AFL chief labels Subiaco Oval ‘least adequate’

[blueandblack]

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has labeled Subiaco Oval the “least adequate” ground in the competition as the league continues to push for a new or upgraded stadium in WA.

The AFL has set up a working party comprising of chief executives from the Eagles, Dockers and WAFC, as well as senior members from the league, to keep the stadium issue on the table despite the State Government’s decision to shelve all plans for the near future.

The AFL and the two WA clubs are disturbed by the relatively small capacity (43,000) and decrepit facilities of Subiaco Oval, where thousands of fans are denied the opportunity to see live football due to regular sell-outs.

Demetriou said he could see the reasoning behind the State Government’s short-term decision but remains concerned for followers of the code.

“I understand that it’s been parked by the government, which is understandable given what’s going on financially around the world,” Demetriou said.

“These are difficult and uncertain times, so every government has got to be prudent. But we need to keep working on that issue because at the moment everyone acknowledges that the Subiaco stadium is probably the least adequate of all of our grounds throughout Australia.”

Demetriou said that seating reserved through the sale of season tickets had become a problem due to the limited capacity of the stadium and the lack of opportunity to watch live football could be disenfranchising the sporting public.

“When you’ve got 43,000 capacity and you’ve got a lot of reserved seating being sold and lots of members for both Fremantle and West Coast, it means that there’s a lot of young people that can’t go to the football and pay at the gate,” Demetriou said.

“So we’re actually denying a lot of young people, children, an opportunity to come to the football and watch and enjoy the experience. So we have the potential to disenfranchise a lot of people from a generational perspective.

“We want people to go along to the football. It’s a good place to go along, it’s a good place for families to go. So we’ll keep working with the clubs and the WAFC and keep working to go forward on that.”

Demetriou wants to see at least 50,000-52,000 seats at Subiaco Oval in the near future with the possibility of further upgrading the stadium to 60,000.

PERTH
SHAYNE HOPE

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=138620

[WF2006]

If its the "least adequate" for the AFL, I guess it must hit the "highly inadequate" for Rugby

[blueandblack]

how about "sh*thaus for rugby"?

[pieter blackie]

AFL is just jumping on the bandwagon because they are scared Rugby union might get money and they not

[GIGS20]

If the ground id so inadequate for AFL ten years after the govenrment bailed out the WAFC's last "upgrade" why the hell should we put more taxpayer dollars into it?

Rugby stadiums are far cheaper and better anyway!

[brokendown gunfighter]

just give us the money for an MES upgrade,& the GAYFL can do as it likes with Subi

[Elf1]

Get the AFL to spend some of the millions they have to upgrade Spewbi.

[beige]

Just saw Barnett on the news saying that redeveloping MES was "more manageable"

[travelling_gerry]

Nice

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Just saw Barnett on the news saying that redeveloping MES was "more manageable"

Just heard the same thing! Perhaps a glimmer of hope?

[brokendown gunfighter]

more manageable,but perhaps still no money?

[jargan83]

“When you’ve got 43,000 capacity and you’ve got a lot of reserved seating being sold and lots of members for both Fremantle and West Coast, it means that there’s a lot of young people that can’t go to the football and pay at the gate,” Demetriou said.

“So we’re actually denying a lot of young people, children, an opportunity to come to the football and watch and enjoy the experience. So we have the potential to disenfranchise a lot of people from a generational perspective.

“We want people to go along to the football. It’s a good place to go along, it’s a good place for families to go. So we’ll keep working with the clubs and the WAFC and keep working to go forward on that.”

Fremantle haven't had a crowd more then 33,000 and West Coast haven't had a crowd of more then 38,000 this year. I went and got tickets to Dockers vs Swans the Friday arvo the day before the game so apparently there isn't alot of demand at the moment. Plenty of Empty seats as well

Just saw Barnett on the news saying that redeveloping MES was "more manageable"

I heard that on the radio on my way home. Colin Barnett ruled out any upgrade of Subiaco Oval and he also ruled out any upgrade of Subiaco Oval for at least 2 years, said "the $70 million upgrade of MES was a more mangable project at this time, and frankly that the Government could not afford a new $1 Billion Football Stadium"

If anyone is "selling out" the development of AFL in this state it was the WAFC who planned their last upgrade to Subiaco Oval

and this from the end of this article:



Subiaco is the worst: AFL chief

WA Premier Colin Barnett says Mr Demetriou's comments are fair.

"Subiaco stadium is not up to the standard of stadiums in other states and what we are looking at now though is the rectangular stadium," he said.

"Last week, Rugby WA put forward its pitch for a multi-million-dollar upgrade of Perth Oval to secure the future of Super 14 rugby in Western Australia.

The government has not committed to the project.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...28/2555242.htm

[The Lone Hydrangea]

AFL chief labels Subiaco Oval ‘least adequate’

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has labeled Subiaco Oval the “least adequate” ground in the competition as the league continues to push for a new or upgraded stadium in WA.

The AFL has set up a working party comprising of chief executives from the Eagles, Dockers and WAFC, as well as senior members from the league, to keep the stadium issue on the table despite the State Government’s decision to shelve all plans for the near future.

The AFL and the two WA clubs are disturbed by the relatively small capacity (43,000) and decrepit facilities of Subiaco Oval, where thousands of fans are denied the opportunity to see live football due to regular sell-outs


Hope Fong, Bradshaw, Dorrington and the rest of the bloodsuckers are choking on their canapes.

[jono]

Get the AFL to spend some of the millions they have to upgrade Spewbi.

not too sure about the eagles. but i know that fremantle is one of the only clubs who dont owe the AFL money.

why dont fremantle, west coast and the WAFC pool their monies together and see what they come up with, then the afl might chip in, and the govt will probably be persuaded to come up with the rest, provided its not the majority of the 1.1billion for kitchener park.

how many more years does the wafc have left on it's lease of subi? why do they deserve a new stadium at a different location when they are contracted to subi.

hindsight's a bitch hey WAFC?

[jargan83]

how many more years does the wafc have left on it's lease of subi? why do they deserve a new stadium at a different location when they are contracted to subi.

99 year lease I believe