Thanks to sathc

LANDMARKS - The Lake Oval Grandstand
Author: PAUL DAFFEY
Date: 12/03/2005
The Age

Every year, the Wizard Cup throws a measure of attention on to South Melbourne's Lake Oval, which hosted the original night series from 1956 to '71. That original version was contested during September by the eight clubs that missed out on the final four. A trip to the former Lake Oval now reveals little to do with the night series, apart from a few lights on top of the grandstand. In fact, apart from the grandstand, there's nothing at the old Lake Oval to do with Australian football.
BUILT

1926

ARCHITECTS

G.W. Glegg and Morrow

HISTORY

WAS built to replace an earlier grandstand that had been destroyed by fire. According to the National Trust, it is heritage-listed because of its design, which is described as decorative, and for its links with our traditional sports of cricket and football.

STRUCTURE

SAID to be the most stylistically advanced grandstand to survive from the 1920s. It is also one of only two non-symmetrical stands from this era (the other one isn't mentioned). The trust also compliments "its ornamental gables and prominent vents in the form of ridge lanterns". According to the trust, the grandstand serves as a monument to the former South Melbourne Football Club.

TENANTS

THE grandstand hosted spectators from the South Melbourne cricket and football clubs for more than five decades, with Australian football played at the ground until 1994, the second and final season in which Victorian Amateur Football Association club Old Xaverians was based there. The last Australian football game in front of the old grandstand was the 1994 VAFA G-section preliminary final between University Reds (now Fitzroy Reds) and Richmond Centrals, which the Tigers won.

FAMOUS SONS

THE football and cricket dressing rooms were housed under the grandstand. Bob Skilton, who won three Brownlow Medals wearing the South Melbourne colours, remembers Swans players forming a queue in front of the dressing-room lockers while they waited for a massage from head trainer Bill Mitchell. "He had magic fingers," Skilton said. According to the Swans great, the biggest noise to emerge from the grandstand was heard on the Queen's Birthday Monday in 1970, when the Swans came from behind to defeat Collingwood by a point.

LAST CALL

ANOTHER club great, Barry Round, remembers the cheer squad emerging from beneath the grandstand for the Swans' final game at the Lake Oval, in the last round of the 1981 season, before the club headed to Sydney. All cheer squad members wore black clothes and carried black streamers. Several Swans players, who supported the move to Sydney, refused to run through the black banner. Round scored three Brownlow Medal votes in the loss to North Melbourne, enabling him to tie for the medal with Fitzroy's Bernie Quinlan.

RED HOUSE

IN 1987, prominent nightclub owner Brian Goldsmith established the Redheads nightclub in the basement of the grandstand. Apart from attracting an upmarket clientele every week, Redheads hosted the Victorian State Opera's Christmas party every year. During one four-week period, Goldsmith stood at the base of the grandstand and gave a $1 coin to the driver of every taxi to encourage them to return. He closed Redheads after a decade, when grand prix demands proved inconvenient.

TODAY

AMONG the developments set in motion by the grand prix, the South Melbourne soccer club was moved from Middle Park to the Lake Oval site. Since new social rooms and seating have been built to house the club, the grandstand has served no function. It hulks over a corner of the soccer pitch like a slow-witted big brother, never included in the games played by his smaller relatives.

The National Trust's claim that the grandstand is a monument to football is misplaced. In its present state, the grandstand is a decrepit monument to nothing but the folly of moving a soccer club to a historic football and cricket site. The grandstand serves as a constant reminder to bad and insensitive planning.

I've added a poll regarding the Grandstand on the front page, make sure you vote.

p.s. I voted for the Redevlop option. I reckon it would be great if they brought it back to its former glory. It wouldn't be the worst view of the soccer from the stand, not the best either.

I'd love to get Fox just to watch old matches from suburban Melbourne grounds. I never grew up with them but I have a strong affection for the type of arenas they are.

Jeffles if you only saw the videos i have and the stuff I used to tape of the box in them days. Yes they are down in Melb, covered in dust and cobwebs.

Thanks for making me cry Stadiumking

What they did was wrong, they should of fix it up to be part of the Soccer ground, yet they have left it to rot in the corner of the ground. In answer to the poll on the front page they should fix it up because it would look much better than it does now.

I'm sick of hearing that from you. Bloody hell, did you move house or not?

The only thing I moved was myself and 40kg of excess luggage.

So what should be done with that grandstand?

Could they do a Waverley and put offices, function centre, cafe in there. Would that ruin the architectural integrity of the structure?

I'd like to see something done.

Maybe they can have Redheads mark II.

That would be a laugh and a half.

The latest on the Grandstand - sounds like eveyone's waiting for someone to come up with the $$$$. -


Swans swoop to save grandstand
By KELVIN HEALEY
19jun05

THE Sydney Swans are making a last-ditch bid to save South Melbourne's historic Lake Oval grandstand. A high-profile syndicate, including Swans' board member Rob Pascoe and the club's Victorian manager Tony Morwood, has begun a campaign to stop the stand being demolished.

The stand was built in 1926 and hosted South Melbourne supporters until the end of the 1981 season, when the side relocated to Sydney. The grandstand has been under threat for several years and is in disrepair. Parks Victoria has been considering its future, at what is now known as Bob Jane Stadium, for several years. In November it promised it would not demolish the stand for at least 12 months to allow Mr Morwood's group to put together a redevelopment proposal.

Mr Morwood said he hoped the grandstand could be renovated and used as the Swans' Melbourne base and museum, or as a community facility. The Swans' 229-game player and Team of the Century member said the stand was an important link for Sydney to preserve its South Melbourne heritage. "It is a significant part of our history. If it was to go it would be a real kick in the backside," he said. Mr Morwood said he believed Parks Victoria was not concerned about the potential loss of the grandstand. "They don't care, they want it fixed in some way, either restored or knocked down," he said.

In a letter to the group in November, Parks Victoria commercial business general manager Geoff Bray said the authority would look favourably on a redevelopment proposal related to sporting heritage. "I can confirm that demolition of the grandstand will be put on hold for 12 months," he said. "Parks Victoria is pleased to explore the potential of retaining the grandstand as a monument to the sporting greats of old and to work with your syndicate to bring about the preservation of an important part of Melbourne's sporting history."

I lie the idea of a museum but I'd be worried about its long term viability.

If they put a cafe/function centre there as well it may secure the stand's future

There's a function centre next door at SMFC (the Ellas one!).

Shoot down!

I think I'll pass on that.

Amongst all the euthoria of the Swans premiership, etc, forgot to post this until today. It was reported on ch10 news last night that the Swans had presented their plan to Parks Victoria - apparently requires $8m, of which $4m to be raised privately, and $4m from the gov't. Don't really know any further details. The following was in last weeks HUN, prior to the submission -


Save the stand: Chris Bracher, Rob Pascoe, Chris Dow and Craig Meade want to save the old South Melbourne grandstand.
Picture: Mark Smith


Bloods to make a stand
Geraldine Mitchell, urban affairs reporter
22sep05

THE Sydney Swans are desperately trying to save their historic South Melbourne home ground's grandstand from demolition. Supporters are calling on the State Government to make the restoration of the Lake Oval grandstand a priority as they prepare to celebrate a possible Grand Final win at the ground this weekend.

A syndicate, including high-profile Swans officials such as Melbourne manager and former player Tony Morwood and director Rob Pascoe, has been formed to save the stand. Supporters fear an agreement with Parks Victoria not to demolish the stand could run out at the end of the year and pave the way for bulldozers to move in.

Campaign spokesman Chris Dow said the 79-year-old stand had been left to fall into disrepair by its landlord, Parks Victoria. A slogan, "It's Time -- Go Bloods", painted on the side of the building this week, has been the only addition since the club moved to Sydney in 1982.

Mr Dow said the restoration could cost between $4 million and $8 million but the club was willing to negotiate a deal with the Government to help fund it. "We're working on a formula that will cost the Government the least amount of money but we just need a commitment from them to say, we're in and we're a team," he said.

Fellow supporter Craig Meade said a proposal to renovate the stand was awaiting government support. It includes housing the Sydney Swans' Melbourne office and a museum of the South Melbourne football and cricket clubs, as well as charitable and non-profit organisations from Port Phillip Council and junior sporting organisations.

But Parks Victoria spokesman Alex Holt said the Government was waiting to receive a viable plan to save the stand. Mr Holt said there was not an "absolute deadline" to determine the future of the stand. "But if we don't receive a viable proposal within a reasonable time, all options will be explored," he said.

I didn't see the report but heard about it. The premiership will certainly help their cause in unthinkable volumes. creates awareness and brings the South thing more into the open. There was also that fiasco with South Soccer club not letting (or charging a ridiculous fee) for them to use the lake Oval for their Family Day.

Whatever the case, it is clear that the grandstand needs restoration if it is to stay. The thing is practically ready to fall down.