Stadiums and Arenas of Canada

[kev_427]

The new Winnipeg (40,000) Regina (45,000), Hamilton (40,000) and Ottawa (45,000) stadiums have provisions for temporary seating. I'm just worried how it will look. If it looks out of place and tacky like McMahon or Taylor during the Grey Cup, I can't see them winning the bid. The rendering for the Hamilton Stadium with extra seating looks ok.

Also according to the article, the capacity requirement is 60,000. Pretty sure that's inaccurate, as Brazil, Russia, and Qatar have several stadiums below that in their bids.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by esquire

That's over a billion dollars of stadium infrastructure alone for an event that is nowhere near as popular here as it is in the rest of the world. (Sure, there are soccer loving niches like ethnic communities and people who actually play the game, but let's not confuse that with broad-based, widespread support).

I just don't see it happening.

There would be absolutely no problem in filling stadiums, the U20 a few years ago sold the most tickets up until that time of any U20. Locals, ethnics, foreigners, selling tickets would be the least of the problems.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by FrankieFlowerpot

Regina, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Ottawa can all be expanded to meet the minimum requirement.

Add a new Calgary Stadium and the Toronto Olympic Stadium and you have your ten venues

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is FIFA tolerant of temporary expansions or do they have to be permanent seating?

As I said, there are no FIFA "rules" Well, money, maybe. Five of the Qatar stadiums' upper decks will be temp structures that will be disassembled and reassembled in other locations.

[elly63]

Economic Feasibility Study for Canada Hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup - June 27, 2000

The original document was called wcstudy-eng.pdf. With the changes at the CSA site I couldn't find it so I used the last available url for it and the 'ol Wayback Machine and voila. Please save it if you are interested in preserving the history.

Anyone who can read can see it (the bid) was done on the cheap. But you can also see the changes that have and will occur between then (thirteen years ago) and now and the coming years.

The document gives us some idea of what is required to undertake hosting the World Cup.

Press release: CSA Pursues World Cup Soccer Bid - June 7, 2001

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The long-term positive would be primarily for the CFL, which might actually see potential expansion cities with brand-new CFL-ready stadiums. (Thinking probably of Quebec City and Halifax.)

I think the stars are slowly aligning for a stadium in Halifax. The new mayor and new premier both say they're interested in such a project and the CFL commissioner has been saying a little more lately (apparently he explicitly stated that Atlantic Canada is being considered next for expansion and that Halifax is the most likely place there for a team).

My prediction is that we will see somewhat concrete plans for a stadium over the next couple of years, that it will likely be built within 10 years, and that, if it is built, there will be some kind of CFL deal involved. The reason why there was a lull in CFL and stadium talk in Halifax for a few years was that there was a collapsed Commonwealth Games bid; politicians did not want to touch that issue with a ten foot pole afterward, but now most of those people are gone and people have forgotten about the CWGs.

I just hope they don't blow too much money on it or put it in a bad location. It appears the federal government would like the city to use some former military land at Shannon Park. That would be a pretty good site.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Beyond the wet dreams of CFL fans (I could be one of them), does Canada even have any medium to long term use for a dozen 40,000-seat stadiums?

I suppose concert promoters will love them too, but football is the only sport in this country that could possibly fill a 40,000 seat stadium on a regular basis. The CFL would likely be the principal and sole beneficiary of these stadia. If it takes a FIFA bid to get them, there are millions of CFL fans nationwide that wouldn't complain one little bit.

[theman23]

A Canada WC would be a national embarrassment waiting to happen.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by theman23

A Canada WC would be a national embarrassment waiting to happen.

I agree. We wouldn't be able to pull it off.

I really doubt Canada will ever get the chance to host it anyway.

[EpicPonyTime]

Originally Posted by elly63

Economic Feasibility Study for Canada Hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup - June 27, 2000

The original document was called wcstudy-eng.pdf. With the changes at the CSA site I couldn't find it so I used the last available url for it and the 'ol Wayback Machine and voila. Please save it if you are interested in preserving the history.

Anyone who can read can see it (the bid) was done on the cheap. But you can also see the changes that have and will occur between then (thirteen years ago) and now and the coming years.

The document gives us some idea of what is required to undertake hosting the World Cup.

Press release: CSA Pursues World Cup Soccer Bid - June 7, 2001

I find it really interesting that Olympic Stadium would have been the main stadium in a World Cup bid. With BC Place being the site of the final for the Women's World Cup, I wonder if it has surplanted the Big O as the centerpiece of any FIFA bid by Canada.

Sort of a shame, in my opinion. If there's any stadium that could use money to be refurbished it's Olympic. A World Cup would bring tons of money for it.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I agree. We wouldn't be able to pull it off. I really doubt Canada will ever get the chance to host it anyway.

Always nice to hear from our resident American troll.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by theman23

A Canada WC would be a national embarrassment waiting to happen.

Care to elaborate?

[FutureSmith]

Originally Posted by theman23

A Canada WC would be a national embarrassment waiting to happen.

You seem to think that fielding a competitive team equates to hosting a successful tournament. I assure you, it does not. Last time, South Africa did not advance beyond the group stage, and yet the 2010 Cup was lauded as a big success. We don't have to win a single game for such an endeavor to succeed. If you're objective is to organize a sporting event, shouldn't the outcome depend on your skills as an organizer?

[Danny D Oh]

Originally Posted by kev_427

The new Winnipeg (40,000) Regina (45,000), Hamilton (40,000) and Ottawa (45,000) stadiums have provisions for temporary seating. I'm just worried how it will look. If it looks out of place and tacky like McMahon or Taylor during the Grey Cup, I can't see them winning the bid. The rendering for the Hamilton Stadium with extra seating looks ok.

Also according to the article, the capacity requirement is 60,000. Pretty sure that's inaccurate, as Brazil, Russia, and Qatar have several stadiums below that in their bids.

It will be interesting to see what the plan is for the temp seating in Winnipeg. The concourse at IGF can't handle the traffic caused by 30,000 fans. Sell out the permanent seats and add 7000 temporary stands over the 4 corners of the endzones and it could be total gridlock.

[EpicPonyTime]

Originally Posted by FutureSmith

You seem to think that fielding a competitive team equates to hosting a successful tournament. I assure you, it does not. Last time, South Africa did not advance beyond the group stage, and yet the 2010 Cup was lauded as a big success. We don't have to win a single game for such an endeavor to succeed. If you're objective is to organize a sporting event, shouldn't the outcome depend on your skills as an organizer?

I think he is refering more to the problem that Danny D oh mentioned instead of any issue with our men's soccer team: stadiums with temporary seating that makes up almost 50% of the capacity. When you look at stadium plans for World Cups it becomes really hard to compare their stadiums to what Canada would be able to provide. They're nicer and often built to size and then reduced after the World Cup, not built for 30,000 people and then expected to hold 45,000+. I can't see FIFA jumping to host a World Cup game at Taylor Field; I bet the rows and rows of port-a-johns would look great on international television.

It definitely is not as big of an issue now that Regina and Winnipeg are getting new stadiums (Hamilton and Ottawa built too small for a World Cup, in my opinion), but in that 2010 proposal? It would have been painful to see Canada try and bid for the World Cup with the stadiums we had at the time.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by elly63

Always nice to hear from our resident American troll.

I love how I'm living rent-free in your head... and I didn't even have to sign a lease.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by EpicPonyTime

I find it really interesting that Olympic Stadium would have been the main stadium in a World Cup bid. With BC Place being the site of the final for the Women's World Cup, I wonder if it has surplanted the Big O as the centerpiece of any FIFA bid by Canada.

Sort of a shame, in my opinion. If there's any stadium that could use money to be refurbished it's Olympic. A World Cup would bring tons of money for it.

As much as I love the Big O, BC Place is this country's premier stadium. Olympic is 2nd.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I agree. We wouldn't be able to pull it off.

I really doubt Canada will ever get the chance to host it anyway.

Au contraire. If we had the stadiums (or were even close to having them), we'd be almost a shoo-in to host. I do realize the stadium issue is a big IF.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by isaidso

As much as I love the Big O, BC Place is this country's premier stadium. Olympic is 2nd.

In appearance and feel, for sure. But in a contemporary WC bid the Big O would be the centrepiece stadium if only for potential seating capacity. There is room for seating 75,000 in the Big O, maybe more. That's a lot more than you could get inside BC Place or Rogers Centre. Commonwealth is probably second for the number of seats you could jam into it.

[osmo]

The time zone issue is only for the Olympics since NBC whom pays the largest rights fees arm twists for events to be held as close as possible for American prime-time. For Soccer it does not matter as much, knock out games are always placed at decent times and the round-robin with so many games on at once many soccer fans will watch/skip work or watch repeats.

I am surprised nobody has brought up the fact that Canada still does not have a FIFA Elite Stadium for the finals. I believe Commonwealth is our highest rated Stadium for soccer and the drop off is steep after that. BC place scores high but it does not have natural grass which FIFA demands for its matches. It can be placed for the event just like they did for U-20 in Montreal, and Detroit in 1994 but it does hinder chances for the finals unless BC place can assure the grass can be kept pristine.

Toronto or Montreal would have to figure something out as yes both Skydome and the Big-O are big, but they aren't Soccer facilities and still have awkward sight lines for it, plus by 2020 Skydome might be a permanent baseball facility with the Blue Jays moving towards grass and fence adjustments. They are neither adequate to host the finals. So the biggest issue might be building a top tier 80K seat Stadium in either of those Citities. Toronto with its NFL lusts IMO would be the first to make it happen in some way.

Both thier cities MLS will see temporary upgrades and use also so keep that in mind. You can add 2 stadiums each for Toronto and Montreal possibly can host 2 games all at the same time and would put the venue number at 4, plus we assume if the Argos get thier shit together they might also have thier own stadium by that time also bumping up the number. After that: Winnipeg, Regina, Hamilton, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, would make the venue number 8. Add in Calgary and Halifax with new facilities and you get a number of 10*(with a big asterisk).

The WCs is more honest about facilities. Most of the upgrades come from logistical stuff for the players, television, and game staff. Things such as locker rooms, press and referee chambers all have to be constructed within the stadiums underbelly. FIFA produces the WC in house so basically each venue would have to be turned into a living TV set that is far substantial then anything we see for Grey Cups. The volume of wire and tech needed all would need space so evrey stadium in Canada would need some work done to a degree.

Lastly, the idea of a Mexico/USA joint bid shows the dire straits of America. No other country on earth has the mix of facilities and logistics at the scale America does. In Europe you have a ton of Stadiums but many places you will literally have a Stadium of 80K in a town of 100k and EVREYBODY goes to the game in that town. They may not have a adequate airport or hotel facilities in town, but in the USA each NFL City except for Green Bay does. Nothing new was built for 1994 in America which still has been rare for the modern era WCs. It's telling they would need a joint bid and not go solo.