids running around collecting all the coins on the turf for him...It's a wonder he never lost an eye.

 

[HBF]

That old geezer, who use to walk round the boundary at every break, with the hessian bag slung over his shoulder, shouting "peanuts, peanuts;" was legendary....Great shot with the bag of nuts too he was....People would toss their 50 cents at him, & there'd be 2 or 3 kids running around collecting all the coins on the turf for him...It's a wonder he never lost an eye.

And he'd always get the peanuts to you with a well weighted throw.