The Auckland Stadium Question

Renders are nice.

Though I am firmly pro-Quay Park and don't think a stadium needs to be right on the waterfront, the reason given for passing over the Wynyard Point stadium was such a sunk cost fallacy it was unbelievable.

Jessie Merino

Missed opportunity in my opinion. If you want inner harbour parkland with views of the bridge plus amenities go to Devonport.

Missed opportunity to do what? It would have been a stupid place for a stadium

Yeah. Derelict industrial land 15 mins walk from some of the best bars in Auckland, 20 min walk from Britomart transport hub... Stupid.

For a big stadium you ideally want the train station(s) to be a 5-10 min walk away, and buses to be able to either stop adjacent or even better underneath - as happens beautifully at Suncorp in Brisbane.

Quay Park is the best site location of those proposed in Auckland. 
Hopefully it defeats over EP 2.0

Ideally, ideally.. AT not to mention KiwiRail will go apeshark if the trainlines into Britomart are compromised by this Quay Park stadium. How will Wayne Brown justify maybe 2 years further compromise to Auckland train schedules... Wynyard had none of these problems. Anyway, my input is purely emotional, strictly non-financial. Near 2 decades of 2nd rate football in this town takes a toll.

coochiee

For a big stadium you ideally want the train station(s) to be a 5-10 min walk away, and buses to be able to either stop adjacent or even better underneath - as happens beautifully at Suncorp in Brisbane.

Quay Park is the best site location of those proposed in Auckland. 
Hopefully it defeats over EP 2.0

Wynard Point was to get a train station if Labour's plans were to go ahead. 

But it's all a moot point. Hopefully the Quay Park option gets the nod.

coochiee

For a big stadium you ideally want the train station(s) to be a 5-10 min walk away, and buses to be able to either stop adjacent or even better underneath - as happens beautifully at Suncorp in Brisbane.

Quay Park is the best site location of those proposed in Auckland. 
Hopefully it defeats over EP 2.0

If Quay Park goes through, would that mean Eden Park bowled over? Interested to see where the Blackcaps would go in that scenario also

I'd love to see a boutique 20,000-25,000 cricket ground where EP now is. You see alot of the test venues in the UK about that size, surrounded on all sides by housing. 

Problem is that land is highly valuable, and obviously lots of property developers would love to build on it, in a narrow isthmus city with a housing shortage that's only going to get worse.

But yeah Quay Park being chosen over EP 2.0, would finally force NZ Cricket and Auckland Council to sort out the issue of a permanent proper oval cricket ground in the 09. All the other major cities in NZ have one. Western Springs, Albany, Colin Maiden, Eden Park who knows.

Quay Park wouldn't be ready for at least another 5 years anyway so plenty of time to work out a solution.

lukemstanton

coochiee

For a big stadium you ideally want the train station(s) to be a 5-10 min walk away, and buses to be able to either stop adjacent or even better underneath - as happens beautifully at Suncorp in Brisbane.

Quay Park is the best site location of those proposed in Auckland. 
Hopefully it defeats over EP 2.0

If Quay Park goes through, would that mean Eden Park bowled over? Interested to see where the Blackcaps would go in that scenario also

Since Eden Park is privately owned I suppose they could do what they liked with it. I think NZC want to retain it as some kind of cricket ground; it would seem sensible to rebuild the main stadium into a proper cricket arena and sell No 2 for housing, or vice versa. That said, I'm still in favour of moving cricket to Victoria Park or Western Springs.

Have been watching the Ice documentary by Paddy Gower and after learning about the western ice sheet in Antarctica, I am now turned off any waterfront stadium. 

It may be the dumbest move and may be under water not that long after being built. 

Perhaps inland Eden park is actually the best bet

Eden Park is an ex-swamp and got pretty badly flooded last year...

Footy_Fella

Eden Park is an ex-swamp and got pretty badly flooded last year...

And part of that amazingly quickly formed sponge city plan..

Holy crap, out of left field!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350440920/billionaires-and-all-black-thought-be-behind-plan-new-auckland-football-stadium

Summary:
- Western Springs stadium turned into 8,000 seat boutique stadium for AFC;
- Western Springs outer fields given to WSAFC football / Grafton United cricket;
- Ponsonby rugby moves to Cox's Bay

...I've got to say, all this would be VERY convenient for me. Still need a test cricket venue though. And the WS outer fields are a freakin' bog, they'd need serious work to be football-ready

Really only 8000 for AFC seems to be setting the bar pretty low from the start dosnt it.

The idea that the big games will still go to Mt Smart

Surely they are expecting all of their games to break 8000.

Getting mixed messages here? A stadium implies they have lots of faith in AFC to be a long-term investment, but capping the capacity to 8k doesn't scream confidence. Maybe that's just the initial number and they intend to expand at later dates? Just seems odd when it's not out of the question for them to get around 9-10k every matchday

2ndBest

Surely they are expecting all of their games to break 8000.

The size of that stadium suggests not maybe the owners are looking back already.LOL

I reckon a guaranteed 8k sellout crowd every game ain’t a bad shout. Supply/Demand would mean 8k season ticket holders. Would make you marketing and budgeting simple 

Or the think it would suit there women's team and academy sides long term... plus a needed training base.

Men should be aiming 12k plus minimum based on the size of Auckland and the increased popularity of football.

They could rent the stadium out to Auckland Rugby for the NPC.

2ndBest

Surely they are expecting all of their games to break 8000.

Thought that was actually a lofty target given their previous attempts. Easily above the historical average. 😂

Good on them if they can go and get the job done though. Capacity seems odd given the size of the city, but then again I guess it's easy enough to scale up builds of that nature these days. If they were going to expand down the track, then I would imagine they'd plan that in with any initial build.

Would the league allow them to host a playoff game there? 8k seems tiny for that, even if the atmosphere would be electric.

Might mean they shift any finals games to bigger venues like Mt Smart or Eden Park, and that seems a bit plastic to me.

Unless its their womens/youth games, training and head office spot

I would've thought a 12k stadium that was easily expandable to 15k with temporary seating for larger games would be better.

If demand for matches ends up being big they could end up moving most of their matches to Mt Smart or Eden Park, leaving this as a bit of a white elephant (a very small white elephant).

Also looking at women's A-League attendances an 8k stadium would maybe be too large most of the time and could make it feel a little cavernous. Although Women's A-League attendances have been trending upwards so it'd be pretty cool if they were able to get around 8k to their Women's matches

Until their women’s team gets up and running we don’t know how popular it might be. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350440920/billionaires-and-all-black-thought-be-behind-plan-new-auckland-football-stadium
Reads as though they want Western Springs to be the centre of football in Auckland - possible explansion if the need arises?

Some people on reddit are saying the plans are actually for 18k and it was just an error by the writer?

That's unconfirmed though and they haven't said what their source for that is

Half a Pint

Some people on reddit are saying the plans are actually for 18k and it was just an error by the writer?

That's unconfirmed though and they haven't said what their source for that is

 that makes way more sense. An 8k stadium makes zero sense.

Depending on where they built the stand, the natural amphitheatre and embankment seating adds quite a few thousand without building another grandstand

Half a Pint

Some people on reddit are saying the plans are actually for 18k and it was just an error by the writer?

That's unconfirmed though and they haven't said what their source for that is

The offical The P0rt Facebook account is saying that too, and I suppose they'd know because they're so tied in to the club

Bunch of ridiculous people on Facebook also say "no public transport". ??? Great North Road is one of the busiest bus routes in the city

And right next to the motor way.

Plus could also access via westmere 

Cracker of a location if they can get it for a boutique stadium. Anything around 12k would be just right

Wonder if this Western Springs proposal favours either Eden Park 2.0, or the mooted new Quark Park waterfront National Stadium. Both would have been looking at Auckland FC as a regular season tenant when in 'club mode'.

If you look at the huge spend Foley has put into building new training facilities ("some of the best in the EPL") at Bournemouth FC, then it's unlikely he will like the present makeshift Auckland FC setup of training at Albany and playing at Mt Smart. Hibs are getting an upgrade as well I read.

Video of Foley at Bournemouth FC's new facilities below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9OfPf6gtAs

Doloras

Half a Pint

Some people on reddit are saying the plans are actually for 18k and it was just an error by the writer?

That's unconfirmed though and they haven't said what their source for that is

The offical The P0rt Facebook account is saying that too, and I suppose they'd know because they're so tied in to the club

Bunch of ridiculous people on Facebook also say "no public transport". ??? Great North Road is one of the busiest bus routes in the city

Crosstown access could be better. But 18k is surely not much more than the speed way, festivals or concerts? 
Though they have to deal with the NIMBYs too. Western Springs/ Grey Lynn NIMBYs are special. 

And cold to Ponsonby Rugby.

But shows their ambition. That’s a great location. You have a lot of room to put in pre-game events and families can go to the zoo, or MoTAT or the lake pregame. And if you’re committing to a decent amount of time there an Albany/Pakuranga/Manukau bus plus a Great North road bus isn’t so bad.

It’s a very Auckland place too as these parks and amenities are visited by people from all across the city and it feels a bit special for that reason. 

How quickly can they get the stadium up?

Not very near the P0rt though. Change to the Geese? The Pukes? (U= oo) the Animals? 

Not a bad idea IMO. Hopefully resource consent won’t be too much of a problem…..ha ha! 18 months to construct after six years of consultations and appeals.  Should be read by 2030. However Its  already a sports stadium with significant existing infrastructure  i.e floodlights. Hopefully they build a compact rectangle stadium with steep stands tight on the field boundaries for atmosphere. Western xSprings is only 5 km from downtown Auckland vs 12.5 k to Mt Smart. Loads of buses from Lower Albert down Great North rd. 
Just do it.

martinb

Doloras

Half a Pint

Some people on reddit are saying the plans are actually for 18k and it was just an error by the writer?

That's unconfirmed though and they haven't said what their source for that is

The offical The P0rt Facebook account is saying that too, and I suppose they'd know because they're so tied in to the club

Bunch of ridiculous people on Facebook also say "no public transport". ??? Great North Road is one of the busiest bus routes in the city

Crosstown access could be better. But 18k is surely not much more than the speed way, festivals or concerts? 
Though they have to deal with the NIMBYs too. Western Springs/ Grey Lynn NIMBYs are special. 

And cold to Ponsonby Rugby.

But shows their ambition. That’s a great location. You have a lot of room to put in pre-game events and families can go to the zoo, or MoTAT or the lake pregame. And if you’re committing to a decent amount of time there an Albany/Pakuranga/Manukau bus plus a Great North road bus isn’t so bad.

It’s a very Auckland place too as these parks and amenities are visited by people from all across the city and it feels a bit special for that reason. 

How quickly can they get the stadium up?

Not very near the P0rt though. Change to the Geese? The Pukes? (U= oo) the Animals? 

The NIMBYs in Western Springs might actually support it as surely they'd prefer a football stadium instead of the noisy speedway they hate so much

Still have no idea why they choose to live by a speedway if they hate it so much.

Same goes for the Eden Park lot.

Buffon II

Still have no idea why they choose to live by a speedway if they hate it so much.

Same goes for the Eden Park lot.

I very much agree

🤦‍♂️ I mean, sure. If there’s a venue near you you should expect your kids to look out the window every Saturday night to see someone pissing on your letterbox and have to collect rubbish all over your verge, not be able to be able to get in and out of your driveway for an hour or so  and having a bunch of pricks who grew up in Dunedin getting stuck into you for not wanting to have that twice a week. 
This is such a bs right wing culture war thing and I’m f- over it.

Eden Park is a rich kid that just takes money from taxes and rates and lies about crap like having Taylor Swift.

Speedway is a different thing, sure. Not once a week. Most of the crowd doesn’t go through suburban streets. 

But you’re not getting stuck into the soccer for kicking out Ponsonby and the Speedway? 

Or campaigning for music venues in the city? Did you know there’s basically been none since the Kings Arms shut? In the city, not out in the suburbs. 

Good for 6sixty that they can play Eden Park, but most bands can’t start their career there. 

Grrr. Anyway. /rant over