Subiaco Oval
Encyclopedia
Subiaco Oval (currently also known under its naming rights as Patersons Stadium), known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium
in Perth
, Western Australia
. It is located in the suburb of Subiaco
, about three kilometres west of Perth's city centre.
Subiaco Oval is mainly used for Australian rules football
matches, being the home ground for the West Coast Eagles
and Fremantle Football Club
, the two Western Australian teams in the Australian Football League
. The ground is also occasionally used for West Australian Football League
matches. The ground is not exclusively used for Australian rules football though, having hosted National Soccer League
grand finals, regular rugby union
Test Matches (including games in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
), International Rules and sometimes, rock concert
s. It became the home ground for Perth's Super 14
rugby union team, the Western Force
, in 2006.
. In 1969 a three-tier stand was constructed at the western end of the stadium, and in 1981 a two-tier stand on the members' wing was completed. A further redevelopment came in 1995 with the opening of the new two-tier "ANZ Stand"(Now NAB stand) opposite the members' wing. In 1997, light towers were installed at the ground. The last redevelopment, which converted the stadium into an all-seat venue, was completed in 1999 at a cost of A$
35 million.
The three-tier stand is named the Orr-Simmons
-Hill stand, in honour of three leading figures in the history of WAFL (then known as WANFL). This was proudly and prominently displayed on the exterior western face of the stand right up until the early 1990s, when it was replaced with the logo of a commercial sponsor. There is a small plaque remembering the original naming of the stand, mounted in one of the stair wells, and each tier has a sign on the back interior wall; for example, the first (ground) tier is the R.W. Hill Tier, second is the W.R. Orr Tier. (W.R. Orr was Secretary of the WANFL in 1932, R.W. Hill was Captain of West Perth
in 1940 and 1941, and Secretary of the WANFL in 1968).
Subiaco Oval's capacity is 43,500 fully seated. The ground is floodlit by four lighting towers. There was some initial concern vented surrounding the lack of aesthetic value of the proposed floodlight
s, but after their deployment these concerns quickly subdued although the local community still experiences a range of issues with events at the venue.
Fence to Fence
Length: 191m
Width: 132m
(http://www.wafootball.com.au/patersons-stadium/fast-facts)
In AFL
circles, Subiaco Oval is the longest ground in the competition, with visiting interstate teams often having to adjust their playing style accordingly. This ground is sometimes referred to as "The House of Pain", with many visiting teams losing by lopsided scores. However during the 2008-2010 seasons in which the West Coast Eagles
missed the finals, this title was lost with the Eagles winning only a small number of games at home during this period. In 2011 the title was retained, with the Eagles losing only one match at home all season (albeit against bitter rivals the Sydney Swans
).
controversially attempted to buy the naming rights
to the ground, but the bid was denied by the local Subiaco council, which refused planning permission for advertising signs on the stadium's exterior. More recently, in May 2005, a non-commercial name change was being considered; the proposal to rename to 'ANZAC Field' was put forward by the WA Football Commission, but rejected by the Minister for Veterans Affairs, De-Anne Kelly
, as Anzac is a federally protected word. In October 2010 the name of the ground was changed to Patersons Stadium. This sparked a lot of controversy, but the Western Australian Football Commission accepted it and said it would put money back into all levels of football.
Due to its large size and oval shape, the venue is not well suited to music concerts and is known to have very poor acoustics
. It is often chosen for large concerts because there are no other venues of comparable capacity in Perth.
is expected to increase patronage by replacing buses from south of the river with faster and larger trains.
released a $235 million plan (excluding transport infrastructure or land acquisitions) to increase the stadium to a 60,000 seat venue in a staged project. However, this proposal became a matter of significant debate in Western Australia. Although the demand for a larger stadium was undeniable (in 2005 the West Coast Eagles had 42,000 season ticket holders in a 43,500 seat stadium), the option of developing and expanding Subiaco in order to meet this higher demand was called into question. An alternative plan was tabled for the construction of a new stadium which would seat 70,000 and have retractable seating to cater for rectangular field codes, and appeared to be the lead candidate. Others argued that it may be more cost effective to re-develop Subiaco to 60,000 seats, and redevelop Perth Oval, a small rectangular stadium in Perth, to 35,000 seats to cater for rectangular field sports.
The Government of Western Australia
had already commenced development of a Major Stadia review project in late 2003 which led to much interest in the future of major sporting venues in Western Australia. A Major Stadia Taskforce was appointed in early 2005 and released the Perth Major Stadium Interim report in June 2006. The taskforce delivered its final report in May 2007, which recommended the construction of a new 60,000 seat stadium at either Kitchener Park (which adjoins Subiaco Oval) or in East Perth, which would be suitable for Australian rules football, cricket and also rectangular-field sports such as Rugby. It recommended against the further development of Subiaco Oval, which would be demolished.
In July 2007 the Government of Western Australia announced its preference to build a new 60,000-seat stadium rather than re-develop Subiaco Oval. Early the following year, the government confirmed that Subiaco Oval would be demolished for the new Perth super-stadium to be built at the adjacent Kitchener Park dubbed Perth Stadium. The new 60,000 seat stadium would be built between 2011 and 2016, with the majority of the stadium being completed in 2014. Subiaco Oval was set to be demolished between 2014–2016 to allow the end of construction on Perth Stadium.
Following the election of a new State Liberal party
government, Premier Colin Barnett
, announced in February 2009 that, in light of the State's deteriorating finances, his government had scrapped plans for a new outdoor stadium. He stated that a new stadium, including an alternative proposal to redevelop Subiaco Oval, would not be considered for at least two years. However, in December 2009 he announced that he wanted to demolish Subiaco Oval and build a new stadium so Perth can host some soccer World Cup
games in 2018 or 2022. He stated that this would involve a complete demolition of the old stadium and the building of an entirely new stadium on the site, and suggested this would likely cost well in excess of $450 million. However due to Qatar winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup rights this redevelopment is unlikely to proceed after the anoucement.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is located in the suburb of Subiaco
Subiaco, Western Australia
Subiaco is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated to the north west of Kings Park. Its Local Government Area is the City of Subiaco.-History:Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Noongar Indigenous people....
, about three kilometres west of Perth's city centre.
Subiaco Oval is mainly used for Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
matches, being the home ground for the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
and Fremantle Football Club
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
, the two Western Australian teams in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. The ground is also occasionally used for West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
matches. The ground is not exclusively used for Australian rules football though, having hosted National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
grand finals, regular rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Test Matches (including games in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
), International Rules and sometimes, rock concert
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
s. It became the home ground for Perth's Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
rugby union team, the Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
, in 2006.
Ground structure
The ground was first built in 1908, at which point it was known as Mueller ParkMueller Park
Mueller Park is a park in Subiaco, Western Australia, situated between Perth Modern School and Subiaco Oval. It originally comprised the land area which included Subiaco Oval and in the early 1900s housed tennis, croquet, bowls, cricket and football clubs....
. In 1969 a three-tier stand was constructed at the western end of the stadium, and in 1981 a two-tier stand on the members' wing was completed. A further redevelopment came in 1995 with the opening of the new two-tier "ANZ Stand"(Now NAB stand) opposite the members' wing. In 1997, light towers were installed at the ground. The last redevelopment, which converted the stadium into an all-seat venue, was completed in 1999 at a cost of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
35 million.
Jack Simons
John Joseph Simons was an Australian businessman and politician, best known for establishing the Young Australia League....
-Hill stand, in honour of three leading figures in the history of WAFL (then known as WANFL). This was proudly and prominently displayed on the exterior western face of the stand right up until the early 1990s, when it was replaced with the logo of a commercial sponsor. There is a small plaque remembering the original naming of the stand, mounted in one of the stair wells, and each tier has a sign on the back interior wall; for example, the first (ground) tier is the R.W. Hill Tier, second is the W.R. Orr Tier. (W.R. Orr was Secretary of the WANFL in 1932, R.W. Hill was Captain of West Perth
West Perth Football Club
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian...
in 1940 and 1941, and Secretary of the WANFL in 1968).
Subiaco Oval's capacity is 43,500 fully seated. The ground is floodlit by four lighting towers. There was some initial concern vented surrounding the lack of aesthetic value of the proposed floodlight
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
s, but after their deployment these concerns quickly subdued although the local community still experiences a range of issues with events at the venue.
Ground dimensions
AFL Playing Surface:- Length: 175 m
- Width: 122 m
- Goals run east to west
Fence to Fence
Length: 191m
Width: 132m
(http://www.wafootball.com.au/patersons-stadium/fast-facts)
In 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...
circles, Subiaco Oval is the longest ground in the competition, with visiting interstate teams often having to adjust their playing style accordingly. This ground is sometimes referred to as "The House of Pain", with many visiting teams losing by lopsided scores. However during the 2008-2010 seasons in which the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
missed the finals, this title was lost with the Eagles winning only a small number of games at home during this period. In 2011 the title was retained, with the Eagles losing only one match at home all season (albeit against bitter rivals the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
).
Ground naming rights
In 2003, the retail telecommunications company Crazy John'sCrazy John's
Crazy John's is a mobile phone retail chain in Australia started by late Turkish/Australian businessman John Ilhan. Crazy John's is the largest independent phone retailer in Australia, employing more than 700 people with over 120 retail stores. Following his death, Mr Ilhan's wife Patricia sold...
controversially attempted to buy the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the ground, but the bid was denied by the local Subiaco council, which refused planning permission for advertising signs on the stadium's exterior. More recently, in May 2005, a non-commercial name change was being considered; the proposal to rename to 'ANZAC Field' was put forward by the WA Football Commission, but rejected by the Minister for Veterans Affairs, De-Anne Kelly
De-Anne Kelly
De-Anne Margaret Kelly , was an Australian politician. She was a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Dawson, Queensland. She was also the first female member of the National Party to win a seat in the...
, as Anzac is a federally protected word. In October 2010 the name of the ground was changed to Patersons Stadium. This sparked a lot of controversy, but the Western Australian Football Commission accepted it and said it would put money back into all levels of football.
As a music venue
Subiaco Oval has been the venue of major music concerts. These include:- Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
– 16 October 1971 - The Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
– 4 February 1972 - Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
– 16 February 1972 - Australian MadeAustralian MadeAustralian Made was a festival concert series held during 1986–1987 in the six state capitals of Australia and featured local rock acts Mental as Anything, I'm Talking, The Triffids, The Saints, Divinyls, Models, Jimmy Barnes and INXS. The series started in Hobart on 26 December 1986 and...
– 10 January 1987 - Billy JoelBilly JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
– 16 February 1991 - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– 5 March 1993 - Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
& Billy JoelBilly JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
– 4 March 1998 - Rumba Festival – 3 December 2002
- The Eagles – 11 November 2004
- Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
& Bryan AdamsBryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
– 26 February 2005 - Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
– 19 March 2005 - Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
– 25 November 2006 - Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
– 30 November & 1 December 2006 - Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
– 25 January 2008 - André RieuAndré RieuAndré Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.- Early life and studies :...
– 22 November 2008 - AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
– 6 & 8 March 2010, with WolfmotherWolfmotherWolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,... - Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
– 8 December 2010 - U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
– 18 & 19 December 2010, with Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
Due to its large size and oval shape, the venue is not well suited to music concerts and is known to have very poor acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
. It is often chosen for large concerts because there are no other venues of comparable capacity in Perth.
Transport
The oval is served by Subiaco and West Leederville train stations, which have been upgraded to handle more passengers. Special bus routes are run for football matches and other special events. In 2007(as well as 2008,2009 and 2010) tickets to AFL games included free travel on buses and trains for three hours before and after the game. This increased the proportion of football fans using public transport from 23.4% to 32.6%, with Dockers fans more likely to do so than Eagles fans. The completion of the southern suburbs railwayNew MetroRail
New MetroRail was a division of the Public Transport Authority in Western Australia. It was responsible for managing extensions to Perth's railway network...
is expected to increase patronage by replacing buses from south of the river with faster and larger trains.
Proposed demolition and rebuild
In 2005 the West Australian Football CommissionWest Australian Football Commission
The West Australian Football Commission is the governing body of Australian rules football in the state of Western Australia.It was formed in 1989 as an independent body to the West Australian Football League for governance and development of the game in the state.The WAFC operates Subiaco Oval,...
released a $235 million plan (excluding transport infrastructure or land acquisitions) to increase the stadium to a 60,000 seat venue in a staged project. However, this proposal became a matter of significant debate in Western Australia. Although the demand for a larger stadium was undeniable (in 2005 the West Coast Eagles had 42,000 season ticket holders in a 43,500 seat stadium), the option of developing and expanding Subiaco in order to meet this higher demand was called into question. An alternative plan was tabled for the construction of a new stadium which would seat 70,000 and have retractable seating to cater for rectangular field codes, and appeared to be the lead candidate. Others argued that it may be more cost effective to re-develop Subiaco to 60,000 seats, and redevelop Perth Oval, a small rectangular stadium in Perth, to 35,000 seats to cater for rectangular field sports.
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
had already commenced development of a Major Stadia review project in late 2003 which led to much interest in the future of major sporting venues in Western Australia. A Major Stadia Taskforce was appointed in early 2005 and released the Perth Major Stadium Interim report in June 2006. The taskforce delivered its final report in May 2007, which recommended the construction of a new 60,000 seat stadium at either Kitchener Park (which adjoins Subiaco Oval) or in East Perth, which would be suitable for Australian rules football, cricket and also rectangular-field sports such as Rugby. It recommended against the further development of Subiaco Oval, which would be demolished.
In July 2007 the Government of Western Australia announced its preference to build a new 60,000-seat stadium rather than re-develop Subiaco Oval. Early the following year, the government confirmed that Subiaco Oval would be demolished for the new Perth super-stadium to be built at the adjacent Kitchener Park dubbed Perth Stadium. The new 60,000 seat stadium would be built between 2011 and 2016, with the majority of the stadium being completed in 2014. Subiaco Oval was set to be demolished between 2014–2016 to allow the end of construction on Perth Stadium.
Following the election of a new State Liberal party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
government, Premier Colin Barnett
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett , Australian politician, is the leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party, the 29th and current Premier of Western Australia since the 2008 election and served as the Treasurer of Western Australia in 2010. He was sworn into office by Governor Ken Michael on 23 September 2008...
, announced in February 2009 that, in light of the State's deteriorating finances, his government had scrapped plans for a new outdoor stadium. He stated that a new stadium, including an alternative proposal to redevelop Subiaco Oval, would not be considered for at least two years. However, in December 2009 he announced that he wanted to demolish Subiaco Oval and build a new stadium so Perth can host some soccer World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
games in 2018 or 2022. He stated that this would involve a complete demolition of the old stadium and the building of an entirely new stadium on the site, and suggested this would likely cost well in excess of $450 million. However due to Qatar winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup rights this redevelopment is unlikely to proceed after the anoucement.
Further reading
- Wilson, Ray (2008) Field of Dreams: Celebration of Subiaco Oval's 100th year Perth, Western Australia: The West AustralianThe West AustralianThe West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
16 pp – inserted into 7 May 2008 edition of The West Australian newspaper.