Skoda Stadium
Encyclopedia
Skoda Stadium is a sports stadium located at the Sydney Showground
in Sydney Olympic Park
. The stadium was simply known as the Main Arena until Skoda Auto
bought the naming rights. During the Sydney Royal Easter Show
the stadium is used for the Grand Parade and other flagship events. It will become the home ground of the Greater Western Sydney Football Club in 2012. The stadium is currently being expanded from a capacity of 13,000 to 25,000 to accommodate the Giants. Constructed as part of the development of the new Sydney Showground, it was built to replace the aging Showground at Moore Park
and to provide a venue for the 2000 Summer Olympics
. It was the main baseball stadium at the Games.
in the Australian Baseball League for the 1998 and 1999 championship. During the Olympics, it was the main baseball
venue but since the finals, no other baseball game has been played at the venue. Other events hosted were the riding and running portion of the modern pentathlon
competitions.
In 2001, the Canterbury Bulldogs
of the NRL
moved their home games to Skoda Stadium, playing there until 2005 when they moved to ANZ Stadium. Skoda Stadium is also used for events such as the Big Day Out
and Big Exo Day In 2007 and 2008 the Stadium hosted a round of the Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championships, just as the old Showground at Moore Park did on 21 separate occasions between 1935 and 1980. The 450m long speedway track at Homebush, which surrounds the playing field of the Stadium, has also been used for Speedcar racing
but with little success and with no plans to return.
for the 2012 season
. A $65 million upgrade of Skoda Stadium was announced on 9 June 2010. Jointly funded by the NSW Government, the AFL and the RAS, the upgrade will include two new stands which will see seating capacity increase from 13,000 to 25,000, upgraded hospitality facilities, as well as new media facilities and improved audio and sound systems. The playing surface will also be reconfigured. The rebuilding in 2011 will also see the removal of the outer speedway track.
Six matches have been scheduled at Skoda Stadium for the Stadium's debut AFL
season. The first match at the venue is scheduled to be played on May 26, 2012 with the Giants set to play Essendon
.
Sydney Showground (Homebush Bay)
The Sydney Showground is a purpose built venue used each year for the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Located at Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, it was opened in 1998, as a venue for the 2000 Summer Olympics and to replace the ageing old Sydney Showground at Moore Park...
in Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
. The stadium was simply known as the Main Arena until Skoda Auto
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
bought the naming rights. During the Sydney Royal Easter Show
Sydney Royal Easter Show
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, also known as the Royal Easter Show or simply The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around Easter.It is run by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales and was first held in 1823...
the stadium is used for the Grand Parade and other flagship events. It will become the home ground of the Greater Western Sydney Football Club in 2012. The stadium is currently being expanded from a capacity of 13,000 to 25,000 to accommodate the Giants. Constructed as part of the development of the new Sydney Showground, it was built to replace the aging Showground at Moore Park
Sydney Showground (Moore Park)
The former Sydney Showground at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997, when the Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Homebush Bay, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics...
and to provide a venue for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. It was the main baseball stadium at the Games.
History
Skoda Stadium hosted the Sydney StormSydney Storm
The Sydney Storm, originally Sydney Blues were a team in the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The franchise won one ABL championship under the former name, defeating the Melbourne Reds in the 1995 championship, also finishing runner-up twice - once against the Brisbane Bandits in 1994, and...
in the Australian Baseball League for the 1998 and 1999 championship. During the Olympics, it was the main baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
venue but since the finals, no other baseball game has been played at the venue. Other events hosted were the riding and running portion of the modern pentathlon
Modern pentathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Final results for the modern pentathlon at the 2000 Summer OlympicsThe women's individual match was newly introduced.Men's held September 30. Women's held on October 1.Shooting, held on 6:45 at the Pavilion 2 Fencing, held on 8:00 at the Pavilion 2...
competitions.
In 2001, the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
of the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
moved their home games to Skoda Stadium, playing there until 2005 when they moved to ANZ Stadium. Skoda Stadium is also used for events such as the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
and Big Exo Day In 2007 and 2008 the Stadium hosted a round of the Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championships, just as the old Showground at Moore Park did on 21 separate occasions between 1935 and 1980. The 450m long speedway track at Homebush, which surrounds the playing field of the Stadium, has also been used for Speedcar racing
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
but with little success and with no plans to return.
Greater Western Sydney
Skoda Stadium will be the main home ground of the Greater Western Sydney Giants when the club joins the Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
for the 2012 season
2012 AFL season
The 2012 Australian Football League season is the 116th season of the Australian rules football competition. It is the first season in which the new will compete, bringing the number of teams in the competition to a record high eighteen....
. A $65 million upgrade of Skoda Stadium was announced on 9 June 2010. Jointly funded by the NSW Government, the AFL and the RAS, the upgrade will include two new stands which will see seating capacity increase from 13,000 to 25,000, upgraded hospitality facilities, as well as new media facilities and improved audio and sound systems. The playing surface will also be reconfigured. The rebuilding in 2011 will also see the removal of the outer speedway track.
Six matches have been scheduled at Skoda Stadium for the Stadium's debut AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
season. The first match at the venue is scheduled to be played on May 26, 2012 with the Giants set to play Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
.