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Record crowd likely for Swans-Magpies
4:21:19 PM Mon 18 August, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
The much-anticipated Sydney-Collingwood blockbuster on Saturday night is set to attract the biggest crowd ever for an AFL match played outside Victoria.
The match will be staged at Sydney?s 2000 Olympic venue ? the Telstra Stadium ? which has a capacity of 75,000.
The venue already holds the record for the largest AFL crowd for a match staged outside Victoria when 54,129 saw the Swans? first ever home game at Homebush against Essendon last year.
However Sydney Swans membership manager Paul Grzanka said on Monday that the Swans? shock win over reigning premiers Brisbane on Sunday had resulted an in unprecedented rush for tickets for a game which will pit the third-placed Magpies against the fourth-placed Swans.
"Ticket sales up until 2pm today (Monday) suggest the 54,000 ground record is certainly under threat,? Grzanka said.
?We are well ahead of the number we had budgeted for to break the record set last year but even allowing for breaking the 54,000 record, there are still plenty of tickets remaining considering the ground capacity is 75,000."
The match will be pivotal to the hopes of both Collingwood and Sydney of securing the all-important double chance in the finals and the chance to host home finals.
Both the Sydney and Collingwood camps welcomed the news that the game looks set to attract a record-breaking crowd on Monday.
"This is set to be the biggest game ever played in Sydney and everyone at the club is tremendously excited," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.
"Collingwood are in top form and coming here with an army of supporters.
"But that's where we need every Swans supporter to get out there on Saturday, both teams are now fighting for a double chance in the finals and we want all of Sydney to get behind us.
"If we can fill the stadium, it will lift the players tremendously.?
Collingwood assistant coach Terry Daniher said he was confident his club, which is used to playing in crowds of 60,000 plus in Victoria, would revel in the big-match atmosphere in Sydney on Saturday night.
?It?s such a big game and it will bring the best out of the boys I think,? he said.
?It will be great to play with stadium packed.?
?The bigger the atmosphere, the bigger the standard of the game, that?s the way I look at it.?
4:21:19 PM Mon 18 August, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
The much-anticipated Sydney-Collingwood blockbuster on Saturday night is set to attract the biggest crowd ever for an AFL match played outside Victoria.
The match will be staged at Sydney?s 2000 Olympic venue ? the Telstra Stadium ? which has a capacity of 75,000.
The venue already holds the record for the largest AFL crowd for a match staged outside Victoria when 54,129 saw the Swans? first ever home game at Homebush against Essendon last year.
However Sydney Swans membership manager Paul Grzanka said on Monday that the Swans? shock win over reigning premiers Brisbane on Sunday had resulted an in unprecedented rush for tickets for a game which will pit the third-placed Magpies against the fourth-placed Swans.
"Ticket sales up until 2pm today (Monday) suggest the 54,000 ground record is certainly under threat,? Grzanka said.
?We are well ahead of the number we had budgeted for to break the record set last year but even allowing for breaking the 54,000 record, there are still plenty of tickets remaining considering the ground capacity is 75,000."
The match will be pivotal to the hopes of both Collingwood and Sydney of securing the all-important double chance in the finals and the chance to host home finals.
Both the Sydney and Collingwood camps welcomed the news that the game looks set to attract a record-breaking crowd on Monday.
"This is set to be the biggest game ever played in Sydney and everyone at the club is tremendously excited," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.
"Collingwood are in top form and coming here with an army of supporters.
"But that's where we need every Swans supporter to get out there on Saturday, both teams are now fighting for a double chance in the finals and we want all of Sydney to get behind us.
"If we can fill the stadium, it will lift the players tremendously.?
Collingwood assistant coach Terry Daniher said he was confident his club, which is used to playing in crowds of 60,000 plus in Victoria, would revel in the big-match atmosphere in Sydney on Saturday night.
?It?s such a big game and it will bring the best out of the boys I think,? he said.
?It will be great to play with stadium packed.?
?The bigger the atmosphere, the bigger the standard of the game, that?s the way I look at it.?
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