SFS bids for $60m redevelopment

This is the dream sporting venue that has been designed to get Sydney's stay-away sporting fans back to the football.

A spectacular new $60 million roof over the Sydney Football Stadium that will ensure every fan sits in comfort and out of the rain.

Plans to revamp the stadium into an iconic, world-class sporting venue come from damning research showing footy supporters have become couch potatoes and are watching on their plasmas instead of attending matches.

The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust is in the process of lobbying the state and federal governments for joint funding for the project.

The stadium was opened in 1988 and the new roof would be built in time for its 25th anniversary in 2013.

The project wouldn't increase the ground capacity from its 48,000 but would see improvements to general facilities, including new electronic scoreboards, dining facilities and food outlets.

SFS and SCG crowds have fallen dramatically for rugby union and AFL in recent times, while Fox Sports and free-to-air ratings for the two sports have attracted record numbers.

The stadium management is convinced the only way to get crowds back is to improve facilities and the overall matchday experience.

Sydney has fallen behind all other states for modern sporting facilities. Plans have just been announced for a massive new $1.1 billion stadium in Perth and $700 million is being spent on the Adelaide Oval.

Brisbane has the magnificent Suncorp Stadium and Melbourne any number of great sporting venues.

We know that Sydney will host the Bledisloe Cup at ANZ Stadium for 10 years from next year, but the new-look SFS will almost certainly stage a second Test match played every year at the ground where the old diehard Rah-Rahs love watching their footy and socialising before and afterwards in all the Paddington watering holes.

There is also talk the Trust will make a serious pitch to get the South Sydney Rabbitohs out of Homebush and back to Moore Park.