grey fox55 Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Some of you have commented on the fact that due to the lack of topics to discuss on the forum these days a touch of negativity has creeped into the forum. I thought I would give those who are interested in the topic I am currently considering an opportunity for their input. I propose to deal with one item at a time and once I feel that the item has been covered sufficiently move onto the next one. In following this forum for a while I have come to the conclusion that there is a great deal of knowledge which might be mined from the forum members that will assist in my research. My first enquiry is as follows: 1.What soccer facilities, seating between 1,000 and 10,000 people, are available in each of the following cities, namely: Winnipeg, Regina. Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. 2. What amenities are available at each of the facilities you referred to, and 3. What improvements, if any, would you like to see at each of the facilities you mentioned if you were operating a soccer team out of the facility. Pease be reasonable in your expectations for improvements. For the purposes of this exercise assume that your team will play out of a Western Canadian Soccer League using amateur players who do not get a salary for playing , but will be provided with compensation for other services rendered. So please dream and be positive. I am awaiting your responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoyleG Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Edmonton Foote Field (Football and Track Ground) Capacity: 3,000 (Football Field) and 1,000 (Track Field) Surface: Astroturf (Football) and Grass (Track) Seating Type: All Metal Bleachers Concessions: Minimal with some vending machines. Can handle most crowds. Parking: Limited Transit: Major bus routes stop nearby Scoreboards: Both fields Lights: Football field only Tracks: Warm-up Lanes (Football) Track with long jump pits (Track) Changes: The Football ground is really the only viable place for such a team. Best case scenario would be the removal of a grass berm across from the main stand and replace with larger bleachers. Removal of the astrotruf for a grass or next generation surface. Such changes are unlikely to occur given that the facility is owned by the University of Alberta and wouldn't be interested in changes in the near future. Coronation Park Capacity: 1,000 Surface: Grass Seating Type: Concrete Bleacher with wooden seats Concessions: Minimal Parking: Limited Transit: Westmount bus station across street Scoreboard: Old and not always fully functioning Lights: Yes but placed in front of stands Track: Old shale track An old facility that would need a serious upgrading in relation to the main stand. Has combined football and soccer goalposts. Possibility of upgrades from city are slim to none. Johnny Bright Park Capacity: 1,000 Surface: Grass Seating Type: Concrete with wooden seats with berm surrounding the field. Concessions: Sparse Parking: Very limited Transit: Some distance Scoreboard: Old but functioning Lights: Yes Track: Shale Track One of the older facilities in the city with the dressing rooms and concession stand built into the bleacher. In some state of decay and quite easy to sneek into the facility. No help in upgrades expected. Clarke Park Capacity: 1,200 Surface: Grass Seating Type: Concrete Bleacher with metal seats Concessions: More than needed Parking: More than sufficent Tarnsit: Walking distance to LRT Scoreboard: Modern and functioning Lights: Yes Track: 8-lane Mondo Former home to a 20,000 seater stadium that was demolished pror to the 2001 World Track & Field Championships. Most modern facility in the city and would only need bleachers across from the main stand. Talk from city of replacing grass with artifical surface but costs and complaints from baseball community may kill project (Funds would come from the city's portion of the sale of the Edmonton Trappers) TELUS Field Capacity 9,200 Surface: Astrotruf infield and grass outfield Seating Type: Seats with back behind home plate, bleachers with wodden seats in infield and metal bleachers in outfield Concession: Very extensive Parking: Sufficent Transit: Major Bus route stops next to stadium, walking distance to LRT Scoreboard: Baseball oriented Lights: Yes Track: No A baseball stadium wich can be used for soccer with a single uniform surface in place. Objections would come from city council and baseball community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjoni Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Vancouver 1.B.C. PLACE STADIUM -60,000 seats. World's largest air supported roof, downtown Vancouver. -Access by car, bus, sky train, foot, etc..., cavernous if spacious, lights, full concession, bunch of old green carpets thrown down on concrete for a field surface, screen and all that. -Make the world's largest air balloon out of the roof and then fly it away. Dig up the floor until you get to grass. 2.NAT BAILEY STADIUM -6,500 seats, beside the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park, residential area of Little Mountain/Mount Pleasant. -Baseball specific stadium with history (ie, also a little run down), access by bus, and sky train before the 2010 olympics, lights, concession, character, grass, room to expand. -Although there is talk of tear-down and building an olympic curling venue, I think it would make a perfect soccer venue. Don't just tear down, but keep the original and alter it in a constructive way. 3.SWANGARD STADIUM -5,000 (7,000), soccer field with track, Burnaby (close to the border with Vancouver) -grass field, nice surroundings, access by transit, parking, concession, lights, ball boys, beer garden -More permanent stands on north, south and west sides - that do not interfere with Central Park. There's no way you cut those trees on the east side down, where ambitious kids climb up to watch games for free. It's a great little stadium, but it's going to have to remain that. Swangard's survived for a while and would continue to do so even if the Whitecaps moved away. 4.THUNDERBIRD STADIUM -3,000 seats, located on UBC campus, basically on the side of a cliff. -First nations inspired architecture, grass, football field, intimate/intimidating atmosphere, consessions, lights, a little tricky to get to. -Wouldn't want to change it much, other than that it could hold more people. 5.EMPIRE STADIUM -oh wait, no... 6.ANDY LIVINGSTON PARK -not sure what kind of capacity, combined field hockey/soccer field -within stone's throw of B.C. Place and G.M. Place, accesible, artificial turf, temporary bleachers, lights... -would be ideal to expand, considering location and that UBC field hockey has recently completed a national training centre on their campus. As the Molson Indy is now defunct there should be possibility of expanding something in this former industrial area. Closeness to Downtown Eastside adds character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjoni Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Vancouver 1.B.C. PLACE STADIUM -60,000 seats. World's largest air supported roof, downtown Vancouver. -Access by car, bus, sky train, foot, etc..., cavernous if spacious, lights, full concession, bunch of old green carpets thrown down on concrete for a field surface, screen and all that. -Make the world's largest air balloon out of the roof and then fly it away. Dig up the floor until you get to grass. 2.NAT BAILEY STADIUM -6,500 seats, beside the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park, residential area of Little Mountain/Mount Pleasant. -Baseball specific stadium with history (ie, also a little run down), access by bus, and sky train before the 2010 olympics, lights, concession, character, grass, room to expand. -Although there is talk of tear-down and building an olympic curling venue, I think it would make a perfect soccer venue. Don't just tear down, but keep the original and alter it in a constructive way. 3.SWANGARD STADIUM -5,000 (7,000), soccer field with track, Burnaby (close to the border with Vancouver) -grass field, nice surroundings, access by transit, parking, concession, lights, ball boys, beer garden -More permanent stands on north, south and west sides - that do not interfere with Central Park. There's no way you cut those trees on the east side down, where ambitious kids climb up to watch games for free. It's a great little stadium, but it's going to have to remain that. Swangard's survived for a while and would continue to do so even if the Whitecaps moved away. 4.THUNDERBIRD STADIUM -3,000 seats, located on UBC campus, basically on the side of a cliff. -First nations inspired architecture, grass, football field, intimate/intimidating atmosphere, consessions, lights, a little tricky to get to. -Wouldn't want to change it much, other than that it could hold more people. 5.EMPIRE STADIUM -oh wait, no... 6.ANDY LIVINGSTON PARK -not sure what kind of capacity, combined field hockey/soccer field -within stone's throw of B.C. Place and G.M. Place, accesible, artificial turf, temporary bleachers, lights... -would be ideal to expand, considering location and that UBC field hockey has recently completed a national training centre on their campus. As the Molson Indy is now defunct there should be possibility of expanding something in this former industrial area. Closeness to Downtown Eastside adds character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Gordie Howe Bowl - currently seats 3000 - Primary Use, Junior and High School Football - Natural Turf capabale of housing FIFA regulation size pitch - Ample Parking and located in a natural amphitheatre - Seating is metal and wood benchs. - Lighting and Gridiron Scoreboard - Some concessions and washroom facilities - dressing rooms I would expand seating to 5000 intially and put in stadium style seating. I would expand by double the concession capacity and triple the current washroom facilities. Lastly I'd ship the Hilltops and the High School football out to Griffiths Stadium (U of S). But open the field to the U of S Huskies soccer teams in return. The expansion would be to support international soccer as I doubt that many seats would be needed for theleague we are discussing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.