Stadium boss reveals plans to make Sydney nation’s home of sport

Sydney is set to become the nation’s home of live entertainment and big-time sport, overthrowing Melbourne for boasting rights with major events every single month.

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Sydney’s new stadium’s boss Tony Shepherd is planning to turn the Harbour City into the new sporting capital of Australia by bringing in global superstars to fill our venues.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has instructed Mr Shepherd to deliver world class events and entertainment to the Sydney Football Stadium, Bankwest and ANZ Stadium to justify the government’s billion dollar spend on the venues.

The plan is for Sydney to become the country’s home of live entertainment and big-time sport, overthrowing Melbourne for boasting rights.

Among the big events, Mr Shepherd wants to open negotiations with the NFL to bring two franchises to Sydney for a competition game of American football as part of a spectacular launch on the world stage for the new $750 million Sydney Football Stadium.

The Sydney Opera House is illuminated in support of Australia and New Zealand’s winning bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Picture: AAP

Every month he wants Sydney to have a major event to drive the NSW economy and tourism that has been hit so hard by the COVID-19 financial crisis.

“The government is instructing the new board to deliver big-time sport and events,” Mr Shepherd said in his first interview since the appointment.

“It has been made very clear from the Premier down.”

A possible calendar would include EPL giants Manchester United or Liverpool, Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift concerts, Origin, footy finals and even a world heavyweight boxing contest at Bankwest Stadium in December.

Sydney will host the final of FIFA Women’s World Cup and is bidding for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

South Africa celebrates after defeating England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Sydney is bidding to host the event in 2027. Picture: Getty

Victoria has long dominated sport in this country with the Australian Open tennis, the Boxing Day Test, the AFL grand final, the Melbourne Cup and the Australia Grand Prix.

The NSW government announced this week it was setting up the super stadium board, headed by Mr Shepherd as chairman, to put an end to years of bitterness between the ANZ Stadium administration and the SCG Trust.

It ends almost 150 years of history and tradition of the Trust managing events in Moore Park.

Instead of competing against each other, ANZ and the Trust will join forces in a powerful partnership to ensure Sydney is in a position to compete with the likes of Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane for the hosting rights for the biggest global and local events.

Taylor Swift is the calibre of global superstars the new super stadium board hopes to lure to Sydney. Picture: AFP

“We will be aiming for one big global event every year,” Mr Shepherd said, “and we want to stage a major event every month at one of our stadiums. We have to be entrepreneurial.

“Even new content like a NSW v QLD rugby union State of Origin … why not. It works so well in rugby league.

“We’ve got the most beautiful city in the world and the safest city in the world.

“I want Sydney to be the sporting capital of the country in all codes and we will with the new stadium network. We’ve got the population to do it and the fans that love it.”

The monthly events would be staged around Sydney’s biggest thoroughbred racing carnivals – The Championships, the Everest and the Golden Eagle.

Monthly events would be staged around racing carnivals including The Everest at Royal Randwick Racecourse. Picture: Getty

Shepherd’s views on the future of sport in Sydney surprisingly contradict those of independent commission chairman Peter V’landys and his vision to build boutique 20,000-seat suburban venues.

Mr V’landys and the rugby league TV networks prefer smaller venues to provide a tribalism atmosphere without the rows of empty seats as the backdrop to broadcasts.

He has been lobbying the state government in recent months to build new grounds at Brookvale, Liverpool, Penrith or southern Sydney.

The NSW Blues celebrate winning the State of Origin series after defeating Queensland in Game 3 at ANZ Stadium last year. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Mr Shepherd says fans will attend the bigger venues, given the right facilities.

“We have to work with the clubs and the codes to make it special,” he said.

“Have a look at Bankwest. Attendances are up because it’s a great stadium.

“People love going there. There’s plenty for kids to do. It’s for the whole family.

“Mum and dad are working. They’ve got a couple of kids. They need a day out. If you give them good facilities the whole family can share they will come.

“It’s all about giving the customers what they want.”

Originally published as Stadium boss reveals plans to make Sydney nation’s home of sport