crawf wrote:Ho Really wrote:
Patrick_27 you obviously didn't read my statement. The Entertainment Centre is perfect for those events that need plenty of room. Are you suggesting that events like motorcross or Disney on Ice should be performed at the a new Memorial Drive centre?
Why not?. These type of events are performed at the new
Perth Arena
crawf, in an utopian world you could build whatever you want, wherever you want. Problem is you haven't got the money to do all this.
The first thing is you need a lot more land than just the current tennis stadium. You need Next Gen and maybe a little more. You may have to underground car parks, underground or reallign War Memorial Drive. Then make sure you don't run events concurrently with Adelaide Oval or at the Riverbank. Having too much in a restricted area is going to cause you a logistical problem. That's also why I prefer two venues as suggested.
Right now we have substandard venues for major concerts/events, basketball and tennis. So wouldn't it make more economic sense to construct a large multi-purpose arena (13-15k capacity) for those tenants which will be beneficial to the state but also attract other international events to Adelaide. This could include the FINA World Aquatics Championships, Commonwealth Games and perhaps pouching the Kooyong AAMI Classic from Melbourne.
Putting all your eggs in one basket and being big is not always best
crawf. Why do you want to attract swimming to Memorial Drive if you already have a FINA approved venue like Marion? As for the Commonwealth Games it will be a waste of taxpayer money. It will only be good for the State's ego but nothing else. As for poaching the Kooyong Classic, I doubt that very, very much. The director of that event is Colin Stubs. He used be the director here of the Men's Hardcourt Championship. What do you think, will he relinquish what he has in Melbourne for Adelaide? Instead put your hope in Mark Woodforde and Roger Rasheed (great guys mind you) that some how they can build a tournament good enough to attract (poach) top players here. Again, it's prizemoney and sponsorship we need. It's a chicken and egg thing.
Adelaide Oval is a great example of merging events to one venue. Previously we had two substandard stadiums; one was pretty, well located but had limited capacity. The other was a concrete bowl in the suburbs with poor facilities but had decent capacity. However combing both cricket and AFL to Adelaide Oval, allowed the State Government to spend a huge sum of money towards one stadium, which in the process has transformed Adelaide Oval into a premier multi-purpose stadium with outstanding facilities but also keeping that unique historic charm. This is why I believe a multi-purpose arena will be just as successful.
Adelaide Oval is fine for Aussie Rules in winter and Cricket in summer. Not good for any other sport played on a rectangular field. You are too far away from the pitch and only those high up in the stands get the best views albeit at a distance. Also the drop in cricket pitch is a nuisance! So in regards to Football (Soccer) and the Rugby codes you need at best a fully covered, all-seater rectangular stadium that will assure you of two things: 1. Major tournaments (like Asian Cup which has gone to buggery!). 2. Spectactor comfort and enjoyment.
Either way a new tennis or multi-purpose venue is still probably another 5 years away. In the meantime the State Government should look at bidding to host the Davis Cup at the Entertainment Centre just to bring that tennis momentum back to SA.
Perhaps in 5 years or so. Where the Davis Cup is played depends on tactics, whether it is best played outdoors in the heat and on grass and not indoors on Rebound Ace!
Cheers
