COOPERS Stadium would become Adelaide’s first covered stadium and its capacity increased to 25,000 spectators under an ambitious $75million plan linking it with the upgraded Adelaide Oval to land the Commonwealth Games.

Both rugby codes also would be enticed to the enclosed, weatherproof stadium in the plan to cement Adelaide as a sports mecca.

Stadium managers Adelaide Entertainment Corporation (AEC) is investigating an option of using a lightweight transparent roof - of similar fabric used in Beijing’s Water Cube - to protect spectators from the elements.

The upgraded, covered stadium would be pivotal to government plans to bid for the Commonwealth Games.

While a government investment would be needed for the roof, AEC sees the stadium as a future profit maker.

AEC runs the neighboring Adelaide Entertainment Centre at a profit, with no call on taxpayer subsidies, and already has plugged the ongoing money drain of Coopers Stadium under Government management into plans for a profit by the end of 2014-15.

The proposed ETFE (ethylene tetrafluroe) roof being investigated is the same material used on the large dome at the front of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

AEC executives says the facility is becoming outdated and the State Government will need to decide if it is to remain South Australia’s home of rectangular sports and so redevelop the facility, or look to build a new stadium on a new site.

They now are investigating the merits of increasing shade protection for fans, enlarging the pitch by 7m to attract rugby codes and increasing capacity from its present 17,000 up to 25,000.

One option is installing veranda roofs over the grandstands, increasing the size of one of the existing grandstands and building additional seating in the vacant corners of the stadium.

The more ambitious option is to enclose the stadium with a lightweight roof.

AEC chief executive Anthony Kirchner stressed the investigations are at a very early stage, with no firm costings and no plan yet put to the State Government.

“We are looking at a whole range of concepts but this is very much in its infancy,” he said.

“AEC has already earmarked $4 million in upgrades to Coopers Stadium over the next two years but at some point there is going to be the need for a more significant investment to make sure the stadium remains relevant and marketable. We are looking at options.”

Mr Kirchner recently visited Dunedin at the request of the AEC board to examine the Forsyth Barr Stadium, which has a ETFE roof.

The stadium’s roof collects water to irrigate the pitch comprised of real grass strengthened by synthetic grass fibres. The lightweight roof has gaps at the top to allow air flow and the stadium is generally about 3-4C warmer than the outside temperature.

Mr Kirchner said while the Dunedin roof was 100 per cent transparent, an Adelaide roof may be 50 per cent transparent to reflect heat and would need careful design to ensure player and spectator comfort in summer.

AEC estimates an ETFE roof would cost around $45 million, with another $30 million needed for seating capacity improvements.

If no upgrades go ahead, it estimates the cost of a brand new 25,000 seat rectangular stadium to be in excess of $250 million.

Since taking over management of the stadium from the State Government in July, AEC has slashed the regular $500,000 a year loss to an expected $250,000 this financial year and expects to be profitable by the end of 2014-15.

It has signed Coopers as major naming rights sponsor for five years and the $4 million it is investing comes from profits from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre rather than from taxpayers.

These improvements include new seats, more food and beverage outlets, new lift, new dressing rooms and general maintenance.

Adelaide United is the ground’s core tenant and their hiring agreement is ‘widely regarded as the best stadium deal of any A-League franchise’ according to a report by consultants KPMG into the stadium arrangements.

AEC is taking a conservative approach to Adelaide United’s hiring fees but says the current arrangements are not commercially sustainable.

The option of covering Coopers Stadium may depend on Adelaide’s proposed bid for the Commonwealth Games and its success in enticing other professional sports.

As reported by The Advertiser in November, AEC is in talks with the NRL to lure a Sydney rugby league team to Hindmarsh for up to five games a season, making Adelaide a second home in the way AFL’s Hawthorn regularly plays in Tasmania.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/coopers-stadium-75m-upgrade-plan-includes-covered-roof-link-to-adelaide-oval-host-rugby-and-commonwealth-games/story-fni6uo1m-1226828298953

Already been posted in the AUFC thread...

And the attendance thread

but anyway i'll just copy what i said.

Doesn't seem like they want to do the upgrade for the right reasons. A roof and expansion isn't going to attract a Rugby team to play 5 times a year. The ARU work by the FFA school of thought and give all extra National Team games to Sydney and the Rebels might do a pre season game or some other token fixture there but no NRL team is desperate enough to whore itself out to another city for more than one game a year. The worst bit is they are actually considering extending the pitch when the ground is perfect atm and is primarily a football ground. Plenty of Rugby games in England are played on football grounds just use a smaller in goal area than usual.

A roof or some basic cover should be happening now and built to allow a possible expansion if needed but no expansion of the ground should happen until AU average 15k a game

I wouldn't be so sure. Money talks.

It's perfect as is

So Football will get kicked out for Rugby games etc?

Another Hunter Stadium in the making?

-PB

AEC have also already stated that they need to host 2 concerts per year to be profitable. Hasn't been any as yet...

I'm still very made about the way the state govt went about awarding AEC with ownership...

We have been waiting for something like this for donkey years............but i cant see it happening. Football is offside with the majority of sport fans in SA and the government.

Rugby is not going to come to coopers stadium so for the government to give 75mil to upgrade a "soccer" stadium.i cant see it happening.

quite sad. a roof and the corners filled in would just be awesome. and the roof would make it a complete stadium very similar to AAMI Park in melbourne

the atmosphere and noise 25000 united supporters could make would equate to a full mcg afl game easily

How about 6 thousand ?

I'd happily sacrifice the extra length at the ends for this, would be perfect size and with enhanced transport links would be brilliant for getting people in and out.

Though i would think some air conditioning would be needed if the temps are gonna be 3-4 degrees warmer inside than out it aint gonna be nice playing a 4 o'clock arvo game on a lovely 43 degree adelaide summers day.

Last puissant game attracted 6950? :oops:

An extra 7 metres to get the potential extra negotiating support of the rugby codes is a ridiculously good deal. I have no doubt that AFL headquarters cannot be worked with and will do all they can to undermine us, but I think that if football wants better rectangular facilities in this country, strategically allying with the NRL and ARU in lobbying government makes a lot of sense (maybe not so much in SA admittedly but elsewhere at least). It's a very small price to pay for potentially great gain.

Edited by Kamaryn: 16/2/2014 04:21:41 PM

The only guarantee in the article is that AEC plans a massive price hike for the pissants. Some pie in the sky predictions to give a little justification for it.

Yeah, I got that impression too.

seriously bidding for the commonwealth games. would be ridiculous if aus gets to host it 3 times over a 24 year period

Redeveloping Hindmarsh is not the best of ideas in my opinion. Due to the tight spaces around the stands and the positioning of the stadium itself it doesn't really allow for a proper upgrade. The best option really is to build a new stadium and training/club facilities on the park site on Glover Avenue. Either side would be alright, but the side nearer to the river is more preferable due to the high school being on the other side. You can build quite a decent 20,000 capacity stadium with room to expand for far less than 250 million. You don't want to go all guns blazing and build a 30k stadium which only has 10k fans in it every week. Its also my understanding that transport to this are would be better too with a train station and tram station only minutes away.

Probably unfair, but not necessarily unrealistic. In reality, of the 21 games that have happened, they have only been hosted by 9 countries. 3 of those countries were Malaysia, Jamaica and Wales - not the sort of countries that are going to get regular rights as they don't have the facilities in enough different cities.

That only leaves us, NZ, Eng, Scotland, India and Canada. I don't know if you could take it to India regularly, whilst you probably can't for Scotland or New Zealand due to the limited number of major cities. England don't get to host it often either as I think (I could be wrong) they are counted together with Ireland and Scotland as home nations (and so have to share rights between them). In the end, it doesn't leave a lot of choices. It basically goes down to rotating between us, NZ, Canada and Ireland/Scotland/England. It sucks for the smaller countries, but that's the way it works.

Edited by Kamaryn: 16/2/2014 05:07:18 PM

Rain affected crowd.

-PB

Wettest Feb day in Adelaide since 1969

Some billionaire should just buy it for Adelaide.

and Valentines Day and the Fringe Festival. All in all, I think it was actually not a bad turnout at all,

plus several major roads north were flooded, I left work at 415, and got to game 10 mins in. I was at home getting chasnged for 5 mins.

So 45 million for the roof to be made. 30 million to add a few thousand seats, well to go from 17,000 to 25,000 seats... Im happy enough just the the roof alone.

Still I noticed 1 thing... I remember a few years ago, Adelaide United only had to pay $35,000 just to rent out Hindmarsh. When the AEC came in and own the stadium, it has jumped up to $50-60,000 a game. Keep in mind the AEC is trying to be self sufficient and trying to be profitable without government handouts. If the NRL did actually field a South Australian Rugby league side here in Adelaide, The AEC will double their revenue in rent.

The negative I will find out of this if the roof or seating increase or both plans go through, The AEC might increase the rental prices again.

Im pissed off with the SA government, they are willing to put 700 million into the Adelaide oval upgrade but will not go through with this.

Fucking tragic. The Adelaide Oval used to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. As a result of redevelopment and making it a multi-purpose stadium, it has been ruined. And it's only getting worse. Utter tragedy.

starting to sound more fickle than east sydney supporters

Yep, one of the worlds greatest grounds and now just another carbon copy AFL bowl.

Those shorter grounds are actually dangerous for the Rugby codes.......................What happens when the half back puts a kick through into the in goal and 2 players are charging to get to the ball to score a try?

Bamm straight into the mettle fence and a potentially season ending injury.

25k AUFC fans is like 25k AFL fans...................................Adelaide united fans don't make that much noise tbh.

Possibly but in Rugby League there is precedent to make it work. The Super League grand final is played at Old Trafford and the Challenge Cup final is at Wembley and the halves there adapt to the smaller In-Goal area by playing their kicks more horizontally so they go across the in-goal area rather than right on the goal line like you constantly see in the NRL.

Melbourne Storm also used to do this at Olympic Park as their was never enough grass for a full sized pitch, they still do this at AAMI Park, even with the space for a full pitch, as it's now a part of their game plan and got in a massive scrap with the NRL about doing this in finals at the Durka Dome.

Edited by melbourne_terrace: 17/2/2014 10:43:28 AM

If over 6,000 people rocking up while this was happening is fickle....








Then fine, we're fickle.