Stadium the obvious

The grandstand at Mudgee’s sporting stadium that Goulburn Mulwaree general manager Warwick Bennett was instrumental in having constructed. Photo Mudgee Guardian.

They say that when you get a committee to design a cow, you get a camel.

The more people you bring into designing anything, the more views you have to accommodate, the more ideas and suggestions, the more modifications to the original design. And you end up with… well,  a camel.

So when Council canvassed the idea of a major sporting stadium for Goulburn, it’s not surprising that many voices replied and with some very different visions of what Goulburn needs.

And in truth, most of those voices were dead right about amenities they suggested.

Scott Cooper suggested the need for better swimming facilities. I totally agree.

We’re a big cycling town and some have suggested upgraded cycling amenities. Sounds fair.

Athletics officials are keen for more to be spent on their needs. It’s great for kids, and that’s a great idea too.

The fact is, people involved in their own various sports will push for improvements in their own particular facilities. They’ll see that as the thing Goulburn needs the most, and so they should.

They are committed.

They aren’t sitting on a couch throwing out opinions but have their sleeves rolled up and work many voluntary hours for their sports.

They have skin in the game.

But the proposals from council will not cover everything. They won’t even come close. They have to be specific, targeted and designated and aim to tick a few boxes well rather than all boxes poorly.

Sometimes you end up with a swiss army knife that attempts to appease everyone, but which does none of its appointed tasks well.

So as to the specific proposals suggested so far… a sports stadium… do we need one, where should it be and what form should it take.

Do we need  a major sporting stadium?

I believe we genuinely need a major sporting stadium. I was involved in a project to get one started with Bob Kirk some 20 odd years ago and haven’t changed my mind since.

Major sporting stadiums are on the checklist for regional cities and we are one of the few in NSW that lacks one.

On top of NRL trials, and city country matches, there would be Super Rugby trials, rugby country week, major soccer events and regional school championships and tournaments. It would host a minimum of two significant events every year, on top of being available for local sporting events, but don’t just trust me. Ask Mudgee what the stadium Warwick Bennett championed there has attracted so far.

And here’s another point, for which I’m already bracing myself for hate mail/email. Numbers do count.

Here are three numbers to consider. The number of people in Goulburn in total who play rugby union, rugby league and soccer; the combined number of people who follow those sports on TV; and the number of people (and dollars) that big events in those sports draw to towns.

I don’t know the specific numbers and won’t pretend to guess at them, but I’m certain they represent bang for your buck.

Now it’s not all about numbers. There are things we need in town that may not be for the use of a massive group, and sports shouldn’t be continually overlooked just because they aren’t the biggest or most popular sport.

But if you are making some (not all) decisions to suit the greatest number of residents, then surely a major sporting stadium fulfils at least that brief.

Where should it be?

I struggle to see how Prell is a good option given the poor access to parking, and also given the proximity to Goulburn High and Goulburn Base Hospital, (the latter of which may be about to go through its own growth spurt).

Rugby league stalwart Dale Godber has suggested Carr  Confoy Park as a better location due to road access, available room and lighting. Sounds like a good idea to me.

IF athletics was moved into Prell as part of the Victoria Park sporting precinct Scott Cooper (and others) have suggested, then maybe the new stadium could be built at Hudson Park… again with lots of space and additional access via the Park in Nichols Street.

Or maybe the Workers Club would consider selling Workers Arena to Council?

But IF it the stadium is locked in for Victoria Park, then I suggest it should be a rectangular ground with representative Aussie Rules and Cricket matches played at a redeveloped Seiffert Oval (just needs some stands). Which takes me to….

What form should it take?

A Rectangular ground. Simple. If it is oval in shape with seating way back on the boundary, you’ll attract no major events because they want people right up on the action. Particularly if it’s an event they want to telecast.

Rugby league, rugby union and soccer look like crap on a round ground, BUT Aussie Rules and cricket should still be catered too and for that, Seiffert Oval is the prime choice with, as I said, some more seating around the ground. But they need different grounds.

It’s one of those examples of a swiss army knife, or a committee-designed camel, not doing the job well enough.

Can you please everyone?

There are many sporting facilities in town that need upgrading or development. And many non-sporting ones too (such as a performing arts centre which, by the way, I hope they get right and don’t dud us with something cheap, nasty and insufficient to the task).

A better 50m pool should definitely be on the list along with a shopping list of other facilities. Sporting groups should definitely be making their case to Council RIGHT NOW. In the end, the absolute best result will be the one that ticks the most boxes.

The idea of a combined sporting precinct at Victoria Park that several have suggested sounds bloody brilliant (parking notwithstanding) and may or may not include a major sporting stadium, but I would argue quite strongly that we need one, or you’d wonder why every other regional city bothers building them.

(Originally published in the Goulburn Post).