TOPIC:

Bazza wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote:

Bazza wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote:

Bazza wrote:

58shark wrote:

Jimmy Boag wrote: Yep mr fish, why drop thet kind of $$$ when you can watch it live on TV, not get sun burnt, walk to the fridge and grab a beer without lining up ( not too mention no limit on how many you take from the fridge at any one time), not have to worry about a tosser security guard deciding to threaten to throw someone out for accidently standing in the wrong area, not have to sit next to a family with the kids getting up and moving every 2nd ball, eat food at home that won't block you bowels for a week, no hand towels in the dunny...... love living in this state but WA needs to look how the MCG is run and its facilities. No wonder the AFL treat the WAFC like hillbillies.

Yeh, got me fkd. We (govt included) complain that no big entertainers want to come here, big sporting events are scared to come here and what do our govt/organisers etc do to make it more attractive??? SFA. I think we have this feeling that the mining boom will fix all ills. Guess what...we are gunna get our arses burned big times and soon. Go to a place like Tassie and see what they are doing to stay in the game.

What are you talking about mate, the Perth arena is attracting more big act entertainers than ever, it's just cricket is dieing in the arse all around the world here included, the WACA should be demolished and sold off and they can play Sheffield shield or whatever
cricket at Leederville oval for the 5 people that still go...lol

Cricket is dieing all around the world???
You obviously arent watching the cricket on in India as we speak or went to any Ashes Tests last summer, the Perth Scorchers games etc etc

ever seen the crowds in the West Indies?

The crowds at the Carribean Premier League are packed out i know I watch it and I watch all forms of cricket from all around the world so I know full well it is thriving!
Even tho the crowds weren't massive at the 2 Perth ODI's the TV ratings smashed it!
What about the crowds in India, England, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka not too mention how many view it on TV, Internet, Radio etc ..cricket is hardly dying as you put it!

I'm not sure what your looking at but everytime I see coverage of games including the world cup which was played in the west indies the grounds were completly empty,,bar a few kids employed to throw the ball back from the outter and that was the One Day World Cup.

As for India, its pretty much the same there, they dont pack the stadiums out either test matches are empty and even for the 20/20, depsite have a billion people there.

pakistan cant even play at home and play at empty grounds in the middle east.

complete joke.

I was in Sri Lanka once and called into the ground in Galle, it was Sri Lanka v South Africa - there were about 3000 people tops.

Apart from that international cricket would be the most corrupt sport going around as a result of indian bookies.

The ODI World Cup held in the West Indies was in 2007!
Indian crowds are poor you say? ...Rohit Sharma must have hit his 264 to a full house in Nepal then!

I know we are talking about the WACA, but serioulsy, Glouster Park, caters for waht 1500 ppl a week, smack bang in the middle of Perth ( relatively speaking). All other states moved the trots out to the outer burbs, from their old homes ( show grounds at fleminton, and Harold park in NSW). Maybe the WACA has some tradition attached and pple dont want to see it go. Personally the should combine ( somehow) the WACA and Glouster park , and open up ideas for the next 20 to 50 years, NOT a short sighted plan

UNKA2 wrote: I know we are talking about the WACA, but serioulsy, Glouster Park, caters for waht 1500 ppl a week, smack bang in the middle of Perth ( relatively speaking). All other states moved the trots out to the outer burbs, from their old homes ( show grounds at fleminton, and Harold park in NSW). Maybe the WACA has some tradition attached and pple dont want to see it go. Personally the should combine ( somehow) the WACA and Glouster park , and open up ideas for the next 20 to 50 years, NOT a short sighted plan

Well said UNKA, the way it should of been done was the trots move to Belmont and the WACA redeveloped into the main sports stadium hosting footy and cricket.
But the trots will never leave as they own the joint and have plenty of money.
The WACA members are anti change and have been for 20 years and simply don't have any foresight.
Even to this day discussions about becoming the home of the WAFL break down as the old members won't have a bar of it.
The WACA should be a 60k stadium and we would of had the best of both worlds, great footy ground and in the city. great traditional cricket ground and maintaining the best cricket pitch in the world and arguably the best cricket ground for playing in the world.
But nope we simply don't look forward in this state.

If you actually want to know how much Cricket Australia care about attendances at the venues you just have to look at the final of the BBL. Scheduled for Manuka which holds about 10k in a place that does not even have a team in the comp. Say Melb Stars v Sydney Sixers at the MCG could potentially get 50k.

Live sport is a thing of the past. The promoters (TV, leagues) would care if they were played in front of empty arenas. Just so a long as everyone watches on TV.

crowds for most sports are either low, struggling or simply treading water. its the age of live TV and the option of options. And the $$$ play a big part for families.

Back in the 60's & 70's we had the footy on a Saturday. We had to go because all that was on TV was the midday matinee and the Leyland Brothers. Plus your wife was at home. Same with the cricket, but the difference back then is we weren't saturated with endless meaningless games & tournaments. The overkill puts people off these days.

different times, different era's, its just the way it is for all sports these days. In the importance stakes, crowds run second to ratings. Sad but true.

jardine wrote: crowds for most sports are either low, struggling or simply treading water. its the age of live TV and the option of options. And the $$$ play a big part for families.

Back in the 60's & 70's we had the footy on a Saturday. We had to go because all that was on TV was the midday matinee and the Leyland Brothers. Plus your wife was at home. Same with the cricket, but the difference back then is we weren't saturated with endless meaningless games & tournaments. The overkill puts people off these days.

different times, different era's, its just the way it is for all sports these days. In the importance stakes, crowds run second to ratings. Sad but true.

EPL, seem to be going ok, not sure bout NBA, in America, Gridiron seems ok too. Coming of a shallow base admittedly A League ( despite live coverage) sems to be going ok. I do however genrally agree with ya Jardine, its so expensive these days to go. Also why watch ( like you say) meaningless games where the care factor is ZERO. Its cheaper to go to a movie if you want to be "entertained" ( as many sports are these days)

UNKA2 wrote: EPL, seem to be going ok, not sure bout NBA, in America, Gridiron seems ok too. Coming of a shallow base admittedly A League ( despite live coverage) sems to be going ok. I do however genrally agree with ya Jardine, its so expensive these days to go. Also why watch ( like you say) meaningless games where the care factor is ZERO. Its cheaper to go to a movie if you want to be "entertained" ( as many sports are these days)

True Unka2 but I was sort of referring to here in Australia only, not overseas. There is a lot of soccer hype these days usually generated by soccer people and SBS commentators. The A-League has lifted its profile no doubt, but even their crowds are just mildly acceptable under the current sporting climate. Perth Glory have a stadium that holds 25,000 but they struggle to get 12,000 even though they are top of the ladder. Melbourne City had a "record" crowd recently of 15,000 for a non-derby game which is nothing to get excited about.

In cricket crowds are down but if you look at an average Test Match, its played over 5 days. The MCG will probably get 150,000 thru the gates for the India Test Match. Would an A-League game get that if they played say a 5 day soccer game? I don't think so. Cricket is still a big deal here but it needs to be looked at. Overall it is a sport that seems to be relying on its history to keep things going. And with the IPL and BBL formats being introduced, its having a detrimental effect on the fabric of what the game of cricket is about. Its almost like the sport has confused itself. I don't think it is the kind of sport that can afford to do this. The authorities will actually kill off the game in a general sense by expecting 20/20 cricket to dictate terms. Don't get me wrong it is great because it gets kids interested and families attending. That fact is there for all to see. But on the other side of the coin Test Match and 50-over cricket are being basically ignored on all fronts by comparison. That is a huge flaw by the authorities. It will not progress the game and it will not educate the next generations about the tactical part of cricket. That is what the game is all about. And keeping Test Match cricket on a pedestal will actually give the 20/20 format a real presence. If Test Match and 50-over cricket die off and 20/20 becomes the norm everywhere for eternity, you can bet when the novelty starts to wear off or wane, there will be nothing to fall back on. For the sake of cricket, there needs to be Test Cricket.

jardine wrote:

UNKA2 wrote: EPL, seem to be going ok, not sure bout NBA, in America, Gridiron seems ok too. Coming of a shallow base admittedly A League ( despite live coverage) sems to be going ok. I do however genrally agree with ya Jardine, its so expensive these days to go. Also why watch ( like you say) meaningless games where the care factor is ZERO. Its cheaper to go to a movie if you want to be "entertained" ( as many sports are these days)

True Unka2 but I was sort of referring to here in Australia only, not overseas. There is a lot of soccer hype these days usually generated by soccer people and SBS commentators. The A-League has lifted its profile no doubt, but even their crowds are just mildly acceptable under the current sporting climate. Perth Glory have a stadium that holds 25,000 but they struggle to get 12,000 even though they are top of the ladder. Melbourne City had a "record" crowd recently of 15,000 for a non-derby game which is nothing to get excited about.

In cricket crowds are down but if you look at an average Test Match, its played over 5 days. The MCG will probably get 150,000 thru the gates for the India Test Match. Would an A-League game get that if they played say a 5 day soccer game? I don't think so. Cricket is still a big deal here but it needs to be looked at. Overall it is a sport that seems to be relying on its history to keep things going. And with the IPL and BBL formats being introduced, its having a detrimental effect on the fabric of what the game of cricket is about. Its almost like the sport has confused itself. I don't think it is the kind of sport that can afford to do this. The authorities will actually kill off the game in a general sense by expecting 20/20 cricket to dictate terms. Don't get me wrong it is great because it gets kids interested and families attending. That fact is there for all to see. But on the other side of the coin Test Match and 50-over cricket are being basically ignored on all fronts by comparison. That is a huge flaw by the authorities. It will not progress the game and it will not educate the next generations about the tactical part of cricket. That is what the game is all about. And keeping Test Match cricket on a pedestal will actually give the 20/20 format a real presence. If Test Match and 50-over cricket die off and 20/20 becomes the norm everywhere for eternity, you can bet when the novelty starts to wear off or wane, there will be nothing to fall back on. For the sake of cricket, there needs to be Test Cricket.

agree with most of that Jardine, though it is scary that soccer here gets more thru the gates than 4 wafl games, and that non derby soccer matches in melb get aboout the same as say North v Gws, at eithiad. I think its not so much SBS as it is foxtel. The standard of soccer is getter better unlike ( imho ) afl. Interesting times ahead

LMAO

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