Memo to Canberra's sports administrators. Get out of your heated box and go sit in the stands

Well I was shocked when I rocked up last night and they wanted $38 for the cheapest seats! I paid $60 for the test match and had better seats. Funny thing was they’d clearly given a few freebies out and as we were about to pay, a guy offered us 4 free tickets, which were better than the best they could sell us! It wasn’t that long ago the tickets were $20-25. I think they were $33 last year and less the year before. Foxtel is suddenly cheap when you factor in the brumbies, raiders and anything else.

For those not in the know, the new stadium will be rectangular because otherwise the roof structure probably doesn’t work for an oval. Its like a big plastic greenhouse. Look for photos for of the stadium in Dunedin the Highlanders use in the super rugby.

There were a couple of seasons as a Raiders member where I went to every single game. It was bloody awful. Bruce Stadium is an irrelevant concrete wasteland, and it is 100% the reason that the Raiders lost at least 1 member.

As a fan of different codes, I’m fortunate enough to get to other cities to view sport – and yet, I will no longer go in Canberra. It is literally the worst “major” stadium on the mainland eastern seaboard, and I won’t get hypothermia watching Fox Sports.

You would think that in a place like Canberra you would a) build in some sort of wind protection, b) have a much higher proportion of seating under cover, and c) not make the thing entirely of concrete making it like an ice bath. I couldn’t tell you how many times I came home from a night game not only freezing cold, but damp from the falling dew.

The time has come. I know the ACT budget is fairly perilous at the moment, but Canberra is a major city, and just like roads that not everyone uses, bike paths that not everyone uses, public transport that not everyone uses, schools that not everyone uses and hospitals that not everyone uses, a stadium that allows sporting teams to attract tourists and to put your city on the map should be considered infrastructure that is a perfectly acceptable use of public funds. Especially when the current one is ancient and not fit for purpose. (For the record, I don’t accept the need to wait for a whole city to lake development. It’s proximity to the Tuggers parkway makes the current location perfectly acceptable for a knockdown-rebuild)

And yet we keep spending money on 2 sub standard stadiums with lights at Manuka and resurfacing of both stadiums… when we should’ve built a stadium like Docklands in Melbourne where the seats are retractable (see tonights Socceroos game to see the seats moved in) and kill 2 birds with one stone.

Get it done already. If locals won’t endure this crap to go and watch their own teams play really great, entertaining footy, how the hell are we going to attract opposition supporters to come here and spend their money?

Aside from footy, the fact that we don’t have a stadium worthy of even being considered for international cricket is an embarrassment when the Hobart test a couple of years ago averaged about 9000 people a day. A 35,000 seat stadium with some sort of a roof, retractable seating, and a car park that you don’t get bogged in if it rains is a must for any true city. We need to stop building stupid galleries that appeal only to the latte set and appeal to a broader range of potential tourists. (Did we really need a portrait gallery on top of a national gallery and a national museum?)

Canberra is, by and large, a pretty affluent city. I don’t accept that the cost of attending is in any way a barrier to people attending – especially when club memberships are promoted so heavily and the Canberra teams still can’t move them. The issue is absolutely the stadium.

If you build it, they will come.

Atmosphere and alcohol consumption are positively correlated.

I really think Canberra Stadium is too shallow. Most fans sit too far away from the action to feel part of the game – especially if you’re sitting over on the eastern side. If you’ve got someone tall in front of you you’ll have an obstructed view.

A stadium like AAMI park in Melbourne would be perfect. The stands are steep and close to field so you really feel like you’re part of the game even if you’re 20 rows back.

Cold is bearable.

Wet is not.

+1

I don’t mind the cold, but if it’s raining (or there is a high probability of rain!) I tend to find somewhere else to watch Brumbies games. Perhaps I’m a bit soft – the PL football fans in England don’t seem to be put off by snow! 🙂

NRL ticketing policy is quite silly. They fail to take the interconnectedness of atmosphere and the value of selling the broadcasting rights. I suspect the problem lies in the division of revenue from the game, but am happy to stand corrected.

The stadium, and presumably the clubs, get revenue directly from supporters through charging entry, but the big bucks are for selling the broadcast rights, which the clubs get via the NRL.

The entry ticket prices don’t take into account that demand for each game varies, hence we have sell-out games sometimes when the demand is high, but mostly empty seats for other games.

Why oh why can’t they experiment with the ticket prices to get a better approximation of demand? If they did, I suspect they would increase revenue and the experience.

Seriously, if you’ve got kids do you really want to pay the motza it costs to watch the game and pay for food at the stadium. Sure, you could bring your own food, but when you want to watch the friggin game and all your kids are saying is, “Dad, I want chips” it’s not such a great experience. Last time I went it was north of $50 for one adult and a child, plus almost $20 to buy the crap food.

For two hours entertainment and the rain, why would I do that when I can subscribe to Fox for the month, buy food and beer, sit at home and let my kids watch DVDs or other entertainment when they’re bored? Ticket prices are too high, the food is god-awful and the beer is in a plastic cup and costs a motza. But I would go if it were cheaper, hence the NRL gets a better atmosphere and the stadium earns some money.

For the economists out there, it’s pretty friggn obvious that the administrators have no idea about demand and supply. So yes, you idiotic sports administrators get out of the corporate box, speak to fans, and change the goddman pricing you morons!

Not a football enthusiast, but does it cost more than $20 to spectate a game?

CrocodileGandhi said :

johnboy said :

A full house for the Lions game at least I hear.

There’s no guarantee that it will lead to a better atmosphere, though. I find that the atmosphere of these types of matches is usually worse than the 10,000ish fans that the Raiders and Brumbies usually muster. You tend to get a horde of sports fans who are not necessarily Brumbies or even rugby fans. The last few times the Wallabies have played in town I have been surrounded by people complaining that rugby is boring.

The ANZAC test played earlier this year is by far the worst atmosphere I have ever encountered while watching sport and that includes when I used to play junior soccer at Wanniassa oval.

Thats because everyone was lined up for a drink or something to eat for half the game.

dungfungus said :

beardedclam said :

New covered stadium in the City sounds good.

you’re deamin’.

Thats right, deamin’ it the right way forward.

johnboy said :

A full house for the Lions game at least I hear.

There’s no guarantee that it will lead to a better atmosphere, though. I find that the atmosphere of these types of matches is usually worse than the 10,000ish fans that the Raiders and Brumbies usually muster. You tend to get a horde of sports fans who are not necessarily Brumbies or even rugby fans. The last few times the Wallabies have played in town I have been surrounded by people complaining that rugby is boring.

The ANZAC test played earlier this year is by far the worst atmosphere I have ever encountered while watching sport and that includes when I used to play junior soccer at Wanniassa oval.

damien haas said :

As i sat in Etihad Stadium, Docklands Melbourne, last Monday I thought – “This would be great in Canberra”. Covered roof, no rain, no biting June wind. What do the City to Lake stadium renderings show?

Too early in the process to read much into the renderings. In my discussions though, the City To Lake stadium will replace Canberra Stadium, and a roof has long been proposed for that one, so you’d have to think they will carry that through should the City to Lake one go ahead. I’d also think noise abatement and light leak would make it preferable to have a closable roof. They don’t foresee any issues with that given the proposed surrounding zoning, but when you look at precedent, these issues tend to come up and shouldn’t be ignored.

It doesn’t help that league and union are games that are virtually made for television (though were obviously invented prior to the television). Unlike football or AFL, that sprawl over a massive pitch and players can pass to their teammates in all directions, the rugby variants are far more linear and can be almost fully appreciated in the comfort of one’s home.

I am a little surprised this year that the Brumbies are performing so well and yet it isn’t being reflected in increased crowds. Not really sure what this can be put down to. Though I suspect that after playing in a finals game or two this year, the crowds will go up a touch at the start of next season.

As i sat in Etihad Stadium, Docklands Melbourne, last Monday I thought – “This would be great in Canberra”. Covered roof, no rain, no biting June wind. What do the City to Lake stadium renderings show?

beardedclam said :

New covered stadium in the City sounds good.

dreamin’ actually

beardedclam said :

New covered stadium in the City sounds good.

you’re deamin’.

They should try and model their ticketing and supporter strategy on the German Bundesliga.

In the Budesliga, attendance is always high largely due to the very simple facts that supporters come first and ticket prices are reasonable… around 15Euro on average.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you’ll fill seats and take in more more revenue overall if you make it an affordable experience for families and fans to *regularly* attend.

At around $15-$20 most people wouldn’t have to think too much about heading to a local game would they. At present though a trip to the footy stings the average wallet somewhat…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/11/bundesliga-premier-league
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/the-german-bundesliga-continues-to-provide-a-successful-1533798
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/german-bundesliga-football-remains-true-1851197

Simple strategy… lower the prices, build up supporter numbers, increase attendance at games (and as a spinoff, increase broadcast viewers)… leading to increased revenues, increased sponsorship, increased team spirit and increased supporter engagement…

At present, the current strategy is failing. High ticket prices, low attendance, lower overall supporter numbers, low community engagement. People in general see it as an entertainment franchise/event that they may occasionally think about attending as opposed to something they’re passionate about.

The live sports experience in Australia has simply failed to keep with the times & has fallen far behind the comfort & technology available in a standard living room.

– Canberra Stadium is a cement ice bowl. Unbearably cold at this time of yr.
– Food & beverage options are dated, limited & over priced.
– Transport & parking is average at best.
– Entertainment is well dated & almost non-exsistant.
– Atmosphere is very poor, especially at Brumbies games. You can hear a pin drop.
– Admission prices are okay but the game day/night experience simply doesn’t add up.

What they need to understand is that times have changed & they desperately need to upgrade the live experience. Unless they address some or all of these issues, nothing will change.

New covered stadium in the City sounds good.