Parramatta Eels fans excited about Bankwest Stadium opening

The PAR-RA chant, the sea of blue and gold flags, the atmosphere — if it’s not Parra it doesn’t matter.

• Brad Arthur: ‘We owe it to our fans’
• Sneak peek at Bankwest Stadium
• The day the Queen visited Parramatta Stadium

The PAR-RA chant, the sea of blue and gold flags, the atmosphere — if it’s not Parra it doesn’t matter.

Like thousands of Parramatta fans, the team’s return to its heartland on April 22 is drawing Kellie Willock, her husband Ricky Baykan and their two children Yasemin and Reis back to matches.

Health setbacks and the reluctance to watch Parramatta play from the cavernous ANZ Stadium saw the South Wentworthville family take a break from games over the past two seasons.

Raring to go: Kellie Willock and her children Yasemin, 10, and Reis, 5, anticipate a return to Eels heartland. Picture: Angelo Velardo

But they will join the throng of Eels diehards spurring the team on at Bankwest Stadium.

Ms Willock spent countless childhood weekends barracking for the Eels at Parramatta Stadium with her family in the club’s glory days of the 1980s.

“I remember walking to the hill, past the pools and just walking into the stadium and remembering it was so big and full of life; it was very exciting,’’ Ms Willock, 41, said.

The Eels will play their first match at Bankwest Stadium against the Wests Tigers on April 22.

“All the flags, the big massive signs on the hill with writing about the players, the streamers — you could just tell everything was home made, people actually went to the effort to do things.

“I loved Peter Sterling and I loved Brett Kenny.’’

Eels great Peter Sterling.

Legend Brett Kenny.

The team never won a premiership after 1986 but Ms Willock’s love for Parra kicked on.

“We were all around football through our teens and then in my 20s my sister and group of friends used to go to Friday night football,’’ she said.

Parramatta Stadium’s opening in 1986 attracted a huge dose of fanfare.

Queen Elizabeth at Parramatta Stadium’s official opening on March 5, 1986.

“And then, when I met my husband, we bought season tickets.”

While she was sad to see the stadium and Parramatta Pools demolished to make way for the $300 million Bankwest Stadium, (you’re losing a bit of your childhood”) she is looking forward to being a spectator again.

“I hope it was worth the money,’’ she said.

The stadium under construction in December. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I hope it’s full, I hope everyone is in the spirit of it. Homebush is not the same atmosphere.”

The pull of Parramatta is already enticing more bums on seats.

The stadium will have a capacity of 30,000. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The club has amassed 21,600 members (including season ticketed and non-ticketed memberships), a figure that is surging towards breaking the record of 25,145 set last year.

Despite the membership soaring over the past two seasons, season ticket numbers dropped.

Parramatta Eels membership manager Hamish McIntosh said data shows 1100 members this year are returning to Parramatta after shelving their memberships while Bankwest was under construction.

Parramatta fan Dave McDonald, who was Parramatta's 20,000th member, with captain Tim Mannah. Picture: Brett Costello

“The opening of Bankwest Stadium will have (and has already had) a significant impact on support for the team,’’ he said.

“Importantly, casual ticket sales for round six are on well on track for a sell out, which will see old Eels fans return home, as well as let those that are new to the Parramatta area experience an Eels game, and rugby league in general, for the first time.”