Quay Park stadium for Auckland?
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When decisions on the 'multi-purpose stadium' (e.g. caketin) were being made in the mid 1990s. I don't think anyone could have foreseen the compete collapse in crowds & interest for ODIs (and in continuance their still relatively weak replacement T20s) that were to happen about 10 years later due to the meaningless-isation of white-ball cricket that was to occur.
But in saying that. A poorly attended ODI in the caketin still quite comfortably out-numbers the now halved capacity of the Basin (due to comfort and/or safety decisions, no changes have been made to the actual layout).
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@Auckman said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
@hydro11 said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
@No-Quarter said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
Th obvious problem with oval stadiums for rugby (and soccer) is the very best seats on halfway are too far from the action, so that means there are no great seats, just OKish seats all the way around.
Wellington was really silly to build an oval when they already had the Basin for cricket, they could have easily replaced the embankment (which is a shit place to watch sport as you spend half the time trying not to slide down the bank) with another stand at some point to increase capacity there (if needed). A purpose built rectangle stadium for rugby, soccer and hosting concerts would have been perfect.
I grew up in Wellington and have also lived in Auckland for a decade so have been to Athletic Park, the Cake Tin and Eden Park a lot. By far the best experiences I've had for rugby are at Athletic Park and Eden Park purely because the view was so much better so I could follow the action much more easily. The view at the Cake Tin is pretty average no matter where you are.
The challenge for Auckland is they don't have a decent cricket ground, but at the same time it'd be a real mistake to replace Eden Park with an oval. I think they are best to upgrade Eden Park and then think about where they can put a more modest cricket ground.
This is mostly hindsight. Of course, with what we know now we would not build the Cake Tin as an oval. However, in its early years it was getting massive crowds for cricket.
You are severely limited by how large you can make the basin. You could probably build a bigger stand on the Museum/RA Vance side, but it would be much more difficult on the grass side. Not to mention extra stands could ruin the character.
The reality is that there is no appetite for spending tens of millions of dollars on a cricket stadium. If the Cake Tin was a rectangle, Wellington would simply not host major ODIs and T20Is. If Eden Park also could not hold big games, New Zealand would not have been able to host as many games as it did in the 2015 World Cup.
nah Hagley Park still gets big international matches (including world cup matches in 2015) despite its small size. They just added temporary stands to the grass banks - easy! Basin Reserve is a true cricket ground and should've been upgraded (to the extent it could be upgraded) for cricket. The Caketin should've been a modern version of Athletic Park. I had never been to Athletic Park but everyone bar none raved about how it was the best rugby ground in NZ - especially the millard stand placing you practically on top of the play (if you survived the winds!)
I have vague memories of sitting under a rug at the top of the Millard stand as a kid. Definitely an amazing view. Delicious waffle dogs from the pie cart down below too!
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@Bovidae said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
@Auckman said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
I remember that guy. Absolute character. Those old characters were hilarious - like that guy with a chainsaw up the crane at waikato stadium back in the day who would crank it throughout the game and especially when Auckland kickers were lining up for goal.
Possum still attends games but sits in the stands somewhere behind me now. I can usually hear him yelling.
got given a lifetime free pass to fark off out of the cherry picker and can the chainsaw!
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@Auckman said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
had never been to Athletic Park but everyone bar none raved about how it was the best rugby ground in NZ - especially the millard stand placing you practically on top of the play (if you survived the winds!)
I mostly sat on the top of the Millard stand. Unless it was raining. But under was also good (my much younger me was right up the very top of MS for the SA / NZ 2nd test and had a great view of the protestors vs police action too. The game itself was not great though).
I went to a few Cake Tin games when I was back recently. The atmosphere was fine but I prefer watching it on TV.
The wind at AP was horrible though. Ruined many a game.
I just hope Auckland can get it right. I know the QPS area. It's so much better than EP. That I thought was a poor location but the last game I attended there was many years back. And my team - Wellington - lost and it didn't help that I went with my smug partner who was a big Ak fan.
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@Auckman said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
@hydro11 said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
@No-Quarter said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
Th obvious problem with oval stadiums for rugby (and soccer) is the very best seats on halfway are too far from the action, so that means there are no great seats, just OKish seats all the way around.
Wellington was really silly to build an oval when they already had the Basin for cricket, they could have easily replaced the embankment (which is a shit place to watch sport as you spend half the time trying not to slide down the bank) with another stand at some point to increase capacity there (if needed). A purpose built rectangle stadium for rugby, soccer and hosting concerts would have been perfect.
I grew up in Wellington and have also lived in Auckland for a decade so have been to Athletic Park, the Cake Tin and Eden Park a lot. By far the best experiences I've had for rugby are at Athletic Park and Eden Park purely because the view was so much better so I could follow the action much more easily. The view at the Cake Tin is pretty average no matter where you are.
The challenge for Auckland is they don't have a decent cricket ground, but at the same time it'd be a real mistake to replace Eden Park with an oval. I think they are best to upgrade Eden Park and then think about where they can put a more modest cricket ground.
This is mostly hindsight. Of course, with what we know now we would not build the Cake Tin as an oval. However, in its early years it was getting massive crowds for cricket.
You are severely limited by how large you can make the basin. You could probably build a bigger stand on the Museum/RA Vance side, but it would be much more difficult on the grass side. Not to mention extra stands could ruin the character.
The reality is that there is no appetite for spending tens of millions of dollars on a cricket stadium. If the Cake Tin was a rectangle, Wellington would simply not host major ODIs and T20Is. If Eden Park also could not hold big games, New Zealand would not have been able to host as many games as it did in the 2015 World Cup.
nah Hagley Park still gets big international matches (including world cup matches in 2015) despite its small size. They just added temporary stands to the grass banks - easy! Basin Reserve is a true cricket ground and should've been upgraded (to the extent it could be upgraded) for cricket. The Caketin should've been a modern version of Athletic Park. I had never been to Athletic Park but everyone bar none raved about how it was the best rugby ground in NZ - especially the millard stand placing you practically on top of the play (if you survived the winds!)
Hagley had extra seating to take its capacity to 17,000. You couldn't get 17k into the Basin whatever you did. Hagley is surrounded by parkland, the Basin by SH1. Hagley also didn't really get big World Cup games - it got the opener and two other pool games. An 8,000 seat Basin probably wouldn't even get NZ World Cup games.
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With retractable seats would they be able to get a decent circular shape of a decent size?
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@mikedogz said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
With retractable seats would they be able to get a decent circular shape of a decent size?
my understanding of revamped eden park was it incorporated the current south stand which has retractable seats.....some i imagine the overall pitch size is much the same as it currently is....so no....not really
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@Machpants said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
and also in the box seat to host both a quarter-final and a semi-final in the upcoming 2028 ICC T20I CWC.”
Lol fucking monkeys in charge in NZ cricket, if they think that's possible
What do you mean?
Even if Eden park doesn't get redeveloped it will most likely be hosting the semi final. I would like to think that Wellington would get the Quarter final but if Eden Park had a roof it might be a good option to ensure rain doesn't play any part.
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@LABCAT said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
@Machpants said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
and also in the box seat to host both a quarter-final and a semi-final in the upcoming 2028 ICC T20I CWC.”
Lol fucking monkeys in charge in NZ cricket, if they think that's possible
What do you mean?
Even if Eden park doesn't get redeveloped it will most likely be hosting the semi final. I would like to think that Wellington would get the Quarter final but if Eden Park had a roof it might be a good option to ensure rain doesn't play any part.
Eden Park will in no way change by 2028, no matter what is chosen for stadium AKL. I guess if it is chosen there is a small to nothing chance the works are underway in 2028? But really, look at Chch, it'll be a decade before finished - minimum. The quote is saying with the upgrade and roof, it'll have a really good chance - nothing is happening by 2028
Full quote
“If Eden Park is re-designed so it can, a) accommodate a proper cricket oval and b) has a roof to eliminate the threat of rain, then I can envisage far more international fixtures being scheduled in Auckland.
“A venue like that would be well-placed to win hosting rights for marquee Test Matches against India, England and Australia, and also in the box seat to host both a quarter-final and a semi-final in the upcoming 2028 ICC T20I CWC.”
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@Machpants said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:
“A venue like that would be well-placed to win hosting rights for marquee Test Matches against India, England and Australia, and also in the box seat to host both a quarter-final and a semi-final in the upcoming 2028 ICC T20I CWC.”
None of the classic UK grounds have large capacity. Lords is the only one north of 30k.
A beautiful, purpose built venue will be better than a round peg in a square hole with large stadia every single day of the week. Especially when those large stadia are 80% empty.
The Basin Reserve should be NZ premier test cricket ground, whilst something in Auckland (I've always thought North Harbour) should be setup for max 25k capacity for ODI / T20 etc.
Eden Park the home of NZ rugby, football & concerts.
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Interesting vid about locating stadiums in cities...
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@WestieFella that reminds me of what Wimbledon have achived finally moving back to Plough lane, 10k seat stadium (future proofed for 20k) with apartments designed and built at the same time, very few NIMBY's, ground tucked away and not overly visable fromthe street
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