Stadium design could leave Sydney FC in half-empty house

Serious concerns are growing about the final design for the rebuild of Sydney Football Stadium at Moore Park.

Sydney FC and their fans have been enjoying their time in boutique stadiums like Leichhardt Oval. Picture: Getty Images

The state government is set to appoint a construction firm for the rebuild of the Sydney Football Stadium by Christmas, but concerns are growing that the result will be a $729m white elephant.

As Sydney FC host another fixture at Kogarah’s Jubilee Oval on Saturday night, questions are being asked whether the Sky Blues would be better off at a smaller venue than the SFS in the long term, if the new stadium is built in a way that means it is almost always two-thirds empty and devoid of atmosphere for all of its tenants.

After Lend Lease walked away from the project in July, it is understood either Multiplex or John Holland will be appointed in the next fortnight to build the stadium.

But the design as it stands will not have the capability to screen off part of the 45,000-seat venue — switching between so-called “club mode” and “championship mode” — even though its tenants all average regular-season crowds around 15,000. Without that capability, Sydney FC may have to question whether the SFS is the right venue in the long term, after the success of hosting games at Jubilee and Leichhardt Ovals.

Stream every game of The 2019/20 Hyundai A-League season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial & start streaming instantly >

All tenants were initially promised by the SCG Trust, which runs the SFS, that an option such as an LED curtain to cover the upper tiers would be included in the design. The Roosters said they still consider it “fundamentally important” to the design.

But the rebuild is out of the Trust’s hands, being overseen by Infrastructure NSW, and the curtain option was dropped by the government to save some $46m.

Infrastructure NSW says “the stadium’s roof and upper tier is being designed to permit the future installation of a club mode curtain” — but the fear is that persuading government to spend money on a curtain years after the stadium is built will be harder.

“The LED curtain was a key feature to the original design of the stadium that we supported,” Roosters CEO Joe Kelly said. “In the context of our regular crowds and creating the best possible match-day experience, the inclusion of this technology is fundamentally important.

Sydney FC CEO Danny Townsend would not be drawn on the question of a curtain, but said: “The experience of hosting our games in smaller venues has been excellent so far and we’ve been able to provide our members with a fantastic atmosphere and family feel in each, mixed with the type of social occasion and event traditional football fans desire.

“But at the same time we are looking forward to moving back into our brand new, world-class stadium at Moore Park which will have modern, state-of-the-art facilities and the latest in technological advancements, providing our members with a world-class fan experience.”

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH