'Gold Medal' Stadium

[Jeff (LouMacari)]

Given the stadiums (stadia ?) we have seen, travelled to & experienced over the years, what would you say would make for a 'Gold Medal' stadium.

This is the question being asked by the Management of Bluetongue Stadium, who are putting together a paper on the question.

I think one of the most important things would be the playing surface ! :-\
I like the fact that the spectators are so close to the action and the proximity to public transport.

what do YOU think? 

Your opinions may go in the paper being written which hopefully will have an international audience - No names, but just opinions of Marinators in bullet point

 

[Bear]

Not having to line up for 15 minutes for a beer would be a good start

 

[serious14]

Actual suggestion - More liasing between supporters, ground security, and general ground staff.  A better P.A. system (to my old ears, the current one is murky and a bit shit).

Joke (or is it??) suggestion - Shift the Northern Stand closer to the pitch, raise its incline to match that of Suncorp, and give it a roof.

 

[FFC Mariner]

1) Roof over GA area (Atmosphere, spectator comfort)

2) Move pitch as per James' suggestion

3) PA system you can hear

A decent pitch is a given

 

[dibo]

Things that make a gold medal stadium

Uninterrupted sightlines. You've got to be able to see all field markings from any seat. It's pretty irritating to have to guess at whatever's on the near half of the field because there's an advertising board in the way.

A sense of occasion, and a feeling that the stadium adds to the atmosphere. It needs to be a place that visiting teams don't like to come to. It's got to be intense at ground level and the focus of all crowd noise must be the pitch.

Cover from the elements for every seat - nothing's worse than a rainy game where nobody's within coo-ee of the pitch because they're all huddling in the same phonebox for cover.

Hassle free (to the extent possible) access to food, drinks, bathrooms etc. A good example of this is the TV screens now installed in the bars at CCBTS - if you're going to have to queue, you at least want to see the game. Better yet would be bars and food stalls with a view of the field.

Security that are there at least as much for information as for security and who have some degree of sympathy and unsderstanding for the differing needs of various patrons - active supporters have different needs from security to prawn sandwich munchers and vice versa.

Dedicated space for active support - real *safe* standing areas - not the old style english terraces, but properly designed and managed standing bays with fixed capacity.

Good egress. If it takes 10 minutes basically standing in a queue to get out, it's not a good stadium.

Good sound and lighting around the ground.



Things I think CCBTS is missing

Frankly, the pitch is too long. The north end is a long way behind the goals. Put an ad board in and you can't see the goal line til you're about halfway up the stand. That's not a good way to watch the game. Compare that to Hindmarsh Stadium where it's much closer. I know the ground's designed for rugby codes, but the primary use now and into the forseeable future is football.

There's not much cover. On rainy nights very few people brave the lower tier unless they're undercover, which means they either nick upstairs or they stay home. This also doesn't help atmosphere.

The north end is not very well served for food, drinks or bathrooms.

The PA is non-existent at the northern end.

Access and egress is slow.

 

[Alicia]

I reckon they should have proper coaches boxes... you know what I mean??

Not sure if there is a real term for them.

 

[mariners4ever]

I reckon they should have proper coaches boxes... you know what I mean??

Not sure if there is a real term for them.

i'm pretty sure they're having them in the acl, as on the seating map i received in the mail, it had almost half of the lower grandstand on the western side with restricted viewing because of the benches

 

[serious14]

I reckon they should have proper coaches boxes... you know what I mean??

Not sure if there is a real term for them.

Do you mean up in the stands or on the ground, proper football style??  (I think "technical area" is the term you're after)

 

[Alicia]

I reckon they should have proper coaches boxes... you know what I mean??

Not sure if there is a real term for them.

i'm pretty sure they're having them in the acl, as on the seating map i received in the mail, it had almost half of the lower grandstand on the western side with restricted viewing because of the benches

They should be built in when the stadium is being constructed..... not a few plastic chairs and a tarpaulin over the top.

 

[Alicia]

I reckon they should have proper coaches boxes... you know what I mean??

Not sure if there is a real term for them.

Do you mean up in the stands or on the ground, proper football style??  (I think "technical area" is the term you're after)

On the ground, proper football style like.

 

[serious14]

I reckon they should have proper coaches boxes... you know what I mean??

Not sure if there is a real term for them.

Do you mean up in the stands or on the ground, proper football style??  (I think "technical area" is the term you're after)

On the ground, proper football style like.

8)

 

[dibo]

complete with recaro seats? ;D

 

[~Floss~]

Back seat from a rusted-out Ford Cortina?

i.e. the coaches & players who get Recaro & Audi seats in Europe are probably used to driving cars with seats like that or better. Scale it relative to the league & player salaries.

 

[Blair]

Improvment:

• Pitch
• PA
• general look of the stadium more perminent structure ala Merch, Bar behind marinators, food
• New Seats
• New Name for the stadium ala CCMFU Stadium
• Better food money wise
• and a giant mariners logo on the way in on the side of the eastern stadium on the pitch in paint, next to the home bench
• A roof over you guys even if its a small one because it i will push all the sound out onto the ground
• 
• and with the seats I would love to see Man Utd syle seats in the croud the manager player injured or on the bench
• 
• i mean if we get these seats player will sign for us just to sit there and will get injured on perpose to sit there
• Take down the sponser in front of you guys to encourage bannersbecause some one in the semi made a great CCM banner hung it over fence and was told to put it away i think because it was coverin the sponsers.

And BUY the stadium so we can make improvments Now.

 

[Jesus]

* Quality playble pitch
* Protection from elements. At BT this is rain (little cover) and excessie sun, Which is a problem for 2/3 of the stadium on a sunday afternoon.
* Easy entry/exits ( would like to see a 2nd entry on the eastern side as western side saves no time by the time you walk round there)
* Proximity close to pitch
* Reasonable view of the entire pitch as well as scoreboard and big screen

 

[Sean]

lose the annoying douchebag announcer before the game.

 

[Redline]

A scoreboard you can actually read...the names, scores and time are always blurry, and I have good vision!

 

[Paolo]

• • and with the seats I would love to see Man Utd syle seats in the croud the manager player injured or on the bench
  • i mean if we get these seats player will sign for us just to sit there and will get injured on perpose to sit there

  rofl...so u want racing seats for the benches so players will sign for us to get injured on purpose just to sit in those racing seats ??? ???

 

[Blair]

yes yes i would lol
(it was a joke dont be so sensitive)

 

[Atomic]

I used to own a car that had Recaro seats. My arse was too fat to sit in them comfortably. How's poor old Lawrie going to go? lol. And if we do get them, it's a good thing Sash left when he did