News Skilled Stadium revamp for World Cup bid

[Cats33]

Costa will never leave !!! What a gun

 

[maximus steel]

pretty sure he is, but we have heard that before..lol, but this should be his last term, but as long as Cook is there we should be fine..

yeah fair enough. but i dont think geelong will get home games collingwood, essendon, or finals against victorian teams (perhaps aside from nth.melbourne and melbourne). why would they play in front of 42,000 at skilled when they could in front of 60,000+ at the MCG.

 

[Greg Brady]

Ground looks fantastic. Would be great for the community as well. The ground could host regular A League, NRL and future super 14 matches. Not to mention live bands etc.

The club needs to increase the size of the ground to match the increase in the size of the supporter/membership base. Hopefully there is a section remaining for standing to keep the tradition of the ground, however i think to comply with World Cup standards the grounds have to be "all seaters"

 

[hamG]

The ground could host regular A League, NRL and future super 14 matches.

Furrow your brow for a moment and think about the current stadium, those sports, and then this proposed expansion

 

[magic_johnson!]

There's no friggin way the World Cup will be played in Australia, let alone Geelong.

It's us vs America and maybe Mexico for 2022. We are atleast a 50% chance.

Some more pictures from skyscrapercity:

Looks very nice

Also:

Premier John Brumby says he suggested Geelong's Skilled Stadium as a potential World Cup venue 18 months ago to a 'reluctant' Football Federation of Australia.

The Premier, speaking on SEN radio this morning, was further spruiking the use of an expanded Skilled Stadium to potentially help Australia win the right to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

"The FFA has been obsessed about getting the MCG and Etihad (for their World Cup bid), and I think the history of that debate is now well known and that is that Etihad is not available," Brumby said.
Proposed redevelopment of Skilled Stadium (Geelong football ground) should Australia successfully bid for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Proposed redevelopment of Skilled Stadium (Geelong football ground) should Australia successfully bid for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Photo: state government

"This is something that I put on the drawing board 18 months ago. Reluctantly, I think, FFA has come to the table.

"I always thought it (Skilled Stadium) was a great solution for soccer and a great solution for the AFL, and a great solution for Geelong."

The state government has suggested the current home of the Geelong AFL team be upgraded to hold 44,000 spectators. Its current capacity is 28,000.

World Cup regulations demand a minimum capacity of 44,000 for its matches, and Etihad Stadium (capacity approximately 54,000) is contractually bound to the AFL, which will lose access to the MCG during the World Cup finals if they are hosted in Australia.

Mr Brumby was sympathetic to the AFL's situation if a bid is successful, given that soccer's governing body FIFA demands exclusive use of all tournament stadiums for a month before their games commence.

"AFL is our homegrown game. You can't have a successful AFL competition if you lose the main two stadiums".

Brumby described the attitude of AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou to the World Cup bid as "co-operative, but realistic".

He said that Etihad Stadium was "absolutely locked in" to hosting AFL matches at the expense of World Cup soccer.

"In terms of people going through the turnstile, they will do better" from hosting two to three AFL matches a week rather than hosting a couple of World Cup matches, he said.

"You've got to take the long-term view on this", Mr Brumby said, promoting the Geelong region, which he pointed out already had a greater population than the Northern Territory and Hobart in Tasmania.

"In 10 to 15 years you're going to see 400 to 500,000 people" in the area, he said.

On 3AW radio this morning, Sports Minister James Merlino repeated the government's line, calling the Skilled Stadium concept plan "a win for the AFL, a win for soccer and the World Cup bid and a win for Geelong".

Geelong's grand vision

Geelong had already sourced an alternative training venue at Armstrong Creek, south of Geelong, and chief executive Brian Cook said the Cats would probably have to play all of their 2018 home matches in Melbourne.

He said the possible World Cup development was stage four of a vision the club had for Skilled Stadium since 2000.

The club has just completed stage two, bringing the capacity of the stadium formerly known as Kardinia Park to 30,000 seats.

"It's an extension of where we've been in the last few years," Cook said this morning on SEN, describing the concept as a "coup for the whole region."

Cook says stage three of the Skilled Stadium works, requiring funding of $75 million, had still not been "ticked off" and he didn't want them tied to the success of the World Cup proposal.

He said none of the recently-completed stage two works would need to be altered to fit the world game modifications.

He hopes that stage four would be funded jointly by state and federal governments, but admitted his ambitions had "a long way to go."

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/socc...-reluctant-ffa-20100302-peef.html?autostart=1

 

[vealesy]

If Cook can't get this done, who ever will?

 

[Kahn]

It's us vs America and maybe Mexico for 2022. We are atleast a 50% chance.http://www.theage.com.au/sport/socc...-reluctant-ffa-20100302-peef.html?autostart=1

Mexico have pulled out of the bidding process. Its us vs USA, Japan and possibly Korea.

 

[magic_johnson!]

Mexico have pulled out of the bidding process. Its us vs USA, Japan and possibly Korea.

USA, yeah, they have the stadia but have had it recently and it had no real impact on soccer in the US.

Japan and Korea have also had it recently, and they would have the same, if not more work to do to be able tohost the world cup by themselves than us.

People who think we arn't a chance are kidden

 

[Seethus]

USA, yeah, they have the stadia but have had it recently and it had no real impact on soccer in the US.

Japan and Korea have also had it recently, and they would have the same, if not more work to do to be able tohost the world cup by themselves than us.

People who think we arn't a chance are kidden

so is there any chance they will commit to do this before we obtain the 2022 world cup?

 

[True Blue Cat]

I think it will be an awesome idea. Essentially what it will be doing is making it a hell of a lot easier to get the funding to do the redevelopments. If the Government are suggesting it then once the bid has been submitted they can't turn around and say no you are not getting the funding. They will need Skilled to be prepared so they will need to fork over the cash to get it done. So what if it messes with our home games for a season? It will improve our home games for decades to come.


Only 1 thing that sticks out in the article.

The initial plans allow for Skilled Stadium to be converted back to an oval after the tournament.

That little detail better not change in the later plans.

 

[Copernicus]

This would be a great byproduct of the World Cup for mine. In fact, it'd be the only reason I'd care one way or another if we got it. So bring on that bid

I do wonder if the club would be asked to foot part of the bill, or if it would be on the back of the taxpayer/FFA. I suppose that shit will be worked if the proposal actually goes through.

 

[vinum coupe]

Cook said it will be Fed/state funded. With maybe a few other minor parties involved.

 

[jim boy]

yeah fair enough. but i dont think geelong will get home games collingwood, essendon, or finals against victorian teams (perhaps aside from nth.melbourne and melbourne). why would they play in front of 42,000 at skilled when they could in front of 60,000+ at the MCG.

By that argument, we shouldn't play Essendon at the docklands but we do

The amount of income generated on a per match match basis will be absolutely huge when the house is full. We would be doing ourselves out of at a least $500K a match by playing at the G.

 

[YOTC]

[youtube]kGvUqJmkqTg[/youtube]

Hi i'm magic johnson and i'm a ******

 

[Copernicus]

Hi i'm magic johnson and i'm a ******

That looks bloody awesome.

 

[magic_johnson!]

That looks bloody awesome.

I hope you are not talking about what he said

 

[Turbocat]

Interesting to see the ends slope down to mesh into the Hickey , aesthetically it looks great it really would be a new stadium and if designed right not a bad seat in the house. I wonder how that would effect Cookies seat rating and extra charges

 

[sango16]

that video looks great. If the developement goes ahead then light towers will be built, meaning Skilled Stadium would host night matches...

 

[maximus steel]

By that argument, we shouldn't play Essendon at the docklands but we do

The amount of income generated on a per match match basis will be absolutely huge when the house is full. We would be doing ourselves out of at a least $500K a match by playing at the G.

yeah but the AFL cares more about crowd figures than how much we make.

at etihad, if both teams are towards the top end, they would be drawing around 50,000. im surprised that the capacity (at skilled) couldnt be more, i wonder if standing room is included in the design.

 

[Grizzly_82]

yeah but the AFL cares more about crowd figures than how much we make.

at etihad, if both teams are towards the top end, they would be drawing around 50,000. im surprised that the capacity (at skilled) couldnt be more, i wonder if standing room is included in the design.

Isn't there's a contract that states that no stadium should exceed more than Etihad or something? I remember reading it about that new bubble stadium and why it wasn't more than 43 thousands seats.

Anyone care to clear that up for me?

 

[TheTimberMerchant#14]

Isn't there's a contract that states that no stadium should exceed more than Etihad or something? I remember reading it about that new bubble stadium and why it wasn't more than 43 thousands seats.

Anyone care to clear that up for me?

I would be fairly certain that it only applies to new stadia in Metro Melbourne.
Also I believe that the clause expires in 2020? IIRC.

 

[TheCattery2007]

Sounds like this is getting a bit of momentum with Demetriou publicly supporting the bid. Only question seems to be whether Ben Buckley will agree to Skilled Stadium at the expense of Etihad (which the AFL have said they won't make available).

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/03/15/154881_news.html

Will be interesting to hear of developments tomorrow.

 

[thegerman]

Re: Skilled Stadium revamp for Soccer WC bid!!

Cats beware ... make sure the taxpayer carries the debt, that its not paid off by footy fans because thats whats happening at the MCG: run by a cricket club, backed by taxpayer funds, paid off by footy fans.

Dont get suckered here.

Hmmmm, we don't own the ground anyway. I would suggest that it would be a deal between the City of Greater Geelong and the State Government with the Cats to chip in a few dimes. It's what we do now, why would it change?

Sounds like a sweet deal.

 

[Copernicus]

Interesting article a couple of days ago that appeared in the SMH and The Age. Indicates that the post-WC capacity would be 37,000, so not really much different from the Phase 3 expansion already being mooted by the club.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/cats-are-gearing-up-to-take-on-the-world-20100319-qmc4.html

 

[jim boy]

Interesting article a couple of days ago that appeared in the SMH and The Age. Indicates that the post-WC capacity would be 37,000, so not really much different from the Phase 3 expansion already being mooted by the club.

Yeah that was a bit disappointing - aground 40K+ ground would suit us better and would be regularly sold out.

If it were to go ahead, I wonder where the cats would end up playing during the WC year. With 10 clubs all wanting to use the only available ground - etihad, there is going to be to much pressure on that ground. At least one match per round will have to be shifted elsewhere, out of Victoria.