Kinda sounds that way. Definitely enforces the perception that this was a land grab. 
This is where things can start going off the rails. If the locals don't like the sound of that and If enough locals start making enough noise, this project has the potential to be killed off or heavily delayed.

During the announcement they revealed that SMFC shouldn't have even gone through the first round of cuts, and Wollongong was unfairly overlooked.
People in this thread are dreaming if they think SM is a wise choice. They have a shiny stadium sure... but otherwise they are nothing.
Move on.

There stadium is garbage. Miles away from the action.

No different to an oval stadium. In saying that how many Greeks would have come out of the woodwork. Blue and white flags everywhere. 

I watch 14 home games a year, it is not miles from the action and it’s not an oval ffs. Does anyone call the stadio olympico a footy ground?

an oval shape ground is exactly that, an oval ground with a soccer pitch stuffed somewhere inside it (marvel stadium). The pitch at lakeside is purpose built for football.

3 HAL teams within 2 km's of each other is just commercial suicide and darn stupid

The old Bob Jane was better!

In one way yes, but you also have to consider that the facilities were average and the venue was pretty run down. 

My point is people need to learn to differentiate between a purpose built dual football/athletics venue and an actual oval shaped aussie rules ground that has a pitch placed within it somewhere.

"to accommodate these different uses, it is important not to change the stadium to an extent that has a negative impact on its primary purpose for football. For example, making the pitch considerably larger for another sport or adding a running track around the field can result in football spectators being much further from the playing field and removed from the action. This reduces their sense of involvement and engagement with the game and diminishes their excitement."

"Pressure is often put on stadium developers to increase the field size or to include a running track. Occasionally, such requirements are unavoidable. Unfortunately, this will result in a much less successful facility than a football stadium that is specifically built around the football field’s dimensions."

"surrounding a football field with a running track in a modern stadium should be avoided."

FIFA, Football Stadiums - Technical Recommendations and Requirements. 5th Edition 2011.


Lakeside is a third rate football stadium for viewing.

Since that recommendation in 2011 how many World Cup, champions league etc finals have been played in such stadiums? Are you going to be consistent and call them third rate?

doesnt matter if it is a grass track, athletics track, dog track or any sort if tract, once you put something around a square football pitch it becomes an oval and crap for viewing. same applies in any country

Yes.  Any stadium with a running track around it is not conducive to high quality viewing or atmosphere.  In the case of Lakeside the first row of seating in the main stand is 19m further from the pitch than a stadium designed around the dimensions of a FIFA international sized pitch.  A well designed modern stadium would have 24 rows of seating closer than the closest row of seating in the stand at Lakeside.  Add the fact of excessive viewing distances at the ends of the ground and wrong orientation for a football pitch in Australia the venue is 3rd rate.

Yeh maybe, but not as bad as giving the greatest fuck up in the history of Australian football, the WU real estate shonks a license. 

Yes and no.
Let's not forget, the 2nd Melbourne license originally went to a new club with no history, no identity, no fans, no geographic area, and guess what, played out of hte exact same home ground as the already successful and popular Victory.
So that was mistake number 1 by the FFA.
I would think by now that we'd all agree South Melbourne, playing from its own boutique stadium just outside of the Melbourne CBD would have been a much better choice than "Heart".
So, did the new regime learn from that mistake?
Yeh, sort of, let's give this new club a clear geographic identy...and plonk them mid-way between Melbourne and Geelong.
That ought to work a treat.  Much better than playing in a boutique stadium in a nice part of Melbourne just outside of the CBD.

The shortsightedness of the FFA to let Lakeside Stadium slip out of Football managed hands and become an athletics venue is one the game will never be able to rectify.

We had a boutique football managed ground on the outskirts of the CBD and the FFA stripped it of its main source of income by pulling national games.

South had no option but to take Eddie Macguire's redevelopment deal. It secured a future they would never have been able to afford on State League revenues.

Albert Park was the cradle of Victorian Football. It is an international standard sporting precinct enjoyed by millions in person and on TV each year... and the football community let it slip.

Honestly devastates me.

Referring to Thread Tittle "WESTERN UNITED" 
Don't Clutter

Not sure what you are on (too much ouzo?) but your version of the stadiums history is totally wrong. SM used to play out of middle park which was demolished for the Melb GP track (Vic Government not FFA). SM agreed to a sweetheart deal to move to the redeveloped "Lake Oval" (an AFL ground) which became Lakeside stadium. This happened in 1994 so SM was still in the NSL, not the state leagues.

The athletics track was added in  2009 when Collingwood bought Olympic Park and Athletics Vic needed a new home. By that stage Vic Government had already started building AAMI to replace it for football, rugby, etc, and SM was long gone from the national stage.

Albert park was only ever the cradle of South Melbounre and their inflated egos but Vic football heartland has always been in Melbournes West and North.

Pfft, what would FIFA know. 

i still don't think the stadium is "FFA compliant." 7,000 seats and hills either side of the goals doesn't cut it for mine. 


that’s a lame excuse. lakeside didn't have an athletics track before Eddie the untouchable did his outrageous and appalling conflict of interest thing. now lakeside has to cater for other sports. 

Don't agree.
SMH wouldn't have and/or won't do better than a well cashed up Heart playing out of AAMI Stadlium. Lakeside is an oval with a running track. SMHellas have supporters in the mere hundreds. Sure that will increase somewhat, but no more than what Heart already have. Their supporter base has deserted them and they struggle to reach out to the non Greek community. Broad appeal is an important ingredient for franchises and football. Having such a club right next door to 2 other clubs is designed to fail.

Yep, your not wrong.

Middle Park was much, much better.

The "Oceania club of the decade" is so popular that they had to cancel their weekly FNR Radio show due to lack of interest.

Can we move on please. This thread is about Western United. 

I cordially invite all the Western United fans out there to join in on the discussion.

The stadio olympico (your example) is a lovely historic building but even Italian clubs are desperate to get away from these archaic stadiums and do a Juventus.

Let’s just say it’s a SOD of a CLUB 

Diamanti wants out apparently

Heard that as well. Apparently wu dont want to re-sign him due to his age. 

Shit, he's only 36, still got a couple more years of A-League in him, I am sure someone else will snap him up...