Is there a future for ANZ Stadium?

[Orel Puppington]

the pillars/supports on the 6th deck for the roof make viewing in some seats impossible, even for an rectangular event. I say trim down the seats on the 6th deck where you can't see a thing and put those seats elsewhere.

[gyfox]

Thinking just on football terms, I don't think it's at all impossible that down the track we have up to 5 teams in Sydney - Sydney FC (pretty much Sydney City), Wanderers, a northside team (if NSO were done up), a Campbelltown/Liverpool team and a Southern Sydney team. It ticks off the player bases and gives a local footprint to each (allowing each to have the sort of targeted community work that NRL clubs do well and that A-League clubs do abysmally).

The obvious gap is Illawarra.

Wanderers as a brand has traction. I think trying to carve out a piece and calling it Campbelltown is getting way too cute.

We've seen it tried in other codes and bomb. Cronulla were started to dilute St George, ended up with a basketcase. The Woodville Warriors in the SANFL were brought in to dilute Port Adelaide's power base (no pun intended), ended in a merger with West Torrens. The VFL snatched the big VFA clubs to dilute the VFA and we end up dragging North Melbourne along kicking and screaming.

But in relation to stadium requirements, it's clear that what we're advocating for here fits in to "boutique" stadiums far more snugly than that big piece of crap near a train somewhere.

As a person who lived the first 40 years of my life in South West Sydney we "locals" never considered ourselves to be part of Western Sydney and we didn't become part of it until some bureaucrat decided in 1997 to lump us in with it under a Minister for Western Sydney. Historically, geographically and culturally we are different. Separation wouldn't be "cute" it would be following a natural course.

South West Sydney already has a population of 860k that will be 1.3m by 2031. Its economy already matches that of the ACT and is 3 times that of the Illawarra. It has 10k more registered players than the ACT and 15k more than the Illawarra and that number is growing at 4% pa and that is before the rapid growth generated from the South West Growth Centre has begun to ramp up from its infancy. With the airport and projected population growth its economy will be getting near Adelaide's by 2031.

The FFA would be failing in its duty to the code if it didn't have South West Sydney in its plans in the medium term.

[jowel]

ANZ is indeed crap. Fits everyone, suits no one.

In order to improve the rake and bring all the seats in to make a decent rectangular stadium, could consideration be made towards digging down, lowering the playing field somewhat? Then reconstruct the entire concourse.

Similar to the city of Manchester stadium post commonwealth games.

Thoughts?

P.S. The wanderers playing the ACL final at parra instead of a larger stadium was fuking awesome. I was at the game and it was at another level in terms of atmosphere and was the difference in us getting that crucial goal that ultimately won us the tie.

[gyfox]

There is word going around of an announcement about ANZ tomorrow. Does anyone have any idea what it is to be?

[yob]

As a person who lived the first 40 years of my life in South West Sydney we "locals" never considered ourselves to be part of Western Sydney and we didn't become part of it until some bureaucrat decided in 1997 to lump us in with it under a Minister for Western Sydney. Historically, geographically and culturally we are different. Separation wouldn't be "cute" it would be following a natural course.

South West Sydney already has a population of 860k that will be 1.3m by 2031. Its economy already matches that of the ACT and is 3 times that of the Illawarra. It has 10k more registered players than the ACT and 15k more than the Illawarra and that number is growing at 4% pa and that is before the rapid growth generated from the South West Growth Centre has begun to ramp up from its infancy. With the airport and projected population growth its economy will be getting near Adelaide's by 2031.

The FFA would be failing in its duty to the code if it didn't have South West Sydney in its plans in the medium term.

Now now. Nobody is saying Western Sydney is a homogeneous zone of boganry. My points are aimed squarely at carving up a brand. What I call cute is the expectation that a brand can be cut up neatly and people automatically conforming based on their geographic identity. I give you this example - when the Cows joined the AFL they ignited interest in the general population of Adelaide, but they never got to the generation that grew up following their SANFL team first and their VFL team second. To this day that generation will still follow Hawthorn and the like, but they're passionate South Aussies who'll bay for blood if they ever get Origin back. They didn't change teams - because although nice to have one, it wasn't enough reason to change.

As a person growing up in Adelaide for 25 years I put this to you - Adelaide United has a wide appeal in Adelaide. But there's some radically different groups that make up their support base. One group is historically centred on the Torrensville area, and another on the Campbelltown area. Why don't we carve out the Greek bit and call that West Adelaide, and the Italian bit and call that Adelaide City? And we'll improve its appeal by banning them from ripping off flares and waving national flags. New Football.

[gyfox]

The good of the Wanderers' brand and the good of football aren't necessarily the same thing. The FFA is charged with running the code for the good of the code and that often will require decisions that negatively affect an individual club. Expansion is one time that this is likely to happen.

[St James]

Thinking just on football terms, I don't think it's at all impossible that down the track we have up to 5 teams in Sydney - Sydney FC (pretty much Sydney City), Wanderers, a northside team (if NSO were done up), a Campbelltown/Liverpool team and a Southern Sydney team. It ticks off the player bases and gives a local footprint to each (allowing each to have the sort of targeted community work that NRL clubs do well and that A-League clubs do abysmally).

The obvious gap is Illawarra.

Wanderers as a brand has traction. I think trying to carve out a piece and calling it Campbelltown is getting way too cute.

We've seen it tried in other codes and bomb. Cronulla were started to dilute St George, ended up with a basketcase. The Woodville Warriors in the SANFL were brought in to dilute Port Adelaide's power base (no pun intended), ended in a merger with West Torrens. The VFL snatched the big VFA clubs to dilute the VFA and we end up dragging North Melbourne along kicking and screaming.

But in relation to stadium requirements, it's clear that what we're advocating for here fits in to "boutique" stadiums far more snugly than that big piece of crap near a train somewhere.

As a person who lived the first 40 years of my life in South West Sydney we "locals" never considered ourselves to be part of Western Sydney and we didn't become part of it until some bureaucrat decided in 1997 to lump us in with it under a Minister for Western Sydney.

That may have been the case when YOU were a local there. I'd argue very strongly that the demographic that inhabit the area now actually don't consider themselves a part of Western Sydney. Can't say I've ever heard anyone say they are a "south westie".
I grew up in Dundas. We used to play League against St Greg's at Campbelltown. And Marist Parra and St Pat's, Blacktown and Patrician Bros Fairfield. We were all westies then. That was the 70's/80's.
Westies are even more defined from the east now. And, as I said, the demographic is very different now.

[gyfox]

That may have been the case when YOU were a local there. I'd argue very strongly that the demographic that inhabit the area now actually don't consider themselves a part of Western Sydney. Can't say I've ever heard anyone say they are a "south westie".
I grew up in Dundas. We used to play League against St Greg's at Campbelltown. And Marist Parra and St Pat's, Blacktown and Patrician Bros Fairfield. We were all westies then. That was the 70's/80's.
Westies are even more defined from the east now. And, as I said, the demographic is very different now.

I still converse with friends there and the feeling is still the same. 180 years of history does not get turned on its head by an administrative decision.

[gyfox]

The latest grab for cash is out. The stadium will put in $100m to a $350m project if the Government extends their lease past 2031.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/n ... 7126339600

[St James]

That may have been the case when YOU were a local there. I'd argue very strongly that the demographic that inhabit the area now actually don't consider themselves a part of Western Sydney. Can't say I've ever heard anyone say they are a "south westie".
I grew up in Dundas. We used to play League against St Greg's at Campbelltown. And Marist Parra and St Pat's, Blacktown and Patrician Bros Fairfield. We were all westies then. That was the 70's/80's.
Westies are even more defined from the east now. And, as I said, the demographic is very different now.

I still converse with friends there and the feeling is still the same. 180 years of history does not get turned on its head by an administrative decision.

Maybe amongst your friends and I don't doubt this. But amongst the new influx of immigrants who are quickly changing the demographic? They'd consider themselves westies if they knew what it meant. Not south westies.
It's not commonly unknown these days that anything west of the Pacific Hwy/Inner west/Princes Hwy is considered west, and more generally known, Westies.
It's a broad geographic term. If you wanted to argue further.......the newly renamed A3 - Mona Vale Rd/ Ryde Rd/ Concord Rd/ Homebush Bay Dr/King Georges Rd divide pretty much sums it up.
Of course, there is no actual official geographical divide, but ask anyone who lives east of the A1/3 if they consider themselves westies......
Then ask anyone south and west of the Horsley Drive/M7 divide. Majority would still say they are westies, not south westies.
In fact, I've never heard of that term tbh.

[gyfox]

Being a westie has absolutely nothing to do with which tribe in the west you are part of. It is a generic term meaning you aren't one of that coastie mob.

I'm talking about the majority of the people who live in south western Sydney, the 3 or 4 generations that have lived there for quite a while not the new comers. These long term residents talk about Macarthur and Liverpool and Sydney and don't see any connection with Parramatta and those west of it other than when they unite against the other half of the city. An example of the difference is they historically have followed Canterbury and Wests in the NRL not the Eels in fact the dislike of the Eels is vey strong unless the people moved from that part of the west.

[yob]

Video of the redevelopment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11e8XyUBqRQ

[yob]

Western Sydney just means "the sh*t bit."

[Boba Fett]

The latest grab for cash is out. The stadium will put in $100m to a $350m project if the Government extends their lease past 2031.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/n ... 7126339600

Love this quote: "the venue’s top-level seating tiers could be curtained off using a hi-tech lighting system"

Wow - using the off switch is now considered a hi-tech lighting system?

[Boba Fett]

Or this one:

"[the roof] would weatherproof all events and allow the stadium to attract more big music acts."

When was the last time an outdoor gig was cancelled due to rain?