Sydney Football Stadium vs ANZ/ Olympic/ Telstra/ Homebush

[Elfster]

They had a crowd of 32k out there on Saturday night...but what was the atmosphere out there like? having a similar crown at the SFS would have been quite atmospheric (even though Tah's supporters are generally quite quiet). I have always felt that you need a crowd of at least 50k out at Homebush for a decent atmosphere to be created.

And the surface at Homebush is always a little suspect.

I guess there are good reasons for it to be out there - closer to the West (the greater part of Sydney), financial inducements etc, but as a stadium I always find Homebush to be too stark, too large and too impersonal.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

homebush is a dump anyday of the week. There are just so many things that are just wrong with playing there.

- The ground is more oval than rectangular. You are too far away on the sidelines because the stand are not steep enough or behind the goals because there is a whole paddock in front of you before you reach the goal line.

- It's so bloody big that it just sucks up atmosphere. Atmosphere in any stadium is generally crap if it isn't over 60% full. This is not even just a rugby thing, that ground is full maybe 3 times a year tops and the only decent atmosphere i've ever seen at it was the 2006 FIFA WC qualifier vs Uruguay. 32K for a Super Rugby crowd is great in Aus but Homebush wasn't even 40% full so you wouldn't even be able to tell.

- Waratahs crowds are generally come from the eastern suburbs. They have one of the better rectangular stadiums in the country at Moore Park, right in the middle of where their fans live.Yet they reward their loyalty for turning up to watch dour rugby by making them travel to west sydney to see the biggest drawing games.

 

[barbarian]

- Waratahs crowds are generally come from the eastern suburbs. They have one of the better rectangular stadiums in the country at Moore Park, right in the middle of where their fans live.Yet they reward their loyalty for turning up to watch dour rugby by making them travel to west sydney to see the biggest drawing games.

There are about five things wrong with this statement.

I understand the arguments about ANZ, but the following two points are nonetheless true:

- The Tahs get bigger crowds at ANZ than at the SFS. And that's not just because they put the best games out there, they got 25,000 to a dead rubber vs the Brumbies last year.

- It fills their coffers with sweet, sweet money.

This is why I am not opposed to throwing just a couple of games out there every season.

.

 

[waratahjesus]

ANZ pay alot of money upfront for the bigger games. The Tahs are nt rolling in cash and it makes sense to take this deal.

I prefer the SFS, ANZ wasn't built for rectangular sports ad if they had there time again I'm sure they would change a few things. Itsthere though and it really isn't that poor.

The other thing with the eastern suburbs theory that isn't righ though is the fact that people from western Sydney hate the eastern suburbs, there is a cultural divide there and playing a few games in home bush gies a certain way to breaking that stereotype rugby has in sydney and helping grow the brand.

I would prefer if they could work it out, especially with the conference system to rotate who plays out there, but other than that I haven problem with it.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

There are about five things wrong with this statement.

I understand the arguments about ANZ, but the following two points are nonetheless true:

- The Tahs get bigger crowds at ANZ than at the SFS. And that's not just because they put the best games out there, they got 25,000 to a dead rubber vs the Brumbies last year.

- It fills their coffers with sweet, sweet money.

This is why I am not opposed to throwing just a couple of games out there every season.

.

they get bigger crowds at ANZ than SFS because they play the local rivals there. Crowds would only get better they could have easily have got 40k against QLD at the SFS or 25K+ against ACT.

 

[waratahjesus]

they get bigger crowds at ANZ than SFS because they play the local rivals there. Crowds would only get better they could have easily have got 40k against QLD at the SFS or 25K+ against ACT.

From my understanding 30 at ANZ makes them more money than a full house at the SfS, your aguing atmosphere in professional sport. It would be nice but it's nit really a reality

 

[Rob42]

The AFL showed the ideal way to fix the conundrum of basing a team west of the city without the embarassment of a mostly empty ANZ stadium - tip in the money to rebuild the smaller showground stadium next door to ANZ into a "boutique" stadium. Nice to have that kind of dough.

But this is a pretty tired argument. Yes, the Tahs need to break the eastern suburbs stereotype, and most of NSW finds it easier to get to ANZ than the SFS, and there's good money at ANZ, but the big bowl is hopeless for anything less than 60 000 - unless the Tahs can get the Swarmy Army onside. Those guys know how to support a frustrating team in blue...

 

[barbarian]

they get bigger crowds at ANZ than SFS because they play the local rivals there. Crowds would only get better they could have easily have got 40k against QLD at the SFS or 25K+ against ACT.

I dispute that.

ANZ is far easier to get to from the North Shore and Western Suburbs, and not too bad from the city and east. It's quicker to get a beer and a feed, as well as having better car parking facilities.

It's more popular with families for these reasons, and thus draws a bigger crowd almost every time.

Either way it's a hypothetical, but people who rave on about the SFS gloss over it's many flaws. Yes it has atmosphere but ANZ shits all over it in every other category. And that's why it draws crowds.

.

 

[suckerforred]

I must admitt that this was my first rugby experience in Sydney. One think I will say, compared to Suncorp (Lang Park) it did feel a little dead. I was surprised that there were that many people at the game, didn't feel like it. If there had been 32K at Lang Park it would have been electric. Having said that, I would need to go to the SFS for a game before I made a comparison for the Sydney locations.

 

[mark_s]

I don’t doubt that its financially better to play games at homebush but it’s a crap place to watch rugby both because of the field shape (which leaves you a long way away from the game) and also because there are so many crap seats out there. For example, I had “gold” class members seats for the Tahs V Crusaders game two years ago and I was behind the dead ball line on the Western side of the field. I think I could see the SFS more clearly from those seats than the game of rugby supposedly occurring in front of me.

Also, the transport is overrated. Parramatta rd is gridlock before even lowly attended games then there is only 1 car park that is less than 15 min walk from the stadium. Of course I could get public transport, but that’s and hour and a half from my place to Homebush if the connections work well (which they don't on the way home so add on another half hour). I have come to hate attending games there and hope they never play more than 2 tah games out there a year.

 

[barbarian]

Being an accountant I agree with your basic sums - however, the SFS has a better home ground advantage and the Tahs might have won with it - leading to better momentum for the season, leading to better crowds, leading to more money etc

Leading to them winning every game, leading to them winning the comp, leading to Tom Carter being elected as Premier of NSW, leading to the Waratahs getting a $500m grant, leading to the recruitment of a super-squad of the World's best players, leading to yet another undefeated side in 2013 playing in front of packed houses every week, leading to the Tahs winning the Laureus Sports Award for best team and being picked to play Real Madrid in an exhibition game of a new hybrid sport to be played on the moon.

 

[Richo]

The disappointing thing about ANZ is that plenty of members stay home, which leaves the crowd a lot sparser than it needs to be.

 

[Braveheart81]

As a fan, the only upside of ANZ Stadium is that I can buy gozleme before the match.

That is the only upside.

 

[waratahjesus]

My personal opinion is, if your going to a game of rugby and the ground is that big an issue, your watching it sober therefore doing it wrong.

 

[Jnor]

Leading to them winning every game, leading to them winning the comp, leading to Tom Carter being elected as Premier of NSW, leading to the Waratahs getting a $500m grant, leading to the recruitment of a super-squad of the World's best players, leading to yet another undefeated side in 2013 playing in front of packed houses every week, leading to the Tahs winning the Laureus Sports Award for best team and being picked to play Real Madrid in an exhibition game of a new hybrid sport to be played on the moon.

That is gonna be AWESOME!

 

[spooony]

To whom it may apply

Switch of your tele and go down to the stadium ffs.

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

I would be interested to see after the development of the SCG if they become a venue for both Rugby Codes.

 

[Rob42]

I would be interested to see after the development of the SCG if they become a venue for both Rugby Codes.

Historic ground, sure, but even worse than ANZ in terms of distance from the action. SCG also not going to pay out the money ANZ does to attract games. The SCG sees plenty of action during winter with the Swans.

 

[spooony]

Even if you are a bunch of renters its still no excuse not to fill up the Stadium. I mean seriously you manage to squeeze 100 000 rugby crazed nutters into a stadium when Australia plays why is it lower when two Aus teams is goofing it out?

 

[Brumby Jack]

Even if you are a bunch of renters its still no excuse not to fill up the Stadium. I mean seriously you manage to squeeze 100 000 rugby crazed nutters into a stadium when Australia plays why is it lower when two Aus teams is goofing it out?

Because the cuzzy's from Bondi can't see their team play and make up the numbers.