Auckland Stadium Dilemma?

[crabs]

As you may or may not be aware, Auckland is either going to get an upgrade of Eden Park or they are going to build a brand new Stadium for the Rugby World Cup in 2011. Should they upgrade Eden park, this is fine for NZ Cricket as Cricket is going to be incorporated in the upgrade and are making the boundaries wider. It should be noted that if they build a Waterfront Stadium this is also going to cater for Cricket.

However, there are two other options doing the rounds. Firstly, a new Stadium in Victoria Park that would just be a Rugby/Football/League Stadium and secondly the upgrade of North Harbour Stadium, which again is just Rugby/Football/League. Should they decide to go with one of the last two options, where does this leave Cricket? Would the run down Eden Park become a designated Cricket ground? With a few alterations they could probably make it into quite a nice little Cricket ground. At the moment it holds around 43,000 for Cricket games but rarely (if ever) gets that amount of people. They could reduce the seating and make the boundaries wider, giving the ground more of an oval shape.

What's everyone elses thoughts on this?

[Occasional Fan]

Not having been to Eden Park, it's difficult. But I would be sceptical of stadiums trying to serve too many masters. With the different pitch shapes, you can never satisfy all the customers all the time. For example, an oval stadium is ideal for cricket and Aussie Rules, but for the square pitch games you always have people who are a long way away from the centre lines of the pitch - geometry forces it.

I'd go for the Eden Park redevelopment for cricket - but as I say, without having seen the place at all. And you say it could be a nice little ground for 43,000. That comment always makes me laugh as an Englishman. Lord's accommodates just over half that, and we don't have a cricket ground in the country which comes close to 40,000.

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by crabs

What's everyone elses thoughts on this?

I've never been to Eden Park, but from what I understand, the location is far from ideal in the first place. I also know that there has been a move to using specialist stadia in NZ. The ground used in Dunedin's not the same as the one that used to be used for international cricket.

Unfortunately, if the Basin Reserve's anything to go by, not enough money is spent on stadia just used for cricket to keep them up to spec. I think, therefore, that for a Cricket stadium to survive in NZ, it probably needs to be used in the winter for something - to get the revenue.

I find it difficult to believe that Eden Park could survive as a purely cricket ground.

[crabs]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

And you say it could be a nice little ground for 43,000. That comment always makes me laugh as an Englishman. Lord's accommodates just over half that, and we don't have a cricket ground in the country which comes close to 40,000.

I meant more in the way the pitch is very small by international standards, not so much the crowd capacity.

Originally Posted by Andy Mellon

I find it difficult to believe that Eden Park could survive as a purely cricket ground.

Yeah, they would need to find another use for it in the winter months. Concerts are out as it's in a suburban area.
*Edit* Actually thinking about, would they need other events in the winter? How do other Cricket venues around the world survive? What about the Basin in the winter months? Lords or The Oval?

[sittingduck]

Personally I don't think building a new stadium is the best option.

There's already three stadiums in the region. If they build a new one, yes it'll get concerts and test match rugby but I dont think any of the proposed new sites are cricket capable. Counties-Manukau wont leave mt smart, harbour wont leave albany and auckland wont leave eden park since the ARU are 50% owners of it.

So the new stadium will become a white elephant being used for two all black tests a year, a few concerts and the odd expo.

Much smarter option is to upgrade Albany, it's got plenty of room, its half built, heaps of parking, on a priority bus route, land ownership is no issue, resource consent will be easier, its already zoned as stadium land. Make it our top rugby venue and make eden park more cricket friendly in time for 2015.

Sadly this wont happen and we'll end up with a waste of concrete and steel in either Mt eden or the CBD.

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by sittingduck

Sadly this wont happen and we'll end up with a waste of concrete and steel in either Mt eden or the CBD.

Well, well, well. What a surprise, the Auckland-centric government decides to pour NZ$1bn down the toilet by building a white elephant in the Auckland wharves. Let's be honest about this, its hardly the ideal location for transport links is it? They're going to end up with a place suffering from one of the problems that Eden Park suffers from. Waste of money.

Mind you, it gives One News the opportunity to spend half an hour talking about Auckland at each news cast. Oh, I forgot, they do that even when there's nothing to talk about in relation to Auckland.

[crabs]

Actually Andy, I quite like the design that they've come up with. It's probably the best place in Auckland for transport, right next to the bus station, train station and ferry wharf. I've seen many a cricket game at Eden Park and it has got to be the worst Cricket Ground in the world. I've also spent way to long stuck in traffic trying to get out of there. It also looks like they are going to have retractable seating for the cricket. My only concern? In the paper this morning they said it will be used for ODI's but not Test matches. Now, of they get rid of Eden Park where are Test matches going to be played in Auckland? The only other locations that I know of are the North Harbour Stadium Outer Oval and Western Springs....neither of them I've never actually been to so I can't comment.

[Andy Mellon]

Maybe, much like the Basin Reserve is only used for test and domestic cricket, Eden Park will be retained for tests and domestic cricket??

I have to say that I'm confused about the transport links for the new site. I think Three News said that it was poorly located for the Motorways and railways. Seeing as no one actually uses the railways, I don't think that matters so much but to my mind, with the traffic problems that Auckland suffers from, it should be out of town right on the motorway.

I'd still rather that $1bn was spent on solving problems rather than creating new ones though. But at least old Teflon Clark hasn't used that money to pay off Labour's spending problems, eh?

[crabs]

With the transport issues in Auckland, where ever they situate the stadium it's going to cause traffic congestion. But look at it this way. All the motorways, buses, rail and ferries run to town. You are more likely going to get the punters catching just one bus to town. With Eden Park, you catch the bus/ferry/rail to Town, then have to wait and catch another train/bus to Eden Park, which is quite discouraging. Not to mention how much easier it will be for all the overseas visitors to get there from there hotels.

I understand your concerns that this is a huge amount of money, but as a regular patron of Eden Park I can't wait to see the back of that stadium. I also can't understand investing $300 million into it when there are so many things it can't host because of it's location.

Below are some photo's.....just for the hell of it.
Eden Park in 1948

Eden Park Currently

Proposed Eden Park

[crabs]

And this is the Waterfront option...