New stand for SCG!

[vagary]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
Hmm, the thought of Spotless Catering just has my mouth watering, NOT.

Spotless catering doesn't have your mouth watering but i'm guessing neither do the current caterers. spotless lost the catering contract to the scg a few years back.

[penga]

imagine if the SCG trust lost the contract for international cricket to stadium australia, that would mean that we would be the main client to the ground!

piss the cricket off to NSO and stadium australia i say!

[Norris Lurker]

Originally posted by Bart
This falls way short of what they originally planned.

On the positive side, the luxury hotel on the hill idea has been scrapped.
But this redevelopment is a lot of cost for not a lot of extra seats. I don't see the point of it - the blockbuster AFL games can be moved to Homebush, and the cricket's about to head out there as well; and the current SCG capacity is more than enough for the remaining games.
Fortunately I've got a reserved concourse seat, but I guess if the hill's a construction site next year there'll be no general admission.

[Boundary Eye]

Is there room to build stands the size of the MCG stands? My understanding is that the S.C.G. is a much smaller ground than the M.C.G. although I've never been to the latter?

Guys I've been around for awhile and I can tell you it took Sydney winning the Olympics for this city to get a world class stadium. For mine they should have retained the hill at the S.C.G. It had so much history and tradition.

Where's the money coming from to completely rebuild the S.C.G.? Its a pipedream, the same as building a railway to the Northern Beaches, it will never happen.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by lescygnes
agreed about knocking down everything from the noble to the churchill.

ever tried getting out of the eastern side of the ground when its crowded?

years ago, my uncle, a st kilda supporter from melbourne wrote a letter to the AFL complaining about that side of the ground because it does have the potential to be a safety risk, should something unforeseen cause people to want to leave in a hurry. i tend to agree with this standpoint.

Have been saying there is a huge safety issue for quite a while....there is really only one 1 proper entrance accessible to all in the ground....

[j s]

Originally posted by Mike_B
Have been saying there is a huge safety issue for quite a while....there is really only one 1 proper entrance accessible to all in the ground....

There ARE exits that lead out into Fox Studios. These are not normally open but would be used in an emergency.

[swan_song]

Compared to stadia around the world, the SCG is very quaint, but falls well short of what is expected by a discerning public these days. IT's cute having the old green sheds still standing, but it does make the scg look more like a country ground. Its just a piecemeal approach, like most things in this country...why build motorways with only two lanes, then spend treble the money a few years later widening them...no forward thinking, no planning...no water...no decent roads...no decent football ground...but alas I fear, no money! Telstra, to me, just doesn't have it...to me, at least, it doesn't "feel" like a football ground, and with its poor sight lines and obscured boundary, it isn't a football ground...

[Mark]

I sit in the Bradman stand and have no problem with it in the slightest from a seating, access or available amenities point of veiw and would hate to see it replaced.

The catering (foodwise) is of course cr@p, and needs to be overhauled ASAP. The same is equally applicable to Stad OZ though !!!!

The upper tiers of the Noble and Bradman stands provide some of the best veiws of footy of any ground in Australia IMHO. Numerous Melbourne footy fans friends marvel at both the view and atmosphere at the SCG and are astounded anyone would want to move to Stad OZ !!!!

Guess it depends on your perspective really

[peterh_oz]

The SCG atmosphere CAN be the best in the competition. The view is terriffic BUT the facilities are outdated when competing with newer stadiums, AND remember new stands = new boxes = extra $ which can't happen now. However, they need to bite the bullet and do the job properly. A 10yr plan in 2 halves ...

• Remove the Hill & Doug Walters, replace with an extended Churchill-style (or Gabba-style) "Kelly" stand (include a 5-10m extension to the arena).
• Remove the Bradman/Churchill/DallyM and replace with a Gabba or Brewongle-style (prime seating for cricket - no sun in eyes & looking straight down pitch).
• Remove the O'Reilly & fill the gap with the Brewongle or Gabba-Style.
• New video screens at each end (Gabba-style) which could NOT show live cricket from behind the bowler's arm, though the other end behind the wicket could (this could be a problem, remember the Gabba & MCG have them square of the pitch). Don't put them opposite (aka Subiaco) as you can't see them from each end with the sun on it and there's no room on the existing Brewongle. Screens are cheap now - MUST have two!

The Gabba is filled 12-15 times for footy & 3-5 times for cricket. The SCG should be too, with about 55,000 capacity similar to Telstra Dome. Sydney would then have a 40k rectangle (Aussie - more than ample for most of the rectangular games eg Super 12, NRL, soccer), 55k oval (SCG - great for international cricket & footy) and 72k oval / 82k rectangle (Homebush - plenty for Origin, League & Footy Finals, & Union Internationals).

This would be done in 3-4 steps (similar to the MCG) over 5-10yrs, and would be funded by a lot of boxes around the ground (hence the use of Gabba or Brewongle-style stands).

This would leave the ground built CLOSE to the action (so as to retain its views), keep the atmosphere (no point in having 80,000 seats in Sydney because unless its an "event" only 45,000 turn up).

[Chubby Muffler]

How hard would it be to extend the size of the ground at the same time as doing all this stuff you guys are on about? Is it feasible?

[peterh_oz]

Originally posted by Chubby Muffler
How hard would it be to extend the size of the ground at the same time as doing all this stuff you guys are on about? Is it feasible?

Only needs to be 5-10m longer. Probably 10m which would give 7m of "field" and an extra 1.5 at each end for the goal umps.

But I doubt they would - remember it is a CRICKET field. The Gabba can play Wizard Cup in the cricket season but not the sacred (get-ur-hand-off-it!) SCG.

[peterh_oz]

By the way - why do I keep comparing to the Gabba? because the market is similar (ie it is a Rugby/cricket state that has an AFL club) and they did their reconfig only recently, and would have similar funding issues/solving to the SCG. Except the SCG should be larger due to the size of the market (not MCG size though because not only do we have Homebush but we also don't attand sport as much as Melbourne).

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by peterh_oz
Only needs to be 5-10m longer. Probably 10m which would give 7m of "field" and an extra 1.5 at each end for the goal umps.

But I doubt they would - remember it is a CRICKET field. The Gabba can play Wizard Cup in the cricket season but not the sacred (get-ur-hand-off-it!) SCG.

This is my attitude to the SCG Trust as well. They still seem to think that the Swans should be honoured to be playing on such hallowed turf.

Look at the plaques in the area behind the members stand. Despite the game not being played there any more, League memorials are everywhere. Aside from the Paul Kelly race, what AFL statues or anything are in the ground. GET OVER YOURSELVES SCG TRUST!

Well these days, we have a choice. So the Trust better change their high and mighty stance quick smart. (However I do know that leopards NEVER change their spots though!)

I just can't see the Swans being hard-nosed enough to put pressure on the SCG. Sometimes I reckon the club can be a tad too diplomatic with things.

JF