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
Some great points raised Mary which I agree with, especially the point where our crowds aren't big enough to justify going to a bigger stadium. I know that moving games to ANZ have financial advantages for the club but there needs to be another solution. Suburban grounds hold way too much history to get rid of them.
ReplyDeleteOn the atmosphere yesterday, I thought it was probably the best astmosphere's for one of our home games there so far. Only problem it was the Souths supporters making the noise! I admire the way they chant & cheer. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere was still bad, it was just the best of a bad bunch.
It sounds like it was a great atmosphere Hayley, but one not favourable to the home team (us)!
DeleteCouldn't agree more Mary.
ReplyDeleteAs a Rabbitohs member, I attend almost every home game at ANZ. Even for the bunnies who have the highest membership numbers and a pretty fanatical following this year, it always feels like a hollow venue. Clearly, it is a commercial consideration to play games there, but nothing compares to the Sydney derbies played at Sydney Football Stadium (typically against the Roosters or Tigers). The atmosphere at those games is always phenomenal as the ground is much more suited to typical NRL crowd numbers and the venue is located the hub of the traditional suburbs of those teams.
Given that developing a substantial membership numbers is crucial to the overall economic viability of teams, I think it is an oversight to geographically relocate games away from the core supporter base.
Great comment! Thanks for the feedback!
DeleteI find it weird that people always claim that the reason teams move to bigger stadiums is the financial incentive. I understand that ANZ pay clubs to play there, but taking them up on this offer is short term thinking.
ReplyDeleteLook at the Wanderers - they stayed at Parramatta and they built the attendance and subsequently the membership. Getting a ticket to the big games like the Sydney derby or the finals is a benefit of being a member and it builds demand if tickets are precious.
Parra fans know that they can buy a ticket to the big games because they are moved to ANZ stadium, and therefore there is nothing that is driving them to get a membership. It creates lazy, expectant fans. I should know, I've been an Eels fan 30 years and never bought a membership. This year, I'm buying a Wanderers one.
One thing about Melbourne's old home ground, Olympic Park, was its uncanny resemblance to an old fashioned suburban ground. Grassed areas, a big general admission space along one side of the ground, half the crowd squinting in the afternoon sunshine, sausage stands, and no seperate players' entry. If you showed up early to catch the under 19s, you could have Greg Inglis walk past you. And that tall bloke waiting to cross Swan St next to you? The always amiable Ryan Hoffman. Put 15,000 in there and was electric. It really truly felt like you were a part of the club. Even though it was in the heart of Melbourne's sporting precinct it was a charming step back in time.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the same at AAMI Park. Sure, it's all modern and undercover, and the wind off the Yarra doesn't freeze your nose off anymore, we have regulation depth in-goal areas now, and the ground doesn't fall away at the edges (so you can see to the other edge of the field from the front row now. You couldn't at Olympic Park)
But it's not the same. A visit to the hill of Kogarah Oval a few years, having a beer at the Royal then walking down Jubilee Avenue with all the Dragons supporters, and sitting on a rug in the crisp monday evening air was just wonderful.
I miss it.
And THIS is the reason suburban grounds are important!
DeleteI worry about where our Eels will be left while this Parra Stadium refurbishment is going on...
ReplyDeleteSorry, I have to disagree. I am a Rabbitohs member who lives near Newcastle and I love the conveniences offered by ANZ Stadium: easy to get to, easy parking, a million toilets, lots of food outlets, easy drive home. If I had to leave work at 4 and get to Redfern Oval by 7 or 7.30pm, I'd never make it to most of the Rabbitoh's home games. The only thing I hate about ANZ is the 1/2 strength alcohol at full=strength prices. Just wrong.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI remember having this discussion with you about a year ago. I don’t ever like to compare football codes but I think in this case it is very relevant.
The NRL clubs in Sydney could learn a lot from the Melbourne AFL clubs’ mistakes. All of the traditional VFL home grounds are now a thing of the past (not including the Geelong being a separate city and the MCG). This has now resulted in financial costs to teams who cannot get a 30,000+ attendance to every game due to not breaking even in ticket sales and the high prices to use premier stadiums like the MCG & Docklands. Because of this the AFL is now looking to reopen old suburban grounds like Princes Park or Punt Road Oval.
Follow the below link if interested:
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/cashstrapped-clubs-need-the-house-that-jack-rebuilt-20130320-2gfiu.html
Putting all that aside what about tradition and heritage? I’m not from Sydney but is it a shame that such an old and great club like South Sydney no longer plays in its spiritual home of Redfern? In conclusion I think the big stadiums are necessary for big games like local derbies and finals but suburban grounds should always have a place in the game.
Ben.
PS: love the blog.
Ben!
ReplyDeleteI miss you! Thanks so much for your comment.
I think you raise some fantastic points and agree with you entirely. Big stadiums are amazing for games that attract huge crowds - the atmosphere is incredible and it gives more people the chance to go and watch their teams play.
However, for normal rounds, we need suburban grounds. We talk so much about history and heritage, so much of that is wrapped up in our fabulous suburban grounds.
Hope you are well - thanks for your support of the blog!
- MK xx