Swans set to abandon Western Sydney/ANZ Stadium

[laughingnome]

As beaussie says, throwing away a good chunk of Sydney if we play out of the SCG only. It's a @@@@house venue to get to if you live north of the bridge as opposed to Olympic Park which is heaps easier.

???

I take the train from Hornsby to Central and walk 15 minutes to the SCG. If it's raining or you don't like walking there's a bus. If you drive the ED takes you from the Cahill/Tunnel to Moore Park, a bare 200 meters from the car park. Hard to get to?

[top40]

The Australian bid for the World soccer Cups in 2018 and 2020 include the building of a brand new stadium at Blacktown to accommodate 40,000. In light of this news, I believe that such a notation, (despite being submitted to FIFA ) is unlikely.

For one, there is no need for such a stadium in long term, noting that the NRL(the Eels and the Panthers) and Soccer (the new West Sydney Rovers) have two great 20,000 plus all seater rectangle venues located at Parramatta and Penrith. With this redevelopment at the Showground at Homebush, GWS also has a perfect ground.

Second, FIFA will never permit one city to host three venues in a given World Cup. (Hence, the misleading assertion in Australia's submission that this new stadium is located at Blacktown, a separate city to Sydney).

I suspect that the Australian World Cup people still want Docklands in Melbourne as a venue, and hope that closer to 2022, the current AFL establishment will gone, with a new Commission willing to be more reasonable than Dementrio and Co.

[Xie Shan]

I like the current 8/3 split of games between the SCG and Homebush (felt 4 at ANZ in 2008-09 was too many), so when GWS come in we'll play Collingwood and the derby games there along with one other team (usually against a top team like Geelong). True, the SCG is the perfect capacity/size for us now but it's good for us to play at grounds with different dimensions. Even the Cats don't get to play all their home games in Geelong.

[Beaussie]

Lalor goes on to make this claim in his article :

"The Swans have played three games a year at ANZ as part of the deal, ... and the matches have struggled to attract fans".

Really? If he'd done his homework, he would have known that the biggest crowds we've ever played to in Sydney were at Homebush. In fact, the 10 biggest crowds there have averaged more than 61,000 per match, something the SCG can never equal.

Good point. Add to that the superior facilities and public transport options for ANZ Stadium when compared to the SCG. I also wonder what playing all games at the SCG would mean for our bottom line when it comes to the 3 games superpass memberships where alot of supporters appear to take up the ANZ Stadium option.

[Bas]

given you live in surry hills not suprising comment.

It is a long way from the City. Must be a whole 20 minutes from Central by train.

[Robbo]

Isn't Western Sydney a @@@@hole anyway?

[Bas]

Does anyone know when the next development of the SCG takes place?

I remember that Cats game in 96, Gary Ablett's last game at the SCG. It was so packed, electric atmosphere. As was the Prelim in 96 against the Bombers. Sadly since that time it hasn't been close too being that full.

70,000 at ANZ wasn't bad atmosphere either but in the present fickle Sydney market, not likely to happen for a long time.

Problem with SCG is that if members don't turn up or re-sell their tickets, you will have a sell out crowd at 35K. You would either cap membership or leave large areas that don't have allocated seating. Probably make sense to have a cheaper membership without a seat. So if you turn up 10 minutes after game has started and the house full sign is up then bad luck.

ANZ has a grand feel to it but I hate public transport so I would rather drive to the SCG from the Central Coast than go in all the way by train or partial drive/bus.

I'm sure the Swans will play at ANZ in finals games if they choose to do so.

I imagine at the Showground they would extend the part of the field that does not have the present stands. I was sitting in the stand at the Easter Show and trying to mentally work out how it could be done. The present ground is not long enough so they would have to bull doze the northern ? hill area. Do wonders for the Grand Parade at the Easter Show.

It would be great to have Saturday afternoon "blockbuster" games at the SCG.

The BIG advantage that the SCG has over ANZ is the entertainment precinct. You have lots of places to go before and after the game. ANZ is limited and by 11pm, you have to dodge the tumbleweed.

Primmy, the Central Coast is NSW's Capital for Nursing Homes, I can score you a really good deal on a ZIMMER frame.

[Bas]

Isn't Western Sydney a @@@@hole anyway?

I grew up in Western Sydney. Keep speaking like that and I will have to beat you with my desert boots.

[Matt79]

Isn't Western Sydney a @@@@hole anyway?

Swap Sydney for Australia and you might be close!!

[Damien]

I suspect that the Australian World Cup people still want Docklands in Melbourne as a venue, and hope that closer to 2022, the current AFL establishment will gone, with a new Commission willing to be more reasonable than Dementrio and Co.

Not sure any administration of the AFL will be willing to give up Etihad Stadium. It's very easy for the NRL to continue with ANZ and a few other stadiums gone as the majority of teams are at their local venues, but the AFL would need to stop for a min of 4-6 weeks if Etihad was handed over. Not going to happen.

[Cheer Squad]

Good point. Add to that the superior facilities and public transport options for ANZ Stadium when compared to the SCG. I also wonder what playing all games at the SCG would mean for our bottom line when it comes to the 3 games superpass memberships where alot of supporters appear to take up the ANZ Stadium option.

It would be commercially senseless to abandon these people to Team GWS. I don't think the club would do it. In fact, I think the club sees the arrival of the Team GWS as an opportunity to grow our membership out west, riding off the back of the AFL's promotional dollars.

Having had such success with huge crowds at Homebush, it makes no sense to return to the pre-premiership era of the SCG.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

The article doesn't specifically say that the Swans won't play any more matches at ANZ, only that they are free from contractual obligations to do so. You would imagine that for blockbusters like the Collingwood game, they would still have to play at ANZ, because the crowds they draw for those matches are greater than the capacity of the SCG.

They would be silly to abandon what has been a sucessful marketing ploy. I think 3 blockbuster games at Homebush is enough. The Pies game alone draws up to 60000 at times.

If the SCG could be expanded to 50000, then we could talk about maybe on playing 1-2 games out there. But until then NOT playing games at Homebush would be ill-advised by the club.

JF

[nicko18]

???

I take the train from Hornsby to Central and walk 15 minutes to the SCG. If it's raining or you don't like walking there's a bus. If you drive the ED takes you from the Cahill/Tunnel to Moore Park, a bare 200 meters from the car park. Hard to get to?

15 minutes if your powerwalking up those hills.

Whereas you have to catch 3 separate buses if you commute to the SCG on public transport (takes 90 minutes at least from the Northern Beaches) or pay $20 to park on the grass as well as the harbour tunnel/eastern distributor, there is a single special event bus service to ANZ stadium which is free to swans games which stops 100m from the gates. Also the shuttle bus from the Wharf to the stadium is free, unlike the $3.20 shuttle from Central to the SCG

[laughingnome]

The public transport thing I do wonder about, granted. I don't know why it isn't free to the SCG. And I'll grant you that the Northern Beaches have never seen decent public transport and probably never will thanks to a combination of NIMBY'S, political give/take and a lack of funding. Guess I should put off those thoughts about buying in Dee Why, heh? Kudos for making the trek though, it sounds arduos :s

[happy]

1. homebush sucks (whoever sponsors it)
2. good riddance
3. did I say homebush sucks?
4. that is all ...