Big Stadiums vs Suburban Grounds - By Mary

Happy Monday to everyone! Again, can I just say a massive thank you to everyone who has popped in to visit the blog. I am delighted that it has grown so much in less than a week. Today was also a very special day for @LadiesWhoLeague as we welcomed a very new resident blogger - Hayley.

In this blog, I'm going to discuss an issue which is important to me and that is the role of the big Stadium compared to suburban grounds.

For the Parramatta Eels, our home ground is Parramatta Stadium. It is a suburban ground which holds just over 20,500 people. I love nothing more than attending Parramatta Stadium to watch the football - when the Stadium is at or near capacity, the atmosphere is absolutely electric. We as fans are close to the action and it is our fortress Parramatta. Parramatta Stadium is a ground that the opposition should fear coming to and while the Eels' win/loss ration this year is not looking too good, it becomes far more positive when you look at games won and lost at Parramatta Stadium.

The atmosphere is not only electric at Parramatta Eels games - for anyone who watched the march of the Wanderers this year, the stadium atmosphere was incredible as the crowd roared and cheered their team on throughout the season.

Over the past couple of seasons, Parramatta has started moving games away from our Fortress Parramatta to ANZ Stadium. Under the Current Agreement, which goes until 2015, Parramatta is allowed to move 4 out of 12 home games away from Parramatta Stadium.

Just to make it absolutely clear - I hate ANZ Stadium. Parramatta's record is woeful there. We have lost 12 consecutive games at ANZ Stadium, the latest loss coming at the hands of the Rabbitohs yesterday.

It is not only Parramatta's woeful record which makes me dislike ANZ Stadium. When Parramatta play the Bulldogs or the Rabbitohs and give away our home game advantage, we are playing at a Stadium which is the home ground of our opposition. Yesterday, there was a chorus of boos following the Parramatta Eels from the moment the whistle blew, particularly whenever Chris Sandow touched the ball. Parramatta's position on the table at the moment means we cannot afford to give away any advantage - particularly to a team as strong as the Rabbitohs.

ANZ Stadium also feels completely soulless to me. Because it is so big, it is extremely difficult to get a good atmosphere, because the Stadium always feels empty. The only time that ANZ Stadium absolutely erupts is when it is at capacity and that usually comes in September when Finals Football is on. The atmosphere at the Grand Final Qualifier between the Bulldogs and the Eels in 2009 was probably one of the best games I have ever been to. It is for games like this that ANZ Stadium is perfect.

This raises another question and it is whether moving more games to larger stadiums like ANZ Stadium is the way forward or whether Clubs should hold onto their home grounds.

There has been meaningful debate this year as to whether NRL crowds are down from last year - whatever the outcome of this debate, it is clear that the NRL is having issues with attendance. I don't think this suggests that a move to a bigger and more lifeless stadium is the answer. In my opinion, the crowds that have made their way to NRL games this year does not justify even a suggestion that we should be moving games away from suburban stadiums.

Rugby League as a sport is tribal in nature - suburban grounds hold tradition and history. While the value of this cannot be measured in monetary terms, its value to fans cannot be understated. Suburban grounds hold fond memories particularly for people who have supported their team from birth until now. Each NRL supporter recalls tight games which their team has won/lost at their home ground. I particularly remember games where it pours with rain and you walk home soggy, wet and freezing after a good night at the Football (always made better by a Parramatta win).

While the larger stadiums have greater capacity, better facilities and more undercover seating - they are absolutely devoid of atmosphere. The Rabbitohs and the Bulldogs have been playing at ANZ Stadium for a couple of years now and have not seen crowds increase to a point where it seems legitimate to justify a movement away from suburban grounds - particularly when a crowd of 20,000 means that the larger stadiums are only one fifth full, compared to the capacity it would be at a suburban ground.

The larger stadiums can also be difficult for fans to get to - particularly fans travelling from the West and from Wollongong.

Perhaps instead of debating whether to abandon our suburban grounds, we should be moving the discussion to the ways that we can improve them.

In the Daily Telegraph today, it is being reported that a $30 billion refurbishment of Parramatta Stadium is going to be announced this week. This refurbishment will not only see facilities improved but add at least 5000 seats. This is fantastic news and hopefully means that the Eels will continue to play at Parramatta Stadium at least for the foreseeable future.

I am clearly a fan of keeping Fortress Parramatta, amongst other suburban grounds, part of our game.

What are your thoughts?

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague