Australia: Eastern Stand on Coopers Stadium reopens

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Mateusz Osmola

Australia: Eastern Stand on Coopers Stadium reopens The Eastern Stand returns for the 2022/2023 season, after being closed as part of the redevelopment of Coopers Stadium in Hindmarsh, Australia. Venue’s hosts, Adelaide United, are excited about it and consider it a big win for fans. The newly reopened part of the stadium provides some of the most desired seating.

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Coopers Stadium in Hindmarsh, Australia was inaugurated in 1960. The first major upgrade for the venue came before the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The arena was temporarily enlarged to accommodate 20,000 people. The original, single tier grandstand with its wooden benches was demolished and replaced by the current two tier structure. The terracing on the opposite wing was also removed and replaced by seating.

Coopers Stadium© Michael Coghlan (cc: by-sa)

When the ground was rebuilt before the Olympics, only the new grandstand would remain in place. Coopers Stadium hosted seven games of the 2000 Olympic men's football tournament, including one quarter-final. The venue's all-time attendance record of 18,430 people was set during the Group A match between Italy and Nigeria. After the event, the capacity was reduced and today stands at 16,500.

Coppers Stadium is home to professional football team Adelaide United, who competes in A-League, the highest level of professional football in Australia and New Zealand. “The Reds” were established in 2003 and since then they have enjoyed considerable success. Winning A-League Men Premiership twice and Championship once. In 2019 they became the most decorated club in FFA Cup history with three trophies. Football fans can benefit from sports betting tips by Overlyzer.

Coopers Stadium© frank-jasperneite.de

The arena in Hindmarsh was part of Australia and New Zealand bid to host FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023. The tournament will be the first-ever co-hosted event of this kind and also the first edition to feature 32 teams. The best female players in the world, apart from Adelaide, will compete in Auckland, Brisbane, Dunedin, Hamilton, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney (2 stadiums) and Wellington.

In order to prepare for the championship, Coppers Stadium has embarked on a $53 million redevelopment in 2021, which will include new stadium floodlights, a roof on the east stand, upgrades to the stadium's changing rooms and improvements to media facilities, technology aspects and spectator’s comfort. The whole modernisation will be completed before the stadium hosts the group matches of the Women's World Cup.

The first phase of redevelopment has just been completed with the opening of the new East Stand. The most noticeable change is the addition of a new roof. The design of the canopy is similar to that of the West Stand. Along with the installation of the roofing came 82 LED floodlights, which improve the overall experience for fans on match day, as well as the quality of the entire broadcast. Additional loudspeakers have also been included to improve the sound experience.

Coopers Stadium© whatsound (cc: by-nc-nd)

The new corporate area on level 4 provides an exciting new hospitality space for business clients. To improve the customers’ experience, the facility also includes bar areas and an industrial kitchen space. The floor area with its floor to ceiling windows provides breathtaking view of the pitch, as well as stunning overview of the Adelaide Hills to the east. There are also outdoor terraces on the north and south sides.

The venue was equipped with new gates and turnstiles, which will speed up the entry process and improve the spectator experience with less congestion and shorter waiting times. Access for people with disabilities will improve after the installation of a lift. As part of the redevelopment, more toilets have been provided, so fans will have fewer queues. All food and beverage outlets have been upgraded to speed up customer service and reduce excessive queues. The whole project is currently running on-time and within budget.

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