$50 Million reason Wests Tigers are prepared to quit Campbelltown.

Campbelltown should be our priority. I love Leichhardt and am a fan of rugby league and the tigers because of it, but we need future generations of footy fans at the games to really solidify their allegiance, and that is absolutely at Campbelltown. People talking about our record at Campbelltown are thinking very short term. At all of our losses at Campbelltown there was a great spirit and atmosphere despite poor weather and losses. It was such a shame because a dramatic win on any of those occasions would have been good reward for the many families who came out. Dud performances are on our team, not the fans, as the Leichhardt loss on Sunday proves.

I think it's a shame slightly more money hasn't been put into both grounds. Presumably if you're upgrading to 20k capacity you could get better value spending a bit more and upgrading to 25-30k capacity, which would be the ideal capacity for both grounds and really add to the atmosphere in each place.

In both upgrades I hope there is at least flexibility to add further upgrades by replacing the latchem robinson stand at Leichhardt and the Western Grandstand at Campbelltown. Those are really the most outdated and unappealing parts of both grounds and they could significantly bolster capacity by having wider, higher and better designed grandstands and corporate facilities at both grounds.

The new grandstand at Brookvale looks really well done and enhances the enclosed atmosphere at Brookvale, hopefully something like that is planned for both grounds.

Unfortunately I think Pascoe badly erred in funding concord centre of excellence rather than a site at Campbelltown. Given there was money for a centre of excellence at Campbelltown already, Pascoe probably could have pushed for a stadium upgrade and a centre of excellence in the high growth region where our best junior talent is. It could have been a pivotal moment in our club and government would be more willing to look at a more comprehensive stadium upgrade at Campbelltown if they hadn't already put so much into Concord. We sort of used up our claim for government cash with that development and now we remain torn between Inner west and our high growth region out west. It also would have given the team a much stronger connection to the community and their familiarity with the ground, which also would presumably help when we base home games there. I fear the decision to fund Concord rather than a Centre of excellence at Campbelltown was based more on where Pascoe and Lee enjoyed drinking coffee rather than what was strategically right for our club. Oh well.
Yeah, brain dead decision by that pair of muppets.

Surprised they did not make Concord our home ground, they could of had a sold out crowd of 2,000 every home game.

In their defense and I doubt if they were thinking this way, but it could of been a good decision if the plan went ahead with Olympic park which could have been our main centralised home ground in the middle of Sydney with public Transport and good amenities plus a good atmosphere if it wasn't the cavern that it currently is.

Still could of had a game at Leichhardt & one at Cambo to satisfy those diehards.
 
I never said I was sick of talking about it. But seeing as you still want to go on aswell, how about you respond to @Charred s well researched post. Seeing as it was you that asked for facts.
You don't care what I have to say anyway. You have your own facts from Charred so why should I bother?...are you even open to being convinced the other way? I doubt it, so I'd be talking to a brick wall.
 
Yeah, brain dead decision by that pair of muppets.

Surprised they did not make Concord our home ground, they could of had a sold out crowd of 2,000 every home game.

In their defense and I doubt if they were thinking this way, but it could of been a good decision if the plan went ahead with Olympic park which could have been our main centralised home ground in the middle of Sydney with public Transport and good amenities plus a good atmosphere if it wasn't the cavern that it currently is.

Still could of had a game at Leichhardt & one at Cambo to satisfy those diehards.
It was meant to be upgraded to a football friendly stadium even with a roof...wouldve been great ..but govt backflipped
 
People still lamenting the Concord COE decision ?

All water under the bridge now … decisions been made, .. actions have consequences and we will be operating our of there for decades I would imagine ..

At least from what I have seen of the facilities they are fit for purpose …
 
I was referring to it as well.

They were supposedly going to upgrade it with a roof and make it less like a cavern (Accor/Olympic Park) when there was a smaller crowd but canned that idea and spent something like $800 million on the Sports Ground instead so that the Roorters could claim it as their very own swamp.
 
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I was referring to it as well.

They were supposedly going to upgrade it with a roof and make it less like a cavern (Accor/Olympic Park) when there was a smaller crowd but canned that idea and spent something like $800 million on the Sports Ground instead so that the Roorters could claim it as their very own swamp.

They were supposed to upgrade both I believe
 
A significant win for our community – that’s how Mayor Darcy Lound has described the Wests Tigers commitment to play most of their NRL games in Campbelltown from 2029.

Speaking at last night’s council meeting, Mayor Lound (pictured above) said the commitment, in writing, “ensures the next chapter of the club’s story will be written in Campbelltown’’.

The commitment is a remarkable turnaround in just four months.

In April Wests Tigers issued an ultimatum to Campbelltown: upgrade your stadium or we walk away.

Now they seem to agree with what most rugby league experts have been saying for years: the club’s future is in a growth area like Campbelltown and not the inner city.

“I commend the Wests Tigers for their leadership,’’ Mayor Lound said in his mayoral minute.

“Their decision demonstrates that our residents are front and centre in the club’s future.

“This partnership enables us to progress our vision for a world class venue that cements Campbelltown’s position as the vibrant centre of the Macarthur region.

“the stadium drive not only sporting excellence but also economic growth and local jobs,’’ Mayor Lound said.

The letters from Tigers CEO Shane Richardson and Mayor Lound were also tabled for last night’s meeting.

The mayor’s letter dated August 21 says “we have presented and briefed the council on the intended $50million upgrade of the stadium, incorporating the existing centre fo excellence functions and increased capacity to approximately 20,000, including 1000corporate in the venue.

“This investment was resolved to be contingent upon an increase in utilisation of Campbelltown Stadium by Wests Tigers,’’ wrote Mayor Lound in the letter sent to Shane Richardson.

“We understand that Wests Tigers will commit to Campbelltown Stadium for a minimum of seven NRL games per season for 15 years, subject to commercial terms to be agreed.’’

In response, Mr Richardson confirmed the seven games a year commitment.

“In principle, Wests Tigers supports the commitment to increasing utilisation of Campbelltown Stadium as part of a long term partnership,’’ he wrote in reply.

Earlier this year Campbelltown Council committed to a $10 million upgrade to the stadium, which was rejected by the club.

Now it has transformed design plans for the $40 million centre of excellence on the northern end of the stadium to meet the conditions set by the Wests Tigers, especially for more corporate spaces.

It means that the overall upgrade of the stadium to 20,000 capacity won’t be complete until the 2029 NRL season.

 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there terrential rain that day? Are we seriously cherry picking one game. Leichhardt pumps...Campbo dumps...

come and get me westies.
LOL - you have a go at people using the weather as an excuse for poor crowds at Campbelltown then do exactly the same for Leichhardt - yes we get - you are a bolted on 8th wonder myth lover but it is becoming boring.
 
I don't know anything about the affect on junior districts, but even as someone who supported Balmain since the early 80's, I have always believed the best thing for the club would be to knock down Campbelltown, play solely at Leichhardt for a couple of years and then move permanently to a new ~30k stadium in Campbelltown.

Can only guess it was the eternal dichotomy that is the WT board that saw the COE built at Concord. 🙄

I envy the eels having their stadium and think it would've been in the club's best interests to simply funnel all funding into one very similar to it (roof would be nice...) at Campbelltown.

I personally would do all I could to ensure the new stadium had a roof: not sure many people think of this, but a statium with a roof means the team playing there > 10 times a year (as their home) is guaranteed at least that many games are played in perfect conditions.

Good for fans/attendance and game day revenue, but also big advantage for the team:

If you consider the tigers win a game played under a roof and win, e.g., 34-18, and another team wins equally well in Sydney the same day but is playing in torrential rain, they'd likely win by something like 16-10.

Could of course go the other way, but given many ladder positions come down to four and against I'd pick the roof any day.


In any case, I think the club needs to understand old-fashioned suburban grounds - for all their charm and atmosphere - are simply not the foundation for a club to move with the times and be successful.

While they're at it, rename the club something like West Sydney Tigers.

"Wests Tigers" is just two names people called two clubs that no longer exist in the NRL and it really doesn't make sense as a singular term.

Bloody schizophrenic club we support....
 
LOL - you have a go at people using the weather as an excuse for poor crowds at Campbelltown then do exactly the same for Leichhardt - yes we get - you are a bolted on 8th wonder myth lover but it is becoming boring.
You didn't see the irony, but attacked me for it. You're just waiting for anything to cling to. Give it a rest. You have rehashed something that is 2 weeks old. Low IQ stuff...next.
 
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