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Sunshine Coast for A-League?

Bowden

Bowden

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Nov 1, 2024
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183
Just got back from the pre-season friendly between Roar and Mariners at Sunshine Coast Stadium, which had a crowd of 6,815 people!

Not a league match, not an Australia Cup match… A meaningless pre-season friendly.

The pitch was perfect for football, and the stadium was packed full of young families.

Currently the stadium has a capacity of 10,000 people, however only 1,000 of that is seated. As part of the 2032 Olympics, however, stadium upgrade works are beginning next year to build additional grandstands bringing the total seated capacity to 16,000.

The Sunshine Coast Council also owns the stadium, so could provide subsidised rent to a local team, similar to the arrangement the Mariners benefit from with Central Coast Council.



 
grazorblade said:
is this where suncoast fire are?
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Nope they’re exclusively in the UK now. They’ve removed themselves from all Australian football competitions. They just run an academy here.

So the A-League team would have to be a brand new club I imagine.
 
Bowden said:
Nope they’re exclusively in the UK now. They’ve removed themselves from all Australian football competitions. They just run an academy here.

So the A-League team would have to be a brand new club I imagine.
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I suspect they would come back if they could get a license. Sunshine Coast playing there and Roar at a redeveloped Perry Park would be perfect.
 
This is how clubs should be. Modest in stadium size in a core region and worry about expansion later. It's especially useful where no or few other sport teams exist.

Of course this could be applied to Western United but there also needs to be sound management.

It's regrettable and the reasons are numerous that we don't have more clubs. The local players are there as is an abundance of international talent that would like to play and live in Australia.
 
Bowden said:
This is how the stadium will look after the upgrades are completed ahead of the Olympics:

View attachment 3015
16,000-seat Stadium.
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I think the rugby leagues posts and markings are a pretty fair indication about who is expected to get the most use from this stadium. It is supposedly being upgraded for the Olympics football competition, but the authorities can’t even be bothered to show a football field on their mockup.
 
Keeper66 said:
I think the rugby leagues posts and markings are a pretty fair indication about who is expected to get the most use from this stadium. It is supposedly being upgraded for the Olympics football competition, but the authorities can’t even be bothered to show a football field on their mockup.
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Sunshine Coast Falcons play in the QLD cup run by the QLD RL - 15 teams across 24 weeks with 1 bye. A recent season they had 11,500 as total attendance for all home games. They are a feeder club for Melbourne Storm.
 
patjennings said:
Sunshine Coast Falcons play in the QLD cup run by the QLD RL - 15 teams across 24 weeks with 1 bye. A recent season they had 11,500 as total attendance for all home games. They are a feeder club for Melbourne Storm.
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Yes, I know it is used by SC Falcons rugby league team, who play in the second tier competition. And despite the low attendances they still get a 16000 seat stadium build for them to use, under the guise of course of Olympic football.
 
Keeper66 said:
Yes, I know it is used by SC Falcons rugby league team, who play in the second tier competition. And despite the low attendances they still get a 16000 seat stadium build for them to use, under the guise of course of Olympic football.
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The NRL wants to get to 24 teams eventually. I imagine when they get to 24 teams they will look at a second division and a full home and away season. At this stage after Perth they are targeting Adelaide, Jets (Ipswich tied with Newtown) Fiji and another NZ team - probably in Christchurch.

The only way Sunshine Coast gets a National team and draws a crowd to justify the spend in the long run is an A-League team or to beat out the Ipswich bid (traditionally a very strong League stronghold - Kerrod, Kevin and Steve Walters, Dale Shearer, Allan Langer, Rod Morris).
 
Keeper66 said:
Yes, I know it is used by SC Falcons rugby league team, who play in the second tier competition. And despite the low attendances they still get a 16000 seat stadium build for them to use, under the guise of course of Olympic football.
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I actually think that the redevelopment will not go ahead. The Games have gone from a $5billion games to a likely $12billion games since the election. Victoria Park was never taken to the election. Unless they pull back on the Victoria Park stadium I suspect a lot of the 'regional' legacy developments will be dropped. More early round football games played interstate, rowing at Penrith etc.
 
patjennings said:
I actually think that the redevelopment will not go ahead. The Games have gone from a $5billion games to a likely $12billion games since the election. Victoria Park was never taken to the election. Unless they pull back on the Victoria Park stadium I suspect a lot of the 'regional' legacy developments will be dropped. More early round football games played interstate, rowing at Penrith etc.
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I thought this too btu they are basically in the process of appointing contractors i believe.

And realistically, the Sunshine Coast needs a stadium badly.
 
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