Plans for a Dedicated Rectangular Stadium are Dead

[hopep]

So even at maximum attendance for 6 or 7 games - we're still expecting less than 50% capacity in a new stadium. Can't see how thats a win for spectators.

Can't buy a ticket, sell out blockbuster in 25 to 30K seat rectangular - that sounds like a more financially profitable concern to me. And MES could be uprgraded in something like 18 months maybe? or Wait 6 years for a 60K seat oval - no thanks.

[Jamie_S]

Even Melbourne is about to/currently constructing a 30,000 seat RECTANGULAR ground to suit the Melbourne Victory and the Melbourne Storm.

Perhaps Melbourne did deserve the Super 14 franchise over Perth after all!

[jargan83]

So even at maximum attendance for 6 or 7 games - we're still expecting less than 50% capacity in a new stadium. Can't see how thats a win for spectators.

Can't buy a ticket, sell out blockbuster in 25 to 30K seat rectangular - that sounds like a more financially profitable concern to me. And MES could be uprgraded in something like 18 months maybe? or Wait 6 years for a 60K seat oval - no thanks.

gotta agree with that, hell maybe the government's hoping that out attendances drop below 22,000 within 6 years

[AndyS]

Perhaps Melbourne did deserve the Super 14 franchise over Perth after all!

No they didn't, but everything may be up for grabs again in 2010.

[hopep]

Jamie S !
YOU GO HOME AND WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT WITH SOAP RIGHT NOW YOUNG MAN!

We will have none of that "M" word being used on this forum and I hope that is clear.
Most surprised the moderators let such bad language be used.

[jargan83]

No they didn't, but everything may be up for grabs again in 2010.

i doubt they will take the force of us (they better not ) all melbourne deserves is kick in the teeth

[RuckNMaul]

i doubt they will take the force of us (they better not ) all melbourne deserves is kick in the teeth

Sorry to say but thats what happened to the Western reds

would be a crying shame if WA's love of red tape and indecision let it happen again

[The InnFORCEr]

Sorry to say but thats what happened to the Western reds

would be a crying shame if WA's love of red tape and indecision let it happen again

I think the Reds was a very different issue involving Super League, lack of members, lack of crowds etc. I don't see the Force as having any of those issues to deal with at this stage.

BTW - The WA Reds will be back in the Jim Beam Cup next year!

[jargan83]

I think the Reds was a very different issue involving Super League, lack of members, lack of crowds etc. I don't see the Force as having any of those issues to deal with at this stage.

BTW - The WA Reds will be back in the Jim Beam Cup next year!

yeah the western reds went bust due to various issues to do with super league, poor crowd numbers was one of the major reasons and then when the super league merged with the Auatralian Rugby League again the club had 10 million in debts and news limited and the ARL didnt want to absorb the debt so they went broke pretty much, just read in "THe history of rugby league clubs"

[jargan83]

and as a side note i hope the reds go well next year and eventually get back into the NRL at some stage

[Burgs]

For the code and the supporter base to grow we HAVE to have a stadium with excess seating.
I originally posted the crowd figures to demonstrate the total inadequacy of MES in whatever stage of proposed re-development.
It is a totally different scenario than with the footy (and more specifically the Eagles) where people will join a waiting list for three to five years for membership and score the occasional match if they are lucky, but still be loyal.
We already have WA's loyal supporters, we now need to gain ground on that '06 Membership of 22k by allowing punters to "try before you buy" and be able to decide at 4pm on match day they may wander down to see what all the fuss is about.
If we turn prospective Members away because we are playing in a 27-30k stadium then we will have probably lost that punter for good.
People in Mandurah or Joondalup (hell, even Kalgoorlie) need to be able to get up in the morning knowing they will be able to get a decent seat that night without wasting their trip.
I know that using the 60k is far from ideal however, I would prefer that scenario with the capacity to grow the sport in WA while we wait for our own rectangular stadium (as recomended in the report) than to go backwards to an inadequate capacity and stunt that growth.
So long as the RWA aren't too greedy with how they distribute seats (ie ALL Memberships allow for sideline seats etc) then the atmosphere will still be fantastic.
Out of 60k seats you would assume that there would be around 20k per side.
Only open the end seating once the sideline seats are sold out, and even then do it in limited sections in one end etc.
There are far worse venues than Subiaco or a half full new 60k stadium used around the globe for Rugby matches I assure you!

[antiussentiment]

i'm buying a scraper and a concrete truck and i'm off to talk to the midland city council. :-)

[Seldom]

All we have to do is suck up to BHP and get some of the 16.4 Billon increase in profit they made and build our own or get a rugby head as chief CEO, so he can do it for us!!!!!

[Egan]

you cant really blame the force for knocking back the 22,000 seat stadium back as they would lose money due to 5,000 seats less being available.I wouldnt mind being in a 22,000 seat stadium being a member myself. I seem to remember that the government said some time ago that if crowd figures were good they'd upgrade members equity to 28,000 seats.

Not blaming them, just saying that the Government is not going back on the promise it originally gave.

Did the Force tell them that they needed a 35,000 seat stadium when they submitted for a Super 14 team?

No

Who knows whether they would have even committed funding for it if they had asked for a bigger stadium based on accurate projections (severely doubt any funding would have come).

While it is great they got a larger crowd then expected, it is not the State Government's fault that they approved an upgrade based on their projections and now because things have changed they get the blame for taking the funding away.

I do not need to get into debate regarding the views of the size of the venue, because it has been done before. I am not worried about going to the Multi-purpose stadium however.

[Burgs]

Come on Egan, you getting soft in your "old age"