There has been all kinds of spin and hyperbole around this debate, but one thing can’t be avoided: stadiums need anchor content to be viable. And that generally means sport.
Auckland FC had the option of using Eden Park as they went into their inaugural season, but never really considered it. The distance from the stands to the field means it is difficult to generate the atmosphere vital for football, it’s the wrong shape and size and relatively expensive to use, while Eden Park’s array of private sponsors can add further commercial complications.
The Blues are long-term Eden Park tenants, though their most recent renewal wasn’t exactly straightforward and took some time. Moana Pasifika would also be unlikely to be a good fit for the venue, with North Harbour Stadium currently working well.
Saturday brought an interesting comparison. While Auckland FC played in front of more than 18,000 fans at Mt Smart against Western Sydney Wanderers, the Blues (who admittedly have been struggling) drew a much smaller crowd for the derby with the Hurricanes at Eden Park.
If that team jigsaw is a complication, it certainly wasn’t the strangest aspect of the council’s 17-2 vote to proceed with a staged development of Eden Park.
That was in its apparent change of heart around financial imperatives.
Beauden Barrett in action for the Blues at Eden Park. Photo / Photosport
Back in September 2023, when Mayor Wayne Brown convened the Stadium Venues Working Group, the key plank was that a main stadium bid would have to be put together “at little or no cost to ratepayers”.
Quay Park managed that, with the council’s own report stating that the proposal, “if successful, would require little or no public funds”. There were caveats, with the belief that the consortium was optimistic with the amount that could be generated from land development and apartment sales and the fear there could be a shortfall, along with some significant infrastructure challenges, particularly around integration of the current railway lines into the stadium build.
But the ambitious plan – modelled on numerous similar stadium precinct developments around the world – at least showed how it was going to generate a huge level of funding, while council experts admitted there would be “significant public benefits” from the “major integrated redevelopment and a modern stadium”.
Conversely, Eden Park appears to still be completely reliant on public money, seeking a $110 million handout from the Government to proceed with the first stage of their project and no indication of any private backers. Given it still owes almost $50m to the council – which it has shown no aptitude to pay back – and recently sought a council grant of $62m, spread over 10 years, it’s an interesting scenario.
There was more, with a Monty Pythonesque touch to some of the other conclusions around why Quay Park was not an advisable option. Try this: “Auckland Council has no controlling interest in Eden Park, making it unable to enforce decommissioning. If both stadiums compete for content, both risk poor operational sustainability.”
Sorry? If that was a factor, then why was this process started in the first place? There can only be one main stadium. New Wembley replaced old Wembley. Suncorp stadium replaced Lang Park. The construction of Allianz Stadium meant the Sydney Football Stadium was demolished.
And the fact that Eden Park is owned and run by a private trust, which has long been a complication, is now somehow an advantage for the status quo? At the same time, the council analysis concluded that Quay Park’s “ownership and operation would be privately held, limiting council and Government input to its use” was another potential disadvantage.
Kane Williamson batting during the last test match in Auckland in 2018. Photo / Getty Images
But the biggest “did-someone-really-say-that” moment came with the conclusions around cricket. Among the list of negatives around a new central city option came this pearler.
“The rectangular stadium design would not support cricket, meaning Auckland could no longer host events like the ICC World Cup semifinals.”
It felt like an “only-in-New-Zealand” moment, given hybrid stadiums have become almost extinct across the globe, as football and the rugby codes are staged in purpose built, rectangular grounds. Not only that, but New Zealand has only staged two men’s ICC World Cups since 1975 (1992 and 2015, both with Australia) and the 50-over format appears to be losing popularity.
This country will co-host the 2028 men’s T20 World Cup, but won’t be a contender for that event for another 20 years or so beyond that, given past precedents. And Eden Park has well known massive limitations as a cricket venue, illustrated by the fact that only one Black Caps test has been staged there in the past decade.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
