Sydney’s $830 million super stadium a work of art

Sydney’s new $830 million Allianz super stadium was born from a secret meeting of global sporting heavyweights at Moore Park five years ago.

Sydney’s new $830 million super stadium was born from a secret meeting of global sporting heavyweights at Moore Park five years ago.

The bosses of FIFA – the most powerful sporting organisation on the planet – were in town to inspect venues before making a decision on the host country for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

They took one look at the old Allianz Stadium and were not impressed.

“I clearly remember the day,” says Venues NSW chairman Tony Shepherd.

“I took one of their top guys for a tour of the venue.

“He had one look and then just shook his head.

“It was obvious we couldn’t hold a World Cup game here because it didn’t meet their requirements.

“I think he thought it was a bit like a bush league venue.”

Out with the old.... the now demolished Moore Park Stadium.

The new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The new 70,000-seat SoFi stadium in Los Angeles.

That meeting was Shepherd’s motivation to go to the state government with a clear message – that if Sydney wanted to host international sport the old venue had to be bulldozed.

Shepherd has been to all the major stadiums in the United States including the new 70,000-seat SoFi stadium in Los Angeles which hosted the last Super Bowl.

Plus in London at Wembley and the magnificent new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

“We had to get up to scratch with these world class venues and their facilities,” he said.

“We’re the biggest city in one of the richest countries in the world but we were without a great stadium.

“People don’t want to use portaloos at the football.

“To be internationally competitive we had to lift our standards.

“And that’s what we’ve done with this new stadium.”

A general view of the newly built Allianz Stadium. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

The new stadium boasts 42,500 seats, everyone of them undercover. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

This truly is a magnificent new state of the art sporting venue.

It has 42,500 seats, everyone of them undercover.

There is a 300 per cent increase in public concourse areas.

Contemporary bars, food served by Merivale chefs and modern bathroom facilities.

Plus stunning corporate areas that are an enormous improvement on what was there previously when the old Stadium was built 35 years ago.

This is all about the challenges sporting codes face post Covid to get fans back to the footy.

“During Covid and lockdown people got used to consuming their sport from home on their nice flat screen televisions,” Shepherd said.

Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes and Venues NSW Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather at Allianz Stadium.

“The sporting TV coverage and production in this country is world class.

“The fans got comfortable at home. It was cheap and it was easy.

“So to get people back you need excellent facilities. And that’s a cross section of the community from families on tight budgets to the high flyers in the corporate world.

“You’ve got to offer a first-class experience in comfortable surroundings.

“Good food and beverages, no long queues and nice bathrooms.

“Watching from home is fine but there is no experience like the atmosphere of being there for a big event.

“Think of the great grand finals, the great Origin games and all the emotion. To be there made it so special.”

Getting people to rugby league, union, soccer and AFL in the Harbour City is such a challenge in these days of high interest rates, rising fuel costs and with many struggling to pay their weekly grocery bills.

“Families are entitled to be picky in how they spend their money these days,” Shepherd said

“Cost of living is a real issue. Everyone wants value for money.

“If people are paying decent money to come to the football the match-day experience has to justify that. And that’s what this stadium is all about.”

‘Like it was a modern-day coliseum’.... rugby league legend Benny Elias. Picture: Christian Gilles

Rugby league legend Benny Elias recently toured the new stadium with chief executive Kerrie Mather.

Moore Park is his old patch of turf.

He even played on the old Sydney Sports Ground that ran from east to west as an Australian schoolboy back in the early 80s.

Then in the first grand final at the Sydney Football Stadium in 1988 for Balmain against Canterbury.

The following year too when his field goal attempt to win the 1989 grand final against the Raiders cannoned away off the crossbar.

“The other day I walked out into the middle and got this eerie feeling,” he said, “Like it was a modern-day coliseum.

“It was empty but I felt very emotional and started imagining it being full. The atmosphere is going to be something else.”

The old memories came rushing back.

Both victories and heartbreak.

“I thought about all those things,” he said.

“It was where my mum ran onto the ground in Origin when I was covered in blood.

“Where I played the first two grand finals.

“It was where Michael O’Connor landed the goal from the sideline to win an Origin with a leather ball on a mudheap.

“Darren Albert’s try for the Knights in the miracle ’97 grand final.”

Elias has been to all the major stadiums in England – Wembley, Elland Road and Old Trafford.

“This stadium is as good if not better,” he said, “They’ve thought of everything for the spectator.

“They’ve thought of everything for the players, men and women, in the change sheds.

“This place is a gamechanger for sport in this city.”