Bluetongue the best!

[dibo]

I like those plans as well, but the field will be a little short for the egg chasers - 6m off the end would bring it down to 120m (Hindmarsh size!) and given that the long-term plan is still to have egg chasers play out of there, that part at least won't happen.

Capacity increase is also surely off the cards - there's simply no need. Comfort increase on the other hand...

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Whisper this but.........

I hate BT as a football stadium. Stands not steep enough, no roof over the end of the ground. Zero chance to create any atmosphere etc etc.

One visit to AAMI with anymore than 10k in it and you will never look at BT the same way again

Fair points- and the wind tunnel effect of BTS can be very unpleasant too (although it is a beautiful stadium). I'm surprised how far AAMI is from the field though...

 

[style_cafe]

I like those plans as well, but the field will be a little short for the egg chasers - 6m off the end would bring it down to 120m (Hindmarsh size!) and given that the long-term plan is still to have egg chasers play out of there, that part at least won't happen.

Capacity increase is also surely off the cards - there's simply no need. Comfort increase on the other hand...

No Need?????
How about ummmm..... HOSTING A GRANDFINAL...there`s a need for you!

 

[dibo]

We should be able to host a grand final with current capacity, it's seriously unjust if we don't. I think FFA might have seen the light on this too.

But if it were crucial to our eligibility to host, there have been seven seasons so far and there has been only one time we have been eligible to host a grand final. You don't spend tens of millions on upgrading a stadium on the off-chance that it'll be needed.

In seven and a bit seasons we've cracked 75% of the existing capacity (15k out of 20k) on a very small number of occasions:

• home semi; 05/6
• NYE; 06/7
• 5-4 game, NYE, derby, home semi; 07/8
• NYE; 08/9
• no games; 09/10
• no games; 10/11
• no games; 11/12
• 7-2 game; 12/13

So the Sydney thrashing was the first time in nearly four years that we cracked 15k. That includes failing to crack that mark in finals matches in 08/9, 10/11 and 11/12 not to mention NYE in any year since 08/9.

We crack 75% capacity roughly once a season. That's not enough to warrant an expansion. Improvements to the amenity of the place might mean we fill some more of the seats we've got more often.

 

[style_cafe]

We should be able to host a grand final with current capacity, it's seriously unjust if we don't. I think FFA might have seen the light on this too.

But if it were crucial to our eligibility to host, there have been seven seasons so far and there has been only one time we have been eligible to host a grand final. You don't spend tens of millions on upgrading a stadium on the off-chance that it'll be needed.

In seven and a bit seasons we've cracked 75% of the existing capacity (15k out of 20k) on a very small number of occasions:

• home semi; 05/6
• NYE; 06/7
• 5-4 game, NYE, derby, home semi; 07/8
• NYE; 08/9
• no games; 09/10
• no games; 10/11
• no games; 11/12
• 7-2 game; 12/13

So the Sydney thrashing was the first time in nearly four years that we cracked 15k. That includes failing to crack that mark in finals matches in 08/9, 10/11 and 11/12 not to mention NYE in any year since 08/9.

We crack 75% capacity roughly once a season. That's not enough to warrant an expansion. Improvements to the amenity of the place might mean we fill some more of the seats we've got more often.

There isn`t a need on a weekly basis but there is a need for upgrades & further developments of the stadium.
The single most urgent need TBH is a roof over the north end seating.( the bar facilities as well)

 

[dibo]

Absolutely agree. Better roof cover across the board, better food and beverage facilities, better toilet access for the northern end (it's a long walk for beer and slash mid-game if you're behind the goals).

The seating areas aren't terrible, they aren't great either, but if there were tens of millions burning a hole in someone's pockets, building a roof that wraps around the stands a bit more and covers every seat would be the dream, plus better catering facilities so they can provide food cooked at the venue to the corporate facilities.

Newcastle's facilities would've seen somewhere near $100 million from the building of their two new stands...

 

[adz]

The whole stadium needs fixing up. We were standing in the under cover bit the other day and the roof was leaking all over the place, people who had seats there were getting just as wet as if they were standing out in the rain.

 

[dibo]

Note to Mayor Lawrie:- move the field 6-7m towards bay 16 then construct a new stand at the water end,put an upper deck over bay 16 & add a roof. Get rid of the bowling club & build toilets, kiosks & bars.
Extend the roofs on both existing stands.
Replace the handrails with clear glass.
Estimated cost $20-$30million

Probably cheaper to build a new stadium at Tuggerah

I like to muck around with a program called Sketchup - basically it's doodling in 3D, I like doodling stadiums and stuff because I'm a frightful bore.

Just for thought experiment purposes, I went and found a quite neat looking model of Bluetongue Stadium, because I wanted to doodle what a new roof *might* look like if someone were so inspired and well funded as to want to build one.

The existing stadium looks roughly like this - this model isn't exact, it's just "close enough" to give you an idea of what things look like:




and with a new roof (basically a big arch roof that wraps around the stadium in a big circle that's cut out for the field and the road):



This isn't engineered or anything, I ain't an architect or an engineer, I'm just doodling. But a new roof could be designed to basically sit on top of the existing stadium and cover all seats as they are. It need not be massively tall or ornate, it just ought to cover the stadium against rain etc.

Presumably you'd go and send a bit on other infrastructure while you're at it, but f the place were covered and sheltered, people wouldn't look out the window and go "bugger that, not going, I'll get wet".

It'd also keep atmosphere in far better.

 

[Mumbles]

Showing your hidden talent there Dibo.
Might pick up a gig in PT's property development group.

Or help the Ibrahim's do something with that mess that used to be Iguana's.
Mariners fans club house ???

 

[dibo]

The model is someone else's. I've pretty much just drawn a circle over the top.

 

[adz]

dibo I like the general idea mate but I think your circle roof chops into the cclc slightly?

I think the main issue with a roof over the northern end is objections from locals... some bs about losing their view or something.

I'd like to see the Tuggerah precinct built up. Mariners training facilities, dedicated Mariners shop, stadium, etc, etc, all in the one place and owned by the club.

 

[offtheball]

I like to muck around with a program called Sketchup - basically it's doodling in 3D, I like doodling stadiums and stuff because I'm a frightful bore.

Just for thought experiment purposes, I went and found a quite neat looking model of Bluetongue Stadium, because I wanted to doodle what a new roof *might* look like if someone were so inspired and well funded as to want to build one.

The existing stadium looks roughly like this - this model isn't exact, it's just "close enough" to give you an idea of what things look like:


View attachment 63

and with a new roof (basically a big arch roof that wraps around the stadium in a big circle that's cut out for the field and the road):

View attachment 64

This isn't engineered or anything, I ain't an architect or an engineer, I'm just doodling. But a new roof could be designed to basically sit on top of the existing stadium and cover all seats as they are. It need not be massively tall or ornate, it just ought to cover the stadium against rain etc.

Presumably you'd go and send a bit on other infrastructure while you're at it, but f the place were covered and sheltered, people wouldn't look out the window and go "bugger that, not going, I'll get wet".

It'd also keep atmosphere in far better.

The light towers could be an issue

 

[dibo]

So move the lights to the roof. No biggie.

 

[kevrenor]

I too do like the idea of Tuggerah being built up to boutique A-League standard, giving the coast at last 2 decent grounds (plus disappointed that no synthetic pitch going in at Pluim). When is that election?

 

[dibo]

synthetic pitch can't go in at Pluim - risk of flooding means that it's not viable.

 

[offtheball]

synthetic pitch can't go in at Pluim - risk of flooding means that it's not viable.

But a whole new roof and moving of light towers at Bluetongue is?

 

[Atomic]

But a whole new roof and moving of light towers at Bluetongue is?

Only limited by acts of governments, not acts of God

 

[dibo]

A new roof is a huge deal, but which is why moving the lights as well is a mere trifle.

 

[kevrenor]

synthetic pitch can't go in at Pluim - risk of flooding means that it's not viable.

Good grief, how deep does it flood? Only need to raise the pitch about a metre.

 

[dibo]

Good grief, how deep does it flood? Only need to raise the pitch about a metre.

Raising the pitch a metre would cost an absolute bomb. You're looking at around 8,500 cubic metres (or approximately 15,000 tonnes!) of infill, plus the structure to hold it all (building into the hill on the Margin Stand side still leaves you with around 250m of the perimeter to build a retaining wall up to a metre high).

A quick google puts fill soil at around $20 per tonne, so you've got to drop $300,000 just on fill, before you get to structural work...