Sydney Showground Stadium

Sydney Showground Stadium

The Showgrounds
Former names	Sydney Showground Main Arena Sydney Baseball Stadium Škoda Stadium
Location	Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales
Coordinates
Owner	New South Wales Government
Operator	Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
Capacity	24,000 22,000 (Cricket) 21,500 (1998–2011)
Field size	160 x 134 metres
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	May 1996
Opened	February 1998
Renovated	2001
Expanded	2012
Architect	Populous (redevelopment)
Tenants
Sydney Royal Easter Show (1998–present) GWS Giants (AFL) (2012–present) Sydney Thunder (BBL) (2015–present) Sydney Thunder Women (WBBL) (2015–present) Western Sydney Wanderers (A-League) (2016–2017) Sydney Storm (ABL) (1998–1999) 2000 Summer Olympics Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (NRL) (2001–2005)
Website
www.sydneyshowground.com.au

Sydney Showground Stadium (commercial name Spotless Stadium, previously Škoda Stadium) is a sports and events stadium located at the Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. The Showground, including the stadium, is operated by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS), under lease from the NSW Government.

The stadium hosts flagship events of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, such as the Grand Parade. The stadium is also used for sport. It is the primary home ground of the Australian Football League's Greater Western Sydney Giants and the home ground of the Big Bash League's Sydney Thunder. It is also the primary home ground of the A-League's Western Sydney Wanderers during the 2016-17 A-League season. Events and festivals to have been held at the stadium include Soundwave, Big Day Out, Stereosonic and Big Exo Day.

The stadium opened in 1998 as the Sydney Showground Main Arena. In conjunction with an expansion and upgrade in 2011-12, it was renamed Sydney Showground Stadium.

History

View of the 2001 Sydney Royal Easter Show Grand Parade, showing the Main Arena prior to redevelopment

Sydney Showground Stadium was 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.

A $65 million upgrade of the stadium to accommodate the GWS Giants was announced on 9 June 2010. Jointly funded by the NSW Government, the AFL and the RAS, the upgrade included two new stands which increased seating capacity from 13,000 to 25,000 (the stadium seated 13,000 but its full pre-redevelopment capacity was listed as 21,500), upgraded hospitality facilities, improved audio and sound systems and new media facilities. The playing surface was also reconfigured. The upgrade was officially opened on 23 May 2012.

Australian rules football

The Greater Western Sydney Giants played their first game at the stadium on Saturday, 26 May 2012, Round 9 of the 2012 AFL season. In front of a crowd of 11,887 the Giants lost the match against Essendon by 66 points. The Giants first win at the stadium occurred on 4 August that year, when they defeated Port Adelaide by 34 points.

Cricket

The Sydney Thunder played two games at the stadium during the 2014–15 Big Bash League season when ANZ Stadium was unavailable due to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In June 2015, the Sydney Thunder announced a 10-year agreement to play all home games at Sydney Showground Stadium until the 2024-25 BBL season.

The opening Sydney Derby of the fifth season (2015–16) of BBL attracted record audience, with more than 1.5 million people tuning in for this match between the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers. On 28 December 2015, Sydney Thunder defeated Adelaide Strikers at the stadium in front of 21,500 spectators.

Association football

The Western Sydney Wanderers will be playing their homes games at the stadium during the 2016-17 A-League season while Pirtek Stadium is demolished and a new stadium is built at Parramatta. Home games against Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory will be played at the nearby ANZ Stadium.

Baseball and 2000 Olympics

The stadium hosted the Sydney Storm in the Australian Baseball League for the 1998 and 1999 championship. During the Olympics, it was known as the Sydney Baseball Stadium and was the main baseball venue. The gold medal game played in front of 14,107 saw the USA, managed by Tommy Lasorda, a former two time World Series winning manager with the Los Angeles Dodgers, defeated defending champions Cuba 4-0 to win their first ever Olympic Gold Medal in baseball.

Since the Olympics, no other baseball game has been played at the venue. Other Olympic events hosted were the riding and running portion of the modern pentathlon competitions.

Rugby league

In 2001, the Canterbury Bulldogs of the NRL moved their home games to the stadium, playing there until 2005 when they moved to ANZ Stadium.

Motorsport

As the Showground was originally built for both the Royal Easter Show and as a baseball venue, the field included a 450 metres (490 yards) long track that surrounded the playing field of the Stadium prior to its removal during the 2011-12 redevelopment. In the tradition of the Sydney Showground Speedway at Moore Park which ran speedway from 1926 until 1996, the track was used as a Speedway venue, mostly for motorcycle racing, though with limited success. In 2007 and 2008 the Stadium hosted a round of the Australian Solo Championships, just as the old Showground had done on 21 separate occasions between 1935 and 1980. The 2007 championship round, which was the opening round of a five round series, was won by Australia's reigning Speedway World Champion Jason Crump, the son of Phil Crump who won the Australian title at the old Showground in 1975. Jason Crump would go on to win his second Aussie title in 2007, winning three of the five rounds (Sydney, Newcastle Showgrounds, and Borderline Speedway in Mount Gambier), while finishing second in Mildura (Olympic Park Speedway) and the Gillman Speedway in Adelaide.

The track, which was tight and narrow (a criticism in common with its predecessor) and almost square in shape, was also used for Speedcar racing, also with little success. When the Speedcars raced at the Showground, a temporary fence was put in place on the inside of the track to protect the grass surface from any out of control cars.

The first speedway meeting at the new Showground was held on 1 May 1999 and included an unofficial Solo "Test" between Australia and the United States, won easily by Australia. The program also featured Sidecars, as well as demonstration runs by restored vintage Speedcars and Modifieds which had raced at the old Showground. The speedway was officially opened by 15 time World Champion Ivan Mauger of New Zealand, and the "King of the Royale" (the old Showground Speedway), four time Australian Solo Champion Jim Airey.

Configuration

The Members and Suttor stands at the southern end of the stadium.

In its present configuration, Sydney Showground Stadium is a playing field running north east to south west. The south western half is surrounded by a single grandstand structure. Additional stands are located on either side of the field, directly adjacent the main structure. A single video screen is located at the north-eastern end. When it was installed, the screen was the largest at a stadium in the southern hemisphere, The stands are:

Opened 1998:

• Members Stand
• Suttor Stand
• Vincent Fairfax Stand
• Sinclair Stand
• Martin & Angus Stand

Opened 2012:

• Sydney Royal Stand
• Cumberland Stand

AFL records

Players

• Most games played: Adam Treloar (Greater Western Sydney/Collingwood), 21
• Most goals kicked: Jeremy Cameron (Greater Western Sydney), 40
• Most goals kicked in a match: Jack Riewoldt (Richmond), 11.2 (68) vs. Greater Western Sydney, 24 May 2014
• Most disposals in a match: Toby Greene (Greater Western Sydney), 42 vs. Collingwood, 23 August 2014

Teams

• Highest score: Adelaide 29.13 (187) defeated Greater Western Sydney 7.10 (52), 12 May 2013
• Lowest score: Greater Western Sydney 5.11 (41) defeated by Richmond 24.10 (154), 24 May 2014
• Biggest margin: Adelaide defeated Greater Western Sydney, 135 points, 12 May 2013
• Longest winning streak: Essendon, Adelaide (2012–14) and Greater Western Sydney (2015), 3 games each

Last updated: 6 September 2014.

Attendance records

Top 10 sports attendance records

No.	Date	Teams	Sport	Competition	Crowd
1	10 August 2001	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Parramatta Eels	Rugby League	2001 NRL season	21,895
2	28 December 2015	Sydney Thunder v. Adelaide Strikers	Cricket	2015–16 BBL season	21,500
3	29 August 2003	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Canberra Raiders	Rugby League	2003 NRL season	20,016
4	22 August 2015	Greater Western Sydney v. Sydney	Australian football	2015 AFL season	19,507
5	16 August 2002	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Parramatta Eels	Rugby League	2002 NRL season	19,346
6	7 January 2016	Sydney Thunder v. Perth Scorchers	Cricket	2015–16 BBL season	18,942
7	13 September 2003	Canterbury Bulldogs v. New Zealand Warriors	Rugby League	2003 NRL season	18,312
8	17 December 2015	Sydney Thunder v. Sydney Sixers	Cricket	2015–16 BBL season	18,287
9	4 March 2001	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Newcastle Knights	Rugby League	2001 NRL season	18,109
10	8 September 2001	Canterbury Bulldogs v. St George Illawarra Dragons	Rugby League	2001 NRL season	17,975

^{Last updated on 7 January 2016}

Top 5 AFL attendance records

No.	Date	Teams	Crowd
1	22 August 2015	Greater Western Sydney v. Sydney	19,507
2	15 March 2014	Greater Western Sydney v. Sydney	17,102
3	30 April 2016	Greater Western Sydney v. Hawthorn	13,766
4	9 May 2015	Greater Western Sydney v. Hawthorn	13,556
5	25 August 2013	Greater Western Sydney v. Richmond	12,314

^{Last updated on 30 April 2016}

Top 5 BBL attendance records

No.	Date	Teams	Crowd
1	28 December 2015	Sydney Thunder v. Adelaide Strikers	21,500
2	17 December 2015	Sydney Thunder v. Sydney Sixers	18,287
3	7 January 2016	Sydney Thunder v. Perth Scorchers	18,942
4	9 January 2015	Sydney Thunder v. Hobart Hurricanes	15,880
5	17 January 2015	Sydney Thunder v. Melbourne Stars	14,469

Top 5 NRL attendance records

No.	Date	Teams	Crowd
1	10 August 2001	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Parramatta Eels	21,895
2	29 August 2003	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Canberra Raiders	20,016
3	16 August 2002	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Parramatta Eels	19,346
4	13 September 2003	Canterbury Bulldogs v. New Zealand Warriors	18,312
5	4 March 2001	Canterbury Bulldogs v. Newcastle Knights	18,109

See also

• 2000 Summer Olympics venues
• List of sports venues in Australia

External links

• Sydney Showground Stadium at Austadiums

References

• NRL Attendance Records

2000 Summer Olympics