Opinion Should The Adelaide Scoreboard Be Moved

[WaynesWorld19]

It is heritage listed

Does that mean it cannot be shifted from its current location .....or that it simply cannot be demolished or modified ?

 

[Cole Dammett]

On the Northern Mound there is seating for 3,000 and standing room for 3,500. Total 6,500 capacity.
The Riverbank Stand has 14,000 seats.

If they remove the trees and the scoreboard, and built a stand the same as the Southern End stand to fill in the Northern end of the ground, you'd only raise the capacity from 53,500 to 61,000. Seems a bit pointless.

To be honest the whole stadium is half-assed - I've never liked it since it was redeveloped. Should have been fully rebuilt rather than the mess it is now. Individual grandstands that to see a mate at half time you need to go all the way down to the bottom and back up again? Only for once you get there, to stand outside in the rain / open to have a beer?

 

[secondary]

I think architecturally it wouldn't be too hard to keep the scoreboard and trees while also having a grandstand. Something like an open bottom level that you can see through to the trees etc.
The ground is arguably big enough seating wise for all our uses, but maybe a swanky upper level grandstand could still being capacity to 60k while keeping the old cool stuff.
Let's face it, the hill, the scoreboard and the trees make the oval pretty special.
And I'm all for a bigger stadium.

 

[Slippery Pete]

On the Northern Mound there is seating for 3,000 and standing room for 3,500. Total 6,500 capacity.
The Riverbank Stand has 14,000 seats.

If they remove the trees and the scoreboard, and built a stand the same as the Southern End stand to fill in the Northern end of the ground, you'd only raise the capacity from 53,500 to 61,000. Seems a bit pointless.

To be honest the whole stadium is half-assed - I've never liked it since it was redeveloped. Should have been fully rebuilt rather than the mess it is now. Individual grandstands that to see a mate at half time you need to go all the way down to the bottom and back up again? Only for once you get there, to stand outside in the rain / open to have a beer?

The scoreboard is pretty hard to see from the southern end too (not for me, cos I have Superman vision, but for a lot of people). It doesn’t actually serve any practical purpose.

I’ve often been at that end and been asked by —how can I say this politely — the more visually challenged and advancing of age members of our supporter base (which seems like most of them) “what is the actual goal and points score?” because that format is not shown on the big screen at the northern end, only the old scoreboard which you really need perfect vision to see.

 

[GameofSloanes]

The scoreboard is pretty hard to see from the southern end too (not for me, cos I have Superman vision, but for a lot of people). It doesn’t actually serve any practical purpose.

I’ve often been at that end and been asked by —how can I say this politely — the more visually challenged and advancing of age members of our supporter base (which seems like most of them) “what is the actual goal and points score?” because that format is not shown on the big screen at the northern end, only the old scoreboard which you really need perfect vision to see.

Seeing the play when standing on the hill is terrible also - anything in that pocket is basically hidden if you are under 6ft

 

[Rags_118]

On the Northern Mound there is seating for 3,000 and standing room for 3,500. Total 6,500 capacity.
The Riverbank Stand has 14,000 seats.

If they remove the trees and the scoreboard, and built a stand the same as the Southern End stand to fill in the Northern end of the ground, you'd only raise the capacity from 53,500 to 61,000. Seems a bit pointless.

To be honest the whole stadium is half-assed - I've never liked it since it was redeveloped. Should have been fully rebuilt rather than the mess it is now. Individual grandstands that to see a mate at half time you need to go all the way down to the bottom and back up again? Only for once you get there, to stand outside in the rain / open to have a beer?

SACA's Western Stand, constructed before the major redevelopment, is also way 'unders'. For the stadium to reach its full potential after the construction of a large Northern Stand, the Western Stand would need to be demolished and replaced by a triple-tier stand at least as big, and preferably a bit bigger/deeper, than the Eastern Stand.

For what was basically just a couple of big new Grandstands, the AO Development was friggin' expensive for a physically attractive but otherwise subpar stadium.

You could almost make a case for doing the Western Stand first with some minor enhancements of the Hill (make it higher/steeper/deeper), but the current western Stand structure has some heritage listed arches at the back. Nothing like Adelaide to add token impediments to prevent/hinder further development.

 

[brucetiki]

Are we seriously calling Adelaide Oval subpar?

 

[Crudler]

The Adelaide Oval is unique, especially in cricket circles revered around the world. The scorebord and Mortan Bay Fig trees give it a character that no other ground has. Ive ben to Optus in Perth and whilst its all bright and flashy now, I feel it will be another Footy Park in 20 years due to it's lack of individual character. The current capaity of the Adelaide Oval is fine for 95% of sports events at the ground. We should celebrate our beautiful ground, nothing needs to change. (Except the price of beer!)

 

[Slippery Pete]

Are we seriously calling Adelaide Oval subpar?

I think it’s a very good venue but it was built chiefly as a compromise, so by definition, some parts of it reflect that fact.

 

[Crowked]

There won’t be any redevelopment of the Eastern stand. It is the redeveloped Eastern stand. They built it to retain the old brick arches at the rear and the wall at the front. No way they will ever touch it again (structurally) in our life time. The only future structural development will be at the Northern end.

Heritage listing ensures the scoreboard will in one way or another be maintained. It won’t be demolished but it can be moved.

 

[Slippery Pete]

There won’t be any redevelopment of the Eastern stand. It is the redeveloped Eastern stand. They built it to retain the old brick arches at the rear and the wall at the front. No way they will ever touch it again (structurally) in our life time. The only future structural development will be at the Northern end.

Heritage listing ensures the scoreboard will in one way or another be maintained. It won’t be demolished but it can be moved.

Do you mean the western stand…

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Gabba

Marvel Stadium

Optus Stadium

Characterless, same all the way around, no landmarks, nothing notable about them. Boring. Generic movie theatres that could be plonked down anywhere. Once inside you wouldn't know where you are. Cookie cutter sports stadiums

 

[Soggy2112]

Can’t understand the hate for Adelaide Oval.

Haven’t been to Optus Stadium, however I have been to the MCG and left thinking that the only thing it has over Adelaide Oval was the size, and don’t even get me started on how much Adelaide Oval shits all over Marvel Stadium.

The only valid criticism I think is that it is hard to get from the top tiers of the riverbank stand to the top tiers of the eastern stand, however that is a small price to pay for the ground to keep some character and not become another soulless colosseum type venue.

 

[BrissyCrow]

Get rid of the Scoreboard and in years to come you'll be screaming why did we ever get rid of that. There aren't many like it in the world. You have to keep it.

 

[Redline]

SACA's Western Stand, constructed before the major redevelopment, is also way 'unders'. For the stadium to reach its full potential after the construction of a large Northern Stand, the Western Stand would need to be demolished and replaced by a triple-tier stand at least as big, and preferably a bit bigger/deeper, than the Eastern Stand.

For what was basically just a couple of big new Grandstands, the AO Development was friggin' expensive for a physically attractive but otherwise subpar stadium.

You could almost make a case for doing the Western Stand first with some minor enhancements of the Hill (make it higher/steeper/deeper), but the current western Stand structure has some heritage listed arches at the back. Nothing like Adelaide to add token impediments to prevent/hinder further development.

I think the Western stand would be the priority.

Personally I like the Oval how it is at the Northern end. It's never going to compete with some of the other big stadiums around Australia so I think keep it unique. Also I don't think there is enough demand for tickets to justify filling in the Northern End.

The ground always needs to be improved but I'd keep the current design.

 

[FR0GGY]

I don’t get the appeal of Optus, sure it’s got led light technology, supposedly easy entry and exit.
But none of that changes by demolishing the hill.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Gabba

Marvel Stadium

Optus Stadium

Characterless, same all the way around, no landmarks, nothing notable about them. Boring. Generic movie theatres that could be plonked down anywhere. Once inside you wouldn't know where you are. Cookie cutter sports stadiums

I kind of agree with that, but I think if that was the attitude, never should have touched AO to begin with.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I kind of agree with that, but I think if that was the attitude, never should have touched AO to begin with.

The concrete banks on the outer were an eyesore. Terrible for fans

The old members stand was uncomfortable and set back miles from the action

The Bradman Stand was enormous yet seated about 150 people

They've taken all the good things from the old design and added good new things. Feels like there's history there yet also feels like a modern stadium. It's been done absolutely perfectly imho

The only thing SACA has done right in about 40 years!

 

[Slippery Pete]

The concrete banks on the outer were an eyesore. Terrible for fans

The old members stand was uncomfortable and set back miles from the action

The Bradman Stand was enormous yet seated about 150 people

They've taken all the good things from the old design and added good new things. Feels like there's history there yet also feels like a modern stadium. It's been done absolutely perfectly imho

The only thing SACA has done right in about 40 years!

Yeah. Again I agree that it’s a great venue….except for that northern end…

I reckon our POVs reflect the consensus though. Split right down the middle.

 

[jo172]

Couldn't agree more with Drugs Are Bad Mackay?

Given the combination of the State Government, SACA and SANFL being behind it it's a miracle that its ended up as fantastic as it is.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Given the combination of the State Government, SACA and SANFL being behind it it's a miracle that its ended up as fantastic as it is.

It's like they cancelled out each other's ineptness

 

[Sanders]

It's like they cancelled out each other's ineptness

Steady…

 

[Scorpus]

Being Victorian I do like the MCG and have been there plenty of times but I'd rather watch football at Adelaide Oval.

The appeal of having a bigger stadium is that when it's full, it's awesome. The downside is that if it's not full, it can feel empty even if the crowd is large by standards at other stadiums (eg 40-50k crowd)

If Adelaide Oval was designed with stands at the northern end and a larger capacity, I don't think it would be as good for watching the majority of games that hover around the 30-40k crowd mark (or less for cricket). It would be awesome for Showdowns and finals, but the everyday experience would be diminished

 

[arrowman]

I love Adelaide Oval, I think it's beautiful and unique, not a "cookie cutter" as others have described most modern stadiums.

I look at Optus Stadium on the TV, and I think "oooh, bright shiny thing" and it is a beautiful piece of work, but, well, it is a pretty standard stadium with the novelty value of being brand new.

I think crunch time for AO will be in years to come, when (a) ageing facilities need to be refreshed and (b) there will be legitimate pressure (not just wishing) for an increased capacity. They were able to create a 50K+ capacity stadium without losing the scoreboard / trees / unique character, I don't think that will be possible with a 60K requirement. That's when the real issues will begin.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

I understand completely this "keep up with the Jone's" philosophy .....Optus gets a shiney new Lighting System, so must we

So with the news that the MCG is looking to go solar, to cash in on the "Net Zero Emissions" debate ......I thought about how we could follow them and still retain the uniqueness of our Adelaide Oval



So much thought has gone into this .....and I'm looking to rally support for these changes ....just look at all the benefits

1. We are seen to be helping the Net Zero Emissions campaign
2. We can supply much needed shelter for patrons on the hill
3. AO power bills will reduce substantially, thus reducing ticket prices .....and no longer will there be excuses for cold showers in the opposition changerooms
4. We provide much needed shelter for the Morton Bay Figs from the aeroplane emissions
5. We maintain the uniqueness of the Adelaide Oval .....nay, we enhance the POD

Please take this campaign seriously .....and think of the planet



My secondary follow-up campaign will be to have players wearing little caps with minature solar panels ...will power the GPS units and eliminate batteries ....another planet saving initiative