I have just returned from collecting my Media Accreditation Card, VIP Parking Ticket and Media Documentation at FNB Stadium (Soccer City).
It is FABULOUS… it is MONSTEROUS… it is WONDERFUL!
Friends, what a revelation this Powerful Stadium is!
If the GLRU (Golden Lions Rugby Union) decides not to permanently move to FNB Stadium, they have rocks in their heads and are sitting on their brains. The Stadium is situated in a very good area, in fact it is smack bang right next to Nasrec, where the well-known Rand Easter Show and a number of premier exhibitions is held every year, close to at least 3 Exits on the N1 and M1 National Highways, not too far from Gold Reef City… I previously thought it was in Soweto, but it is not… it is near Soweto.
But let’s forget about exactly where it is situated, that is not even important or an issue…. let’s look at what the venue offers…
There are heaps and heaps of parking spaces available at Nasrec or near or around FNB Stadium itself, in parking parks accross the roads, all in a very well developed and safe environment and with ample place to pack out the braais and the cooler boxes.
The Stadium inside is huge and the completed construction marvel has facilities any sportsman only ever dreams of. The Team Change rooms are modern, big, well developed, complete with physio and doctor’s sub chambers and each of the 2 main change rooms have a huge hall-like warm-up hall attached, this hall alone being about 2 times as big as a tennis court… with facilities galore. Freegin hell, I felt like putting toks on and playing for my life just looking at those facilities!
In addition there is a massive auditorium, a large foyer area with lifts going to posh Office Suites and a Media Centre from another planet or galaxy. I will be sitting on the grand stand, middle line, just below the first row of Private Hospitality Boxes, smack bang in the centre of smug-city, best seats in the house!
The Stands offer you a fabulous view of the game from any corner or nook and cranny on the stadium.
The Suites and Private Boxes are state of the art, very unlike the plethera of “Blind Suites” at Coca-Cola Park, hell even the best Box at the Coke-Tin looks shabby against the normal Boxes at FNB Stadium.
The pitch is in sublime condition, I walked on and around it…. one thing I do need to mention is that I was very surprised to see how severely the pitch slopes towards the 2 sets of sidelines, obviously to help with drainage. Put it this way, there’s no way that the middle spot could have a pool of stagnant water, it WILL EASILY drain off to the sidelines and I could not imagine that this pitch could be waterlogged in any spot, anywhere. One cannot get a feel for this slope when you are anywhere in the stands, but on the pitch itself it is very noticeable and I would not be surprised if this will affect kickers and players. It seems like one would run uphill from the sideline to the middle spot and downhill to the next sideline from there.
The public access points and ramps leading to seating will allow for the easiest of possible entries and the stadium will fill and empty very efficiently.
Comparing this stadium to Ellispark (the Coke-Tin) is an absolute joke, this one beats the Coke-Tin in every conceivable aspect, right from surrounding environment and parking, to access, to seating, to facilities, to looks, to modernity… EVERY-BLOODY-SINGLE-THING! In fact, Loftus and Newlands and ABSA Park also looks like old geloppies compared to this thing of beauty.
Do I sound in awe, do I sound surprised and flummuxed, do I sound impressed…….. hell yes, a million times yes!
Now Saturday has even more importance to me, to the Bokke, we South Africans can and MUST make this “The stadium from hell” for every visiting Non-Saffa Team, the pride of the Nation… no excuses.
Forget about the history behind Ellispark, forget about being sad to see an old stadium or “Friend” go, this one will have 10 000 times the atmosphere Ellispark ever had, it is the ideal opportunity for Lions revival, they should embrace this with open arms. This stadium is the latest and greatest Ferrari, compared to the old clapped-out Coke-Volksie…. would you not also swop this old VW for a Ferrari?
Ja jou lucky blik…..
Ek kon nerens n’ kaartjie kry nie, jy moet maar die video kamera saamvat en vir ons die “vibe” kom wys.
1@ biltongbek:
Fokkit billies, dis soms moerse moeilik om my te impress… maar vandag is ek so impressed, ek is amper depressed!
Nou het jy my net lus gemaak….Saterdag is ek daar. Ek hoop die Bokke is net so ‘impressive’
3@ Pokkel:
Klompie van ons wat daar gaan wees… miskien moet ons almal so doppie saam deur die keel ruk!
do you think that the AB’s will get significantly more support at the calabash, than say Loftus. Similar to the extra support they get at newlands?
@ grootblousmile:
Ons beplan om so 1 uur al by Nasrec te parkeer en n vleisie te braai en dan rustig te kuier voor die groot game. My vrou was bekommerd oor toilet geriewe by die parkeerarea. Sal dit maklik wees om die blase vol bier leeg te kry by Nasrec dink jy??
5@ tapngo:
No, I do not think so, tappie!
Even the 5000 tickets which was sold to Soweto citizens, should be green, like us… if the Bulls support for Orlando was a good measure….
@ tapngo:
I don’t think so.
6@ Pokkel:
Moer maklik, Nasrec is 1 flukse klipgooi van FNB Stadium af…
Ek dink Nasrec is ‘n goeie parkeerroep, alhoewel ek VIP parkeerkaartjie het, loop ek maklik op Nasrec toe om julle te join!
Yes. i remember how well the bulls were supported there, but all that it takes to start an “un”popular fad, is that those supporting the AB’s get disproportionate TV coverage. Media needs that sensationalism.
Knowing that you are going to be noticed for alternative association, creates proportionate growth by its obvious populism.
This is exactly what transpired at Newlands. Not all that attend the games are true rugby followers or even AB supporters. They get noticed, they get some attention, that they never get in “normal” life.
The game becomes a platform for social recognition.
I hope this never materializes at the National Stadium like it did at Newlands.
Nice report on the stadium, I would love to be there!!!!
The bokke cannot lose!
The more and more I think about it, the more confident I feel that we can win this comming game. The guys will be a bit more rested, and I think they would have spend some time to do their homework ……
oh shoit…we have a firedrill….cya all later
The loooooooong tunnel under the stadium, where the players will run out, must be all of 75m long…. with cave-like gunnite concrete-gunned rock-like walls…. and a special non-slip rubber-cork type flooring…
Even the Broadcast ducting or rack-mount cable racking to the broadcast centre was properly designed, making provision for the best possible outside broadcast situations and all the needed wiring to be threaded with utmost ease….
12@ bos_otter:
Het julle my “hose” nodig??
Hehehe
@ grootblousmile: 🙂 firedrills ate 15h00….how stupid of them. It only means I grag my jacket on the way out….and only return the next day 🙂 That shoul teach them to do a fire-drill so close to tjaila-tyd :silly:
@ bos_otter: damm….soz spelling …shocking!!
16@ bos_otter:
Ja, jy het weer in die Pub gaan wegkruip vir die moooooooooooosa vuur, nê!!
Uitgevang!!
The move seems like a ‘no brainer’.
We all get attached to places where we have had good times and sports grounds are such places, but things move on.
For a start knock Newlands down…..What an eyesore!! 😉
Actually Loftus was pretty tatty too!! 😆
19@ Blue Bird:
FNB Stadium is like Batman’s cave inside, underground….. this amazing cave-like walls, lined with modern stuff….. difficult to explain…..
…. and by that I mean the player change rooms…. the foyer, the lifts, the auditorium…. all underground.
The Stadium and access to seating of course is all above ground.
No updates yet but this was on a Lions Web site
FNB Stadium move on the cards
Willa Monday, 16th of August 2010 at 09:45:49 AM
The GLRU management will today have a meeting regarding the permanent move to the newly named FNB stadium.
It will be decided if the Lions will leave Ellispark and welcome the almost 90 000 seater as their new home.
According to my sources, this decision seems to only be a formality. The Lions’ new home will be the FNB Stadium. What my sources have also indicated, is that both Ellispark and the Jo’brug stadium will be sold and both will be demolished.
In their place, a brand spanking new Shopping mall in the heart of Doornfontein will be built. Sad but true.
The move is being welcomed by some and others believe this to be a huge mistake.
I have had discussions with some of the current suite owners, and it does seem to me that the biggest objection comes from them. According to them, the suite facilities at the FNB Stadium, compared to that of Ellispark, is like downgrading from an Audi RS5 to a Nissan Exa.
What is also concerning to them, are the costs involved in leasing a suite. The price will be almost three times higher than what is currently the price.
The benefit of the move to the GLRU, is purely financial. With the GLRU owning 100% of Ellispark, one can expect the union to recieve a healthy financial injection in concluding this deal.
If you are against this, or for it, it’s only a matter of time.
We’ll keep you updated with any official breaking news.
@ grootblousmile:….and I suppose the bat mobiel is a 1400 nissan bakkie? 🙂 blou bull limo 🙂
@ superBul: Super…that’s good news mate. Hopefully things will start changing for them. They haven’t had it easy over the past 10+ years. All good if it improves SA rugby 🙂
1@ biltongbek:
Maybe you should have asked here on R-T.
I’ve been trying to get rid of 10xtickets (individual seats that the GLRU saw fit to include in the 150 our club bought) for a few days now.
Someone has made a commitment to take the last 7, but have yet to show me the colour of the money, so until they do, I HAVE 7 TICKETS AVAILABLE.
The only time the All Blacks have any significant support in SA is when they play in Gay City!
@ Scrumdown:I’ll definitely take two, how do I pay you?
Two views on the FNB Stadium seen through AB goggles….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=10667147
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=10667054
Muliaino and friends don’t realise what they are going to face at FNB stadium, 90 000 people mostly Saffas and that is a scary picture. Come on Saffas show them what we can do!
Good to hear its gonna be a packed house, I was concerned before the Tri Nations that this could end up a mess if the Boks didn’t do so well on the away leg. But even though we’ve been real poor it seems the fans are still backing the boys so good on you all who will be there, lucky buggers!
Fot those still trying to buy tickets..
http://www.nuus24.com/Sport/Drienasies/Nog-Soweto-toetskaartjies-te-koop-20100819
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